• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.261-282
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• 2019

The research related to testing pupils' achievement in the field of Measurement and Measure in initial teaching of geometry points to an insufficient adoption of the basic components of the length measurement concept among pupils. In order to discover the cause, we looked at the basic components on which the procedure of measuring length using a ruler is based, highlighted the possibilities of introducing the procedure in measuring length, and determined pupils' achievement during the procedure of measuring length using a ruler. The research sample consisted of 145 pupils, out of which 72 were the 2^nd grade pupils and 73 were the 4^th grade pupils. A descriptive method was applied in the research. The technique we used was testing, and for the statistical data processing we used a χ² test. The results of the research show that, when drawing a straight line of a given length using a ruler, there is no statistical difference in achievement between the 2^nd and 4^th grade pupils, nor in the pupils' knowledge regarding drawing a ruler independently, while drawing a straight line of a given length using a "broken" ruler 4^th grade pupils are statistically better. The results of the research indicate that pupils' achievement is better in doing standard tasks than in non-standard ones, given that the latter require conceptual knowledge. The components of the concept of length measurement using ruler have not been sufficiently developed yet, and these include: zero-point, partitioning a measured object in a series of consecutive measurement units and their iteration. We shed more light on the critical stage in the procedure of length measurement - the transition from non-standard to standard units and the formation of the length measurement scale. For further research, we propose to look at the formation of the concept of length measurement using the ruler through all its components and their inclusion in the mathematics curriculum, as well as examining the correlation of pupils' achievement in the procedure of measuring length with their achievement in measuring area (and volume).

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.417-428
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• 2004

Conservation reasoning makes operational thought possible as a functional tool and it is the essential concept not only in the area of science and mathematics but also in several aspects of daily life. The abilities to solve mathematical problems and that of scientific reasoning and abstract way of thinking depend on whether thereis conservation reasoning or not and they are critical concepts that enables us to confirm the steps of cognitive development. Therefor in the study, we emphasized the issue that is the ways to speed up the scientific era by analyzing the correlation between the formation of conservation reasoning and neuro-cognitive variables. About 50% of 1-3 grade students did not had conservation reasoning skills. The formation of conservations was not linear. Scientific reasoning ability, planing and inhibiting ability were significantly different in levels of conservation, And, conservation reasonings were significantly correlated with cognitive variables. Scientific reasoning and planning ability significantly explained about 20% of the conservation reasoning ability of 1-3 grades.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.358-375
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• 2015

The purposes of this study were to investigate the value, necessity and legitimacy of STEAM Education and to propose practical approaching methods for STEAM Education to be applicable in Korea through a variety of literature review, case studies and collecting suggestions from domestic and international educational experts. The research questions are as follows: (1) To investigate the perception, understanding and recognitions of domestic and foreign professionals in STEAM education. (2) To analyze policy implications for an improvement in STEAM. The following aspects of STEAM were found to be challenges in our current STEAM policy after analyzing multiple questionnaires with the professionals and case studies including their experiences, understanding, supports and directions of the policy from the governments. The results indicate that (1) there was a lack of precise and conceptual understanding of STEAM in respect to experience. Training sessions for teachers in this field to help transform their perception is necessary. Development of practical programs with an easy access is also required. It is important to get the aims of related educational activities recognized by the professionals and established standards for an evaluation. The experts perceived that a theme-based learning is the most preferred and effective approaching method and the programs that develop creative thinking and learning applicable to practice are required to promote. (2) The results indicate that there was a lack of programs and inducements for supporting outstanding STEAM educators. It is shown that making an appropriate environment for STEAM education takes the first priority before training numbers of teachers unilaterally, thus securing enough budget seems critical. The professionals also emphasize on developing specialized teaching materials that include diverse inter-related subjects such as science technology, engineering, arts and humanities and social science with diverse viewpoints and advanced technology. This work requires a STEAM network for teachers to link up and share their materials, documents and experiences. It is necessary to get corporations, universities, and research centers participated in the network. (3) With respect to direction, it is necessary to propose policy that makes STEAM education ordinary and more practical in the present education system. The professionals have recommended training sessions that help develop creative thinking and amalgamative problem-solving techniques. They require reducing the workload of teachers and changing teachers' perspectives towards STEAM. They further urge a tight cooperation between departments of the government related with STEAM.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.327-344
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• 2011

This study is the first step for us toward improving high school students' capability of statistical inferences, such as obtaining and interpreting the confidence interval on the population mean that is currently learned in high school. We suggest 5 underlying concepts of 'discretion of contingency and inevitability', 'discretion of induction and deduction', 'likelihood principle', 'variability of a statistic' and 'statistical model', those are necessary to appreciate statistical inferences as a reliable arguing tools in spite of its occasional erroneous conclusions. We assume those 5 concepts above are to be gradually developing in their school periods and Korean mathematics textbooks of grades 1-12 were analyzed. Followings were found. For the right choice of solving methodology of the given problem, no elementary textbook but a few high school textbooks describe its difference between the contingent circumstance and the inevitable one. Formal definitions of population and sample are not introduced until high school grades, so that the developments of critical thoughts on the reliability of inductive reasoning could not be observed. On the contrary of it, strong emphasis lies on the calculation stuff of the sample data without any inference on the population prospective based upon the sample. Instead of the representative properties of a random sample, more emphasis lies on how to get a random sample. As a result of it, the fact that 'the random variability of the value of a statistic which is calculated from the sample ought to be inherited from the randomness of the sample' could neither be noticed nor be explained as well. No comparative descriptions on the statistical inferences against the mathematical(deductive) reasoning were found. Few explanations on the likelihood principle and its probabilistic applications in accordance with students' cognitive developmental growth were found. It was hard to find the explanation of a random variability of statistics and on the existence of its sampling distribution. It is worthwhile to explain it because, nevertheless obtaining the sampling distribution of a particular statistic, like a sample mean, is a very difficult job, mere noticing its existence may cause a drastic change of understanding in a statistical inference.