• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.451-467
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• 2017

This study examined how the distributive principles(DP) works in our elementary school textbooks and work books to figure out the implications for developing the elementary mathematics curriculum and textbooks. For this purpose, Chinese and Japanese elementary textbooks were reviewed and five criteria for the analysis of Korean textbooks and workbooks were prepared by the review. The analysis showed that Korean textbooks and work books are inefficient to handle DP in many ways. Based on these findings, this study suggested that the DP should be codified into the curriculum and explicitly dealt with in elementary math textbooks.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.167-180
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• 2019

This study analyzed the effects of the educational contextual variables on fourth grade students' mathematics achievement in five East Asian countries(Singapore, Hong Kong Taiwan, Japan and Korea) using TIMSS 2015 data. There are four findings of this study. The first is that the common student-home-level variables that give significant influence on the mathematics achievement in all 5 countries are 'Home resources for learning' and 'Parents' educational expectations'. But 'Literacy and numeracy activities before entering a school' and 'Parents' attitude for mathematics and science' are not common variables. The second is that 'Students' interest in math learning' gave significant influence on the mathematics achievement of in all 5 countries. The third is that 'Teaching limited by student needs' does not give significant influence on the math achievement in Korea, Taiwan, and Japan but in Singapore and Hong Kong. The fourth is that 'Student economic background' gave more significant influence in Korea, Taiwan, and Japan than Singapore and Hong Kong. Suggestions to improve elementary school mathematics teaching and learning are discussed in the conclusion.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.501-520
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• 2019

This study compared and analyzed Korean, American, Singaporean, and Japanese middle school mathematics curriculum standards and the learning contents in statistics. Through a comparative analysis of the curriculums of these four countries, I found several overall features and differences between the curriculums. First, all four countries emphasized statistical education in a real-life context. Second, all four countries emphasized the use of technological tools. Third, there is a middle school grade in which only Korea does not deal with statistical domains. Fourth, the statistical areas of the United States, Singapore, and Japan focused on identifying trends or variability in data distribution. Fifth, I have found some contents that only Korea does not deal with. Based on this, the following recommendations were developed for the development of the next curriculum and new textbooks in Korea. First, the statistics curriculum should be changed from one that focuses on understanding statistical concepts to one that focuses on statistical activity that utilizes these concepts. Second, in terms of middle school statistical curriculum contents, the addition of interquartile range (IQR) and box plots as learning contents should be considered. IQR and box plots are simple and practical techniques for the comparison of multiple sets of data that can be easily learned and drawn by middle school level students and applied to real-life-related statistical data to expand statistical literacy. Through this study, it is suggested that IQR and box plots need to be included in the statistical curriculum of middle schools in Korea.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.341-355
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to analyze the research trends of elementary mathematics education in Japan. For this purpose, 192 papers published by Japan Society of Mathematics Education for the last 10 years(2004-2013) were analyzed according to there criteria. First, as for research topics, the frequent topics in order were instructional design and methods (36.7%), analysis of curriculum and textbook, general studies, learners' perspectives and abilities, evaluation, teacher education, education engineering and parish. Second, the contents were researched by the order of number and operations (47.4%), geometry, regularity, measurement and probability and statistics. Finally, research subjects of this study were researched by the order of students(39.3%), teachers. Papers dealing with lower graders as well as pre-service teachers were rare. And article dealing with low-achievers and gifted students were not founded. On the basis of this result, we hope it will provide the follow-up and the idea of the elementary mathematics education in Korea and also help various and balanced development.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.453-473
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• 2018

In this study, we analyzed the contents of speed concept presented in Korean, Japanese, Singapore, and American elementary mathematics textbooks, and drew implications for the teaching of speed concept in elementary schools. We developed a textbook analysis framework by theoretical discussions on the characteristics of the speed concept based on the proportional relationship and the previous researches on the speed in elementary mathematics. We analyzed the textbooks of four countries and drew some suggestions for improving the teaching of speed concept in Korean elementary schools.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.679-700
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• 2017

In this study, revisions of university entrance exams of mathematics in the UK, Australia and Japan are investigated. In the UK, A-level mathematics are revised to harmonize pure and applied mathematics so that the subjects and contents of each test are adjusted, and new types of items are announced. NSW university entrance exams in Australia are being revised in line with the Stronger Higher School Certificate policy, which basically reinforces mathematics. In Japan, as part of the educational reforms that link high schools and universities, current exams of National Center for University Entrance Examinations are abolished and Common Test for University Entrance is introduced. Mathematics of new test emphasizes comprehension, judgement and expression with new items and short-answer questions. Based on the case of the UK, Australia and Japan, this study discussed improvement of mathematics test in the Collage Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) Korea in terms of objects and characteristics of test, systems and types of items. and support from academia.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.37-53
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• 2001

This paper tries to find out about organizational and managemental aspect of Korean curriculum through a comparison between Korea's 7th elementary mathematics curriculum and that of Japan's elementary mathematics curriculum, which will start in m2 through researching various literatures. The main characteristic of this elementary mathematics curriculum is that Korea has organized a teaming program that tended to individual differences, and focused on student-centered activities and communication based on constructivism. On the other hand, Japan reduced learning contents a lot by running 5-schooldays a week so that 80% of teaching time can be spent to help the students master mathematical contents of the textbook. This leaves 20％ of teaching time to be used for improving mathematical thinking power as a foundation of creativity through mathematical activities. Korea's teaching time spent for elementary mathematics is about 80％ of Japan's, which is also less than that of other country's. Less time in teaming mathematics will lead to decrease in teaming ability. Therefore, there is a need for increased teaching time in mathematics. Korea's revision of curriculum is about 5 years which is often compared to that of Japan's 10 years. Frequent revising is good in that it reflects the social demand, but it can cause much confusion and problems in accepting and applying its program in a real classroom setting, which is why it needs to be looked at again. The direction, objective and assesment of revision fits the demands of international trends and essentials of mathematics. Japan puts its emphasis on learning through repetition and Korea puts its emphasis on problem solving and communication. Regarding assesment, both Korea and Japan is looking for ways to find various assessing ways which will focus on mathematical process rather than the mathematical results, and also will put emphasis on criterion-directed assesment to measure goal achievements. However Japan emphasize on using report cards of assesment to help mathematics learning.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.251-278
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to obtain implications for mathematical education by analyzing how the multiplication and division of decimal numbers are presented in the elementary mathematics textbooks in Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Finland. Compared to the fact that students often have misconceptions about multiplication and division of decimal numbers, there have been not many comparative studies in recent elementary mathematics textbooks. For this study, we selected elementary mathematics textbooks those are widely used in Japan, Singapore, and Finland along with Korean elementary mathematics textbooks. We chose the textbooks because the students in the selected countries have scored high in international achievement studies such as TIMSS and PISA. The analysis was examined in terms of elementary mathematics curriculum related to multiplication and division of decimal numbers, introduction and content, real-life situations, use of visual models, and formalization methods of algorithms. As a result of the study, the mathematics curricula related to multiplication and division of decimal numbers includes estimation in Korea and Finland, while Japan and Singapore emphasize real-life connections more, and Finland completes the operations in secondary schools. The introduction and content are intensively provided in a short period of time or distributed in various grades and semesters. The real-life situations are presented in a simple sentence format in all countries, and the use of visual models or formalization of algorithms is linked to the operations of natural numbers in unit conversions. Suggestions were made for textbook development and teacher training programs.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.257-271
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• 2001

This study investigated the new revised Mathematics curriculums of elementary schools in Korea and Japan at the end of the 20th century. The comparison was made especially with revising direction, purposes, and contents of elementary school mathematics curriculum in both countries. I began by comparing and confirming the ratio of instruction hours of Mathematics to the total instruction hours of all the subjects at as whole. This comparison was done of the elementary and middle school mathematics. The next part of the study was to compare in detail the purposes of revised mathematics in elementary and middle schools of both countries. Particular attentions was paid to the important revised points of Japanese elementary school Mathematics. Finally, I concluded by comparing the contents of elementary school Mathematics of the two countries. New mathematic text books in both countries having been published by revised curriculum, puts the future task in comparing, in detail, the concrete contents of each textbook.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.207-231
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to examine the state of problem solving in Korean elementary mathematics. To do this, we considered the meaning of problem and problem solving in mathematics education, and analyzed the mathematics curricula in the longitudinal-latitudinal dimensions respectively. The longitudinal one consists in examining and comparing the all-time Korean elementary mathematics curricula. Meanwhile the latitudinal one consists in examining and comparing the elementary mathematics curricula of Singapore, the United Kingdom, Japan, and France. As a result of analysis, we selected ten sieves for analysing Korean elementary mathematics textbooks according to the 7th mathematics curriculum. By the analysis, we conclude that we teach problem solving quite positively in school mathematics relative to another countries, in particular we have to reconsider some issues including dealing problem solving as a independent content not a process integrated in other contents.