How students use Their Individual Frames of Refrence to Estimate Measures

In the first phase of this study, a framework was initially developed to explore the place of measurement in school Mathematics. In the second phase, textbooks of primary and middle schools were examined through content analysis.The analysis indicated that the main focus was on mathematical knowledge related to measurement, standard measurement tools and standard units of measure, whereas little attention was given to nonstandard units of measure, real measurement activities and estimation. On the contrary, individual frames of reference, technology, understandingproportion, and cultural context of measurement, apart from few cases, were ignored.Consequently, in the third phase, individual frames of reference used by students enabling them to estimate, were considered. Finally, a new model was developed to show that how individuals use their frames of reference; a model that suggests a spectrum which at one end, there are physical individual frames of reference and at the other, there are mental individual frames of reference. The findings of this part of the research indicated that students mostly use the physical individual frames of reference over the mental individual frames of reference. They also use their individualframes of reference that are not accurate enough and are not learnt through school mathematics