• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.409-434
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of teaching mathematics for social justice on students'interest towards mathematics and perceptions of mathematical values. Eighteen 6th grade students, at B elementary school in Seocho-gu, Seoul, who wished to involved in the study participated in the 10 hour lessons. During the lessons for social justice, the researchers analyzed the students' reactions in the lessons according to the three categories: Perceiving given problematic situations of social conflicts, searching for problem-solving methods based on mathematical analysis, and changing social behaviors to solve life issues through mathematics. They also examined changes of students' interest towards mathematics and perceptions of mathematical values through the activities and reactions using the preliminary questionnaires, observations of lessons, and students' activity sheets. The research results showed that the students perceived mathematics as a tool for social justice in mathematics lessons, tried to find problem-solving methods based on mathematical analysis, and expressed their active social behaviors by cultivating the will of practice to solve life issues through mathematics. Based on those findings, the study reached the following conclusions. First, the students recognize many of the social problems in their societies as social justice regardless of their economic levels. Second, learning activities need to design in a way that students can accept the social problems as realistic situations in teaching mathematics for social justice. Third, students look at the world from a mathematical perspective, have interest in mathematics, and recognize the values of mathematics in teaching mathematics for social justice.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.203-216
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• 2015

This study analyzed changes of representations which had come up in the problem-solving process of math-gifted 6th grade students that ACODESA had been applied. The class was designed on a ACODESA procedure that enhancing the use of varied representations, and conducted for 40minutes, 4 times over the period. The recorded videos and interviews with the students were transcribed for analysing data. According to the result of the analysis, which adopted Despina's using type of representation, there appeared types of 'adding', 'elaborating', and 'reducing'. This study found that there is need for a class design that can make personal representations into that of public through small group discussions and confirmation in the problem-solving process.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.431-450
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• 2007

A polygon is one of the main subjects of the geometry curriculum that is handled widely from the second-grade elementary school to middle school. In this research, we analyze second-grade middle school students' conceptions of the polygon that are revealed in the process of seeking the definition and the area of it given in a lattice worksheet.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2017

The properties of arithmetic are considered as essential to understand the principles of calculation and develop effective strategies for calculation in the elementary school level, thanks to agreement on early algebra. Therefore elementary students' misunderstanding of the properties of arithmetic might cause learning difficulties as well as misconcepts in their following learning processes. This study aims to provide elementary teachers a part of pedagogical content knowledge about the properties of arithmetic and to induce some didactical implications for teaching the properties of arithmetic in the elementary school level. To do this, elementary school mathematics textbooks since the period of the first curriculum were analyzed. These results from analysis show which properties of arithmetic have been taught, when they were taught, and how they were taught. Based on them, some didactical implications were suggested for desirable teaching of the properties of arithmetic.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.163-192
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• 2009

Currently, our country operates gifted education only as a special curriculum, which results in many problems, e.g., there are few beneficiaries of gifted education, considerable time and effort are required to gifted students, and gifted students' educational needs are ignored during the operation of regular curriculum. In order to solve these problems, the present study formulates the following research questions, finding it advisable to conduct gifted education in elementary regular classrooms within the scope of the regular curriculum. A. To devise a teaching plan for the gifted students on mathematics in the elementary school regular classroom. B. To develop a learning program for the gifted students in the elementary school regular classroom. C. To apply an in-depth learning program to gifted students in mathematics and analyze the effectiveness of the program. In order to answer these questions, a teaching plan was provided for the gifted students in mathematics using a differentiating instruction type. This type was developed by researching literature reviews. Primarily, those on characteristics of gifted students in mathematics and teaching-learning models for gifted education. In order to instruct the gifted students on mathematics in the regular classrooms, an in-depth learning program was developed. The gifted students were selected through teachers' recommendation and an advanced placement test. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the gifted education in mathematics and the possibility of the differentiating teaching type in the regular classrooms were determined. The analysis was applied through an in-depth learning program of selected gifted students in mathematics. To this end, an in-depth learning program developed in the present study was applied to 6 gifted students in mathematics in one first grade class of D Elementary School located in Nowon-gu, Seoul through a 10-period instruction. Thereafter, learning outputs, math diaries, teacher's checklist, interviews, video tape recordings the instruction were collected and analyzed. Based on instruction research and data analysis stated above, the following results were obtained. First, it was possible to implement the gifted education in mathematics using a differentiating instruction type in the regular classrooms, without incurring any significant difficulty to the teachers, the gifted students, and the non-gifted students. Specifically, this instruction was effective for the gifted students in mathematics. Since the gifted students have self-directed learning capability, the teacher can teach lessons to the gifted students individually or in a group, while teaching lessons to the non-gifted students. The teacher can take time to check the learning state of the gifted students and advise them, while the non-gifted students are solving their problems. Second, an in-depth learning program connected with the regular curriculum, was developed for the gifted students, and greatly effective to their development of mathematical thinking skills and creativity. The in-depth learning program held the interest of the gifted students and stimulated their mathematical thinking. It led to the creative learning results, and positively changed their attitude toward mathematics. Third, the gifted students with the most favorable results who took both teacher's recommendation and advanced placement test were more self-directed capable and task committed. They also showed favorable results of the in-depth learning program. Based on the foregoing study results, the conclusions are as follows: First, gifted education using a differentiating instruction type can be conducted for gifted students on mathematics in the elementary regular classrooms. This type of instruction conforms to the characteristics of the gifted students in mathematics and is greatly effective. Since the gifted students in mathematics have self-directed learning capabilities and task-commitment, their mathematical thinking skills and creativity were enhanced during individual exploration and learning through an in-depth learning program in a differentiating instruction. Second, when a differentiating instruction type is implemented, beneficiaries of gifted education will be enhanced. Gifted students and their parents' satisfaction with what their children are learning at school will increase. Teachers will have a better understanding of gifted education. Third, an in-depth learning program for gifted students on mathematics in the regular classrooms, should conform with an instructing and learning model for gifted education. This program should include various and creative contents by deepening the regular curriculum. Fourth, if an in-depth learning program is applied to the gifted students on mathematics in the regular classrooms, it can enhance their gifted abilities, change their attitude toward mathematics positively, and increase their creativity.

• School Mathematics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.179-202
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• 2015

In this research, I explored how to apply the history of mathematics in teacher education and investigated the applicability of Chosun Sanhak (mathematics of Chosun Dynasty) as the program that enriched the mathematical knowledge for teaching of prospective elementary school teachers. This program included not only mathematical knowledge but also socio-cultural knowledge and connection knowledge. Prospective teachers participated in various mathematical activities such as explaining, reasoning and problem solving in this program. The effects of this program are as follows. Prospective teachers learned the subject matter knowledge(SMK) which was helpful in teaching basic concepts and skills of elementary mathematics. Next, this program produced the pedagogical content knowledge(PCK) to prospective teachers by giving ideas how to teach.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.267-285
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• 2018

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and compare 'Game Activities' of elementary mathematics textbooks developed in the national curriculum revised in 2015, and to find suggestions to improve 'Game Activities' of the textbooks based on the results. The main results of this study are as follows. First, as for materials, various types of materials were used in 'Game Activities'. Also, more various materials were included in 2nd grade textbooks and 1st, 2nd grade teacher's guidebooks than 1st grade textbooks. Second, this study analyzed the patterns of organization. The result showed that group and pair activities accounted for the highest rate among other patterns of organizations. Textbooks should include more pattern types of organizations that teachers could use them properly according to numbers of students in classes. For the 'Game Activities', students need to understand basic concepts of the chapter first. Students with lower levels would have difficulty participating in the 'Game Activities'. Thus, there is a need to include activities for students with lower levels in teachers' guidebooks, reflecting a variety of students levels.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.161-181
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• 2018

This study involved an investigation of prospective elementary teachers' preconceptions and experiences of diagrams and their ability to draw diagrams in solving math word problems. A questionnaire and two math word problems were administered to prospective elementary teachers who began to taking an introductory mathematics education course. The results from the analysis of their responses to the questionnaire items indicate that prospective elementary teachers appreciate the value of diagrams as tools for problem solving and communication. In addition, prospective elementary teachers have the will not only to teach their future students how to use diagrams but also to encourage them to draw diagrams in solving math word problems. However, the results also indicates that prospective elementary teachers neither use diagrams spontaneously in their math problem solving activities nor have confidence in drawing useful diagrams. Prospective elementary teachers also manifested low scores on the questionnaire items asking whether they were taught how to draw useful diagrams or encouraged by their teachers to use diagrams in their previous learning experiences. The results from the analysis of the diagrams that prospective elementary teachers drew in solving math word problems showed that most of them had difficulty drawing diagrams that represent their reasoning and solving process.

• 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.

• School Mathematics
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.139-154
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• 2008

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate how sixth grade elementary school students react to the types of letters use, what levels of understanding letters students are in and what difficulties are in understanding letters, and to raise issues about instructional methods of algebra. A descriptive study through pencil-and- paper tests was conducted. The test instruments consisted of 18 questions with 6 types of letters use. According to the results of testing, students' types of letter use and the levels of understanding letters were classified. The conclusions from the results of this study were as follows: First, the higher the types of letters use, the more sixth grade elementary school students had low scores on the types. Therefore, teaching methodologies of letters and expressions in the classroom need to encourage for students to improve their ability of using and understanding letter. Second, approximately 40% of students were categorized in level 3. Accordingly it is necessary to have a program of teaching and learning to improve their understanding levels of letters. Third, approximately 15% of students were categorized in level 0. In order to develop understanding of letters, it is important that students use letter evaluated and letter used as an object. Fourth, students had the difficulties in understanding letters. It is informative for teachers to understand these students' difficulties and thinking processes. Finally, we must treat the different uses of letters and introduce them successively according to the student's understanding levels of letters.