• School Mathematics
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.135-149
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• 2003

We present an understanding about students' conceptual model of differential equations, based on the discourse data that were collected in a differential equations course at a university in Korea. An interpretive approach is taken to analyze classroom discourse. This paper consists of three main parts. First, we completely analyze the students' use of conceptual metaphor in a university differential equations class. Secondly, we identify conceptual metaphors representing students' conceptual model of differential equations. Finally, we describe the mathematical characteristics of the conceptual metaphors identified in detail. Among other things, this paper reveals that there exists dual aspects of the students' conceptual model of differential equations. In other words, in the differential equations course observed we found that the students very often used two kinds of conceptual metaphor,“machine metaphor”and“fictive motion metaphor”, that have contrastingly different mathematical characteristics. In order to interpret the duality, we take a sociocultural perspective, and this perspective suggests and helps us to realize the significance of understanding of cognitive diversity in mathematics classroom.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.221-237
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• 2004

This research analyzed mathematical discourse of the students in an RME-based differential equations course at a university in order to investigate the social transformation of the students' conceptual model of differential equations. The analysis focused on the change in the students' use of conceptual metaphor for differential equations and pedagogical factors promoting the change. The analysis shows that discrete and quantitative conceptual model was prevalent in the beginning of the semester However, continuous and qualitative conceptual model emerged through the negotiation of mathematical meaning based on the inquiry of context problems. The participation in the project class has a positive impact on the extension of the students' conceptual model of differential equations and increases the fluency of the students' problem solving in differential equations. Moreover, this paper provides a discussion to identify the pedagogical factors Involved with the transformation of the students' conceptual model. The discussion highlights the sociocultural aspect of teaching and learning of mathematics and provides implications to improve teaching of mathematics in school.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.133-152
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• 2004

In this paper, we discuss students' conceptual development of eigen value and eigen vector in differential equation course based on reformed differential equation using the mathematical model of mass spring according to historico-generic principle. Moreover, in setting of small group interactive learning, we investigate the students' development of mathematical attitude.

• East Asian mathematical journal
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.141-161
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• 2011

This research is a laboratory study for the improvement of differential equation class, and the aim of this study is to propose the possibilities of applicable writing activities for differential equation courses in university. We analyzed how the writing activities can affect the improvement of abilities of the students' affective domain and cognitive domain. Although the results from the two areas did not show a big numerical improvements it proved that the writing activities have positive effects, especially for the group of lower level students. The students felt interested and became more confident with differential equation studies. Their understanding of the study has been increased further by acquiring new learning methods, including writing activities. Therefore, we conclude that teaching and learning method designed systematically to adopt writing activities improve the students' learning attitudes and achievements.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Mathematical Education Conference
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.29-32
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• 2007

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.185-202
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• 2010

This study was designed to investigate the possibility that the optimization problem solving activities based on the instrumented CAS can have an influence on the sequence of mathematics curriculum in secondary mathematics education. Some optimization problem solving activities based on CAS were constructed and executed to eleventh grade(the penultimate year of Korean high school) 7 students for nine class hours. They have experienced using CAS in mathematics class for three months, but never learned calculus. The data which consists of classroom observations(audio and video taped) and post-unit interviews with students were analyzed. In the analysis, with CAS, students can highly deal with the applied optimization problems made up of calculus, cubic equation, solution of radical equation, and graph analysis which never learned. This result shows CAS may have an influence on the sequence of mathematics curriculum in secondary mathematics education.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.387-402
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• 2003

Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) focuses on guided reinvention through which students explore experientially realistic context problems to develop informal problem solving strategies and solutions. This research applied this philosophy of RME to design a differential equation course at a university level. In particular, the course encouraged the students of the course to use numerical methods to solve differential equations. In this context, the purpose of this research was to describe the developmental process in which the students constructed and reinvented Euler algorithm in the class. For the purpose, this paper will present the didactical principle of RME and describe the process of developmental research to investigate the inferential process of students in solving the first order differential equation numerically. Finally, the qualitative analysis of the students' reasoning and use of symbols reveals how the students reinvent Euler algorithm under the didactical principle of guided reinvention. In this research, it has been found that the students developed deep understanding of Euler algorithm in the class. Moreover, it has been shown that the experience of doing mathematics in the course had a positive impact on students' mathematical belief and attitude. These findings imply that the didactical principle of RME can be applied to design university mathematical courses and in general, provide a perspective on how to reform mathematics curriculum at a university level.