Metaphorical Perceptions of Middle School Students about the Concept of Fraction

The aim of this study is to reveal middle school students’ perceptions of the concept of fractions through metaphors. In the study, which adopted the phenomenological approach from qualitative research designs, an open-ended form in which students completed the statement “A fraction is like ... because ...” was used as the data collection tool. The study group consists of 255 students studying at a public middle school in Türkiye in the spring semester of the 2024–2025 academic year. The metaphors generated by students were examined through content analysis and grouped into five thematic categories: Divisibility and sharing, mathematical operation and structure, daily life objects, facilitation/difficulty and abstraction, and emotional expression. The findings indicate that students interpret fractions through tangible objects, daily experiences, and emotional dimensions. These variations underscore the need for instructional approaches that are responsive to learners’ cognitive and emotional profiles. Overall, the results highlight the pedagogical value of employing student-centred strategies that emphasize concreteness and incorporate multiple modes of representation when teaching fractions.