• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.59-74
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• 2015

It is an increasing research area to explore mathematics learning from discursive perspectives. However, there have been little studies conducted on why and how discursive perspectives in mathematics learning were adopted and developed. Especially, not much discussion has been done on the later Wittgenstein's philosophical stance in terms of the relationship between language and thought as a background of discursive approach to learning mathematics. This study aims to explore the later Wittgenstein on language to get better understanding about discursive approaches to mathematics learning. For the attainment of this aim, first the later philosophy is compared with the former philosophy in depth. Then the later philosophy is discussed focusing on how his point of view on the world and the language have been changed. After providing an account of his later philosophy, it is clarified that what is discursive approaches to learning mathematics and how this philosophy brace the approaches. This research concludes with implications and limitations, as well as suggestions for future researches.

• School Mathematics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.193-214
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• 2016

Teachers' questioning plays an important role in mathematics teaching and learning by asking students to react or to participate in mathematical discourse. Previous studies on teachers' questioning have not focused on how to questioning to formulate an effective mathematical discourse which is contributed by students because studies mostly analyzed and categorized teachers' questions according to cognitive levels of questions without consideration of context. Therefore, this study explored characteristics of teachers' questioning to formulate an effective characteristics of teachers' questioning to formulate an effective mathematical discourse in mathematics classrooms. By reviewing and analyzing mathematics discourse and studies on teachers' questioning theoretically, we presented openness, sharedness, and productivity as characteristics of teachers' questioning. Through a middle school mathematics teacher's case, we examined three characteristics were necessary to formulate an effective mathematical discourse. Based on results from theoretical analysis and case analysis, we discussed that openness, sharedness, and productivity would be useful as a framework to analyze teachers' questioning.

• School Mathematics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.571-591
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to understand the characteristics of mathematical discourse about the length in the class that learns the length of the curve defined by definite integral. For this purpose, this study examined the discourse about length by paying attention to the usage of the word 'length' in the class participants based on the communicative approach. As a result of the research, it was confirmed that the word 'length' is used in three usages - colloquial, operational, and structural usage - in the process of communicating with the discourse participants. Particularly, each participant did not recognize the difference even though they used different usage words, and this resulted in ineffective communication. This study emphasizes the fact that the difference in usage of words used by participants reduces the effectiveness of communication. However, if discourse participants pay attention to the differences of these usages and recognize that there are different discourses, this study suggests that meta - level learning can be possible by overcoming communication discontinuities and resolving conflicts.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.251-272
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• 2006

The purpose of the present study is to explore the process of teacher change as elementary school teachers participated in a community focused on improving mathematics teaching. To do so, a professional community lot improving instructional practice consisted of a group of voluntary elementary school teachers. The professional community provides participating teachers with great opportunities to share their understanding of practical knowledge related to mathematics teaching and learning and change mathematical beliefs as well as to learn pedagogical content knowledge. This study approached to teacher professionality in terms of mathematical beliefs and teaching practice. The change of teaching practice was measured coherently both with a questionnaire and with a mathematics teaching standard developed for this study. The findings of this study point out that techers' beliefs about how students learn mathematics have chantged. This study also indicated that after participating in the professional community focused on improving mathematics teaching, teachers' mathematical teaching is changed toward the more students' oriented way. Especially, it is observed that the meaningful change in participating teachers' teaching practice took place with respect to the role of teachers, students' interaction, mathematical tasks, and problem solving. Finally, this study implies that teachers can have an opportunity to change their beliefs and deepen their professionality about elementary mathematics teaching and learning through participating in the community of practice, through which participating teachers can share their practical knowledge and their understandings about teaching and learning of elementary mathematics.