• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.9 no.3 s.23
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• pp.203-231
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• 2005

Students in East Asia have consistently out-performed their counterparts in the West in recent international studies of mathematics achievement. But some studies also show that East Asian students are more rigid in thought, and lack originality and creativity. While different theories have been proposed to account for these student performances, relatively few research studies have been done on classroom practices, potentially a major variable for explaining student performances. This paper will report on the results of two classroom studies: the TIMSS 1999 Video Study and the Learners' Perspective Study (LPS). Results the quantitative analysis of the TlMSS 1999 Video Study data show that the East Asian classrooms were dominated by teacher talk, and the mathematics content learned was abstract and unrelated to the real life. On the other hand, the characteristics of the instructional practices in Hong Kong as judged by an expert panel are that student learned relatively advanced mathematics content; the components of the lessons were more coherent, and the presentation of the lessons was more fully developed. Hong Kong students seemed to be more engaged in the mathematics lessons, and the. overall quality of the lessons was judged to be high. Results of the analysis of the LPS data also show that the classrooms in the East Asian city of Seoul were in general teacher dominated, but students were usually actively engaged in the mathematics learning. Emphasis on exploration of mathematics and practicing exercises with variation was common. It is argued that the quality teaching in the East Asian classrooms laid a firm foundation in mathematics for students, and that constitutes a necessary condition for the development of students' creativity. In order to fully develop the creativity of East Asian students, they need to be given the right environment and encouragement.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.897-916
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• 2014

In this study, we presented a teaching-learning method that can apply process-focused assessment for mathematical creativity of problem solving process of the gifted student, By necessity of appropriate teaching-learning program development to the level and ability of students who belong to high school gifted classes and courses evaluation for students who participated in education programs for the gifted. In the construction implementation process of students utilizing a kind of teaching-learning software, GeoGebra. We analyzed process of a variety of creative constructing figures using interfaces of GeoGebra and algebraic calculation. Utilizing 'Construction Protocol' and 'Navigation Bar' of GeoGebra, We identified computer languages, construction order, run times used in construction process of individual student and found mathematical creativity of students in the process. Comparing this result with prerequisite learning degree of individual student, We verified that this teaching-learning method can apply at the high school gifted classes as well as institutes for the gifted education in the city office.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.163-177
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• 2006

A new teaching-learning method is needed to improve creative problem-solving ability of the gifted students at mathematics. In response to this demand, I applied mentor-project studying to the mathematically gifted class students of Chungnam Science High School. The purpose of this monograph is to analyze in what situations they demonstrated mathematical creativity and whether the interactions among the gifted in the process of studying were of great help toward improving creativity. The effectiveness of mentor-project studying was especially verified by the analysis of creative problem-solving test results.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.44 no.1 s.108
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• pp.87-101
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• 2005

The purpose of this paper is to propose a teaching method which is focused on the mathematical thinking skills such as the use of induction, counter example, analogy, and so on mathematicians use when they explore their research fields. Many have indicated that students have learned mathematics exploring to use very different methods mathematicians have done and suggested students explore as they do. In the first part of the paper, the plausible whole processes from the beginning time they get a rough idea to a refined mathematical truth. In the second part, an example with Euler characteristic of 1. In the third, explaining the same processes with ${\pi}$, a model modified from the processes is designed. It is hoped that the suggested model, focused on a variety of mathematical thinking, helps students learn mathematics with understanding and with the association of exploring entertainment.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1989

This study compared the effects of open and directed teaching styles on creativity and mathematical achievement. The subjects were 32 three- and four-year-old children enrolled in the Home Economics Laboratory Nursery School at the University of Arkansas during the fall semester of 1987. In this study, the open teaching style was a child-oriented method of teaching with the help or guidance rather than the actual instruction of teacher, while the directed teaching style was a teacher-oriented method of teaching with actual instruction of the teacher. Forty-eight activities and materials relevant to mathematical concepts appropriately designed for the subjects were used. The nursery school children were divided into morning and afternoon groups. Utilizing a Latin square design, the children in the morning group were taught by the directed teaching style for four weeks followed by a three week period of no planned mathematical activities, then taught by the open teaching style for four weeks. The children in the afternoon group followed the same schedule except the open teaching style was first. At the end of the two four-week sessions of mathematics experiences Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement and selected items of Tests of Basic Experiences 2: Mathematics were administered. The scores of each of the two tests were analyzed using a t-test of dependent measures for the two teaching styles, the sex, and the age of the children. Children taught using the directed teaching style showed a significantly higher originality and mathematical achievement scores than those taught using the open teaching style. Differences for sex and age revealed that the directed teaching style was a significantly better method of instruction to foster the originality for boys and the mathematical achievement for four-year-old children.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.9 no.3 s.23
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• pp.187-201
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• 2005

The spreadsheet Microsoft Excel is the most widely used mathematical tool in today's workplace. Moreover, it is also an outstanding means for developing a surprisingly wide range of creative and innovative educational uses within such areas as mathematical modeling, visualization, and instruction. The spreadsheet's format provides us with a tool that closely parallels the way in which we naturally carry out problem solving, while the spreadsheet creation process itself illuminates the underlying mathematical concepts. In addition, the spreadsheet's visual layout allows us to introduce a broad variety of challenging and interesting topics, and to design creative demonstrations through eye-catching animated graphics. The material presented comes from actual classroom mathematics teaching experience in both industrially advanced and developing nations. A series of highly visual interactive illustrations from mathematics, the natural and social sciences, computing, engineering, and the arts provide a number of usable examples. The material discussed is applicable at diverse levels, ranging from schools and universities through adult education and in-service teacher development programs.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.387-398
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• 2008

In this paper, the mathematical knowledges in higher education which are capable of improving the ability of the problem, scientific techniques and creativity are pinpointed as crucial necessary conditions for the development of the Engineering and Natural Science Sections. It is stressed most of all that the mixed evaluation of mathematics in college entrance examination is the main culprit to the crisis of these sections and thus the strengthening of the mathematics education is vital to the section. Also, another role of mathematical education for these sections is introduced.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.119-136
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• 2021

We performed the research and education programs using engineering tools such as Mathematica, Microsoft Excel and GeoGebra for the students in mathematics mentorship program of the institute of science education for the gifted. We used the engineering tools to solve the problems and found the rules by observing the solutions. Then we generalized the rules to theorems by proving the rules. Mathematica, the professional mathematical computation program, was used to calculate and find the length of the repeating portion of the repeating decimal. Microsoft Excel, the spreadsheet software, was used to investigate the Beatty sequences. Also GeoGebra, the dynamic geometric software, was used to investigate the Voronoi diagram and develop the Voronoi game. Using GeoGebra, we designed the Voronoi game plate for the game. In this program, using engineering tools improved the mathematical creativity and the logical thinking of the gifted students in mathematics mentorship program.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.311-325
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• 2011

In this paper I propose that teaching students the most efficient method of problem solving may curtail students' creativity. Instead it is important to arm students with a variety of problem solving heuristics. It is the students' responsibility to decide which heuristic will solve the problem. The chosen heuristic is the one which is meaningful to the students.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2004

We have studied the issues of the current math war in America. Traditionalists and the reformers have been arguing about the curriculums, teaching methods, use of calculators, basic skills, and assessment methods in K-12 mathematics. They both have strengths and weaknesses depending on the situation have contributed for the development of mathematics education. Instead of choosing between traditionalists and the reformist sides, we suggest to adopt an eclectic view point i.e., rigor and creativity, memorization and understanding that may seem at odds with each other are quite compatible and mutually reinforcing. Also teacher's deep knowledge in mathematics is extremely important as his/her knowledge in pedagogy.