• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.213-231
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to analyze and derive pedagogical implications from elementary mathematics textbooks that align with the revised 2015 curriculum. Specifically, the focus was on the chapters related to simplifying fractions, finding a common denominator, and performing addition and subtraction of Fractions with Different Denominators. The analysis revealed that the overall structure of these chapters was similar across the textbooks, but variations existed in terms of the main activities and the textbook organization. Furthermore, different textbooks employed various types and quantities of visual representations. When designing lesson directions and content, it is crucial to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each visual representation.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.81-105
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to analyze the perceptions of creativity in mathematics of preservice elementary school teachers. Creativity in Mathematics is one of the most important components in mathematics teaching and learning, which has been emphasized in the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics and the 2009 Revised Mathematics Curriculum. For this study, the researcher analyzed reports of creativity in mathematics in mathematics lessons from the perspectives of 55 preservice elementary school teachers. The preservice teachers observed 55 mathematics lessons focusing on creativity in mathematics during their two-week-student-teaching period. The results showed the followings. First, the preservice teachers had a narrow perceptions on creativity in mathematics. Second, observational experiences of mathematics lessons led the preservice teachers to reconsideration of creativity in mathematics. Third, the preservice teachers provided a various strategies to enhance students' creativity in mathematics. The researcher suggested the followings. First, definitions and practices of creativity in mathematics should be included in the teacher education programs. Second, mathematics textbooks should include creativity in mathematics in a sophisticated manner. Third, creativity-rich materials should be developed and distributed to teachers. Finally, well-designed teacher training programs should be necessary.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.17-37
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• 2015

In this paper, we compared and analyzed the Korean National Mathematics textbooks of the 2007 amendment curriculum and the Harcourt Math in America focused on fractions and decimals. To summarize the results of the analysis are as follows. First, both textbooks introduce fractions to the meaning of parts-whole concept, but the Harcourt Math is stronger than that of Korean Mathematics textbooks in the concept of unit fractions as a generator of fractions. Second, the fractions can be considered trivial materials - a fraction representing 1 whole, a fraction with it's denominator is 1 - were more clearly represented in our US textbooks than those of our Korean textbooks. Third, in the introduction of the term relating to the fractions, Korea is a strong point of view of the classification of fractions than the point of view of representation in comparison with the case of the United States. Fourth, the equivalent fraction and equivalent decimal concepts were described more detail in the United States of textbooks than those of the case of Korean textbooks. Finally, the approaches of fraction and decimal concepts were introduced more mathematically in the case of the United States than those of the case of Korean textbooks.

• School Mathematics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.137-151
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• 2017

This study aims to investigate the possibility of elementary students' generalization from three-digit numbers to multi-digit numbers in principles for addition and subtraction. One of main changes was the reduction of range of numbers for addition and subtraction from four-digit to three-digit. It was hypothesized that the students could generalize the principles of addition and subtraction after learning the three-digit addition and subtraction. To achieve the purpose of this study, we selected two groups as a sampling. One is called 'group 2015' who learned four-digit addition and subtraction and the other is called 'group 2016' who learned addition and subtraction only to three-digit. Because of the particularity of these subjects, this study covered two years 2015~2016. We applied our addition and subtraction test which contains ten three-digit or four-digit addition and subtraction items, respectively. We collected their results of the test and analyzed their differences using t-test. The results showed statistically meaningful difference between the mean score of the two groups only for four-digit subtraction. Based on the result, we discussed and made some didactical suggestions for teaching multi-digit addition and subtraction.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.273-285
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• 2023

Measurement in elementary school mathematics is one of the mathematical concepts that is directly used in real life. This study is based on the fact that mathematics textbooks for 3-4 and 5-6 graders were developed as the government designed and authorized textbooks and the general measurement instruction process is condensed and presented considering the limitation of the textbook's space for the capacity and weight. Its contents were analyzed. The results are as follows. The contents of authorized textbooks and government designed textbook are different in detail but similar overall in comparative activities, recognition, and situation of the need for the introduction of standard unit and estimation activities. Through this, it is proposed that efforts are needed to reform national textbook policies and develop textbooks that can highlight the meaning of each measurement activity and focus on students' activities.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.141-154
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• 2015

This study analyzed storytelling in mathematics textbooks for third graders, which had been developed according to the 2009 revised mathematics curriculum. Storytelling are supposed to be composed of elements such as message, conflicts, characters, and plot, all of which should be consistent with and focused on unit contents. Especially, conflicts in storytelling should be so obvious that children can take an initiative in learning tasks to solve the problems required by the tasks. The analysis of storytelling in the introduction part in teacher's guides for the third-grade textbooks indicates the following: 1) messages are unclear; 2) conflicts are frequently absent (if any, they are unclear); 3) incidents attributable to textbook characters are insufficient; and 4) plots often lack plausibility. In order to achieve the purposes for which storytelling in mathematics textbooks is intended, storytelling should be reconstructed and improved, taking the roles that each component should serve into consideration.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.109-128
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• 2020

South Korea places the core of public education in school education, and textbooks are compiled based on curriculum announced by the Education Ministry. Therefore, the compilation of high-quality textbooks is very important and requires more than just revising the curriculum. Korea had been working on developing textbooks several times, but it has been evaluated as a uniform textbook in terms of external system and editing design compared to advanced foreign textbooks. This can be said to be the result of the based to only the textbook's internal system, which should be dealt with in the textbook when compiling the textbook. The textbooks which were developed at seventh curriculum were made remarkable changes in the history of South Korea textbooks. In this study, we want to examine the nation's state-authored textbooks, from the seventh textbook to the current textbook in 2015 by order of magnitude and to give a careful look at what aspects of the changes are being made. To this end, the composition of textbooks is analyzed by dividing them into external and internal systems. The external system of textbooks focuses on changes in plate form, shape, lipid, color, and illustration, while the internal system focuses on changes in the composition system of the unit, the composition system of the contents by lesson, and the style of question. As a result, we led to a significant conclusion on the changes in textbooks.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.45-63
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• 2023

The activity of finding rules is useful for enhancing the algebraic thinking of elementary school students. This study analyzed the pattern activities of a finding rules unit in 10 different government-authorized mathematics curricular materials for fourth graders aligned to the 2015 revised national mathematics curriculum. The analytic elements included three main activities: (a) activities of analyzing the structure of patterns, (b) activities of finding a specific term by finding a rule, and (c) activities of representing the rule. The three activities were mainly presented regarding growing numeric patterns, growing geometric patterns, and computational patterns. The activities of analyzing the structure of patterns were presented when dealing mainly with growing geometric patterns and focused on finding the number of models constituting the pattern. The activities of finding a specific term by finding a rule were evenly presented across the three patterns and the specific term tended to be close to the terms presented in the given task. The activities of representing the rule usually encouraged students to talk about or write down the rule using their own words. Based on the results of these analyses, this study provides specific implications on how to develop subsequent mathematics curricular materials regarding pattern activities to enhance elementary school students' algebraic thinking.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.179-195
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• 2022

Mathematical communication competency, one of the six mathematical competencies emphasized in the latest mathematics curriculum, plays an important role both as a means and as a goal for students to learn mathematics. Therefore, it is meaningful to find instructional methods to improve students' mathematical communication competency and analyze their communication competency in detail. Given this background, this study analyzed 64 sixth graders' mathematical communication competency after they participated in the lessons of fraction division emphasizing mathematical communication. A written assessment for this study was developed with a focus on the four sub-elements of mathematical communication (i.e., understanding mathematical representations, developing and transforming mathematical representations, representing one's ideas, and understanding others' ideas). The results of this study showed that students could understand and represent the principle of fraction division in various mathematical representations. The students were more proficient in representing their ideas with mathematical expressions and solving them than doing with visual models. They could use appropriate mathematical terms and symbols in representing their ideas and understanding others' ideas. This paper closes with some implications on how to foster students' mathematical communication competency while teaching elementary mathematics.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.635-652
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• 2023

This study conducts a comprehensive analysis of the curricular progression of the concepts and learning sequences of 'lines', specifically, 'line segments', 'straight lines', and 'rays', at the elementary school level. By examining mathematics curricula and textbooks, spanning from 2nd to 7th and 2007, 2009, 2015, and up to 2022 revised version, the study investigates the timing and methods of introducing these essential geometric concepts. It also explores the sequential delivery of instruction and the key focal points of pedagogy. Through the analysis of shifts in the timing and definitions, it becomes evident that these concepts of lines have predominantly been integrated as integral components of two-dimensional plane figures. This includes their role in defining the sides of polygons and the angles formed by lines. This perspective underscores the importance of providing ample opportunities for students to explore these basic geometric entities. Furthermore, the definitions of line segments, straight lines, and rays, their interrelations with points, and the relationships established between different types of lines significantly influence the development of these core concepts. Lastly, the study emphasizes the significance of introducing fundamental mathematical concepts, such as the notion of straight lines as the shortest distance in line segments and the concept of lines extending infinitely (infiniteness) in straight lines and rays. These ideas serve as foundational elements of mathematical thinking, emphasizing the necessity for students to grasp concretely these concepts through visualization and experiences in their daily surroundings. This progression aligns with a shift towards the comprehension of Euclidean geometry. This research suggests a comprehensive reassessment of how line concepts are introduced and taught, with a particular focus on connecting real-life exploratory experiences to the foundational principles of geometry, thereby enhancing the quality of mathematics education.