• The Mathematical Education
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.147-160
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine (1) if sociocultural factors that are known to influence gender gap in mathematics achievement are gender equitable for Singaporean eighth grade students, (2) if there is a higher level of gender equitability in students' attitudes towards mathematics and (3) how sociocultural factors influence mathematics achievement for Singaporean eighth grade students. This study is based on 5,923 Singaporean eighth grade students who participated in TIMSS 2011 assessment. The study found that there were no statistically significant gender differences in 'parental involvement in education' and 'teacher efficacy.' There were no statistically significant gender differences in students' attitudes of 'like learning mathematics,' and 'value learning mathematics'. A significant gender difference was identified for the attitude of 'confident with mathematics.' The boys displayed a higher level of confidence in mathematics than the girls consistent with other study findings for Asian students. The degree of effect from 'parental involvement in education,' 'teacher efficacy,' and 'confident with mathematics' on mathematics achievement are found to be stronger for girls than boys. The finding implies that girls' mathematics achievement can benefit from having more positive encouragement and involvement of parents and teachers and strengthening confidence in mathematics.

• 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 Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.537-555
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• 2017

This paper compared and contrasted Korean and Singaporean textbooks in order to explore the direction and possibility of teaching the big ideas related to the addition and subtraction of fractions with different denominators proposed by Lee & Pang (2016a). Firstly, we examined the teaching sequences related to the addition of fractions with different denominators in a series of elementary mathematics textbooks of Korea and Singapore. We then analyzed what types of representations are used and how the representations are presented for the big ideas related to the addition of fractions with different denominators. The results of the analysis showed that the contents related to fraction addition are addressed more gradually and systematically in Singaporean textbooks compared to Korean counterparts. The graphical representations appeared in the Singaporean textbooks provide specific implications for teaching the big ideas of the addition of fractions with different denominators. Based on such implications, we expect that the big ideas related to the addition of fractions with different denominators will be addressed explicitly and systematically in Korean textbooks.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.283-308
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• 2021

This study aims to analyze statistical tasks in Korean and Singaporean textbooks with the mathematical modeling perspective and compare the learning contents and experiences of students from both countries. I analyzed mathematical modeling tasks in the textbooks based on five aspects: (1) the mathematical modeling process, (2) the data type, (3) the expression type, (4) the context, and (5) the mathematical activity. The results of this study show that Korean and Singaporean textbooks provide the highest percentage of the "working-with-mathematics" task, the highest percentage of the "matching task," and the highest percentage of the "picture" task. The real-world context and mathematical activities used in Korean and Singaporean textbooks differed in percentage. This study provides implications for the development of textbook tasks to support future mathematical modeling activities. This includes providing a balanced experience in mathematical modeling processes and presenting tasks in various forms of expression to raise students' cognitive level and expand the opportunity to experience meaningful mathematizing. In addition, it is necessary to present a contextually realistic task for students' interest in mathematical modeling activities or motivation for learning.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.205-224
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• 2017

A model method has been known as the main characteristic of Singaporean elementary mathematics textbooks. However, little research has been conducted on how the model method is employed in the textbooks. In this study, we extracted contents related to the model method in the Singaporean elementary mathematics curriculum and then analyzed the characteristics of the model method applied to the textbooks. Specifically, this study investigated the units and lessons where the model method was employed, and explored how it was addressed for what purpose according to the numbers and operations. The results of this study showed that the model method was applied to the units and lessons related to operations and word problems, starting from whole numbers through fractions to decimals. The model method was systematically applied to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division tailored by the grade levels. It was also explicitly applied to all stages of the problem solving process. Based on these results, this study described the implications of using a main model in the textbooks to demonstrate the structure of the given problem consistently and systematically.

• School Mathematics
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.473-491
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• 2010

In the TIMSS assessment goal and open TIMSS 2007, Singapore recorded a lower overall achievement level compared with Korea; however, the excellent results shown by Singapore furnished an opportunity for various countries to research into the education in Singapore. This paper conducted a comparative analysis of the "Proportion, Proportional Expression, and Percentile" area out of the three topics involving "Fractions and Decimals", "Proportion, Proportional expression, and Percentile", and "Measurement", in all of which Singapore exhibited a higher percentage of correct answers than Korea. The paper was able to discover the following differences through a comparative analysis of how Korean and Singaporean textbooks deal with the open questions of TIMSS 2007 after looking into them according to four assessment goals. First, the Singaporean textbook introduced the concept of proportion one year ahead of the Korean textbook. Second, the Singaporean textbook repeatedly coped with the topic of "Proportion, Proportional Expression, and Percentile" in depth and by academic year, and its volume was larger than that of the Korean textbook. Third, there was a difference in the introduction and definition of the concept of proportion. Fourth, the way of introducing a proportional expression was also different, and the Singaporean textbook proposed many more questions that utilize this expression in ordinary life. Based on these differences, the paper suggested implications that could be applied to the Korean curriculum and textbook.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.289-307
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• 2018

Although mixed calculation of natural numbers is important in that it completes arithmetic calculation of natural numbers in elementary school, few studies have been conducted regarding its instruction methods. Given this, this study analyzed Korean mathematics textbooks (from the fifth textbooks to the 2009 revised textbooks) along with Japanese and Singaporean textbooks in terms of the parentheses and the order of operations regarding mixed calculation of natural numbers. The results of this study showed that there were differences in introducing the parentheses and representing them in an explicit way per textbooks. In the Korean textbooks, the order of operations was presented mostly with the real-life contexts but it was not always in a diagrammatic representation. In contrast, in the Singaporean textbooks, the order of operations was presented without the real-life contexts and the use of calculators was emphasized. In the Japanese textbooks, the order of operations was presented with the real-life contexts and a hierarchy of operations was emphasized. Based on these results, this study suggested several implications of textbook development and instructional methods regarding mixed calculations of natural numbers.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.111-130
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• 2021

This exploratory study focuses on analyzing three mathematics textbooks in Germany, Singapore and South Korea to reveal similarities and differences in their introductions of fraction concepts. Findings reveal that all three countries' textbooks introduce fraction concepts predominantly by using pictorial representations such as area models, but the introductions of multiple fraction constructs vary. The Singaporean and South Korean textbooks predominantly used a part-whole construct to introduce fractional concepts while the German textbook introduced various constructs sequentially in the first pages using several scenarios from different real-life situations. The findings were represented using visual representations, which we called textbook signatures. The textbook signatures provided configurations of the textbook features across the three countries. At the end of paper, we share insights and limitations about the use of textbook signatures in the research on textbook analysis.

• 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.

• East Asian mathematical journal
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.109-133
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• 2012

In this research, I selected a Singapore elementary mathematics textbook which substantially reflects Singapore curriculum, and compared it with Korean one to understand how they differ in the contents system of the curriculum focused on the contents of the geometry and measurement strand, and analyzed their common points and different points intensively with textbooks for sixth-grade students. Also, I translated a chapter of the textbook, 'Mathematics in Action'. That chapter was about circumference and the area of the circle which is related to the shapes part. Then, I taught it to the experimental group to compare their achievement and the change of reaction to studying the shape-related parts with those of the control group. The results are the followings. First, when we analyze the contents of shape-related part of the textbooks for sixth-grade students of both countries, Singaporean textbook contains more contents that are introduced for the first time, which implies that it is more desirable to teach new concepts of shapes when students are in their higher grades. Second, as for the way they develop the activity of each chapter, Korean textbook sticks to a uniform way, while the Singapore textbook uses various ways for different subjects and grades. In addition, when they organize the contents of the textbook, they emphasize the importance of student's activity and lead students with various methods by suggesting several questions and situations.