• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.365-384
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• 2010

This paper is an analysis study where we surveyed how well pre-service teachers understand the mathematical concepts taught in elementary school. We analyzed the results focusing on the following: First, what are the pre-service teachers' understandings of the equal sign and variables? Secondly, how exact are their understandings of other elementary school mathematical concepts? The survey was done on the students in Teachers College of Jeju National University. We hope that the results of this study will help the improvement of mathematical education for elementary pre-service teachers.

• East Asian mathematical journal
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.443-464
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• 2016

The purpose of ths study is to compare and analyze the sequence of teaching multiplication facts in the elementary school mathematics. Generally, the multiplication in the elementary school mathematics is composed of the followings; concepts of multiplication, situations involving multiplication, didactical models for multiplication, and multiplication strategies for teaching multiplication facts. This study is focusing to multiplication facts, especially to the sequence of teaching and multiplication strategies. The method of this study is a comparative and analytic method. In order to compare textbooks, we select the Korean elementary mathematics textbooks(1st curriculum~2009 revised curriculum) and the 9 foreign elementary mathematics textbooks(Japan, China, Germany, Finland, Hongkong etc.). As results of comparative investigation, the sequence of teaching multiplication facts is reconsidered on a basis of elementary students' mathematical thinking. And the connectivity of multiplication facts is strengthened in comparison with the foreign elementary mathematics textbooks. Finally multiplication strategies for teaching multiplication facts are discussed for more understanding and reasoning the principles of multiplication facts in the elementary school mathematics.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.271-289
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• 2023

This research investigates the development of elementary students' concepts of line segments, straight lines, and rays, employing metaphor analysis as a research methodology. By analyzing metaphorical expressions, the research aims to explore how elementary students form these geometric concepts line segments, straight lines, and lays and evolve their understanding of them across different grades. Surveys were conducted with elementary school students in grades three to six, focusing on metaphorical expressions and corresponding their reasons associated with line segments, straight lines, and rays. The data were analyzed through coding and categorization to identify the types in students' metaphorical expressions. The analysis of metaphorical expressions identified five types: straightness, infinity or direction, connections of another geometric concepts, shape and symbols, and terminology.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.437-462
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• 2010

The purpose of this research is to analyze the textbook contents about the natural number concepts in the Korean National Elementary Mathematics Curriculum. Understanding a concept of natural number is crucial in school mathematics curriculum planning, since elementary students start their basic learning with natural number system. The concepts of natural number have various meaning from the perspectives of pedagogical research, and the philosophy of mathematics. The natural number concepts in the elementary math curriculum consist of four aspects; counting numbers, cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers, and measuring numbers. Two research questions are addressed; (1) How are the natural number concepts focusing on counting, cardinal, ordinal, measuring numbers are covered in the national math curriculum? ; (2) What suggestions can be made to enhance the teaching and learning about the natural number concepts? Findings reveal that (1) the national mathematics curriculum properly reflects four aspects of natural number concepts, as the curriculum covers 50% of the cardinal number system; (2) In the aspect of the counting number, we hope to add the meaning about 'one, two, three, ......, and so on' in the Korean Mathematics curriculum. In the ordinal number, we want to be rich the related meaning in a set. Further suggestions are made for future research to include them ensuing number in the curriculum.

• East Asian mathematical journal
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.463-496
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to analyze the mathematical creativity and computational thinking of mathematically gifted elementary students through a convergence class using programming and to identify what it means to provide the convergence class using Python for the mathematical creativity and computational thinking of mathematically gifted elementary students. To this end, the content of the nine sessions of the Python-applied convergence programs were developed, exploratory and heuristic case study was conducted to observe and analyze the mathematical creativity and computational thinking of mathematically gifted elementary students. The subject of this study was a single group of sixteen students from the mathematics and science gifted class, and the content of the nine sessions of the Python convergence class was recorded on their tablets. Additional data was collected through audio recording, observation. In fact, in order to solve a given problem creatively, students not only naturally organized and formalized existing mathematical concepts, mathematical symbols, and programming instructions, but also showed divergent thinking to solve problems flexibly from various perspectives. In addition, students experienced abstraction, iterative thinking, and critical thinking through activities to remove unnecessary elements, extract key elements, analyze mathematical concepts, and decompose problems into small components, and math gifted students showed a sense of achievement and challenge.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.319-335
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• 2019

In this paper, we examine the effectiveness of calculation according to automation, which is one of Computational Thinking, by coding the conceptual process into Python language, focusing on the concept of divisibility in elementary school textbooks. The educational implications of these considerations are as follows. First, it is possible to make a field of learning that can revise the new mathematical concept through the opportunity to reinterpret the Conceptual Thinking learned in school mathematics from the perspective of Computational Thinking. Second, from the analysis of college students, it can be seen that many students do not have mathematical concepts in terms of efficiency of computation related to the divisibility. This phenomenon is a characteristic of the mathematics curriculum that emphasizes concepts. Therefore, it is necessary to study new mathematical concepts when considering the aspect of utilization. Third, all algorithms related to the concept of divisibility covered in elementary mathematics textbooks can be found to contain the notion of iteration in terms of automation, but little recursive activity can be found. Considering that recursive thinking is frequently used with repetitive thinking in terms of automation (in Computational Thinking), it is necessary to consider low level recursive activities at elementary school. Finally, it is necessary to think about mathematical Conceptual Thinking from the point of view of Computational Thinking, and conversely, to extract mathematical concepts from computer science's Computational Thinking.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.135-143
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• 2002

This study was executed in M elementary school for a week, T elementary school for a week, N high school for a week, and S high school for a week in 2000. There were mathematics teacher interviews, mathematics classroom observations, and student interviews in each school. We can draw the conclusion from this study as follows. Firstly, the teaching of mathematics in both elementary and high school was very good in the standard of mathematical concepts, procedures, and connection. Secondly, it is very good in the standard of mathematics as problem solving, reasoning, and communication. Thirdly, it is not so good in the standard of promoting mathematical disposition. Fourthly, it is good in elementary schools, but not in high schools regarding the standard of assessing students' understanding of mathematics. Fifthly, it is very good in elementary schools, but not so good in high schools regarding the standard of learning environments.

• School Mathematics
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.233-248
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• 2001

In pthis aper, mathematical terms in 7th elementary mathematics curriculum(from now, in short, 7th curriculum)are reexamined critically. In 7th curriculum there are 123 terms, which seems to be selected cautiously But it is not sure. There are lots of evidences for selecting terms incautiously, Through these evidences, following conclusions are induced: (1) Terms were not selected strictly. There are many terms omitted in 7th curriculum, which are necessary for understanding mathematical concepts. (2) There were no rational principles for selecting terms in 7th curriculum. Any rational principles can not be found out among terms in 7th curriculum. (3) Mathematical terms and real life terms in 7th curriculum were not distinguished explicitly. There were some real life terms in 7th curriculum, which were significant for understanding mathematical concepts. But other real life terms which is significant also for understanding mathematical concepts were not contained in 7th curriculum.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.45 no.3 s.114
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• pp.345-365
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• 2006

This study, to effectively teach the concepts, principles and problem solving ability of the 2nd graders' learning of numbers and operations, offers realistic problem situation and focuses on the learning based on 'mathematization', one of the most important principles of RME (Realistic Mathematics Education) which is the mathematics education trend of Netherlands influenced by Freudenthal's theory. The instruction is applied to forty-one students of the 2nd grader for six weeks in twelve series in an elementary school, located in Seoul. To investigate the effects of the mathematising experience instruction for improving mathematical abilities, the group takes tests before and after the instruction. Also the qualitative analysis on the students' mathematising aspects through students' output at the instruction process is taken into account to evaluate the instruction's effects. The result shows that the mathematising experience instruction for improving mathematical abilities is proved to improve students' understanding of mathematical concepts and principles and their problem solving ability in learning numbers and operations after carrying out this instruction. Also the result indicates that students' mathematising aspects are mostly horizontal and vertical mathematization.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.215-233
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• 2008

Deep comprehension of basic mathematical notions and concepts is a basic condition of a successful teaching. Some elements of algebraic thinking belong to the elementary school mathematics. The question "What stays the same and what changes?" link arithmetic problems with algebraic conception of variable. We have studied beliefs and comprehensions of future elementary school mathematics teachers on early algebra. Pre-service teachers from three academic pedagogical colleges deal with mathematical problems from the pre-algebra point of view, with the emphasis on changes and invariants. The idea is that the intensive use of non-formal algebra may help learners to construct a better understanding of fundamental ideas of arithmetic on the strong basis of algebraic thinking. In this article the study concerning arithmetic series is described. Considerable number of pre-service teachers moved from formulas to deep comprehension of the subject. Additionally, there are indications of ability to apply the conception of change and invariance in other mathematical and didactical contexts.