• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.137-159
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• 2005

As what exactly understands a meaning of mathematics terms, is a starting point of mathematical thinking, it plays a very important role in the mathematics learning. What understood mathematics terms which were defined here, includes not only the terms of comprising its definition, but also all of the understanding in context, situation, intention and purpose, which came to give its definition. Due to this reason, it needs to be examined how much students are correctly understanding about mathematics terms which appear in the texts, and to seek for its cause for the terms which are felt to be difficult. Accordingly, this study investigated into mathematics terms which are used for the field of geometry in the elementary school mathematics textbooks, and tried to analyze students' understanding level about each term.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.167-191
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• 2014

In this study, we investigate the term-sets of 'base' or 'bottom': 'the bottom side of a polygon' and 'the base side (of a geometrical figure)'. And we study the concept of 'the base area' in the solid figures and the formula of 'the bottom dimensions'. We start from the 6th grade math problem: 'Find the bottom dimension of the rectangular.' The primary answer is that it does not use the term('the bottom dimensions') in the elementary mathematics. However, in the middle school mathematics, 'the base area' is used as means of 'the area of one bottom side', which is not explained anywhere from the elementary mathematics to middle school mathematics. In addition, the base is defined and 'the surface area' and 'the side area' is taught in the elementary mathematics, so we naturally think of 'the base area'. Therefore we first investigate the term-sets of 'base' or 'bottom' which has two elements: 'the bottom side of a polygon' and 'the base side (of a geometrical figure)'. Next we discuss 'the base area' through curriculum and textbooks, dictionary definitions and so on. In addition, we survey pre-service teachers and teachers about the solid figures and analyse the understanding of 'the base side' and 'the base area' comparatively. In particular, we compare the changes and the tendency of correct answers from the first question to the last question. As a result, we verify 'the cognitive gap' between the elementary mathematics and the middle school mathematics, we suggest the teaching of 'the base area' and succession subjects to teach figure domain in the elementary mathematics.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.821-840
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• 2013

Definition of geometric figure in middle school geometry seems to mere meaning of the term which could be perceived visually through its shape. However, Much research reported the low achievements of definitions of basic geometric figures. It suggested the limitation of instrumental understanding. In this research, I guided gifted middle school students to reinvent definitions of basic geometric figure by the deductive organization of its properties as Freudenthal pointed. These students understood relationally about why some geometric figure can be defined this way and how it could be defined equally via other properties. This analysis of reinventing of definitions will be a stepping stone to reflect on the pedagogical problems in teaching geometry and to search the new alternatives.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.441-457
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• 2014

This study starts with the idea that Korean mathematical word 'byon' which means 'side' of polygons or angles is very ambiguous. The purpose of this study is to make the concept and range of 'byon' clear and to suggest the ideas which can help children understand the concept of 'byon'. For this, various dictionary and the past Korean mathematics curriculums are reviewed. As a result, two attributes 'byon' has are identified and some reasons which block children from understanding 'byon' are detected in its introduction method of mathematics text books and inkhorn of the mathematical term. Finally, two different ideas for helping children understand the concept 'byon' are suggested based on the conclusion of this research.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.371-385
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• 2015

In this paper we investigate the axioms defining area and volume so that revisit area formula for triangle, volume formula for triangular pyramid, and related contents in school mathematics from the view point of axiomatic method and Hilbert's third problem.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.245-261
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• 2007

This paper deals with the possible problems which may arise when students learn the names of elementary geometric figures in the languages of Korean, Chinese, English. The names of some simple geometric figures in these languages are analyzed, and a specially designed test was administered to some grade eight students from the three language groups to explore the possible influence of the characteristics of the languages on students' capability in identifying the figures, the way students define the figures, and students' understanding of the inclusive relationship among figures. It was found that the usage of the terms to describe geometric figures may indeed have affected students' understanding of the figures. The names of geometric figures borrowed from those of everyday life objects may cause students to fix on some attributes of the objects which may not be consistent with the definition of the figures. Even when the names of the geometric figures depict the features of the figures, the words used in the naming of the figures may still affect students' understanding of the inclusive relations. If there is discrepancy between the definition of a geometric figure and the features that the name depicts, it may affect students' understanding of the definition of the figure, and if there is inconsistency in the classification of figures, it may affect students' understanding of the inclusive relationship involving those figures. Some implications of the study are then discussed.

• School Mathematics
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.569-583
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• 2013

In Korea, the school mathematics curricula have been revised in every average 6 years by the government. From the year 2013, the new revised curricula called 2009 version are implied. The subject of elementary mathematics in this new curricula contains four issues to be improved. First, it should be allowed to call the basic figures such as box, cylinder, ball, quadrilateral, triangle and circle in verbal languages. Second, the name of the activities to define mathematical concepts should be changed from 'Yaksok', which means 'promise' in English, to a better and more honest one. Third, the concave polygons should be treated together with the convex ones. Fourth, the calculations of fractions should be weakened as much as possible for the elementary school children.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.559-587
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to derive implications for the development of the next curriculum and textbooks by comparing and analyzing the textbooks of the 2015 revised high school mathematics curriculum <Mathematics for Economics> and social studies curriculum <Economics>. In the <Mathematics for Economics> textbooks, economic terms and function notations should be introduced. Additionally, the use of graphs for economic-related functions is different from the use of graphs in mathematics in the <Mathematics for Economics> textbooks. For these reasons, the usage of economic terms, function notations, and function graphs covered in the <Mathematics for Economics> textbooks were compared and analyzed with the usage in the <Economics> textbooks. In the <Mathematics for Economics> textbooks, economic terms that are highly related to mathematics are defined and presented. Contrary to the conventions of mathematics and economics, the function notations in the <Mathematics for Economics> textbooks were used inconsistently because uppercase and lowercase letters were mixed in the function notations. Function graphs in the <Mathematics for Economics> textbooks had differences in the range of values represented by the variables regarding axes and scaling. The <Mathematics for Economics> textbooks did not provide a mathematical interpretation of the translation or slope. In the course of <Mathematics for Economics>, it is necessary to specify considerations for teaching and learning, and assessment in the curriculum to promote students' understanding of mathematics and economics. The descriptions in the curriculum document and textbooks of <Mathematics for Economics> should be supplemented to provide learning opportunities for mathematical interpretation of economics-related contents.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.393-407
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• 2009

In this article the definition of similarity and its introduction in Korean middle school textbooks based on the 7th national curriculum are analysed critically. As a result four suggestions are presented. First, on the consideration that the contents related with similarity has been removed in the elementary school curriculum, the meaning of 'constant rate' needs to be understood through the rich experience of drawing enlarged/reduced figures when similarity is introduced in middle school, Second, there are two different ways in enlargement/reduction of figures and in the definition of similarity. Teachers have to keep the limitations of the two ways in mind. Third, the activity of drawing similar figures in enlarged/reduced squared paper needs to be practiced. Last, on 'the relation of similarity' which is in the definition of similarity, it has to be examined whether 'similarity' should be presented in the documents of the national curriculum as a term.

• School Mathematics
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.667-682
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• 2013

Though teachers' lesson plays, this article analysed teachers' knowledge for mathematical teaching about mathematical definitions and their pedagogical difficulties in teaching defining. Although the participant teachers didn't transmit definitions to students and suggested possible definitions of the given geometric figure in their imaginary lessons, they didn't teach defining as deductive organization of properties of the geometric figure. They considered mathematical definition as a mere linguistic convention of a word, so they couldn't appreciate the necessity of deductive organization in teaching definitions, and the arbitrary nature of mathematical definitions. Therefore, for learning to teach definitions differently, it is necessary for teachers to reflect the gap between the everyday and mathematical definitions in teachers'education.