• The Mathematical Education
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.245-261
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• 2007

This paper deals with the possible problems which may arise when students learn the names of elementary geometric figures in the languages of Korean, Chinese, English. The names of some simple geometric figures in these languages are analyzed, and a specially designed test was administered to some grade eight students from the three language groups to explore the possible influence of the characteristics of the languages on students' capability in identifying the figures, the way students define the figures, and students' understanding of the inclusive relationship among figures. It was found that the usage of the terms to describe geometric figures may indeed have affected students' understanding of the figures. The names of geometric figures borrowed from those of everyday life objects may cause students to fix on some attributes of the objects which may not be consistent with the definition of the figures. Even when the names of the geometric figures depict the features of the figures, the words used in the naming of the figures may still affect students' understanding of the inclusive relations. If there is discrepancy between the definition of a geometric figure and the features that the name depicts, it may affect students' understanding of the definition of the figure, and if there is inconsistency in the classification of figures, it may affect students' understanding of the inclusive relationship involving those figures. Some implications of the study are then discussed.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.565-586
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• 1998

Like many other school subjects, terminology is a starting point of mathematical thinking, and plays a key role in mathematics learning. Among several areas in mathematics, geometry is the area in which students usually have the difficulty of learning, and the new terms are frequently appeared. This is why we started to investigate geometric terms first. The purpose of this study is to investigate geometric terminology in school mathematics. To do this, we traced the historical transition of geometric terminology from the first revised mathematics curriculum to the 7th revised one, and compared the geometric terminology of korean, english, Japanese, and North Korean. Based on this investigation, we could find and structuralize the following four issues. The first issue is that there are two different perspectives regarding the definitions of geometric terminology: inclusion perspective and partition perspective. For example, a trapezoid is usually defined in terms of inclusion perspective in asian countries while the definition of trapezoid in western countries are mostly based on partition perspective. This is also the case of the relation of congruent figures and similar figures. The second issue is that sometimes there are discrepancies between the definitions of geometric figures and what the name of geometric figures itself implies. For instance, a isosceles trapezoid itself means the trapezoid with congruent legs, however the definition of isosceles trapezoid is the trapezoid with two congruent angles. Thus the definition of the geometric figure and what the term of the geometric figure itself implies are not consistent. We also found this kind of discrepancy in triangle. The third issue is that geometric terms which borrow the name of things are not desirable. For example, Ma-Rum-Mo(rhombus) in Korean borrows the name from plants, and Sa-Da-Ri-Gol(trapezoid) in Korean implies the figure which resembles ladder. These terms have the chance of causing students' misconception. The fourth issue is that whether we should Koreanize geometric terminology or use Chinese expression. In fact, many geometric terms are made of Chinese characters. It's very hard for students to perceive the ideas existing in terms which are made of chines characters. In this sense, it is necessary to Koreanize geometric terms. However, Koreanized terms always work. Therefore, we should find the optimal point between Chines expression and Korean expression. In conclusion, when we name geometric figures, we should consider the ideas behind geometric figures. The names of geometric figures which can reveal the key ideas related to those geometric figures are the most desirable terms.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.9 no.3 s.23
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• pp.275-284
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• 2005

Tessellations are the pattern of iterations of geometric symmetry and translation. We can find them in the works of Escher who is the famous Dutch artist, and the American Indean life. Also, we can find the beauty of tessellations in the Korean traditional house door, Buddist temple architecture, palace's fence, etc. In the article, the figures of patterns we present are bird, fish, cat, pig, elephant, penguin, child and horse riding man, including Escher's, which are constructed using the computer geometric program, GSP (Geometer's Sketchpad). We want to talk about girl's disposition toward mathematics related to the figures. If they are supported by this kind of interesting figures constructed by their own hands, students will have more interest in learning geometric figures.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.451-469
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• 2012

This research intends to examine how 6th graders (age 12) conceptualize the area of geometric figures. In this research, 4 problems were given to 122 students, which the 4 problems correspond to understanding area concept, finding the area of geometric figures-including rectangular, parallelogram, and triangle, writing the area formula for finding area of geometric figures, and explaining the reason why the area formula holds. As the results of the study, we identified that students revealed the most low achievement in the understanding area concept, and lower achievement in explaining the reason why the area formula holds, writing the area formula, finding the area of geometric figures in order. In based on the results, we suggested the didactical implication for improving the students' conception about the area of geometric figures.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.209-218
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to create an interactive tool Geometry Player for geometric explorations. In designing this software, we referred to van Hiele's geometric learning theory of and Duval's cognitive comprehension theory of geometric figures. With Geometry Player, it is easy to construct and manipulate dynamic geometric figures. Teachers can easily present the dynamic process of geometric figures in class, and students can use it as a leaning tool to construct geometric concepts by themselves. It is hoped that Geometry Player can be a useful assistant for teachers and a nice partner for students. A brief introduction to Geometry Player and some application examples are included in this paper.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2002

The purpose of this study is to analyze elementary students' understanding the relationship between perimeter and area in geometric figures. In this study, the questionaries were used. In the survey, the subjects were elementary school students in In-cheon city. They were 86 students of the fifth grade, 86 of the sixth. They were asked to solve the problems which was designed by the researcher and to describe the reasons why they answered like that. Study findings are as following; Students have misbelief about the concept of the relationship between perimeter and area in geometric figures. Therefore, 1 propose the method fur teaching about the relationship between perimeter and area in geometric figures. That is teaching via problem solving.. In teaching via problem solving, problems are valued not only as a purpose fur learning mathematics but also a primary means of doing so. For example, teachers give the problem relating the concepts of area and perimeter using a set of twenty-four square tiles. Students are challenged to determine the number of small tiles needed to make rectangle tables. Using this, students can recognize the concept of the relationship between perimeter and area in geometric figures.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.325-337
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• 1999

In this intervention study, an experimental group of kindergarten children participated in paper folding activities 2 times per week for 10 weeks while the control group did ordinary art activities. Subjects were 43 five-year-old children enrolled in N and D public kindergartens in Hwa-soon Chonnam province. Data were analyzed with a two-sample t-test. The ability to draw and to manipulate geometric figures increased significantly in the experimental group but there was no difference between the two groups in the discrimination of geometric figures.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.124-130
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• 1997

In some cases of the English landscape garden style in Germany, for example, Worlitz, Branitz etc., including Mu나며, I have found out invisible geometric figures, that must be on the basis of landscape gardening. Particularly the Muskau park. The church of the village "Gerg", outside of the park, and the "pucklerstein" are the bases of this diagram. Above all, I am convinced of my hypothesis of √2 diagram, while I can also understand, out of my analysis, the relations and descriptions of the park in the book of the gardner, Hermann Fust von Puckler-muskau, "Andeutungen uber Landscahaftsgartnerei". Finally, I wish to discuss, how to do the phenomena, 'picturesque motif and geometric figures of the English Landscape Garden.

• East Asian mathematical journal
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.207-239
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• 2013

This research is a study on student's understanding fundamental concepts of mathematical curriculum, especially in geometry domain. The goal of researching is to analyze student's concepts about that domain and get the mathematical teaching methods. We developed various questions of descriptive assessment. Then we set up the term, procedure of research for the understanding student's knowledge of geometric figures. And we analyze the student's understanding extent through investigating questions of descriptive assessment. In this research, we concluded that most of students are having difficulty with defining the fundamental concepts of mathematics, especially in geometry. Almost all the students defined the fundamental conceptions of mathematics obscurely and sometimes even missed indispensable properties. And they can't distinguish between concept definition and concept image. Prior to this study, we couldn't identify this problem. Here are some suggestions. First, take time to reflect on your previous mathematics method. And then compile some well-selected questions of descriptive assessment that tell us more about student's understanding in geometric concepts.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.39-51
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• 2010

The purpose of this article is to study students' responses to non-routine problems which are presented by using solely numerals or symbolic figures. Such figures have no mathematical meaning but just symbolical meaning. Most students understand geometric figures more concrete objects than numerals because geometric figures such as circles and squares can be visualized by the manipulatives in real life. And since students need not consider (unvisible) any operational structure of numerals when they deal with (visible) figures, problems proposed using figures are considered relatively easier to them than those proposed using numerals. Under this assumption, we analyze students' problem solving processes of numeral problems and figural problems, and then find out when students' difficulties arise in the problem solving process and how they response when they feel difficulties. From this experiment, we will suggest several comments which would be considered in the development and application of both numerical and figural problems.