• School Mathematics
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.317-333
• /
• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the thinking characteristics of mathematically gifted elementary school students in the process of modified prize-sharing problem solving and each student's thinking changes in the middle of discussion. To determine the relevance of the research task, 19 sixth graders enrolled in a local joint gifted class received instruction, and then 49 students took lessons. Out of them, 19 students attended a gifted education institution affiliated to local educational authorities, and 15 were in their fourth to sixth grades at a beginner's class in a science gifted education center affiliated to a university. 15 were in their fifth and sixth grades at an enrichment class in the same center. Two or three students who seemed to be highly attentive and express themselves clearly were selected from each group. Their behavioral and teaming characteristics were checked, and then an intensive observational case study was conducted with the help of an assistant researcher by videotaping their classes and having an interview. As a result of analyzing their thinking in the course of solving the modified prize-sharing problem, there were common denominators and differences among the student groups investigated, and each student was very distinctive in terms of problem-solving process and thinking level as well.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.157-177
• /
• 2006

The concepts of ratio and proportion do not develop in isolation. Rather, they are part of the individual's multiplicative conceptual field, which includes other concepts such as multiplication, division, and rational numbers. The current study attempted to clarify the beginning of this development process. One fourth student, Kyungsu, was encourage to schematize his trial-and-error-based method, which was effective in solving so-called missing-value tasks. This study describes several advancements Kyungsu made during the teaching experiment and analyzes the challenges Kyungsu faced in attempting to schematize his method. Finally, the mathematical knowledge Kyungsu needed to further develop his ratio and proportion concepts is identified. The findings provide additional support for the view that the development of ratio and proportion concepts is embedded within the development of the multiplicative conceptual field.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.731-754
• /
• 2016

The purpose of the study is to identify the point of knowing. The point of knowing is the time, which indicates that 'knowing' occurs in the recognition process. To understand recognition process, the researchers analyzed the questions in units of lessons presented in elementary mathematics textbooks. The researchers analyzed the validity of the point of knowing and found out the basis of the point of knowing. The results are as follows. First, the point of knowing is time to expect to change from a leaner's 'not-knowing' to 'knowing'. Second, the point of knowing can be identified with the questions on textbooks to ask students to do practical action. Third, the point of knowing is closely related to instructional objective in a class. Fourth, in relation to subsidiary awareness and focal awareness, the point of knowing corresponds to focal awareness. Fifth, the point of knowing is equivalent to the inflection point at which personalization/contextualization is changed into depersonalization/decontextualization.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.321-340
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary school teachers'concern and implementation of differentiated instruction of mathematics. To achieve the purpose, this study applied measurements of CBAM, including Stages of Concern Questionnaire and Innovation Configurations Checklist, to 133 elementary school teachers. The results indicated that most teachers were in awareness stage, which meant they had little concern on differentiated mathematics instruction. As well as, analysis on innovation configurations revealed that b and c variation, each referred to fidelity to and deviance from national curriculum standard relatively, were dominant in their instruction. Based on the results, the study suggested implications on future policies and teacher training for differentiated mathematics instruction.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.429-451
• /
• 2012

This paper examined eight novice elementary teachers' knowledge in terms of the types and sources of students' errors and teaching strategies on plane figures through a questionnaire and teachers' discussion. The teachers tended to predict students' diverse error types, but they attributed the sources of such errors mainly to their characteristics. The analysis of teachers' responses of teaching strategies revealed that they recognized the importance of the teacher's clear explanation and students' own problem-solving, while they were somewhat negative in presenting diverse examples and classifying, drawing, or constructing figures. Building on these results, this paper provides the implications for novice teachers' professional development programs.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.273-295
• /
• 2006

It is the purpose of this study to help computational estimation study to settle down in effective teaching method through analysis how students are understanding computational estimation and what occurs using computational estimation in actual life problem situations. I set 3 cases to accomplish these purposes. (1) How students are understanding computational estimation? (2) How students' computational estimation ability is in applying actual life problem situation? (3) What is students' different attitudes in an actual life problem situation before studying computational estimation and after? To accomplish tile purpose, I chose 6 third grade students and taught 'Computational estimation using actual life problem situation' and analyzed students computational estimation processing. Then I arranged the computational estimation processing in an actual life problem situation and differences between the before and tile after. As a result, I obtained the followings. (1) Need of estimation: Every students could recognize the need of estimation with experiencing an actual life problem situation. (2) Choosing the order of decimals: Students could choose appropriate order of decimals according to an actual life problem situations. (3) Using strategy: They usually use rounding strategy and quite often use special number and compatible number strategy.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.57-83
• /
• 2013

This study focuses on the use of mathematics notes in elementary school mathematics classes as a way of practicing mathematical communication, which was introduced as one of the main themes in the 2007 Mathematical Curriculum Revision. We investigate, through interviews with teachers and questionnaires, why and how mathematics notes are used and what are included in them, finding out various aspects of the use of mathematics notes such as the purposes, the necessities and the types. We draw some helpful suggestions for using mathematics notes in classes which has positive effects such as enhancing students' mathematical thinking and calculation ability. This study is to provide teachers with an appropriate information and basic materials on the use of mathematics notes.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.207-219
• /
• 2004

There have been studies reporting the increase in student confidence in mathematics when using technology. However, past studies indicating a positive correlation between technology and confidence in mathematics do not explain why they see this positive outcome. With increased availability and easy access to the Internet in schools and the development of free online virtual manipulatives, this research was interested in how the use of virtual manipulatives in mathematics can affect students confidence in their mathematical abilities. Our hypothesis was that the classes using virtual manipulatives which allows students to connecting dynamic visual image with abstract symbols will help students gain a deeper conceptual understanding of math concept thus increasing their confidence and ability in mathematics. The participants in this study were 46 fifth-grade students in three ability groups: one high, one middle and one low. During a two-week unit on fractions, students in three groups interacted with several virtual manipulative applets in a computer lab. Data sources in the project included a pre and posttest of students mathematics content knowledge, Confidence in Learning Mathematics Scale, field notes and student interviews, and classroom videotapes. Our aim was to find evidence for increased level of confidence in mathematics as students strengthened their understanding of fraction concepts. Results from the achievement score indicated an overall main effect showing significant improvement for all ability groups following the treatment and an increase in the confidence level from the preassessment of the Confidence in Learning Mathematics Scale in the middle and high ability groups. An interesting finding was that the confidence level for the low ability group students who had the highest confidence level in the beginning did not change much in the final confidence scale assessment. In the middle and high ability groups, the confidence level did increase according to the improvement of the contest posttest. Through interviews, students expressed how the virtual manipulatives assisted their understanding by verifying their answers as they worked and facilitated their ability to figure out math concept in their mind and visually.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.23-41
• /
• 2010

This research applies the climbing learning method that, a Japanese professor, Saito Noboru established and practiced, to fourth and sixth graders in an elementary school in order to analyze its effect on mathematical creativity, attitude toward mathematical creativity, so called CAS(Creative Attitude Scale) and academic achievement of the subject. The goal is to explore methods that can enhance students' mathematical creativity. To address these tasks, the research developed a teaching-learning scheme and learning structure chart that applies the climbing learning method. Next, the research organized two homogeneous groups among 124 students in fourth and sixth grades in S elementary school, located in the city of Busan. The experiment group went through classes that applied climbing learning method, while the control group received regular teaching. The following describes the research findings. After the experiment, the research conducted t-test for the independent sample based on the test result in terms of mathematical creativity, CAS and academic achievement of the subject. For mathematical creativity, all four constructing factor showed statistically significant differences at significance level of 5%. For CAS, statistically significant difference was revealed at significance level of 0.1%. However, in regard to a test of academic achievement for fourth and sixth graders, statistically significant difference was not detected at significance level of 5% even though the average score of the students in the experiment group was higher by 6 points. The research drew the following conclusion. Firstly, classes that apply climbing learning method can be more effective than regular classes in enhancing mathematical creativity of elementary school students. Secondly, the climbing learning method has positive impact on inclination for mathematical creativity of elementary school students. The research suggests that the climbing learning method can be an effective teaching-learning tool to improve students' mathematical creativity and inclination for mathematical creativity.

• The Mathematical Education
• /
• v.56 no.1
• /
• pp.119-130
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study is to explain the long term growth and development of elementary teachers' Professional Learning Communities(PLC) about mathematics implemented on an institutional basis. Especially, it is meaningful to analyze and present the development process and characteristics of PLC, which was started by the basis on the collaboration of a National University of Education and its affiliated elementary school. In this study, PLC activities during three years were analyzed according to the capacities and dimensions of a professional learning community. The developmental capacity of the PLC analyzed in this study can be summarized as follows. In the first year, development of organizational competence in terms of capacity, resources, structure, and system of exchanges was the main factor in personal competence, and the development of individual competence began to share collective learning and practice. In the second year, personal exchanges were active in all the topics of activities, and personal level competence was activated such that more activities of critical knowledge formation were performed on an individual level. On the basis of the development of the individual level formed in the second, individual competence and organizational capacity developed. Factors that have influenced the development of capacities of PLC include: disclosure of activities outside the community, participation in outsiders, provision of procedures to share equal participation and leadership, voluntary and critical participation of teachers, improvement of mathematics teaching methods, sharing themes and visions.