• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.247-264
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• 2021

The area of a trapezoid is an important concept to develop mathematical thinking and competency, but many students tend to understand the formula for the area of a trapezoid instrumentally. A clue to solving these problems could be found in Dienes' theory of learning mathematics and Watson and Mason' concept of example spaces. The purpose of this study is to obtain implications for the teaching and learning of the area of the trapezoid. This study analyzed the example spaces constructed by students in learning the area of a trapezoid based on Dienes' theory of learning mathematics. As a result of the analysis, the example spaces for each stage of math learning constructed by the students were a trapezoidal variation example spaces in the play stage, a common representation example spaces in the comparison-representation stage, and a trapezoidal area formula example spaces in the symbolization-formalization stage. The type, generation, extent, and relevance of examples constituting example spaces were analyzed, and the structure of the example spaces was presented as a map. This study also analyzed general examples, special examples, conventional examples of example spaces, and discussed how to utilize examples and example spaces in teaching and learning the area of a trapezoid. Through this study, it was found that it is appropriate to apply Dienes' theory of learning mathematics to learning the are of a trapezoid, and this study can be a model for learning the area of the trapezoid.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.361-383
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• 2011

This study is on teaching about the areas of plane figures through open instruction, which aims to discover the pedagogical meanings and implications in the application of open methods to math classes by running the Math A & B classes regarding the areas of parallelogram, triangle, trapezoid and rhombus for fifth graders of elementary school through open instruction method and analyzing the educational process. This study led to the following results. First, it is most important to choose proper open-end questions for classes on open instruction methods. Teachers should focus on the roles of educational assistants and mediators in the communication among students. Second, teachers need to make lists of anticipated responses from students to lead them to discuss and focus on more valuable methods. Third, it is efficient to provide more individual tutoring sessions for the students of low educational level as the classes on open instruction methods are carried on. Fourth, students sometimes figured out more advanced solutions by justifying their solutions with explanations through discussions in the group sessions and regular classes. Fifth, most of students were found out to be much interested in the process of thinking and figuring out solutions through presentations and questions in classes and find it difficult to describe their thoughts.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.113-125
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• 2016

The concept and measuring activities of the height of figures are essential to find the areas or volumes of the corresponding figures. For plane figures, the height of a triangle is defined to be the line segment from a vertex that is perpendicular to the opposite side of the triangle, whereas the height of a parallelogram(trapezoid) is defined to be the distance between two parallel sides. For the solid figures, the height of a prism is defined to be the distance of two parallel bases, whereas the height of a pyramid is defined to be the perpendicular distance from the apex to the base. In addition, the height of a cone is defined to be the length of the line segment from the apex that is perpendicular to the base and the height of a cylinder is defined to be the length of the line segment that is perpendicular to two parallel bases. In this study, we discuss some pedagogical problems on the concepts and measuring activities of the height of figures to provide alternative activities and suggest their educational implications from a teaching and learning point of view.

• School Mathematics
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.327-339
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• 2006

In this study, a teaching units for teaching and learning of secondary preservice teachers' mathematising is designed, focusing on reinvention of Bretschneider's formula. preservice teachers can obtain the following through this teaching units. First, preservice teachers can experience mathematising which invent a noumenon which organize a phenomenon, They can make an experience to invent Bretscheider's formula as if they invent mathematics really. Second, preservice teachers can understand one of the mechanisms of mathematics knowledge invention. As they reinvent Brahmagupta's formula and Bretschneider's formula, they understand a mechanism that new knowledge is invented Iron already known knowledge by analogy. Third, preservice teachers can understand connection between school mathematics and academic mathematics. They can understand how the school mathematics can connect academic mathematics, through the relation between the school mathematics like formulas for calculating areas of rectangle, square, rhombus, parallelogram, trapezoid and Heron's formula, and academic mathematics like Brahmagupta's formula and Bretschneider's formula.