• Journal for History of Mathematics
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.85-101
• /
• 2013

This study is to analyse the characteristics of Barrow's theorem on the historical standpoint of hermeneutics and to discuss the teaching-learning sequence for guiding students to reinvent the calculus according to historico-genetic principle. By the historical analysis on the Barrow's theorem, we show the geometric feature of the theorem, conjecture the Barrow's intention in dealing with it, and consider the epistemological obstacles undergone by Barrow. On a basis of this result, we suggest a purposeful and meaning-oriented teaching-learning way for students to realize the sameness of the 'integration' and 'anti-differentiation', and point out the shortcomings and supplement point in current School Mathematic Calculus.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.327-343
• /
• 2020

This study investigate philosophical discussions related to the Zeno's paradoxes in order to derive the mathematics educational implications. The paradox of Zeno's motion is sometimes explained by the calculus theories. However, various philosophical discussions show that the resolution of Zeno's paradox by calculus is not a real solution, and the concept of a continuum which is composed of points and the real number continuum may not coincide with the physical space and time. This is supported by the fact that the hyperreal number system of nonstandard analysis could be another model of a straight line or time and that an alternative explanation of Zeno's paradox was possible by the hyperreal number system. The existence of two different theories of the continuum suggests that teachers and students may not have the same view of the continuum. It is also suggested that the real world model used in school mathematics may not necessarily match the student's intuition or mathematical practice, and that the real world application of mathematics theory should be emphasized in education as a kind of 'correspondence.'

• The Mathematical Education
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.469-481
• /
• 2009

This study investigates the relationship of mathematics anxiety and achievement in college mathematics for engineering major freshman students. An revised and modified 30-item version of the Mathematics Anxiety Scale(MAS) was completed by 176 university engineering students enrolled in introductory calculus courses offered by the department of mathematics. Correlational analysis indicated complex interaction patterns between mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement, depending on the level of anxiety. The results from this study confirm the negative correlation between mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement in college mathematics for engineering major student, and also those support the claim that the relationships between mathematics anxiety and achievement have non-linear patterns.

• Bulletin of the Korean Mathematical Society
• /
• v.52 no.3
• /
• pp.741-749
• /
• 2015

The Changhee polynomials and numbers are introduced in [6]. Some interesting identities and properties of those polynomials are derived from umbral calculus (see [6]). In this paper, we consider Witt-type formula for the n-th twisted Changhee numbers and polynomials and derive some new interesting identities and properties of those polynomials and numbers from the Witt-type formula which are related to special polynomials.

• The Mathematical Education
• /
• v.53 no.3
• /
• pp.313-327
• /
• 2014

'Tangent' is one of the most important concepts in the middle and high school mathematics, especially in dealing with calculus. The concept of tangent in the current textbook consists of the ways which make use of discriminant or differentiation. These ways, however, do not present dynamic view points, that is, the concept of variation. In this paper, after applying 'Roberval's way of finding tangent using vectors in terms of kinematics to parabola, ellipse, circle, hyperbola, cycloid, hypocycloid and epicycloid, we will identify that this is the tangent of those curves. This trial is the educational link of mathematics and physics, and it will also suggest the appropriate example of applying vector. We will also help students to understand the tangent by connecting this method to the existing ones.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.255-277
• /
• 2009

Currently Science and technology are changing so fast these days, educating competent and creative person, majoring in natural sciences, including mathematics., becoming more and more important. But, in Korea, there are many problems in high school and university education program, so performance level in mathematics is decreasing and avoiding mathematics and natural sciences is increasing. Naturally the numbers of science oritented students in high school are decreasing and ability in mathematics, in particular calculus, is decreasing. Hence, the above situation leads to a reduction of scientific manpower. In this point of a view, we analyse the situation of the downturn of the ability of the science, especially calculus, among engineering majored freshmen. We also study many data reported by Ministry of Education and Science, Korea and scholar societies. From this study we conclude that the essential rerasons for the above situations are curriculum and the system of the entrance examination of the university, and we give suggestions for solutions of such a situation.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.185-202
• /
• 2010

This study was designed to investigate the possibility that the optimization problem solving activities based on the instrumented CAS can have an influence on the sequence of mathematics curriculum in secondary mathematics education. Some optimization problem solving activities based on CAS were constructed and executed to eleventh grade(the penultimate year of Korean high school) 7 students for nine class hours. They have experienced using CAS in mathematics class for three months, but never learned calculus. The data which consists of classroom observations(audio and video taped) and post-unit interviews with students were analyzed. In the analysis, with CAS, students can highly deal with the applied optimization problems made up of calculus, cubic equation, solution of radical equation, and graph analysis which never learned. This result shows CAS may have an influence on the sequence of mathematics curriculum in secondary mathematics education.

• Journal of Engineering Education Research
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.58-68
• /
• 2013

Few colleges offer remedial basic math courses for college freshmen who have not passed math placement tests or whose scholastic aptitude test score in mathematics is low. This research is aiming for the curriculum development of basic college mathematics and its effective implementation. First, an in depth statistical analysis on the basic math courses for universities in Seoul area has been done. Second, diagnostic test and longitudinal study have been carried out for one institute. Based on these, basic concepts and areas critical for the success of Calculus course are extracted. Standards and contents for the remedial math courses are suggested.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.1-15
• /
• 2017

The university entrance examination in deeply related to high school education, adaptation and study ability in university. In this point of view, we investigate the scholastic achievement to the Calculus 1,2, linear algebra and differential equation from academic year 2006 to 2016. The above four subjects contain elementary and essential contents to study for science and engineering major in university. We compare and analyse the data of scholastic achievement and system of various university entrance examination, and we discuss and propose the methods of improvements for adaptation to each major field and study ability.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.545-562
• /
• 2009

Calculus is used in various parts of human life and the basis of social science such as economics and public administration. Yet that is still considered important in the field of science and technology only, and there have been a lot of disputes on that phenomenon. Fortunately, calculus is going to be taught as part of the academic high school second-year mathematics curriculum in and after 2010. Students who face calculus for the first time should be helped not to lose interest in differentiation learning, not to be apprehensive of it nor to avoid it. The purpose of this study was to examine the types of errors made by students in the course of solving differentiation problems in an effort to lay the foundation for differentiation education. A pilot test was conducted after generalized differentiation problems to which students were usually exposed were selected, and experts were asked to review the pilot test. And then a finalized test was implemented to make an error analysis according to an error type analysis framework to serve the purpose.