• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.247-265
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to analyze the essence of ratio concept from educational viewpoint. For this purpose, it was tried to examine contents and organizations of the recent teaching of ratio concept in elementary school text of Korea from ‘Syllabus Period’ to ‘the 7th Curriculum Period’ In these text most ratio problems were numerically and algorithmically approached. So the Wiskobas programme was introduced, in which the focal point was not on mathematics as a closed system but on the activity, on the process of mathematization and the subject ‘ratio’ was assigned an important place. There are some educational implications of this study which needs to be mentioned. First, the programme for developing proportional reasoning should be introduced early Many students have a substantial amount of prior knowledge of proportional reasoning. Second, conventional symbol and algorithmic method should be introduced after students have had the opportunity to go through many experiences in intuitive and conceptual way. Third, context problems and real-life situations should be required both to constitute and to apply ratio concept. While working on contort problems the students can develop proportional reasoning and understanding. Fourth, In order to assist student's learning process of ratio concept, visual models have to recommend to use.