• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.197-213
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• 2005

There are not a few mathematical terms used as the undefined terms in school mathematics. The purpose of this study is to investigate critically the undefined mathematical terms in elementary school mathematics textbooks of Korea. As the result, the following suggestions are proposed. Firstly, It is not proper to use the terms which mathematics curriculum does not allow to use in elementary school math as the undefined terms in elementary school mathematics textbooks. Secondly, everyday-based undefined terms must be defined in elementary school mathematics textbook if their mathematical meanings are different from their everyday-based meanings. Thirdly, we need to consider the consistency when we use the undefined terms in elementary school mathematics. Fourthly, undefined terms should be define newly when the contexts in which they are used are changed or expanded. Finally, in elementary school mathematics textbooks, it is needed to define some purely mathematical undefined terms that there is no evidence which shows students grasp well their meaning.