• The Mathematical Education
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.525-539
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• 2014

In this study, we suggest implications for teaching mathematical justification with analysis of 6th grade students' awareness of why they needed mathematical justification and their levels of mathematics justification in Algebra and Geometry. Also how their levels of mathematical justification were related to mathematic achievement. 96% of students thought mathematical justification was needed, the reasons were limited for checking their solutions and answers. The level of mathematical justification in Algebra was higher than in Geometry. Students who had higher mathematic achievement had higher levels of mathematical justification. In conclusion, we searched the possibility of teaching mathematical justification to students, and we found some practical methods for teaching.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.371-392
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• 2009

A lot of researches state mathematical justification is important. Specially, NCTM (2000) mentions that mathematical reasoning and proof should be taught every student from pre-primary school to 12 grades. Some of researches say elementary school students are also able to prove and justify their own solution(Lester, 1975; King, 1970, 1973; Reid, 2002). Balacheff(1987), Tall(1995), Harel & Sowder(1998, 2007), Simon & Blume(1996) categorize the level or the types of mathematical justification. We re-categorize the 4 types of mathematical justification basis on their studies; external conviction justification, empirical-inductive justification, generic justification, deductive justification. External conviction justification consists of authoritarian justification, ritual justification, non-referential symbolic justification. empirical-inductive justification consists of naive examples justification and crucial example justification. Generic justification consists of generic example and visual example. The results of this research are following. First, elementary school teachers in Korea respectively understand mathematical justification well. Second, elementary school teachers in Korea prefer deductive justification when they justify by themselves, while they prefer empirical-inductive justification when they teach students.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.261-282
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• 2021

This study identified the meaning of mathematical justification and its characteristics for middle school math gifted students. 17 middle school math gifted students participated in questionnaires and written exams. Results show that the gifted students recognized justification in various meanings such as proof, systematization, discovery, intellectual challenge of mathematical justification, and the preference for deductive justification. As a result of justification exams, there was a difference in algebra and geometry. While there were many deductive justifications in both algebra and geometry questionnaires, the difference exists in empirical justifications: there were many empirical justifications in algebra, but there were few in geometry questions. When deductive justification was completed, the students showed satisfaction with their own justification. However, they showed dissatisfaction when they could not deductively justify the generality of the proposition using mathematical symbols. From the results of the study, it was found that justification education that can improve algebraic translation ability is necessary so that gifted students can realize the limitations and usefulness of empirical reasoning and make deductive justification.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.149-167
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• 2009

This study was aimed to examine problem-solving ability of fifth graders on two types of mathematical essay problems, and to analyze the process of mathematical justification in solving the essay problems. For this purpose, a total of 14 mathematical essay problems were developed, in which half of the items were single tasks and the other half were data-provided tasks. Sixteen students with higher academic achievements in mathematics and the Korean language were chosen, and were given to solve the mathematical essay problems individually. They then were asked to justify their solution methods in groups of 4 and to reach a consensus through negotiation among group members. Students were good at understanding the given single tasks but they often revealed lack of logical thinking and representation. They also tended to use everyday language rather than mathematical language in explaining their solution processes. Some students experienced difficulty in understanding the meaning of data in the essay problems. With regard to mathematical justification, students employed more internal justification by experience or mathematical logic than external justification by authority. Given this, this paper includes implications for teachers on how they need to teach mathematics in order to foster students' logical thinking and communication.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.267-283
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• 2013

Mathematical justification is the process through which one's claim is validated to be true based on proper and trustworthy data. But it serves as a catalyst to facilitate mathematical discussions and communicative interactions among students in mathematics classrooms. This study is designed to investigate the effects of mathematical justification on students' problem-solving and communicative processes occurred in a mathematics classroom. In order to fulfill the purpose of this study, mathematical problem-solving classes were conducted. Mathematical justification processes and communicative interactions recorded in problem understanding activity, individual student inquiry, small and whole group discussions are analyzed. Based on the analysis outcomes, the students who participated in mathematical justification activities are more likely to find out various problem-solving strategies, to develop efficient communicative skills, and to use effective representations. In addition, mathematical justification can be used as an evaluation method to test a student's mathematical understanding as well as a teaching method to help develop constructive social interactions and positive classroom atmosphere among students. The results of this study would contribute to strengthening a body of research studying the importance of teaching students mathematical justification in mathematics classrooms.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.417-435
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• 2011

Mathematical justification is essential to assert with reason and to communicate. Students learn mathematical justification in 8th grade in Korea. Recently, However, many researchers point out that justification be taught from young age. Lots of studies say that students can deduct and justify mathematically from in the lower grades in elementary school. I conduct questionnaire to know awareness and steps of elementary school students and middle school students. In the case of 9th grades, the rate of students to deduct is highest compared with the other grades. The rease is why 9th grades are taught how to deductive justification. In spite of, however, the other grades are also high of rate to do simple deductive justification. I want to focus on the 6th and 5th grades. They are also high of rate to deduct. It means we don't need to just focus on inducing in elementary school. Most of student needs lots of various experience to mathematical justification.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.85-99
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• 2003

In this paper, firstly examined various proofs types that cover informal empirical justifications by Balacheff, Miyazaki, and Harel ＆ Sowder and Tall. Using these theoretical frameworks, justification activities by 5th graders were analyzed and several conclusions were drawn as follow: 1) Children in 5th grade could justify using various proofs types and method ranged from external proofs schemes by Harel & Sowder to thought experiment by Balacheff This implies that children in elementary school can justify various mathematical statements of ideas for themselves. To improve children's proving abilities, rich experience for justifying should be provided. 2) Activities that make conjectures from cases then justify should be given to students in order to develop a sense of necessity of formal proof. 3) Children have to understand the meaning and usage of mathematical symbol to advance to formal deductive proofs. 4) New theoretical framework is needed to be established to provide a framework for research on elementary school children's justification activities. Research on proof mainly focused on the type of proof in terms of reasoning and activities involved. But proof types are also influenced by the tasks given. In elementary school, tasks that require physical activities or examples are provided. To develop students'various proof types, tasks that require various justification methods should be provided. 5) Children's justification type were influenced not only by development level but also by the concept they had. 6) Justification activities provide useful situation that assess students'mathematical understanding. 7) Teachers understanding toward role of proof(verification, explanation, communication, discovery, systematization) should be the starting point of proof activities.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.85-108
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• 2012

The comprehensive implication in justification activity that includes the proof in the elementary school level where the logical and formative verification is hard to come has to be instructed. Therefore, this study has set the following issues. First, what is the mathematical justification type shown in the Number and Operations, and Geometry? Second, what are the errors shown by students in the justification process? In order to solve these research issues, the test was implemented on 62 third grade elementary school students in D City and analyzed the mathematical justification type. The research result could be summarized as follows. First, in solving the justification type test for the number and operations, students evenly used the empirical justification type and the analytical justification type. Second, in the geometry, the ratio of the empirical justification was shown to be higher than the analytical justification, and it had a difference from the number and operations that evenly disclosed the ratio of the empirical justification and the analytical justification. And third, as a result of analyzing the errors of students occurring during the justification process, it was shown to show in the order of the error of omitting the problem solving process, error of concept and principle, error in understanding the questions, and technical error. Therefore, it is prudent to provide substantial justification experiences to students. And, since it is difficult to correct the erroneous concept and mistaken principle once it is accepted as familiar content that it is required to find out the principle accepted in error or mistake and re-instruct to correct it.

• School Mathematics
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.487-506
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• 2007

The aims of this study is figure out the characteristics of justification patterns and mathematical representation which are derived from 14 mathematically gifted middle school students in the process of solving the spatial tasks on Archimedean solid. This study shows that mathematically gifted students apply different types of justification such as empirical, or deductive justification and partial or whole justification. It would be necessary to pay attention to the value of informal justification, by comparing the response of student who understood the entire transformation process and provided a reasonable explanation considering all component factors although presenting informal justification and that of student who showed formalization process based on partial analysis. Visual representation plays an valuable role in finding out the Idea of solving the problem and grasping the entire structure of the problem. We found that gifted students tried to create elaborated symbols by consolidating mathematical concepts into symbolic re-presentations and modifying them while gradually developing symbolic representations. This study on justification patterns and mathematical representation of mathematically gifted students dealing with spatial geometry tasks provided an opportunity for understanding their the characteristics of spacial geometrical thinking and expending their thinking.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.131-148
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• 2016

Mathematical formal justification may be seen as a bridge towards the proof. By requiring the mathematically gifted students to prove the generalized patterned task rather than the implementation of deductive justification, may present challenges for the students. So the research questions are as follow: (1) What are the difficulties the mathematically gifted elementary students may encounter when formal justification were to be shifted into a generalized form from the given patterned challenges? (2) How should the teacher guide the mathematically gifted elementary students' process of transition to formal justification? The conclusions are as follow: (1) In order to implement a formal justification, the recognition of and attitude to justifying took an imperative role. (2) The students will be able to recall previously learned deductive experiment and the procedural steps of that experiment, if the mathematically gifted students possess adequate amount of attitude previously mentioned as the 'mathematical attitude to justify'. In addition, we developed the process of questioning to guide the elementary gifted students to formal justification.