• School Mathematics
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.423-446
• /
• 2011

In school mathematics, concepts of definite integral and integration by substitution have mathematical connection with introduction of probability density function, expectation of continuous random variable, and standardization of normal distribution. However, we have difficulty in finding mathematical connection between integration and continuous probability distribution in the curriculum manual, 13 kinds of 'Basic Calculus and Statistics' and 10 kinds of 'Integration and Statistics' authorized textbooks, and activity books applied to the revised curriculum. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to provide a teaching method connected with mathematical concepts of integral in regard to three concepts in continuous probability distribution chapter-introduction of probability density function, expectation of continuous random variable, and standardization of normal distribution. To find mathematical connection between these three concepts and integral, we analyze a survey of student, the revised curriculum manual, authorized textbooks, and activity books as well as 13 domestic and 22 international statistics (or probability) books. Developed teaching method was applied to actual classes after discussion with a professional group. Through these steps, we propose the result by making suggestions to revise curriculum or change the contents of textbook.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.651-662
• /
• 1998

Mathematics is means for making sense of one's experiential world and products of human activities. A usefulness of mathematics is derived from this features of mathematics. Keeping the meaning of situations during the mathematizing of situations. However, theories about the development of mathematical concepts have turned mainly to an understanding of invariants. The purpose of this study is to show the possibility of computer in representing situation and phenomena. First, we consider situated cognition theory for looking for the relation between various representation and situation in problem. The mathematical concepts or model involves situations, invariants, representations. Thus, we should involve the meaning of situations and translations among various representations in the process of mathematization. Second, we show how the process of computational mathematization can serve as window on relating situations and representations, among various representations. When using computer software such as ALGEBRA ANIMATION in mathematics classrooms, we identified two benifits First, computer software can reduce the cognitive burden for understanding the translation among various mathematical representations. Further, computer softwares is able to connect mathematical representations and concepts to directly situations or phenomena. We propose the case study for the effect of computer software on practical mathematics classrooms.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.41-54
• /
• 2002

The purpose of this study is to find out what mathematical situation means, how to pose a meaningful situation and how situation-centered teaching could be done. The obtained informations will help learners to improve their math abilities. A survey was done to investigate teachers' perception on teaching-learning in mathematics by elementary teachers. The result showed that students had to find solutions of the textbook problems accurately in the math classes, calculated many problems for the class time and disliked mathematics. We define mathematical situation. It is artificially scene that emphasize the process of learners doing mathematizing from physical world to identical world. When teacher poses and expresses mathematical situation, learners know mathematical concepts through the process of mathematizing in the mathematical situation. Mathematical situation contains many concepts and happens in real life. Learners act with real things or models in the mathematical situation. Mathematical situation can be posed by 5 steps(learners' environment investigation step, mathematical knowledge investigation step, mathematical situation development step, adaption step and reflection step). Situation-centered teaching enhances mathematical connections, arises learners' interest and develops the ability of doing mathematics. Therefore teachers have to reform textbook based on connections of mathematics, other subject and real life, math curriculum, learners' level, learners' experience, learners' interest and so on.

• Research in Mathematical Education
• /
• v.9 no.3 s.23
• /
• pp.285-294
• /
• 2005

The author has been teaching with an instructional module consisting of many mathematical concepts, based on designs formed by personal names or words to arouse students' interesting in learning mathematics. This module has been growing since it was first used as a supplementary lesson for calculus students. Now it consists of concepts that connect with mathematical topics such as number sense, algebraic thinking, geometry, and statistical reasoning, as well as other subjects such as art and quilt design. With its content we can provide our students the basic mathematical knowledge needed for further study in their own fields. In this article, we will demonstrate the latest development of this instructional module, which makes connections between mathematical knowledge and the design of personal quilt patterns. We will exhibit a 'Quilt of Nations' which consists of the designed quilt blocks of different countries, such as USA, Japan, Taiwan, Korea and others, as well as a quilt design using the abbreviation of this seminar. Then we will talk about how the connections are built, and how to design these mathematically rich, uniquely created, beautifully designed, and personalized quilt block patterns.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
• /
• v.10 no.1 s.19
• /
• pp.29-39
• /
• 2007

This paper is to give a brief introduction to a new discipline called 'conceptual metaphor' and 'mathematical metaphor(Lakoff & Nunez, 2000) from the viewpoint of mathematics education and to analyze the metaphors at 4th graders' mathematics classroom as a case of conceptual metaphors. First, contemporary conception on metaphors is reviewed. Second, it is discussed on the effects and defaults of metaphors in teaching and learning mathematics. Finally, as a case study of mathematical metaphors, conceptual metaphors on the concepts of triangles at 4th graders' mathematics classrooms are analyzed. Students may reason metaphorically to understand mathematical concepts. Conceptual metaphor makes mathematics enormously rich, but it also brings confusion and paradox. Digging out the metaphors may lighten both our spontaneous everyday conceptions and scientific theorizing(Sfard, 1998). Studies of metaphors give us the power of understanding the culture of mathematics classroom and also generate it.

• Research in Mathematical Education
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.215-233
• /
• 2008

Deep comprehension of basic mathematical notions and concepts is a basic condition of a successful teaching. Some elements of algebraic thinking belong to the elementary school mathematics. The question "What stays the same and what changes?" link arithmetic problems with algebraic conception of variable. We have studied beliefs and comprehensions of future elementary school mathematics teachers on early algebra. Pre-service teachers from three academic pedagogical colleges deal with mathematical problems from the pre-algebra point of view, with the emphasis on changes and invariants. The idea is that the intensive use of non-formal algebra may help learners to construct a better understanding of fundamental ideas of arithmetic on the strong basis of algebraic thinking. In this article the study concerning arithmetic series is described. Considerable number of pre-service teachers moved from formulas to deep comprehension of the subject. Additionally, there are indications of ability to apply the conception of change and invariance in other mathematical and didactical contexts.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.293-303
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this study is to classify a three-fold role of the history of mathematics through epistemological analysis. Based on the history of infinity and limit, the "potential infinity" and "actual infinity" discourses are described using four different historical epistemologies. The interdependence between the mathematical concepts is also addressed. By using these analyses, three different uses of the history of mathematical concepts, infinity and limit, are discussed: past, present, and future use.

• School Mathematics
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.469-493
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this study is find the relation between students' concept and types of proof construction. For this, four undergraduate students majored in mathematics education were evaluated to examine how they understand mathematical concepts and apply their concepts to their proving. Investigating students' proof with their concepts would be important to find implications for how students have to understand formal concepts to success in proving. The participants' proof productions were classified into syntactic proof productions and semantic proof productions. By comparing syntactic provers and semantic provers, we could reveal that the approaches to find idea for proof were different for two groups. The syntactic provers utilized procedural knowledges which had been accumulated from their proving experiences. On the other hand, the semantic provers made use of their concept images to understand why the given statements were true and to get a key idea for proof during this process. The distinctions of approaches to proving between two groups were related to students' concepts. Both two types of provers had accurate formal concepts. But the syntactic provers also knew how they applied formal concepts in proving. On the other hand, the semantic provers had concept images which contained the details and meaning of formal concept well. So they were able to use their concept images to get an idea of proving and to express their idea in formal mathematical language. This study leads us to two suggestions for helping students prove. First, undergraduate students should develop their concept images which contain meanings and details of formal concepts in order to produce a meaningful proof. Second, formal concepts with procedural knowledge could be essential to develop informal reasoning into mathematical proof.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.527-540
• /
• 2007

It takes much of times and efforts for mathematical knowledge to be regarded as truth. Mathematical knowledge has been added, and modified, and even proved to be false. Mathematical knowledge consists of mathematical languages, statements, reasonings, questions, metamathematical views. These elements have been changed constantly by investigations and refutations of mathematicians, by modification of proofs considering the refutations, by introduction of new concepts, by additions of questions about new concepts, by efforts to get answers to new questions, by attempts to apply previous studies to the present, constantly. This study introduces the change of mathematical knowledge instituted by filcher, and presents examples of the change.

• East Asian mathematical journal
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.463-496
• /
• 2022

The purpose of this study is to analyze the mathematical creativity and computational thinking of mathematically gifted elementary students through a convergence class using programming and to identify what it means to provide the convergence class using Python for the mathematical creativity and computational thinking of mathematically gifted elementary students. To this end, the content of the nine sessions of the Python-applied convergence programs were developed, exploratory and heuristic case study was conducted to observe and analyze the mathematical creativity and computational thinking of mathematically gifted elementary students. The subject of this study was a single group of sixteen students from the mathematics and science gifted class, and the content of the nine sessions of the Python convergence class was recorded on their tablets. Additional data was collected through audio recording, observation. In fact, in order to solve a given problem creatively, students not only naturally organized and formalized existing mathematical concepts, mathematical symbols, and programming instructions, but also showed divergent thinking to solve problems flexibly from various perspectives. In addition, students experienced abstraction, iterative thinking, and critical thinking through activities to remove unnecessary elements, extract key elements, analyze mathematical concepts, and decompose problems into small components, and math gifted students showed a sense of achievement and challenge.