Research in Mathematical Education (한국수학교육학회지시리즈D:수학교육연구)

Korean Society of Mathematical Education (한국수학교육학회)
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U.S. and Korean teacher candidates' approaches to mathematical modeling on a social justice issue

  • Eunhye Flavin (STEM Education, Graduate Teacher Education/Division of Graduate and Professional Studies, Stonehill College) ;
  • Sunghwan Hwang (Department of Mathematics Education, Chuncheon National University of Education)
  • Received : 2024.01.08
  • Accepted : 2024.01.31
  • Published : 2024.03.31
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Abstract

Mathematical modeling activities are gaining popularity in K-12 mathematics education curricula worldwide. These activities serve dual purposes by aiding students in making sense of real-world situations intertwined with social justice while acquiring mathematical knowledge. Despite efforts to prepare teacher candidates for instructing in mathematical modeling within a single country, little attention has been given to teacher candidates' approaches to mathematical modeling on a social justice issue from different countries. This article employs an in-depth, small-scale comparative study to examine the approaches of U.S. and Korean teacher candidates in solving a justice-oriented mathematics task. Our findings reveal that, although both U.S. and Korean teacher candidates identified certain variables as key when constructing a mathematical model, Korean teacher candidates formulated a more nuanced model than U.S. candidates by considering diverse variables. However, U.S. teacher candidates exhibited a heightened engagement in linking the task to social justice issues, whereas Korean teacher candidates barely perceived real-world problems in relation to social justice concerns. This study serves as a valuable tool to inform the roles and limitations of teacher education programs, shaped within specific educational contexts.

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References

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