• School Mathematics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.197-222
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• 2007

The study aims to reflect the elementary school geometry education based on the Realistic Mathematics Education in the Netherlands in the light of the results from recent researches in geometry education and the direction of geometry standards for school mathematics of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in order to induce implications for improving korean geometry curriculum and textbook series. In order to attain these purposes, the present paper reflects the history of elementary school geometry education in the Netherlands, sketches the elementary school geometry education based on the Realistic Mathematics Education in the Netherlands by reflecting general goals of the mathematics education, the core goals for geometry strand of the Netherlands, and geometry and spatial orientation strand of Dutch Pluspunt textbook series for the elementary school more concretely. Under these reflections on the documents, it is analyzed what is the characteristics of geometry strand in the Netherlands as follows: emphasis on realistic spatial phenomenon, intuitive and informal approach, progressive approach from intuitive activity to spatial reasoning, intertwinement of mathematics strands and other disciplines, emphasis on interaction of the students, cyclical repetition of experiencing phase, explaining phases, and connecting phase. Finally, discussing points for improving our elementary school geometry curriculum and textbook series development are described as follows: introducing spatial orientation and emphasizing spatial visualization and spatial reasoning with respect to the instruction contents, considering balancing between approach stressing on grasping space and approach stressing on logical structure of geometry, intuitive approach, and integrating mathematics strands and other disciplines with respect to the instruction method.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.51-72
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• 2015

This study aimed to analyze the characteristic of undergraduate students' perception and preference for mathematics. For this purpose, I surveyed 124 undergraduate students' metaphorical expressions about mathematics. I classified the expressions as four categories: a positive form, a negative form, a mixed form, an undecidable form. I investigated the proportion and characteristic of the metaphorical expressions according to the above four categories. Also, I surveyed the students' preference and nonpreference moments for mathematics and categorized them into 6-cases: elementary school, middle school, high school, university, always, and none. In addition, I examined the students' preference and nonpreference reasons for mathematics and classified them according to the 5-factors: grade factor, affective factor, content factor, teacher factor, and other factors. The results of this study as follows: First, the 27% of university students expressed their metaphorical expressions for mathematics as a positive form, 42% as a negative form, and 27% as a mixed form. Also, the preference rate for mathematics was higher as their school years increase and the main reasons of preference were grade and affective factors. The result of nonpreference rate was also higher as their school year increased. Students said that the contents and grade factor were the main factors among the 5-factors.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.555-572
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• 2014

Teacher preparation programs are responsible for preparing teachers to be able to perform their work with professional knowledge and skills. What opportunities to learn such knowledge and skills the programs intentionally develop for prospective teachers can be discerned by looking at the curriculum of teacher education. The purpose of this study is to find implications for the curriculum in elementary teacher education in South Korea, especially as that pertains to opportunities to learn teaching mathematics. This paper compares the curricula of 21 teacher preparation programs for elementary teachers in South Korea and in the United States. It finds that the programs in both countries emphasize teacher preparation to teach subject matter and to help elementary students improve their academic knowledge. The overall structures of the curriculums outlined in the programs of both countries are relatively comparable. In terms of the opportunities to learn teaching mathematics, however, they are quite different in what authentic contents they offer. This paper discusses the need for more emphasis on mathematical knowledge for teaching.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.285-299
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• 2013

Problem posing activity of which a learner reinterprets an original problem via a new problem suggested, is a learning method which encourages an active participation and approves self-directed learning ability of the learner. Especially gifted students need to get used to a creative attitude to modify or reinterpret various mathematical materials found in everyday usual lives creatively in steady manner via such empirical experience beyond the question making level of the textbook. This paper verifies the possibility of lesson on question making strategy utilization for creativity development of gifted class, and analyzes various cases of students' trials to modify the rules of a board game called Rummikub in application of their own mathematics after learning What-If-Not strategy.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.451-466
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• 2007

Geometry in school mathematics is the field that has the possibility of diverse approach such as Synthetic Geometry and Analytic Geometry. Synthetic Geometry is handled in middle schools and Analytic Geometry in the first year of high schools. Therefore, this research show for the possibility of using Synthetic Geometry in high schools which was learned already in middle schools and the way of integrating both of them concretely. This is expected to help students understand the mathematical meaning of figures a lot.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.391-421
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• 2015

The scientific technology developed rapidly and the internet became more popular, also, the world became interactive with one another and the word 'Global' became popular and built a new paradigm. As the development of the society, the ideal criteria for the competent student changed. Consequently, the attention for the globalized education increased. From the points of view of mathematical education, it became a important task to be prepared for international competitiveness for korean talented students. For theses reasons, this article analyzes the characteristics of IBDP and its textbook, which is an international official curriculum and one of the actualizing method for internalization Korean high school curriculum and text book, specifically, focusing on algebra part. Especially, Korean curriculum textbooks and the Mathematical Higher Level textbooks of IBDP was compared and analyzed. As a result, the depth and range of the content, standard level of the question, methods being used to explain the concept, type of questions as well as teaching - learning method were analyzed and in each chapter of the algebra we give meaningful result and proposed discussion.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.531-549
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• 2023

Despite the significance of mathematics teacher guidebooks as a support for teacher learning, there are few studies that address how elementary mathematics teacher guidebooks support teacher learning. The purpose of this study was to analyze the educative features of elementary mathematics teacher guidebooks for grades 3 and 4. For this, six units from each of ten kinds of teacher guidebooks were analyzed in terms of seven dimensions of Teacher Learning Opportunities in Korean Mathematics Curriculum Materials (TLO-KMath). The results of this study showed that mathematics content knowledge for teaching was richly provided and well organized. Teacher guidebooks provided teacher knowledge to anticipate and understand student errors and misconceptions, but were not enough. Sample dialogues between a teacher and students were offered in the teacher guidebooks, making it easier for teachers to identify the overall lesson flow and key points of classroom discourse. Formative assessment was emphasized in the teacher guidebooks, including lesson-specific student responses and their concomitant feedback examples per main activity. Supplementary activities and worksheets were provided, but it lacked rationales for differentiated instruction in mathematics. Teacher knowledge of manipulative materials and technology use in mathematics was provided only in specific units and was generally insufficient. Teacher knowledge in building a mathematical community was mainly provided in terms of mathematical competency, mathematical classroom culture, and motivation. This paper finally presented implications for improving teacher guidebooks to actively support teacher learning.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.39-56
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• 2011

In 7th grade textbooks, the distributive property is generalized as in algebraic forms, and it seems that the students have not so good grip on this property. To get a good stock of knowledge on that generalized property, full understanding of it in concrete context should take precedence. This study would aim to propose some educational implications for better understanding of that property, through analysing the contents of it comparatively in Korean and Japanese elementary textbooks.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.693-734
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• 2011

The purpose of this research is to analyze the pedagogical content knowledge on the natural number concepts of Korean Elementary School Teachers. Shulman(1986b) had developed a tool in order to understand teachers' knowledge, as he defined three types of knowledge in teaching ; Subject Matter Knowledge, Curricular Knowledge, and Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Pang(2002) defined two types of elements including in the ways of teaching ; individual element, and sociocultural element. Two research questions are addressed; (1) What is the pedagogical content knowledge of Natural number Concepts for Korean Elementary School Teachers? ; (2) What factors are included in the pedagogical content knowledge of Natural number Concepts for Korean Elementary School Teachers? Findings reveal that (1) the Korean Elementary School Teachers had three types of the pedagogical content knowledge on the natural number concepts; (2) Teacher Factors were more included than Social-Cultural Factors in the pedagogical content knowledge on the natural number concepts of the Korean Elementary School Teachers. Further suggestions were made for future researches to include (1) a comparative study on teachers between ordinary teachers and those who majored mathematics education in the graduate school. (2) an analysis on the classroom activities about the natural number concepts.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.287-307
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• 2016

In this study, mathematics exams for university entrance in the USA, the UK, Australia, Singapore, and Japan are investigated. We look into SAT, ACT and AP-course in the USA, GCE A-level test in the UK and Singapore, VCE in Australia, and UECE (University Entrance Center Exam) and individual university's admission tests in Japan. Those exams are analyzed in terms of exam system, mathematical contents, types of items, and testing time. Based on the result five issues on university entrance exam system in Korea are drawn out: types of tests, mathematical contents, item types, sub-items, and opening tests results to the public.