• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.375-382
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• 2015

Textbooks corresponding to curriculum goals are necessary because they are specific products of curriculum and are the most important materials for teaching, learning, and evaluation. In particular, learning objectives written in textbooks should be clearly described because they play a role in promoting learning by showing learning goals to learners clearly. This study analyzed the characteristics of verbs used as predicate of learning objectives written in high school physics I and II textbooks of Korea and compared them with physics textbooks of Singapore and the United States. Results show that Korean textbooks have less kinds of verbs compared to those of Singapore and the United States, and the verbs with abstract and comprehensive meaning such as 'understand' and 'know' were mainly used. In American textbooks, it was noticeable that no verbs have been used by more than 10%. When classifying the learning objectives in the two Korean textbooks, cognitive domain accounted for 98 to 99%, and inquiry domain accounted for only 1% to 2%. With regard to physics textbooks of the United States, inquiry domain accounted for a large proportion of domains in learning objectives compared with physics textbooks of Korea and Singapore. Physics textbooks of Singapore were similar to those of Korea in that learning objectives were biased toward cognitive domain, but differed from those of Korea in that learning objectives were specifically described using action verbs.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.580-595
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• 2007

To respond to the announcement of the revised version of science curriculum early this year, it has been necessary to develop new science textbooks which can be appropriate and effective to achieve the goals of the revised curriculum. The system of new textbooks needs to embrace the concerns of cognitive development in scientific knowledge, skills, and attitudes as well as social and cultural demands in the rapidly changing society. To develop an innovative framework of science textbooks, we examined previous studies on textbook analysis in Korea and analyzed science textbooks in the United States, Singapore, and Japan. We analyzed various ways of introducing and developing conceptual knowledge, leading scientific inquiry skills and process, enhancing scientific attitudes toward science, technology, society and the environment in those science textbooks. In the process of framing the structures of textbooks, we focused on ways of increasing educational effects of visualized texts, leaners' interest, user-friendly procedure, scientific inquiry, effectiveness of hands-on activities, scientific reading and writing skills, and usage of workbook. Based on those aspects and analyses of textbooks, we attempted to propose a feasible framework of Grade $3{\sim}4$ Science textbook which can effectively respond to the educational changes and demands in the local and global society.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.445-467
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• 2018

In this study, we analyzed the contents of pi and the area of a circle presented in Korean, Japanese, Singapore, and American mathematics textbooks, and drew implications for the teaching of pi and the area of a circle in school mathematics. We developed a textbook analysis framework by theoretical discussions on the concept of the pi based on the various properties of pi and the area of a circle based on the central ideas of measurement and the previous researches on pi and the area of a circle in elementary mathematics. We drew five suggestions for improving the teaching of pi and three suggestions for improving the teaching of the area of a circle in Korean elementary schools.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.237-260
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• 2018

This study investigated the models of four countries' elementary mathematics textbooks in Ratio and Rate and identified how multiplicative perspectives on proportional relationships and the structure of proportion situations are reflected in the textbooks. For this, textbooks of 5th and 6th grade textbooks in Korea Japan, Singapore and U.S. are compared and analyzed. As a result, we can find multiplicative perspectives on proportional relationships and the structure of proportion situations on pictorial models, ratio tables, double number lines and double tape diagrams. Also, the development of Japanese textbooks from multiple batches perspectives to variable parts perspectives and the examples of the use with two models together implied the connection and union of two multiplicative perspectives. Based on these results, careful verification and discussion for the next textbook is needed to develop students' proportional reasoning and teach some effective reasoning strategies. And this study will provide the implication for what kinds of and how visual models are presented in the next textbook.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.111-130
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• 2018

In this study, I compared and analyzed the contents of Korean, Japanese, Singapore, American, and Finnish textbooks about fraction which is one of the important and difficult concepts in elementary school mathematics. This is aimed to get the implications for meaningful fractional teaching and learning by analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of the methods and time of introducing the concept because fraction has the diversity of the sub-concepts and the introducing methods or process. As a result of the analysis, the fraction was introduced as part-whole(area) in all five countries' textbooks, but the use of number line, conversion between improper fraction and mixed number, whether to deal with part-whole(set) model. Furthermore, there are differences in the methods in obtaining of the equivalent fraction and the order of arrangement in comparison of fraction. Through this analysis, we discussed the reconsideration of the introducing contexts of fractions, the use of number line when introducing fractions, and the problem of segmentation and classification of contents.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.547-558
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to compare inquiry activities in science textbooks' physics contents for Korean secondary schools with those of Singapore in order to provide a reference for further improvement of inquiry activities in Korean science textbooks. We analyzed inquiry activities using the framework of Millar et al.(1998) and Chinn & Malhotra (2002). The results of this study are as follows: There are differences between Korean and Singaporean inquiry activities in the area of 'learning objectives', 'students' thinking activities' and 'degree of openness'. In the area of 'learning objectives', the Korean textbooks have more activities associated with the learning of science content than those in Singaporean, whereas the Singaporean textbooks have more activities associated with the processes of scientific inquiry than in Korean textbooks. In the area of 'students' thinking activities', the Singaporean textbooks have activities like 'test a prediction', which Korean textbooks lack. The 'degree of openness' is higher in Singaporean textbooks than in Korean textbooks. And some differences in the area of 'authentic scientific inquiry' between Korean and Singaporean textbooks were also found. While the Korean textbooks do not have any activities associated with 'generating research questions', the Singaporean ones feature such activities. In the area of 'designing studies', the Singaporean textbooks have activities corresponding to 'selecting variables' and 'controlling variables', while the Korean ones never have such activities. The results of this study imply that it is necessary to balance inquiry activities in the area of 'learning objectives', 'students' thinking activities' and 'degree of openness', and to present activities close to authentic scientific inquiry in inquiry activities in textbooks.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.627-654
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• 2016

Despite the significance of the measurement strand in elementary mathematics education, it is not easy to teach it meaningfully. This study analyzed instructional methods related to capacity and weight in a series of mathematics textbooks of Korea, Japan, Singapore, and the US. The overall analysis was conducted in the following two aspects: (a) what and when to teach main learning content, and (b) how to teach the learning content tailored to the instructional components specific to the topics of measurement (i.e., the necessity of measurement unit, the meanings of measurement terms, appropriate choice of units, appropriate choice of measurement tools, and the necessity of calculation). The results of this study showed overall similarities in using real-life contexts to teach major topics on capacity and weight as well as emphasizing the relations among measurement units. However, noticeable differences were also analyzed in dealing with the meanings of measurement terms, appropriate choice of units, and appropriate choice of measurement tools. Based on these results, this study provides textbook writers with implications on what to further consider in dealing with capacity and weight.

• School Mathematics
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.45-68
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• 2006

Singaporean students have demonstrated their superior mathematical achievement and positive mathematical dispositions. Against this background, this study compared Korean elementary mathematics textbooks with Singaporean counterparts focusing on the geometry and measurement strand. The analysis was conducted in many aspects, including an overall unit structure, the contents to be covered in each grade, and the methods of introducing essential learning themes. The textbooks were also compared and contrasted with regard to the main characteristics of constructing mathematical contents. Whereas Korean textbooks used block teaming, Singaporean textbooks used repeated teaming. The latter also employed the activity of classifying multiple figures as the main method of introducing concepts. Whereas Korean textbooks consist of typical examples of figures, Singaporean counterparts include various examples consistent with the principle of mathematical variability.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.481-506
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• 2019

Perpendicularity and parallelity are important concepts in Mathematics as well as real-life contexts. However, those concepts are rather reduced in 2015 revised curriculum compared to previous 2009 revised curriculum. This study firstly analyzed teaching method related to perpendicularity and parallelity in a series of mathematics textbooks of Korea, Singapore and Japan. Moreover, the unit of perpendicularity and parallel was redesigned in a way to understand the concepts meaningfully and to give opportunities for students to explore how to make perpendicular and parallel lines. The results showed that noticeable changes has been as the curriculum was revised in Korea. Also, three countries showed some differences in concepts definition and learning activities. This study is expected to suggest implications for how to teach perpendicularity and parallelity in elementary school mathematics.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.135-160
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• 2017

Since mathematics textbooks for 6th graders based on the 2009 revised national curriculum were applied to the site, there has been a note pointing out that the unit of 'ratio and rate' causes some learning difficulties. This implies the necessity of search for desirable methods of organizing the unit of ratio and rate in mathematics textbooks. This study analyzed and compared Korean and foreign mathematics textbooks on ratio and rate longitudinally and horizontally, respectively. For longitudinal analysis, we selected the mathematics textbooks according to the national curriculum since the 5th one. For horizontal analysis, we took the mathematics textbooks of Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Finland. In each textbook, the contents and the order in relation to ratio and rate, the definitions of terminology, and the methods for introducing related concepts are set as the analysis framework. The results of analysis revealed many characteristics and the differences in ways of dealing contents about ratio and rate. Based on these results, we suggested some implications for writing the unit of ratio and rate in elementary mathematics textbooks.