• School Mathematics
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.665-683
• /
• 2009

The purpose of this study is to improve forward mathematics study by analyzing the effects of the teaching and learning process applied situation-based mathematical problem posing activity on problem solving ability and mathematical attitudes. For this purpose, the research questions were established as follows: 1. How the situation-based mathematical problem posing activity(WQA activity) changes the problem solving ability of students? 2. How the situation-based mathematical problem posing activity(WQA activity) changes the mathematical attitudes of students? The results of the study were as follows: (1) There was significant difference between experimental group and comparative group in problem solving ability. This means that situation-based mathematical problem posing activity was generally more effective in improving problem solving ability than general classroom-based instruction. (2) There was not significant difference between experimental group and comparative group in mathematical attitudes. But the experimental group's average scores of mathematical attitudes except mathematical confidence was higher than comparative group's ones. And there was significant difference in the mathematical adaptability. The results obtained in this study suggest that the situation-based mathematical problem posing activity can be used to improve the students' problem solving ability and mathematical attitudes

• The Mathematical Education
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.115-137
• /
• 2004

In this paper, we verified the effect and appropriateness of the scheme to cure the math. disliking disposition which is the cause of underachievement in learning. We choose 3 middle schools as the subject of experiment for this research. Each experiment class consists of 27∼30 students(underachievers) whose final test results of 1st school year in the middle school are 30∼60 points. In this case, we also select some middle level students whose test results are more than 60 points for the normal experimental condition. For this research, we developed the suitable test materials to cure the mathematics disliking disposition of underachievers. We applied those test materials to the experiment schools during 2.5 months and we analysed the variation of disliking disposition, the variation of math. dislike students' number and the cure rate of the math. disliking disposition. From the results of this experimental study, we find that the factors of teacher and math recognition environment have only the significant difference of math. disliking disposition between experiment class and comparison class under the 5% significance level in one middle school. We understand that this results caused by teachers' careful advice and guidance in that middle school. We also find that the number of student who dislike mathematics decreased in two middle schools. Furthermore 50% of math. disliking dispositions are cured for 9 disliking factors in the lower grade group(the group of underachievers) and as a whole, we can see that 50% of cure rate for the 7 factors of math. disliking in two middle schools. So we can understand that the experiment of our research was performed successfully in two middle schools. In this research, we find out that the scheme to cure the disliking dispositions for the factors of math. disliking depends on the factors of teacher who take charge of cure. So teachers must take interest in and must have careful concern to students and their math. disliking.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.731-744
• /
• 2010

Nowadays in school mathematics, the skill and method for solving problems are often emphasized in preference to the theoretical principles of mathematics. Students pay attention to how to make an equation mechanically before even understanding the meaning of the given problem. Furthermore they do not get to really know about the principle or theorem that were used to solve the problem, or the meaning of the answer that they have obtained. In contemporary textbooks the conic section such as circle, ellipse, parabola and hyperbola are introduced as the cross section of a cone. But they do not mention how conic section are connected with the quadratic equation or how these curves are related mutually. Students learn the quadratic equations of the conic sections introduced geometrically and are used to manipulating it algebraically through finding a focal point, vertex, and directrix of the cross section of a cone. But they are not familiar with relating these equations with the cross section of a cone. In this paper, we try to understand the quadratic curves better through the analysis of the discussion made in the process of the discovery and eventual development of the conic section and then seek for way to improve the teaching and learning methods of quadratic curves.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.387-407
• /
• 2014

This study investigeted secondary math teachers' difficulties of technology in geometry class with grounded theory by Strauss and Corbin. 178 secondary math teachers attending the professional development program on technology-based geometry teaching at eight locations in January 2014, participated in this study with informed consents. Data was collected with an open-ended questionnaire survey. In line with grounded theory, open, axial and selective coding were applied to data analysis. According to the results of this study, teachers were found to experience resistance in using technology due to new learning and changes, with knowledge and awareness of technology effectively interacting to lessen such resistance. In using technology, teachers were found to go through the 'access-resistance-unaccepted use-acceptance' stages. Teachers having difficulties in using technology included the following four types: 'inaccessible, denial of acceptance, discontinuation of use, and acceptance 'These findings suggest novel perspectives towards teachers having difficulties in using technology, providing implications for teachers' professional development.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.389-406
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study is to analyze eighth grade students' errors in the constructed-response items to improve teaching and learning of mathematics in schools. By analyzing 99 students' responses to nine constructed-response items, we found several types of students' errors in their responses to the assessment items involving with mathematical reasoning and representations, problems within realistic contexts, and mathematical connections. Not only a single error but also multiple errors (a combination of two or more types of errors) were discovered. In particular, high achieving students showed more simple errors than multiple errors while low achieving students had more multiple errors in various kinds.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.109-120
• /
• 2008

Today linear algebra is one of compulsory courses for university mathematics by virtue of its theoretical fundamentals and fruitful applications. However, a mechanical computation-oriented instruction or a formal concept-oriented instruction is difficult and dull for most students. In this context, how to teach mathematical concepts successfully is a very serious problem. As a solution for this problem, we suggest establishing original concepts in linear algebra from the students' point of view. Any original concept means not only a practical beginning for the historical order and theoretical system but also plays a role of seed which can build most of all the important concepts. Indeed, linear algebra has exactly two original concepts : geometry of planes, spaces and linear equations. The former was investigated in [2], the latter in the present paper.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.223-237
• /
• 2019

There is a close interaction between the linguistic-syntactic representation system and the affective representation system that appear in the mathematical process. On the other hand, since the mathematical conceptual system is fundamentally metaphoric, the analysis of the mathematical concept structure through linguistic representation can help to identify the source of cognitive and affective obstacles that interfere with mathematics learning. In this study, we analyzed the problem-solving protocols of mathematical gifted children from the perspective of cognitive language and meta-affect to identify the relationship between the functional characteristics of the text and metaphor they use and the functional characteristics of meta-affect. As a result, the behavior of the cognitive and affective characteristics of mathematically gifted children differed according to the success of problem solving. In the case of unsuccessful problem-solving, the use of metaphor as an internal representation system was relatively more frequent than in the successful case. In addition, while the cognitive linguistic aspects of metaphors play an important role in problem-solving, meta-affective attributes are closely related to the external representation of metaphors.

• The Mathematical Education
• /
• v.58 no.3
• /
• pp.383-401
• /
• 2019

This study started with the idea that it is necessary to focus on common concepts and ideas among the subjects when conducting integrated education in high school. This is a preliminary study for developing materials that can be taught in mathematics in the context of already learning scientific concepts in high school. For this purpose, Mendel 's law of genetics was studied among the contents of biological subjects which are known to have relatively little connection with mathematics. The more common links between the two subjects are, the better, in order to integrate math and other subjects and develop materials for teaching. Therefore, in this study, we investigated not only the probability domain but also the concept of statistical domain. We have been wondering if there is a more abundant idea to connect between 'Mendel's law' and 'probability and statistics'. Through these anxieties, we could find that concepts such as 'likely equality' and 'permutation and combination' including 'a large number of laws' can be a link between two subjects. Based on this, we were able to develop class materials that correspond to classes. This study is expected to help with research related to development of integrated education support materials, focusing on mathematics.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.161-181
• /
• 2018

This study involved an investigation of prospective elementary teachers' preconceptions and experiences of diagrams and their ability to draw diagrams in solving math word problems. A questionnaire and two math word problems were administered to prospective elementary teachers who began to taking an introductory mathematics education course. The results from the analysis of their responses to the questionnaire items indicate that prospective elementary teachers appreciate the value of diagrams as tools for problem solving and communication. In addition, prospective elementary teachers have the will not only to teach their future students how to use diagrams but also to encourage them to draw diagrams in solving math word problems. However, the results also indicates that prospective elementary teachers neither use diagrams spontaneously in their math problem solving activities nor have confidence in drawing useful diagrams. Prospective elementary teachers also manifested low scores on the questionnaire items asking whether they were taught how to draw useful diagrams or encouraged by their teachers to use diagrams in their previous learning experiences. The results from the analysis of the diagrams that prospective elementary teachers drew in solving math word problems showed that most of them had difficulty drawing diagrams that represent their reasoning and solving process.

• The Mathematical Education
• /
• v.58 no.2
• /
• pp.319-335
• /
• 2019

In this paper, we examine the effectiveness of calculation according to automation, which is one of Computational Thinking, by coding the conceptual process into Python language, focusing on the concept of divisibility in elementary school textbooks. The educational implications of these considerations are as follows. First, it is possible to make a field of learning that can revise the new mathematical concept through the opportunity to reinterpret the Conceptual Thinking learned in school mathematics from the perspective of Computational Thinking. Second, from the analysis of college students, it can be seen that many students do not have mathematical concepts in terms of efficiency of computation related to the divisibility. This phenomenon is a characteristic of the mathematics curriculum that emphasizes concepts. Therefore, it is necessary to study new mathematical concepts when considering the aspect of utilization. Third, all algorithms related to the concept of divisibility covered in elementary mathematics textbooks can be found to contain the notion of iteration in terms of automation, but little recursive activity can be found. Considering that recursive thinking is frequently used with repetitive thinking in terms of automation (in Computational Thinking), it is necessary to consider low level recursive activities at elementary school. Finally, it is necessary to think about mathematical Conceptual Thinking from the point of view of Computational Thinking, and conversely, to extract mathematical concepts from computer science's Computational Thinking.