• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.359-374
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• 2020

This study is a complex type consisting of survey study and self-study. The former investigated elementary teachers' epistemological beliefs on convergence knowledge and teaching. As a representative of the result of survey study I, as a teacher as well as a researcher, was the participant of the self-study, which investigated my epistemological belief on convergence knowledge and teaching and my execution of convergent science teaching based on family resemblance of mathematics, science, and physical education. A set of open-ended written questionnaires was administered to 28 elementary teachers. Participating teachers considered convergent teaching as discipline-using or multi-disciplinary teaching. They also have epistemological beliefs in which they conceived convergence knowledge as aggregation of diverse disciplinary knowledge and students could get it through their own problem solving processes. As a teacher and researcher I have similar epistemological belief as the other teachers. During the self-study, I tried to apply convergence knowledge system based on the family resemblance analysis among math, science, and PE to my teaching. Inter-disciplinary approach to convergence teaching was not easy for me to conduct. Mathematical units, ratio and rate were linked to science concept of velocity so that it was effective to converge two disciplines. Moreover PE offered specific context where the concepts of math and science were connected convergently so that PE facilitated inter-disciplinary convergent teaching. The gaps between my epistemological belief and inter-disciplinary convergence knowledge based on family resemblance and the cases of how to bridge the gap by my experience were discussed.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.553-571
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• 2015

Mathematical, verbal, and spatial abilities are known as three important indicators for the success in the STEM disciplines. In this study, Purdue Spatial Visualization Test-Rotation, College Entrance Scholastic Aptitude Test- Math and Verbal score of engineering freshmen students have been used to find the relationships among these areas. In addition, gender differences in spatial visualization, verbal achievement and mathematical achievement have been investigated, too. In this research, I found that gender difference was highest in spatial visualization ability, followed by verbal achievement and smallest in mathematical achievement. Substantial number of male students possess high level of spatial abilities, but only half of female students were at the same level where their male colleagues were. The correlation between spatial ability and mathematical ability was negligible, contrary to former researches on elementary and middle school students. But the correlation was stronger for female students than male students. The correlation between mathematical achievement and verbal achievement was negative. It reflects the fact that when one section of SAT score is low, score of other sections should be higher to get admitted to college. Gender difference in mathematics was smallest for high achieving spatial ability group. For low spatial ability group gender difference in mathematics achievement has been observed, too. To find the combined contribution of spatial and verbal abilities to mathematics achievement, students were divided into 4 ability groups. Mathematics achievement decreased in the order of (1) high spatial -low verbal group, (2) low spatial - low verbal group, (3) high spatial - high verbal group, (4) low spatial - high verbal group.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.563-585
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• 2010

The major goals of this study are to find the factors that enhance self-directed math learning in college math classes and to provide the students with the opportunities to check and develop their self-directed math learning attitude. For these research goals, we prepared the questionnaires that asked about their learning motivations, basic learning ability, self-discipline strategies, and self-directed learning strategies. Another purpose of the questionnaires was to give them the chances to check and improve their attitude toward those learning strategies, motivation and ability. From the research results, we find that the important factors for self-directed learning are internal & external motivations, concentration ability, and the goal-setting and plan-making abilities. In addition, concentration ability, good habit, stress-control, recognition of math value, and self-directing ability are found to be necessary for the desirable learning environment. On the other hand, we find that the ability to perform note-taking, class preparation and review, time-control, and test-control is required for the selection and practice of self-fitting learning strategies. Finally, we provided our own self-directed math learning model. Our model, containing the necessary factors for self-directed math learning, is the revised and modified one of Knowles(1975)'s 5 stage self-directed learning model that comprises diagnosis of learning desire, setting learning goals, grasping human&material resources, selection and practice of proper learning strategies, and evaluation of learning results.