• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.251-278
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to obtain implications for mathematical education by analyzing how the multiplication and division of decimal numbers are presented in the elementary mathematics textbooks in Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Finland. Compared to the fact that students often have misconceptions about multiplication and division of decimal numbers, there have been not many comparative studies in recent elementary mathematics textbooks. For this study, we selected elementary mathematics textbooks those are widely used in Japan, Singapore, and Finland along with Korean elementary mathematics textbooks. We chose the textbooks because the students in the selected countries have scored high in international achievement studies such as TIMSS and PISA. The analysis was examined in terms of elementary mathematics curriculum related to multiplication and division of decimal numbers, introduction and content, real-life situations, use of visual models, and formalization methods of algorithms. As a result of the study, the mathematics curricula related to multiplication and division of decimal numbers includes estimation in Korea and Finland, while Japan and Singapore emphasize real-life connections more, and Finland completes the operations in secondary schools. The introduction and content are intensively provided in a short period of time or distributed in various grades and semesters. The real-life situations are presented in a simple sentence format in all countries, and the use of visual models or formalization of algorithms is linked to the operations of natural numbers in unit conversions. Suggestions were made for textbook development and teacher training programs.

• Korean Journal of Comparative Education
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.95-128
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• 2010

This article presents a one and half-year process of Lesson Study conducted at a K-8 school in an urban district in the eastern U.S. Lesson Study, a Japanese form of professional development that centers on collaborative study of live classroom lessons, has spread rapidly in the U.S. since 1999 and has been argued as a promising alternative model for teacher-led school reform through professional development. The Lesson Study group described here was composed of five teachers, one administrator, and one instructional improvement coordinator belonging to the participant school and two instructional super-intendants from the school district. Data was collected from October 2007 to February 2009 and a qualitative case study method was employed for this study. Drawing a case of Lesson Study, this article intended to show how Lesson Study group members participated in planning, teaching, observing, discussing, and improving lessons collaboratively for student learning by enhancing teacher professional competence so that find directions for future implementation in Korea. This article investigates (1) process of Lesson Study, (2) issues Lesson Study group members mainly dealt with, and (3) changes have taken place in Lesson Study as it is conducted over time. (4) Finally, this article concludes with challenges to adopting Lesson Study successfully in Korea.