• Lingua Humanitatis
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.301-319
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• 2002

In a recent paper, I have proposed an analysis concerning propositions and 'that'-clauses as a solution to Kripke's puzzle and other similar puzzles, which I now call 'the Indefinite Description Analysis of Belief Ascription Sentences.' I have listed some of the major advantages of this analysis besides its merit as a solution to the puzzles: it is amenable to the direct-reference theory of proper names; it does not nevertheless need to introduce Russellian (singular) propositions or any other new entities. David Lewis has constructed an interesting argument to refute this analysis. His argument seems to show that my analysis has an unwelcome consequence: if someone believes any proposition, then he or she should, ipso facto, believe any necessary (mathematical or logical) proposition (such as the proposition that 1 succeeds 0). In this paper, I argue that Lewis's argument does not pose a real threat to my analysis. All his argument shows is that we should not accept the assumption called 'the equivalence thesis': if two sentences are equivalent, then they express the same proposition. I argue that this thesis is already in trouble for independent reasons. Especially, I argue that if we accept the equivalence thesis then, even without my analysis, we can derive a sentence like 'Fred believes that 1 succeeds 0 and snow is white' from a sentence like 'Fred believes that snow is white.' The consequence mentioned above is not worse than this consequence.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.345-366
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• 2006

In this study, we investigated the methods of using the Cabri3D program for education of problem solving in school mathematics. Cabri3D is the program that can represent 3-dimensional figures and explore these in dynamic method. By using this program, we can see mathematical relations in space or mathematical properties in 3-dimensional figures vidually. We conducted classroom activity exploring Cabri3D with 15 pre-service leachers in 2006. In this process, we collected practical examples that can assist four stages of problem solving. Through the analysis of these examples, we concluded that Cabri3D is useful instrument to enhance problem solving ability and suggested it's educational usage as follows. In the stage of understanding the problem, it can be used to serve visual understanding and intuitive belief on the meaning of the problem, mathematical relations or properties in 3-dimensional figures. In the stage of devising a plan, it can be used to extend students's 2-dimensional thinking to 3-dimensional thinking by analogy. In the stage of carrying out the plan, it can be used to help the process to lead deductive thinking. In the stage of looking back at the work, it can be used to assist the process applying present work's result or method to another problem, checking the work, new problem posing.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.19-41
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• 2015

Previous studies indicated that students tended to hold less satisfactory beliefs about the discipline of mathematics, beliefs about themselves as learners of mathematics, and beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning. However, only a few studies had developed curricular interventions to change students' beliefs. This study aimed to examine the effect of a problem-solving curriculum (i.e., Mathematical Problem Solving for Everyone, MProSE) on Singaporean Grade 7 students' beliefs about mathematical problem solving (MPS). Four classes (n =142) were engaged in ten lessons with each comprising four stages: understand the problem, devise a plan, carry out the plan, and look back. Heuristics and metacognitive control were emphasized during students' problem solving activities. Results indicated that the MProSE curriculum enabled some students to develop more satisfactory beliefs about MPS. Further path analysis showed that students' attitudes towards the MProSE curriculum are important predictors for their beliefs.

• School Mathematics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.313-324
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• 2004

One of the major roots of the value and power of mathematical knowledge is the belief on ‘the Pythagorian-Platonic divine mathematicity of the universe’ and the ‘pre-established harmony between mathematics and physics’. This kind of the nature of mathematical knowledge demands strongly the school mathematics to become a subject for humanity education going beyond the practical usefulness. Here, investigating the roots of the thought of mathematical education, we tried to clarify that the traditional educational ideal which has maintained the theoretical knowledge-centered mathematical education is the education of humanity, and investigate the way today's mathematical pedagogy should first turn to if it should realize this ideal.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.71-94
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• 2001

The purposes of this study were to design small group collaborative learning models for developing the creativity and to analyze the effects on applying the models in mathematics teaching and loaming. The meaning of open education in mathematics learning, the relation of creativity and inquiry learning, the relation of small group collaborative learning and creativity, and the relation of assessment and creativity were reviewed. And to investigate the relation small group collaborative learning and creativity, we developed three types of small group collaborative learning model- inquiry model, situation model, tradition model, and then conducted in elementary school and middle school. As a conclusion, this study suggested; (1) Small group collaborative learning can be conducted when the teacher understands the small group collaborative learning practice in the mathematics classroom and have desirable belief about mathematics instruction. (2) Students' mathematical anxiety can be reduced and students' involvement in mathematics learning can be facilitated, when mathematical tasks are provided through inquiry model and situation model. (3) Students' mathematical creativity can be enhanced when the teacher make classroom culture that students' thinking is valued and teacher's authority is reduced. (4) To develop students' mathematical creativity, the interaction between students in small group should be encouraged, and assessment of creativity development should be conduced systematically and continuously.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.229-245
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• 2003

In this paper, we present a review of research perspectives and investigations in collegiate mathematics education from the four decades of development in the journal published by Korea Society of Mathematical Education. Research of mathematics education at the tertiary level, which had been a minor area in mathematics education, has made a significant development in the last decade in Europe md U.S.A. In this context, international journals for research in mathematics education were selected to comparatively examine and identify research trends and tasks in collegiate mathematics education. Based on the analysis of domestic at international journals, we present recommendations for further the development of Korean collegiate mathematics education research. First it is necessary to diversify the topics of educational research. Korean research of mathematics education at the tertiary level has been limited to the issues of curriculum developments, teacher education and computer technology. It is necessary to pursue more various topics such as conceptual development mathematical attitude and belief gender, socio-cultural aspect of teaching and teaming mathematics. Second, it is necessary to apply research methods for systematic investigations. It is important to note that international research of mathematics education introduces variety of research methods such as observation, interview, and survey in order to develop grounded theory of mathematics education. We end with pedagogical implications of the analyses presented and general conclusions concerning the perspectives for the future in collegiate mathematics education.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.141-161
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• 2006

In this study, we classified word problems related to real life presented in elementary mathematics textbooks into five types of context problems(location, story, project, scrap, theme) suggested by Freudenthal(1991), and applied context problems to mathematics class to analyze the influence on students' mathematical belief and attitude. Also, we examined the types of context problems preferred according to academic performance and the reasons of preference within a group experiencing context problems. The results of the study are as follows. First, almost lessons in the mathematics textbook presents word problems related to real life, but the presenting method is inclined to a story type. Also, the problems with a story type are presented fragmentarily. Therefore, although these word problems are familiar to the students, they don't include contextual meanings and cannot induce enough mathematical motives and interests. Second, a lesson using context problems give a positive influence on their mathematics belief and attitude. It is also expected to give a positive influence on students' mathematics learning in the long run. Third, the preferred types of context problems and the reasons of preference are different according to the level of academic performance within the experimental group.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 2000

This paper is discussing about the culture of mathematics classroom for problem solving. The mathematics classroom which we have to aim at is where every students make proper belief and attitude about mathematics, and also can express their own idea and make question freely. In that classroom, the students can meet with various problem solving methods and communicate with other students, and then elaborate their own method.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.387-402
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• 2003

Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) focuses on guided reinvention through which students explore experientially realistic context problems to develop informal problem solving strategies and solutions. This research applied this philosophy of RME to design a differential equation course at a university level. In particular, the course encouraged the students of the course to use numerical methods to solve differential equations. In this context, the purpose of this research was to describe the developmental process in which the students constructed and reinvented Euler algorithm in the class. For the purpose, this paper will present the didactical principle of RME and describe the process of developmental research to investigate the inferential process of students in solving the first order differential equation numerically. Finally, the qualitative analysis of the students' reasoning and use of symbols reveals how the students reinvent Euler algorithm under the didactical principle of guided reinvention. In this research, it has been found that the students developed deep understanding of Euler algorithm in the class. Moreover, it has been shown that the experience of doing mathematics in the course had a positive impact on students' mathematical belief and attitude. These findings imply that the didactical principle of RME can be applied to design university mathematical courses and in general, provide a perspective on how to reform mathematics curriculum at a university level.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.4-45
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• 1991

Measures of two types of uncertainty that coexist in the Dempster-Shafer theory are overivewed. A measure of one type of uncertainty, which expresses nonspecificity of evidential claims, is well justified on both intuitive and mathermatical grounds. Proposed measures of the other types of uncertainty, which attempt to capture conflicts among evidential claims, are shown to have some deficiencies. To alleviate these deficiencies, a new measure is proposed. This measure, which is called a measure of discord, is not only satisfactory on intuitive grounds, but has alos desirable mathematical properties. A measure of total uncertainty, which is defined as the sum of nonspecificity and discord, is also discussed. The paper focuses on conceptual issues. Mathematical properties of the measure of idscord are only stated ; their proofs are given in a companion paper.