• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.351-364
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• 2003

by A.C. Clairaut is the first geometry textbook based on the historico-genetic principle against the logico-deduction method of Euclid's This paper aims to recognize Clairaut's historico-genetic principle by inquiring into this book and to search for its applications to school mathematics. For this purpose, we induce the following five characteristics that result from his principle and give some suggestions for school geometry in relation to these characteristics respectively : 1. The appearance of geometry is due to the necessity. 2. He approaches to the geometry through solving real-world problems.- the application of mathematics 3. He adopts natural methods for beginners.-the harmony of intuition and logic 4. He makes beginners to grasp the principles. 5. The activity principle is embodied. In addition, we analyze the two useful propositions that may prove these characteristics properly.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.213-222
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• 2007

In this study, science history program was developed to enhance student's concepts toward the particulate nature of matter and the understanding about the nature of science. And the effects of its application was investigated in the lesson of ‘Composition of Matter' in middle school science class. This science history program was based on genetic approach and included the contents from the old Greek natural philosophers to Avogadro. Before instruction, the test of understanding about nature of science was administered, and the science scores of the previous course were obtained, which were used as covariates. During 24 class hours, this study was conducted with two classes(experimental and comparison group) in a middle school in Seoul. The experimental group was received lessons by science history programs and the comparison group was received traditional lessons. After instruction, the scientific concept test, the test of understanding about nature of science were administered. The result of this study indicates that the scientific concept scores of experimental group were significantly higher than comparison group at p <.01 level of significance. It means that the students in experimental group has more sound conceptions about the particulate nature of matter and less mis conceptions about matter than the students in comparison group. However, there was no significant difference between two groups in the score of understanding about the nature of science.

• School Mathematics
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.401-420
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• 2003

We have many problems in the teaching and learning of proof, especially in the demonstrative geometry of middle school mathematics introducing the proof for the first time. Above all, it is the serious problem that many students do not understand the meaning of proof. In this paper we intend to show that teaching the meaning of proof in terms of historic-genetic approach will be a method to improve the way of teaching proof. We investigate the development of proof which goes through three stages such as experimental, intuitional, and scientific stage as well as the development of geometry up to the completion of Euclid's Elements as Bran-ford set out, and analyze the teaching process for the purpose of looking for the way of improving the way of teaching proof through the historic-genetic approach. We conducted lessons about the angle-sum property of triangle in accordance with these three stages to the students of seventh grade. We show that the students will understand the meaning of proof meaningfully and properly through the historic-genetic approach.