• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.163-192
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• 2009

Currently, our country operates gifted education only as a special curriculum, which results in many problems, e.g., there are few beneficiaries of gifted education, considerable time and effort are required to gifted students, and gifted students' educational needs are ignored during the operation of regular curriculum. In order to solve these problems, the present study formulates the following research questions, finding it advisable to conduct gifted education in elementary regular classrooms within the scope of the regular curriculum. A. To devise a teaching plan for the gifted students on mathematics in the elementary school regular classroom. B. To develop a learning program for the gifted students in the elementary school regular classroom. C. To apply an in-depth learning program to gifted students in mathematics and analyze the effectiveness of the program. In order to answer these questions, a teaching plan was provided for the gifted students in mathematics using a differentiating instruction type. This type was developed by researching literature reviews. Primarily, those on characteristics of gifted students in mathematics and teaching-learning models for gifted education. In order to instruct the gifted students on mathematics in the regular classrooms, an in-depth learning program was developed. The gifted students were selected through teachers' recommendation and an advanced placement test. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the gifted education in mathematics and the possibility of the differentiating teaching type in the regular classrooms were determined. The analysis was applied through an in-depth learning program of selected gifted students in mathematics. To this end, an in-depth learning program developed in the present study was applied to 6 gifted students in mathematics in one first grade class of D Elementary School located in Nowon-gu, Seoul through a 10-period instruction. Thereafter, learning outputs, math diaries, teacher's checklist, interviews, video tape recordings the instruction were collected and analyzed. Based on instruction research and data analysis stated above, the following results were obtained. First, it was possible to implement the gifted education in mathematics using a differentiating instruction type in the regular classrooms, without incurring any significant difficulty to the teachers, the gifted students, and the non-gifted students. Specifically, this instruction was effective for the gifted students in mathematics. Since the gifted students have self-directed learning capability, the teacher can teach lessons to the gifted students individually or in a group, while teaching lessons to the non-gifted students. The teacher can take time to check the learning state of the gifted students and advise them, while the non-gifted students are solving their problems. Second, an in-depth learning program connected with the regular curriculum, was developed for the gifted students, and greatly effective to their development of mathematical thinking skills and creativity. The in-depth learning program held the interest of the gifted students and stimulated their mathematical thinking. It led to the creative learning results, and positively changed their attitude toward mathematics. Third, the gifted students with the most favorable results who took both teacher's recommendation and advanced placement test were more self-directed capable and task committed. They also showed favorable results of the in-depth learning program. Based on the foregoing study results, the conclusions are as follows: First, gifted education using a differentiating instruction type can be conducted for gifted students on mathematics in the elementary regular classrooms. This type of instruction conforms to the characteristics of the gifted students in mathematics and is greatly effective. Since the gifted students in mathematics have self-directed learning capabilities and task-commitment, their mathematical thinking skills and creativity were enhanced during individual exploration and learning through an in-depth learning program in a differentiating instruction. Second, when a differentiating instruction type is implemented, beneficiaries of gifted education will be enhanced. Gifted students and their parents' satisfaction with what their children are learning at school will increase. Teachers will have a better understanding of gifted education. Third, an in-depth learning program for gifted students on mathematics in the regular classrooms, should conform with an instructing and learning model for gifted education. This program should include various and creative contents by deepening the regular curriculum. Fourth, if an in-depth learning program is applied to the gifted students on mathematics in the regular classrooms, it can enhance their gifted abilities, change their attitude toward mathematics positively, and increase their creativity.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.349-368
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the small-group instruction of mathematics in elementary schools. For this, a sample of 742 teachers of elementary schools completed the survey. As a result, about 27.8% of the teachers reported using small group instruction while they worked with one group or they assigned to other groups worked alone. Only 2% of the teachers reported using small group in which students were encouraged to participated cooperatively. This study discusses the five issues about small group instruction in elementary school. The five issues were investigated in this survey. First, major teaching method in mathematics classroom and using of small group instruction were described. Second, frequency and period of small-group instruction were reported. Third, grouping method in small-group instruction was described. And Fourth, effect grouping practices of small-group instruction were described. Fifth, the model of small group instruction and assessment in small-group instruction were reported.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.259-281
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• 2016

Teaching practicum plays a significant role in teacher education program because it provides pre-service teachers with an opportunity to apply what they have learned to the actual teaching contexts. As such, it needs to be conducted in terms of close collaboration between university and school. Given that, in a mathematics methods course the prospective teachers in this study had an opportunity to discuss mathematics lessons they had implemented during their teaching practicum. This paper analyzed in what ways prospective teachers' comments on elementary mathematics instruction were changed through this experience. The results of this study showed that in late comment the teachers tended to focus more on mathematical discourse, consider not only the teacher of the lesson but also students, and suggest alternative approaches on the classroom events they had noticed. It is noticeable that the results analyzed by researchers were consistent with prospective teachers' self-assessment. Building on these results, this paper provides implications of teacher preparation programs to enhance prospective teachers' ability to analyze elementary mathematics lessons.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.45 no.3 s.114
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• pp.345-365
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• 2006

This study, to effectively teach the concepts, principles and problem solving ability of the 2nd graders' learning of numbers and operations, offers realistic problem situation and focuses on the learning based on 'mathematization', one of the most important principles of RME (Realistic Mathematics Education) which is the mathematics education trend of Netherlands influenced by Freudenthal's theory. The instruction is applied to forty-one students of the 2nd grader for six weeks in twelve series in an elementary school, located in Seoul. To investigate the effects of the mathematising experience instruction for improving mathematical abilities, the group takes tests before and after the instruction. Also the qualitative analysis on the students' mathematising aspects through students' output at the instruction process is taken into account to evaluate the instruction's effects. The result shows that the mathematising experience instruction for improving mathematical abilities is proved to improve students' understanding of mathematical concepts and principles and their problem solving ability in learning numbers and operations after carrying out this instruction. Also the result indicates that students' mathematising aspects are mostly horizontal and vertical mathematization.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.463-485
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• 2011

This study was to investigate the effects of mathematical history-based mathematics teaching on mathematical communication and attitudes of elementary students, through selecting mathematical history content to apply to elementary mathematics and devising an instruction model to use effectively. For this purpose, while the experimental group received instruction using mathematical history and the comparative group lecture-based instruction using the common textbook, both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to analyze gathered data. To conclusion, first, instructions using mathematical history were helpful for increasing the student's participation in communication, and secondly helped the students justify their opinions to others with mathematical logic.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.487-507
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• 2011

Despite the recent increased attention to mathematics teacher education there have been lack of empirical studies on how to teach teachers. A study of mathematics instruction for prospective teachers can be conducted either by a teacher educator's critical reflection on her teaching or by observation of others' teaching practices. This paper was from the author's observation of a mathematics instruction course for future elementary teachers at the University of California at Irvine. As such this paper described in detail how the course was implemented throughout the quarter and drew implications for a teacher preparation program in Korea. As the course had a specific purpose of promoting future teachers' expertise in mathematics instruction and employed various strategies that were different from a typical university course, this paper is expected to provide teacher educators with the insight of an alternative teaching style and to provoke discussion of how to connect theory to practice for effective teacher education.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.201-225
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• 2022

This paper details case study vignettes that focus on enhancing the teaching and learning of geometry and measurement in the elementary grades with attention to pedagogical practices for teaching through problem solving with rigor and centering equitable teaching practices. Rigor is a matter of equity and opportunity (Dana Center, 2019). Rigor matters for each and every student and yet research indicates historically disadvantaged and underserved groups have more of an opportunity gap when it comes to rigorous mathematics instruction (NCTM, 2020). Along with providing a conceptual framework that focuses on the importance of equitable instruction, our study unpacks ways teachers can leverage their deep understanding of geometry and measurement learning trajectories to amplify the mathematics through rigorous problems using multiple approaches including learning by doing, challenged-based and mathematical modeling instruction. Through these vignettes, we provide examples of tasks taught through rigorous problem solving approaches that support conceptual teaching and learning of geometry and measurement. Specifically, each of the three vignettes presented includes a task that was implemented in an elementary classroom and a vertically articulated task that engaged teachers in a professional learning workshop. By beginning with elementary tasks to more sophisticated concepts in higher grades, we demonstrate how vertically articulating a deeper understanding of the learning trajectory in geometric thinking can add to the rigor of the mathematics.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.523-545
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• 2010

Mathematical communication has been emphasized not only as the process of learning mathematics but also as the objective of mathematics education. However, little studies have been conducted with regard to what to consider and how to implement in the actual classroom for promoting mathematical communication. Given this background, this paper implemented a mathematics instruction in each of 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade classrooms in which specific learning objectives were considered to promote discourse-based mathematical communication. It then analyzed the degree by which such learning objectives were achieved and the linguistic interactions between the teacher and students in each classroom. This paper finally provided issues and suggestions for effective discourse-based instruction in mathematics classroom by analyzing similarities and differences among the three classrooms.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.493-504
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• 2014

Some problems of elementary mathematics textbook applying storytelling continue to be suggested since implementing it in mathematics instruction. The paper looks into concrete problems. First problem is the lack of mathematics education experts studying storytelling in the field. Second problem is that a variety of materials including storytelling need to be used in the process of developing instruction materials. Third problem is that storytelling needs to include integration of various mathematical knowledge. Fourth problem is that it is needed to develop making storytelling focused on mathematical concepts. Fifth problem is that there is no appropriate lessen plan necessary for instruction applying storytelling. Sixth problem is that storytelling inducts intrinsic motivation as well as extrinsic motivation. Final problem is the sources of story need to be diverse. It is expected that storytelling reflecting those aspects is developed.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.399-424
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• 2014

Although teacher preparation programs are important for prospective teachers to build a foundation of teaching expertise, there has been lack of research in this area. This paper analyzed in what ways prospective teachers' ability in describing and commenting on elementary mathematics instruction has been changed while they were taking in the course of teaching elementary school mathematics. The results of this study showed that in late description the teachers tended to notice the core flow of a lesson and the use of instructional strategies appropriate to the mathematical content to be taught. They also tended to comment on instructional strategies and mathematical discourse from the teacher's perspective and evaluated them without alternative approaches. A noticeable change occurred in late comments wherein prospective teachers considered both the teacher and students, supported their comments by theories they had learned through the course, and interpreted the classroom events they had noticed. Building on these results, this paper closes with implications of teacher education programs to enhance prospective teachers' ability to analyze elementary mathematics lessons.