• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.223-247
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• 2016

Given the importance of developing algebraic thinking from early grades, this study investigated an overall performance and main characteristics of algebraic thinking from a total of 197 third grade students. The national elementary mathematics curriculum in Korea does not emphasize directly essential elements of algebraic thinking but indicates indirectly some of them. This study compared our students' performance related to algebraic thinking with results of Blanton et al. (2015) which reported considerable progress of algebraic thinking by emphasizing it through a regular curriculum. The results of this study showed that Korean students solved many items correctly as compatible to Blanton et al. (2015). However, our students tended to use 'computational' strategies rather than 'structural' ones in the process of solving items related to equation. When it comes to making algebraic expressions, they tended to assign a particular value to the unknown quantity followed by the equal sign. This paper is expected to explore the algebraic thinking by elementary school students and to provide implications of how to promote students' algebraic thinking.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.49-68
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• 2002

One of the characteristics of modem mathematics is to use algebra in every fields of mathematics. But we don't have the exact definition of algebra, and we can't clearly define algebraic thinking. In order to solve this problem, this paper investigate the history of algebra. First, we describe some of the features of proportional Babylonian thinking by analysing some problems. In chapter 4, we consider Greek's analytical method and proportional theory. And in chapter 5, we deal with Diophantus' algebraic method by giving an overview of Arithmetica. Finally we investigate Viete's thinking of algebra through his ‘the analytical art’. By investigating these history of algebra, we reach the following conclusions. 1. The origin of algebra comes from problem solving(various equations). 2. The origin of algebraic thinking is the proportional thinking and the analytical thinking. 3. The thing that plays an important role in transition from arithmetical thinking to algebraic thinking is Babylonian ‘the false value’ idea and Diophantus’ ‘arithmos’ concept.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.211-230
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• 2016

The study aimed to investigate the characteristics of algebraic thinking of the mathematically gifted students and search for how to teach algebraic thinking. Research subjects in this study included 93 students who applied for a science gifted education center affiliated with a university in 2015 and previously experienced gifted education. Students' responses on an algebraic item of a creative thinking test in mathematics, which was given as screening process for admission were collected as data. A framework of algebraic thinking factors were extracted from literature review and utilized for data analysis. It was found that students showed difficulty in quantitative reasoning between two quantities and tendency to find solutions regarding equations as problem solving tools. In this process, students tended to concentrate variables on unknown place holders and to had difficulty understanding various meanings of variables. Some of students generated errors about algebraic concepts. In conclusions, it is recommended that functional thinking including such as generalizing and reasoning the relation among changing quantities is extended, procedural as well as structural aspects of algebraic expressions are emphasized, various situations to learn variables are given, and activities constructing variables on their own are strengthened for improving gifted students' learning and teaching algebra.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2019

As the importance of algebraic thinking in elementary school has been emphasized, the links between fraction knowledge and algebraic thinking have been highlighted. In this study, we analyzed the solution methods and characteristics of thinking by fifth graders who have not yet learned fraction division when they solved 'reverse fraction problems' (Pearn & Stephens, 2018). In doing so, the contexts of problems were extended from the prior study to include the following cases: (a) the partial quantity with a natural number is discrete or continuous; (b) the partial quantity is a natural number or a fraction; (c) the equivalent fraction of partial quantity is a proper fraction or an improper fraction; and (d) the diagram is presented or not. The analytic framework was elaborated to look closely at students' solution methods according to the different contexts of problems. The most prevalent method students used was a multiplicative method by which students divided the partial quantity by the numerator of the given fraction and then multiplied it by the denominator. Some students were able to use a multiplicative method regardless of the given problem contexts. The results of this study showed that students were able to understand equivalence, transform using equivalence, and use generalizable methods. This study is expected to highlight the close connection between fraction and algebraic thinking, and to suggest implications for developing algebraic thinking when to deal with fraction operations.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.539-560
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate characteristics of mathematically gifted high school students' thinking in design activities using GrafEq. Eight mathematically gifted high school students, who already learned graphs of functions and inequalities necessary for design activities, were selected to work in pairs in our experiment. Results indicate that logical thinking and mathematical abstraction, intuitive and structural insights, flexible thinking, divergent thinking and originality, generalization and inductive reasoning emerged in the design activities. Nonetheless, fine-grained analysis of their mathematical activities also implies that teachers for gifted students need to emphasize both geometric and algebraic aspects of mathematical subjects, especially, algebraic expressions, and the tasks for the students are to be rich enough to provide a variety of ways to simplify the expressions.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.507-539
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• 2014

The algebra is an important tool influencing on a mathematics in general. To make good use of the algebra, it is necessary to transfer from a given situation to a proper algebraic representation. But some research in related to algebraic word problems have reported the difficulty changing to a proper algebraic representation. Our study have focused on transformation and elaboration of algebraic representation. We investigated in detail the responses and perceptions of 29 Grade 7 students while transforming to algebraic representation, only concentrating on the literature expression form the problematic situations given. Most of students showed difficulties in transforming both descriptive and geometric problems to algebraic representation. 10% of them responded wrong answers except only a problem. Four of them were interviewed individually to show their thinking and find the factor influencing on a positive elaboration. As results, we could find some characteristics of their thinking including the misconception that regard the problem finding a functional formula because there are the variables x and y in the problematic situation. In addition, we could find the their fixation which student have to set up the equation. Furthermore we could check that making student explain own algebraic representation was able to become the factor influencing on a positive elaboration. From these, we also discussed about several didactical implications.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.359-374
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• 2014

Students' difficulties and errors in relation to mathematical proofs are worth while to say one of the dilemmas in mathematics education. The potential elements of their difficulty are scattered over the process of proving in geometry as well as algebra. This study aims to investigate whether middle school students understand the context of algebraic proof including literal expressions. We applied 24 third-grade middle school students a test item which shows a proof including a literal expression and missing the conclusion. Over the half of them responded wrong answers based on only the literal expression without considering its context. Three of them were interviewed individually to show their thinking. As a result, we could find some characteristics of their thinking including the perspective on proof as checking the validity of algebraic expression and the gap between proving and understanding of proof etc. From these, we also discussed about several didactical implications.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.153-171
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to investigate characteristics of students' problem solving processes based on their mathematical thinking styles and thus to provide implications for teachers regarding how to employ multiple representations. In order to analyze these characteristics, 202 university freshmen were recruited for a paper-and-pencil survey. The participants were divided into four groups on a mathematical-thinking-style basis. There were two students in each group with a total of eight students being interviewed. Results show that mathematical thinking styles are related to defining a mathematical concept, problem solving in relation to representation, and translating between mathematical representations. These results imply methods of utilizing multiple representations in learning and teaching mathematics by embodying Dienes' perceptual variability principle.

• School Mathematics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.23-42
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to describe characteristics of thinking in elementary gifted students' solutions to algebraic tasks. Especially, this paper was focused on the students' strategies to develop generalization while problem solving, the justifications on the generalization and metacognitive thinking emerged in stildents' problem solving process. To find these issues, a case study was conducted. The subjects of this study were four 6th graders in elementary school-they were all receiving education for the gifted in an academy for the gifted attached to a university. Major findings of this study are as follows: First, during the process of the task solving, the students varied in their use of generalization strategies and utilized more than one generalization strategy, and the students also moved from one strategy toward other strategies, trying to reach generalization. In addition, there are some differences of appling the same type of strategy between students. In a case of reaching a generalization, students were asked to justify their generalization. Students' justification types were different in level. However, there were some potential abilities that lead to higher level although students' justification level was in empirical step. Second, the students utilized their various knowledges to solve the challengeable and difficult tasks. Some knowledges helped students, on the contrary some knowledges made students struggled. Specially, metacognitive knowledges of task were noticeably. Metacognitive skills; 'monitoring', 'evaluating', 'control' were emerged at any time. These metacognitive skills played a key role in their task solving process, led to students justify their generalization, made students keep their task solving process by changing and adjusting their strategies.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.153-164
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• 2021

A functional equation is an equation which is satisfied by a function. Some elementary functional equations can be manipulated with elementary algebraic operations and functional composition only. However to solve such functional equations, somewhat critical and creative thinking ability is required, so that it is educationally worth while teaching functional equations. In this paper, we look at the origin of functional equations, and their characteristics and educational meaning and effects. We carefully suggest the use of the functional equations as a material for school mathematics education.