• School Mathematics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.647-666
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• 2016

This study investigates pre-service teacher's understanding of the concept and representations of irrational numbers. We classified the representations of irrational numbers into six categories; non-fraction, decimal, symbolic, geometric, point on a number line, approximation representation. The results of this study are as follows. First, pre-service teachers couldn't relate non-fractional definition and incommensurability of irrational numbers. Secondly, we observed the centralization tendency on symbolic representation and the little attention to other representations. Thirdly, pre-service teachers had more difficulty moving between symbolic representation and point on a number line representation of ${\pi}$ than that of $\sqrt{5}$ We suggested the concept of irrational numbers should be learned in relation to various representations of irrational numbers.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.139-156
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• 2008

We investigate the inducing method of irrational numbers in junior high school, under algebraic as well as geometric point of view. Also we study the treatment of irrational numbers in the 7th national curriculum. In fact, we discover that i) incommensurability as essential factor of concept of irrational numbers is not treated, and ii) the concept of irrational numbers is not smoothly interconnected to that of rational numbers. In order to understand relationally the incommensurability, we suggest the method for inducing irrational numbers using construction in junior high school.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.99-116
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• 2004

This study investigates the concept of irrational number which middle school students begin to learn for the first time in their learning mathematics. Further, this explores how that concept is being taught, how much students understand that concept and things that students have difficulty in understanding relating to the concept of irrational number. Thus we try to figure out how the concept of irrational number should be taught for the most effective students' understanding. Thus, we want to provide some suggestions for teaching and learning irrationals numbers.

• School Mathematics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.319-343
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• 2017

In this study, we hope to reveal specialized content knowledge(SCK) and its features necessary to analyze student's errors and difficulties about the concept of irrational numbers. The instruments and interview were administered to 3 in-service mathematics teachers with various education background and teaching experiments. The results of this study are as follows. First, specialized content knowledge(SCK) were characterized by the fixation to symbolic representation like roots when they analyzed the concentration and overlooking of the representations of irrational numbers. Secondly, we observed the centralization tendency on symbolic representation and the little attention to other representations as the standard of judgment about irrational numbers. Thirdly, In-service teachers were influenced by content of students' error when they analyzed the error and difficulties of students. Lately, we confirmed that the content knowledge about the viewpoint of procept and actual infinity of irrational numbers are most important during the analyzing process.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.297-312
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• 2006

As research on the instruction method of the concept of irrational numbers, this thesis is theoretically based on the Freudenthal's Mathematising Instruction Theory and a conducted case study in order to find an introduction method of irrational numbers. The purpose of this research is to provide practical information about the instruction method ?f irrational numbers. For this, research questions have been chosen as follows: 1. What is the introducing method of irrational numbers based on the Freudenthal's Mathematising Instruction Theory? 2 What are the Characteristics of the teaming process shown in class using introducing instruction of irrational numbers based on the Freudenthal's Mathematising Instruction? For questions 1 and 2, we conducted literature review and case study respectively For the case study, we, as participant observers, videotaped and transcribed the course of classes, collected data such as reports of students' learning activities, information gathered through interviews, and field notes. The result was analyzed from three viewpoints such as the characteristics of problems, the application of mathematical means, and the development levels of irrational numbers concept.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.63-82
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• 2016

Mathematical notation is the main means to realize the power of mathematics. Under this perspective, this study analyzed the difficulties of learning an irrational number concept in terms of notation. I tried to find ways to overcome the difficulties arising from the notation. There are two primary ideas in the notation of irrational number using root. The first is that an irrational number should be represented by letter because it can not be expressed by decimal or fraction. The second is that $\sqrt{2}$ is a notation added the number in order to highlight the features that it can be 2 when it is squared. However it is difficult for learner to notice the reasons for using the root because the textbook does not provide the opportunity to discover. Furthermore, the reduction of the transparency for the letter in the development of history is more difficult to access from the conceptual aspects. Thus 'epistemological obstacles resulting from the double context' and 'epistemological obstacles originated by strengthening the transparency of the number' is expected. To overcome such epistemological obstacles, it is necessary to premise 'providing opportunities for development of notation' and 'an experience using the notation enhanced the transparency of the letter that the existing'. Based on these principles, this study proposed a plan consisting of six steps.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.55-66
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• 2005

In our school mathmatics, the irrational numbers and the real numbers are defined and instructed on the basis of decimal fractions. In relation to this fact, we identified the essences of the real number and the irrational number defined by the decimal fractions through the historical analysis. It is revealed that the formation of real numbers means the numerical measurements of all magnitudes and the formation of irrational numbers means the numerical measurements of incommensurable magnitudes. Finally, we suggest instructional plan for the meaninful understanding of the real number concept.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.5
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• pp.321-334
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• 1997

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.35-55
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to examine not only students' cognition in the mathematical error-finding activity of the concept of irrational numbers, but also the students' learning stance regarding the use of errors and a teacher's questioning strategies that lead to changes in the level of mathematical discourse. To this end, error-finding individual activities, group activities, and additional interviews were conducted with 133 middle school students, and students' cognition and the teacher's questioning strategies for changes in students' learning stance and levels of mathematical discourse were analyzed. As a result of the study, students' cognition focuses on the symbolic representation of irrational numbers and the representation of decimal numbers, and they recognize the existence of irrational numbers on a number line, but tend to have difficulty expressing a number line using figures. In addition, the importance of the teacher's leading and exploring questioning strategy was observed to promote changes in students' learning stance and levels of mathematical discourse. This study is valuable in that it specified the method of using errors in mathematics teaching and learning and elaborated the teacher's questioning strategies in finding mathematical errors.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.79-90
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• 2003

This paper aims to consider the genesis of irrational numbers and to suggest a method for teaching the concept of irrational numbers. It is the notion of “incommensurability” in geometrical sense that makes Pythagoreans discover irrational numbers. According to the historica-genetic principle, the teaching method suggested in this paper is based on the very concept, incommensurability which the school mathematics lacks. The basic ideas are induced from Clairaut's and Arcavi's.