• The Mathematical Education
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.443-458
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• 2019

Mathematical modeling has been a crucial topic in mathematics education as students' problem solving competency are regarded as a core skill for future society. Despite of the importance of mathematical modeling in school mathematics, there have been very limited studies relating pre-service teachers' knowledge and perceptions on mathematical modeling. In this vein, this study aimed to investigate pe-service mathematics teachers' perceptions on mathematical model, mathematical modeling and educational use of mathematical modeling, and their relationships. The current study utilized a survey consisted of 18 items. The responses of 210 pre-service mathematics teachers to the survey items were quantitatively analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the structural equation model, and multi group analysis. The results of analysis of variance revealed that pre-service teachers in difference groups (majors, grades, and experiences with mathematical modeling) showed statistically significant differences in mean values. Moreover, according to the results from the structural equation modeling analysis, pre-service mathematics teachers' perceptions on mathematical model and modeling affected their perceptions on educational use of mathematical modeling. In addition, depending on their pre-experiences with mathematical modeling, pre-service teachers represented a different relationship between perceptions on mathematical modeling and educational use of mathematical modeling. Implications for future studies and mathematics classrooms were discussed.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.457-471
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• 2023

Measurement is an imperative content area of early elementary mathematics, but it is reported that students' understanding of units in measurement situations is insufficient despite its importance. Therefore, this study examined lower-grade elementary students' quantitative reasoning of units in length measurement by identifying the levels of reasoning of units. For this purpose, we collected and analyzed the responses of second-grade elementary school students who engaged in a set of length measurement tasks using an open number line in terms of unitizing, iterating, and partitioning. As a result of the study, we categorized students' quantitative reasoning of unit levels into four levels: Iterating unit one, Iterating a given unit, Relating units, and Transforming units. The most prevalent level was Relating units, which is the level of recognizing relationships between units to measure length. Each level was illustrated with distinct features and examples of unit reasoning. Based on the results of this study, a personalized plan to the level of unit reasoning of students is required, and the need for additional guidance or the use of customized interventions for students with incomplete unit reasoning skills is necessary.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.351-368
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• 2024

One of the important factors for the effective implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in mathematics education is the perceptions of the teachers who adopt it. This study surveyed 161 elementary school teachers and 157 secondary mathematics teachers on their perceptions of using AI in mathematics education, grouped into four categories: attitude toward using AI, AI for teaching mathematics, AI for learning mathematics, and AI for assessing mathematics. The findings showed that teachers were most positive about using AI for teaching and learning mathematics, whereas their attitudes towards using AI were less favorable. In addition, elementary school teachers demonstrated a higher positive response rate across all categories compared to secondary mathematics teachers, who exhibited more neutral perceptions. Based on the results, we discussed the pedagogical implications for teachers to effectively use AI in mathematics education.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.533-551
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• 2015

Problem posing in school mathematics is generally regarded to make a new problem from contexts, information, and experiences relevant to realistic or mathematical situations. Also, it is to reconstruct a similar or more complicated new problem based on an original problem. The former is called as problem generation and the latter is as problem reformulation. The purpose of this study was to explore the co-relation between problem generation and problem reformulation, and the educational effectiveness of each problem posing. For this purpose, on the subject of 33 pre-service secondary school teachers, this study developed two types of problem posing activities. The one was executed as the procedures of [problem generation${\rightarrow}$solving a self-generated problem${\rightarrow}$reformulation of the problem], and the other was done as the procedures of [problem generation${\rightarrow}$solving the most often generated problem${\rightarrow}$reformulation of the problem]. The intent of the former activity was to lead students' maintaining the ability to deal with the problem generation and reformulation for themselves. Furthermore, through the latter one, they were led to have peers' thinking patterns and typical tendency on problem generation and reformulation according to the instructor(the researcher)'s guidance. After these activities, the subject(33 pre-service teachers) was responded in the survey. The information on the survey is consisted of mathematical difficulties and interests, cognitive and affective domains, merits and demerits, and application to the instruction and assessment situations in math class. According to the results of this study, problem generation would be geared to understand mathematical concepts and also problem reformulation would enhance problem solving ability. And it is shown that accomplishing the second activity of problem posing be more efficient than doing the first activity in math class.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.17-39
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to analyze the mathematical beliefs of students and teachers by Latent Class Analysis(LCA). This study surveyed 60 teachers about beliefs of 'nature of mathematics', 'mathematic teaching', 'mathematical ability' and also asked 1850 students about beliefs of 'school mathematics', 'mathematic problem solving', 'mathematic learning' and 'mathematical self-concept'. Also, this study classified each student and teacher into a class that are in a similar response, analyzed the belief systems and built a profile of the classes. As a result, teachers were classified into three types of belief classes about 'nature of mathematics' and two types of belief classes about 'teaching mathematics' and 'mathematical ability' respectively. Also, students were classfied into three types of belief classes about 'self concept' and two types of classes about 'School Mathematics', 'Mathematics Problem Solving' and 'Mathematics Learning' respectively. This study classified the mathematics belief systems in which students were categorized into 9 categories and teachers into 7 categories by LCA. The belief categories analyzed through these inductive observations were found to have statistical validity. The latent class analysis(LCA) used in this study is a new way of inductively categorizing the mathematical beliefs of teachers and students. The belief analysis method(LCA) used in this study may be the basis for statistically analyzing the relationship between teachers' and students' beliefs.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.179-203
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to discuss the example that developed geometry model textbook based on storytelling using real-life context. To achieve this purpose, we first elaborated the meaning of the textbook based on storytelling with real-life context, and then we discussed the outline of the story and the summary of each lesson. This study defined the storytelling textbook with real-life context as the textbook consisting of activities that explored and organized mathematical concepts by using real-life situations as materials of stories. The geometry textbook we developed employed two real-life materials, a map and a set square: we used a map for the coordinate geometry and a set square for the equation of a line. To attract students' interest, we introduced confrontation between a teacher and two students and a villain. We implemented experimentation with the textbook based on storytelling in order to verify its validity. The participants were 25 students that were enrolled in a high school in Seoul. Among them, 17 participants were surveyed. Students' answers from the survey questionnaire suggested that the geometry textbook we developed based on storytelling helped them learn mathematics and that the instruments such as a map and a set square helped them understand mathematical concepts. However, their opinion implied that the story of the textbook needed to be improved so that the story reflected more realistic contexts that were familiar with students.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.385-413
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to set appropriate targets for school-year levels and types of mathematical communication. First, I classify mathematical communication into four types as Discourse, Representation, Operation and Complex and refer to them collectively as the 'D.R.O.C pattern'. I have listed achievement factors based on the D.R.O.C pattern hearing opinions from specialists to set a target, then set a final target after a 2nd survey with specialists and teachers. I have set targets for mathematical communication in elementary schools suitable to its status and students' levels in our country. In NCTM(2000), standards of communication were presented only from kindergarten to 12th grade students, and, for four separate grade bands(prekindergarten through grade 2, grades 3-5, grades 6-8, grades 9-12), they presented characteristics of the same age group through analysis of classes where communication was active and the stated roles of teachers were suitable to the characteristics of each school year. In this study, in order to make the findings accessible to teachers in the field, I have classified types into Discourse, Representation, Operation and Complex (D.R.O.C Pattern) according to method of delivery, and presented achievement factors in detail for low, middle and high grades within each type. Though it may be premature to set firm targets and achievement factors for each school year group, we hope to raise the possibility of applying them in the field by presenting targets and achievement factors in detail for mathematical communication.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.325-344
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to investigate what influences students' preferences on empirical and deductive proofs and find their relations. Although empirical and deductive proofs have been seen as a significant aspect of school mathematics, literatures have indicated that students tend to have a preference for empirical proof when they are convinced a mathematical statement. Several studies highlighted students'views about empirical and deductive proof. However, there are few attempts to find the relations of their views about these two proofs. The study was conducted to 47 students in 7~9 grades in the transition from empirical proof to deductive proof according to their mathematics curriculum. The data was collected on the written questionnaire asking students to choose one between empirical and deductive proofs in verifying that the sum of angles in any triangles is $180^{\circ}$. Further, they were asked to provide explanations for their preferences. Students' responses were coded and these codes were categorized to find the relations. As a result, students' responses could be categorized by 3 factors; accuracy of measurement, representative of triangles, and mathematics principles. First, the preferences on empirical proof were derived from considering the measurement as an accurate method, while conceiving the possibility of errors in measurement derived the preferences on deductive proof. Second, a number of students thought that verifying the statement for three different types of triangles -acute, right, obtuse triangles - in empirical proof was enough to convince the statement, while other students regarded these different types of triangles merely as partial examples of triangles and so they preferred deductive proof. Finally, students preferring empirical proof thought that using mathematical principles such as the properties of alternate or corresponding angles made proof more difficult to understand. Students preferring deductive proof, on the other hand, explained roles of these mathematical principles as verification, explanation, and application to other problems. The results indicated that students' preferences were due to their different perceptions of these common factors.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.277-291
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• 2011

It is necessary for the teacher to understand why teach mathematics in order to implement the visions and expectations of the national mathematics curriculum in her actual classroom. This study conducted a survey of examining how elementary school teachers might understand the purpose of teaching mathematics. The results of this study showed that teachers' conceptions of the purpose of teaching mathematics were related mainly to the development of logical thinking, practical use of mathematics in everyday life, and a tool for studying other subjects or disciplines. However, teachers did not perceive much other purposes of mathematics education such as understanding the world, appreciating aesthetic value of mathematics, and developing communicative ability as well as sociality. Whereas teachers did not think of the significance of mathematics as an intellectual field when asked to write down how they would explain students why they had to learn mathematics, they tended to strongly agree it in the Likert-scale responses. Teachers' conceptions were not different according to their gender but teachers with less than five years' teaching experience were relatively negative than others with more experience. Given these results, this study provided issues and implications of teachers' conceptions of the purpose of teaching mathematics.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.349-360
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• 2016

This cross-national study examines the similarities and differences between Korean and U.S. pre-service teachers' views on equitable mathematics teaching. Pre-service teachers enrolled in mathematics education courses at the two sites (Korea, n=51; U.S., n=33) were administered a survey consisting of the following: (a) items about pre-service teachers' views on equity relative to mathematical ability, classroom policies and practices, and access to learning opportunities, (b) items about pre-service teachers' agreement in their views on recommended practices, and (c) items about participants' past learning experiences in an equitable learning environment as students. Similarities were found between the sites regarding the following: (a) advocating for equitable mathematics teaching, and (b) conceptualizing equitable teaching as a way to support the learning of less capable students. Differences were found with regard to nurturing growth mindsets in mathematics; positioning toward equal opportunities and outcomes in learning; and relating to grouping as collaborative learning strategies.