• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.164-178
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to design a teaching and learning method conductive to the development of creative thinking skills and investigate its effects. It has been developed integrated mind map with feature of visualizing the divergent thinking to the aspects of Science (S), Technology (T) & Engineering (E), Arts (A), Mathematics (M). Integrated mind map can be divided into four types of STEAM type, STEA type, STEM type, STE type depending on the category of key words in the first branch. And Integrated mind map can be divided into three levels of guided, intermediate, open depending on the teacher's guide degree. And also integrated mind map activities were carried out in the form of group, class share as well as individual. This study was implemented during a semester and students in experiment group experienced individual-integrated mind map activity 10 times, group-integrated mind map activity 10 times, class share-integrated mind map activity 3 times. The results indicated that the experimental group presented statistically meaningful improvement in creative thinking skills (p<.05). And there was a statistically meaningful improvement in fluency, flexibility, originality as a sub-category of creative thinking skills(p <.05). Also creative thinking skills are not affected by the level of cognitive, academic performance, gender (p<.05). In conclusion, it was found that 'integrated mind map activity' improved student's creative thinking skills. There was no interaction effect about creative thinking skills between the teaching strategy and cognitive level, achivement, gender of those students.

• School Mathematics
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.315-330
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• 2012

Mathematics educators have tried to teach mathematics to all students who are at any mathematical level by differentiated math instruction from late 1990s in Korea. The common differentiated math instruction separates students into two or three groups according to their mathematical ability and then different activities and tasks are given to each group. This kind of instruction fosters negative attitudes to mathematics to low level students and fix them at low level. So I investigated new mathematics instruction considering able students and low attainers at the same time. This new method is based on using open problems in math class. All students can respond to an open problem in different ways. If teachers could relate all varieties of answers got from students at every level to build good understanding the concept which the problem target at, low attainers could move to their potential developmental levels. This kind of instruction can change low math attainers' negative attitudes to good ones to mathematics and foster their confidence in performing mathematics.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.185-205
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• 2011

In this paper, we investigated the mathematical output of a gifted student's independent study. We chose one student who was taking a mentorship course in mathematics at the Gifted Education Center in Chonnam National University, and analyzed the characters of the result which a student showed through the output of independent study and studied the psychological change of a student while he was making a presentation of the results of his study. We found following facts. First, a mentor-independent study improves a mathematical gifted student's inductive thinking and ability to generalize and apply to other cases. Second, presenting a mathematical gifted student's output for mentor-independent study improves his ability of mathematical communication in the abilities of creative problem solving. Finally, there is an increased change in his perception and self-efficacy of mathematics after the presentation.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.377-394
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the characteristics of a teacher's discursive competence on the basis of mathematical competencies. For this purpose, we observed all semester-long classes of a middle school teacher, who changed her own teaching methods for the last 20 years, collected video clips on them, and analyzed classroom discourse. Data analysis shows that in problem solving competency, she helped students focus on mathematically important components for problem understanding, and in reasoning competency, there was a discursive competence which articulated thinking processes for understanding the needs of mathematical justification. And in creativity and confluence competency, there was a discursive competence which developed class discussions by sharing peers' problem solving methods and encouraging students to apply alternative problem solving methods, whereas in communication competency, there was a discursive competency which explored mathematical relationships through the need for multiple mathematical representations and discussions about their differences. These results can provide concrete directions to developing curricula for future teacher education by suggesting ideas about how to combine practices with PCK needed for mathematics teaching.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.499-514
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• 2016

As people get to aware that the traditional teacher-centered education can not develop individual students' diversity and creativity and cope with the rapidly changing future society, Korean government has emphasized the learner-centered education since the 7th curriculum. Under this background, we have analyzed the problems of mathematics education that teachers recognized and the features of mathematics textbooks that they developed within the framework of leaner-centered education on the basis of the resources developed from 'Student-centered mathematics textbook improvement teacher research group in 2015.' As a result of using the framework of 'Learner-centered psychological principles (APA, 1997)' for analysis, teachers pointed out the problems related to the principles of Motivational and emotional influences on learning, Individual differences in learning, Developmental influences on learning, Nature of the learning process, and Construction of knowledge, in order. The features of textbook teachers developed reflected the principles of Nature of the learning process, Construction of knowledge, and Motivational and emotional influences on learning, in order. Finally, as we have compared teachers' recognition of the problems with the features of the textbooks developed, most of the problems teachers recognized are reflected in the textbooks; however, the Cognitive and metacognitive factor takes higher possession on the textbooks compared with the problems being recognized, and the Motivational and affective factor takes lower possession on the textbooks compared with the problems being recognized. Accordingly, we have been able to search for the solution to realize the learner-centered education through math textbooks.

• The Journal of Korean Association of Computer Education
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.87-98
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• 2016

Our study is composed of Arduino robot assembly, board connecting and collaborative programming learning, and it is to evaluate their effect on improving secondary mathematics-science gifted students' convergence capability. Research results show that interpersonal skills, information-scientific creativity and integrative thinking disposition are improved. Further, by analyzing the relationship between the sub-elements of each thinking element, persistence and imagination for solving problems, interest of scientific information, openness, sense of adventure, a logical attitude, communication, productive skepticism and so on are extracted as important factors in convergence learning. Thus, as the result of our study, we know that gifted students conducted various thinking activities in their learning process to solve the problem, and it can be seen that convergence competencies are also improved significantly.

• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.159-219
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• 2016

Mathematical ability is important for academic achievement and technological renovations in the STEM disciplines. This study concentrated on the relationship between neural basis of mathematical cognition and its mechanisms. These cognitive functions include domain specific abilities such as numerical skills and visuospatial abilities, as well as domain general abilities which include language, long term memory, and working memory capacity. Individuals can perform higher cognitive functions such as abstract thinking and reasoning based on these basic cognitive functions. The next topic covered in this study is about individual differences in mathematical abilities. Neural efficiency theory was incorporated in this study to view mathematical talent. According to the theory, a person with mathematical talent uses his or her brain more efficiently than the effortful endeavour of the average human being. Mathematically gifted students show different brain activities when compared to average students. Interhemispheric and intrahemispheric connectivities are enhanced in those students, particularly in the right brain along fronto-parietal longitudinal fasciculus. The third topic deals with growth and development in mathematical capacity. As individuals mature, practice mathematical skills, and gain knowledge, such changes are reflected in cortical activation, which include changes in the activation level, redistribution, and reorganization in the supporting cortex. Among these, reorganization can be related to neural plasticity. Neural plasticity was observed in professional mathematicians and children with mathematical learning disabilities. Last topic is about mathematical creativity viewed from Neural Darwinism. When the brain is faced with a novel problem, it needs to collect all of the necessary concepts(knowledge) from long term memory, make multitudes of connections, and test which ones have the highest probability in helping solve the unusual problem. Having followed the above brain modifying steps, once the brain finally finds the correct response to the novel problem, the final response comes as a form of inspiration. For a novice, the first step of acquisition of knowledge structure is the most important. However, as expertise increases, the latter two stages of making connections and selection become more important.

• East Asian mathematical journal
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.429-449
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the mathematical creativity of middle school mathematical gifted students is represented through the process of problem posing activities. For this goal, they were asked to pose real-world problems similar to the tasks which had been solved together in advance. This study demonstrated that just 2 of 15 pupils showed mathematical giftedness as well as mathematical creativity. And selecting mathematically creative and gifted pupils through creative problem-solving test consisting of problem solving tasks should be conducted very carefully to prevent missing excellent candidates. A couple of pupils who have been exerting their efforts in getting private tutoring seemed not overcoming algorithmic fixation and showed negative attitude in finding new problems and divergent approaches or solutions, though they showed excellence in solving typical mathematics problems. Thus, we conclude that it is necessary to incorporate problem posing tasks as well as multiple solution tasks into both screening process of gifted pupils and mathematics gifted classes for effective assessing and fostering mathematical creativity.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.927-949
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to find out the difference between importance and performance regarding perception of core competence of gifted education teachers through importance-performance analysis (IPA). One hundred fourteen elementary gifted education teachers including math and science participated in the study. The collected survey data was analyzed with IPA matrix. As the result, firstly, there was significant difference between importance and performance regarding perception of core competence of gifted education teachers. Secondly, core competencies of 'understanding knowledge', 'research and instruction', 'passion and motivation', and 'ethics' are high in both perceptions of importance and performance. However, both 'communication and practices' and 'professional curriculum development' are low. Thirdly, there was a difference in core competence of gifted education teachers between math and science at the competence of 'passion and motivation'. Math gifted education teachers perceived 'passion and motivation' high in both importance and performance while science gifted education teachers perceived its importance low and performance high. In addition, math gifted education teachers showed lower performance compared to its importance in the sub-categories; 'knowledge of gifted development', 'gifted child assessment', 'information gathering and its literacy', and 'creative answers to various questions'. However, science gifted education teachers showed lower performance compared to its importance in sub-categories; 'higher-order thinking skills in its subject', 'teaching methodology for self-directed learning', 'problem behavior of the gifted', and 'counseling the gifted'.

• 한국정보교육학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.01a
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• pp.7-13
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• 2011

Scratch programming comes into the spotlight as Education Programming Language. Especially, it is made better use at educational class by accessibility and visuality in elementary school. But most of latest research is just focus on effective for programming education and prove effectiveness once more. In this study, possibility about curriculum using Scratch programming and specific applicable methods were suggested. This research suggested that how to study with scratch programming through lesson "Make a pattern" in 5th grade Math curriculum at elementary school. And there was reflected that we can verify programming procedure visually and improve creativity.