• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.113-139
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to provide informations about cause of failures when students solve word problems by analyzing what errors students made in solving word problems and types of error and features of error according to problem solving strategy. The results of this study can be summarized as follows: First, $5^{th}$ grade students preferred the expressions, estimate and verify, finding rules in order when solving word problems. But the majority of students couldn't use simplifying. Second, the types of error encountered according to the problem solving strategy on problem based learning are as follows; In the case of 'expression', the most common error when using expression was the error of question understanding. The second most common was the error of concept principle, followed by the error of solving procedure. In 'estimate and verify' strategy, there was a low proportion of errors and students understood estimate and verify well. When students use 'drawing diagram', they made errors because they misunderstood the problems, made mistakes in calculations and in transforming key-words of data into expressions. In 'making table' strategy, there were a lot of errors in question understanding because students misunderstood the relationship between information. Finally, we suggest that problem solving ability can be developed through an analysis of error types according to the problem strategy and a correct teaching about these error types.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.17-35
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to analyze the extendibility of division algorithm and Euclid algorithm for integers to algorithms for rational numbers based on word problems of fraction division. This study serviced to upgrade professional development of elementary and secondary mathematics teachers. In this paper, fractions were used as expressions of rational numbers, and they also represent rational numbers. According to discrete context and continuous context, and measurement division and partition division etc, divisibility was classified into two types; one is an abstract algebraic point of view and the other is a generalizing view which preserves division algorithms for integers. In the second view, we raised some contextual problems that can be used in school mathematics and then we discussed division algorithm, the greatest common divisor and the least common multiple, and Euclid algorithm for fractions.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.285-304
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• 2009

The operations of fractions are the main contents of number and operations in the elementary mathematics curriculum. They are also difficult for students to understand conceptually. Nevertheless, there has been little study on the addition and subtraction of fractions. Given this, this paper explored the connection between the national mathematics curriculum and its concomitant textbooks, the adequacy of when to teach, and the method of constructing each unit to teach addition and subtraction of fractions. This paper then analyzed elementary mathematics textbooks and workbooks by three parts aligned with the general instructional flow: 'introduction', 'activity', and, 'exercise'. First, it was analyzed with regard to the introduction part whether the word problems of textbooks might reflect on students' daily lives as intended, how different meanings of operations would be expected to be taught, and how the subsequent activities were connected with the original word problems. Second, the main analysis of activity part of the textbooks dealt with how to use concrete or iconic models to promote students' conceptual understanding of operations and how to formalize the calculation methods and principles with regard to addition and subtraction of fractions. Third, the analysis of the part of exercise in the textbooks and workbooks was conducted with regard to problem types and meanings of operations. It is expected that the issues and suggestions stemming from this analysis of current textbooks and workbooks are informative in developing new instructional materials aligned to the recently revised mathematics curriculum.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.153-166
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• 2017

164 preservice elementary teachers' decision and enactment of their knowledge of fraction multiplication were examined in a context where they were asked to write a story problem for a multiplication problem with two proper fractions. Participants were selected from an entry level course and an exit level course of their teacher preparation program to reveal any differences between the groups as well as any recognizable patterns within each group and overall. Patterns and tendencies in writing story problems were identified and analyzed. Implications of the findings for teaching and teacher education are discussed.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.707-734
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• 2009

The purpose of the study was to investigate how children understand addition and subtraction of fractions and how their understanding influences the solutions of fractional word problems. Twenty students from 4th to 6th grades were involved in the study. Children's understanding of operations with fractions was categorized into "joining", "combine" and "computational procedures (of fraction addition)" for additions, "taking away", "comparison" and "computational procedures (of fraction subtraction)" for subtractions. Most children understood additions as combining two distinct sets and subtractions as removing a subset from a given set. In addition, whether fractions had common denominators or not did not affect how they interpret operations with fractions. Some children understood the meanings for addition and subtraction of fractions as computational procedures of each operation without associating these operations with the particular situations (e.g. joining, taking away). More children understood addition and subtraction of fractions as a computational procedure when two fractions had different denominators. In case of addition, children's semantic structure of fractional addition did not influence how they solve the word problems. Furthermore, we could not find any common features among children with the same understanding of fractional addition while solving the fractional word problems. In case of subtraction, on the other hand, most children revealed a tendency to solve the word problems based on their semantic structure of the fractional subtraction. Children with the same understanding of fractional subtraction showed some commonalities while solving word problems in comparison to solving word problems involving addition of fractions. Particularly, some children who understood the meaning for addition and subtraction of fractions as computational procedures of each operation could not successfully solve the word problems with fractions compared to other children.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.205-224
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• 2017

A model method has been known as the main characteristic of Singaporean elementary mathematics textbooks. However, little research has been conducted on how the model method is employed in the textbooks. In this study, we extracted contents related to the model method in the Singaporean elementary mathematics curriculum and then analyzed the characteristics of the model method applied to the textbooks. Specifically, this study investigated the units and lessons where the model method was employed, and explored how it was addressed for what purpose according to the numbers and operations. The results of this study showed that the model method was applied to the units and lessons related to operations and word problems, starting from whole numbers through fractions to decimals. The model method was systematically applied to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division tailored by the grade levels. It was also explicitly applied to all stages of the problem solving process. Based on these results, this study described the implications of using a main model in the textbooks to demonstrate the structure of the given problem consistently and systematically.

• School Mathematics
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.141-160
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• 2007

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate how students apply prior knowledge or experience in solving algebra word problems from the chain of signification-based perspective. Three middle school students were evaluated in this case study. The results showed that the subjects formed similarities in the process of applying knowledge needed for solving a problem. The student A and C used semi-open-end formulas and closed formulas as solutions. They then formed concrete shape for each solution using the chain of signification that was applied for solution by forming procedural similarity. At this time, the chain of signification could be the combination of numbers, words, and pictures (such as diagrams or graphs) or just numbers or words. On the other hand, the student C who recognized closed formulas and her own rule as a solution method could not formulate completely procedural similarity due to many errors arising from number information. Nonetheless, all of the subjects showed something in common in the process of coming up with a algorithm that was semi-open-end formula or closed formula.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.717-735
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• 2016

For teaching division-with-remainder(DWR) problems, it is necessary to know students' strategies and errors about DWR problems. The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze students' strategies and errors of DWR problems and to make some meaningful suggestions for teaching various methods of solving DWR problems. We constructed a test which consists of fifteen DWR problems to investigate students' solving strategies and errors. These problems include mathematical as well as syntactic structures. To apply this test, we selected 177 students from eight elementary schools in various districts of Seoul. The results were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The sixth graders' strategies can be classified as follows : Single strategies, Multi strategies and Assistant strategies. They used Division(D) strategy, Multiplication(M) strategy, and Additive Approach(A) strategy as sub-strategies. We noticed that frequently used strategies do not coincide with strategies for their success. While students in middle group used Assistant strategies frequently, students in higher group used Single strategies frequently. The sixth graders' errors can be classified as follows : Formula error(F error), Calculation error(C error), Calculation Product error(P error) and Interpretation error(I error). In this study, there were 4 elements for syntaxes in problems : large number, location of divisor and dividend, divisor size, vocabularies. When students in lower group were solving the problems, F errors appeared most frequently. However, in case of higher group, I errors appeared most frequently. Based on these results, we made some didactical suggestions.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.283-309
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate gifted students in elementary mathematics how they understand of situations involving multiplication and concepts of multiplication. For this purpose, first, this study analyzed the teacher's guidebooks about introducing the concept of multiplication in elementary school. Second, we analyzed multiplication problems that gifted students posed. Third, we interviewed gifted students to research how they understand the concepts of multiplication. The result of this study can be summarized as follows: First, the concept of multiplication was introduced by repeated addition and times idea in elementary school. Since the 2007 revised curriculum, it was introduced based on times idea. Second, gifted students mainly posed situations of repeated addition. Also many gifted students understand the multiplication as only repeated addition and have poor understanding about times idea and pairs set.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.445-458
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• 2010

This study intends to investigate the process of the development of quantity concept and how to deal with the quantity calculus in elementary school, and to find out the implication for improving the curriculum and mathematics textbooks of Korea. There had been the binary Greek categories of discrete number and continuous magnitude in quantity concept, but by the Stevin's introduction of decimal, the unification of these notions became complete. As a result of analyzing of the curriculum and mathematics textbooks of Korea, there is a tendency to disregard the teaching of quantity and its calculus compared to the other countries. Especially multiplication and division of quantity is seldom treated in elementary mathematics textbooks. So these should be reconsidered in order to seek the direction for improvement of mathematic teaching. And Korea's textbooks need the emphasis on the quantity calculus and on constructing quantity concept.