• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.69-86
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• 2017

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of small-group arithmetic word problem activities with concrete materials on 5 year old children's mathematical ability and attitude. Methods: A total of 34 five-year-old children (control group 16 children, experimental group18 children) attending two kindergartens in P city participated in this study. Fifteen small-group arithmetic word problem activities with concrete materials were conducted in the classroom of the experimental group twice a week for eight weeks. Before and after the activities, all the participants individually took a basic arithmetic test, mathematical word problem solving test, and mathematical attitudes test. Results: First, we observed that the children in the experimental group achieved significantly higher scores on the mathematical ability tests, including the basic arithmetic test and mathematical word problems solving test when compared to the children in the control group. Second, we also found that children in the experimental group showed higher improvement in the mathematical attitudes test than their counterparts. Conclusion/Implications: The results of this study suggest that small-group arithmetic word problem activities with concrete materials are effective in improving children's mathematical ability and attitudes.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.71-94
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• 2001

The purposes of this study were to design small group collaborative learning models for developing the creativity and to analyze the effects on applying the models in mathematics teaching and loaming. The meaning of open education in mathematics learning, the relation of creativity and inquiry learning, the relation of small group collaborative learning and creativity, and the relation of assessment and creativity were reviewed. And to investigate the relation small group collaborative learning and creativity, we developed three types of small group collaborative learning model- inquiry model, situation model, tradition model, and then conducted in elementary school and middle school. As a conclusion, this study suggested; (1) Small group collaborative learning can be conducted when the teacher understands the small group collaborative learning practice in the mathematics classroom and have desirable belief about mathematics instruction. (2) Students' mathematical anxiety can be reduced and students' involvement in mathematics learning can be facilitated, when mathematical tasks are provided through inquiry model and situation model. (3) Students' mathematical creativity can be enhanced when the teacher make classroom culture that students' thinking is valued and teacher's authority is reduced. (4) To develop students' mathematical creativity, the interaction between students in small group should be encouraged, and assessment of creativity development should be conduced systematically and continuously.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.77-86
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to examine a theoretical framework for the interactions of learning in a small group setting of mathematical problem solving. Many researchers already have described the theoretical background for the small group settings in problem solving. However, most of the literatures merely have reported findings of achievement and rising of test scores. They ignored the observation of process taken during the small group work and have not determined how various psychological, social and academic effects are created. As results of the study, two types, mutual collaboration and asymmetric collaboration, of interactions are observed as the interactions of learning, which are conceived as the cores of authentic mathematical activities.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.329-352
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of small group cooperative communicative activities on the strategies for estimating measurement. To do this, two research questions were set as follow: First, are there any differences between strategies employed by students in the experimental group and the control group before and after the estimating measurement activities? Second, are there any differences between strategies employed by students in different ability levels(upper, middle, lower) of pre-estimating measurement test in the experimental group? The research results were drawn from the investigation as below: First, the strategical change of before and after the estimating measurement tasks in the experimental group was quite noticeable. Unlike the small strategical change in the control group, small group cooperative communicative learning resulted in a decrease of simple memorization and guessing strategies and an increase of refined strategies such as the standard strategy, clustering, unit load and so on. Second, mathematical communicative activities in a small group cooperative learning showed that the students in the upper level of pre-estimating measurement test used more refined strategies and the students in the lower level used simple memorization and guessing strategy more frequently. And through interaction in small group, students could have chances to recognize error of strategies and to modify and learn strategies. In conclusion, small group cooperative activities allowed students to have chances to communicate mathematically and it is a efficient way of helping students learn estimating measurement strategies.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.181-200
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• 2005

The purpose of this thesis was to analyze communicational means of mathematical communication in perspective of languages and behaviors. Research questions were as follows; First, how are the characteristics of mathematical languages in communicating process of mathematical small group learning? Second, how are the characteristics of behaviors in communicating process of mathematical small group learning? The analyses of students' mathematical language were as follows; First, the ordinary language that students used was the demonstrative pronoun in general, mainly substituted for mathematical language. Second, students depended on verbal language rather than mathematical representation in case of mathematical communication. Third, quasi-mathematical language was mainly transformed in upper grade level than lower grade, and it was shown prominently in shape and measurement domain. Fourth, In mathematical communication, high level students used mathematical language more widely and initiatively than mid/low level students. Fifth, mathematical language use was very helpful and interactive regardless of the student's level. In addition, the analyses of students' behavior facts were as follows; First, students' behaviors for problem-solving were shown in the order of reading, understanding, planning, implementing, analyzing and verifying. While trials and errors, verifying is almost omitted. Second, in mathematical communication, while the flow of high/middle level students' behaviors was systematic and process-directed, that of low level students' behaviors was unconnected and product-directed.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 1999

The purpose of this review of literature is to investigate what kinds of research have been done on social construction of mathematics understanding among elementary students in small groups. Only empirical studies were reviewed, and then grouping was done in terms of the purpose of the study. This grouping identified three categories: 1) Social and mathematical norms in mathematics classroom, 2) Teaching productive communication behaviors for active learning in small group, and 3) Participation roles and communication behaviors in different group structure. To enhance social construction of mathematics understanding in small group settings two suggestions are made: the importance of the selection of collaborative tasks or problems and teachers' beliefs about mathematics and the teaching an learning of mathematics.

• 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.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.211-227
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• 2008

The method of being composed of small groups has a strong influence on mathematics and cooperative learning and therefore, the group classification should be made in a way of considering not only a learner's cognitive factor but also a affective factor in order to maximize the effects. In this research, we regarded personality as the important standard of the group classification for cooperative learning and tried to find out the influence on the mathematical attitude and achievement in mathematics by means of conducting mathematics and cooperative learning according to the personality types. In order to resolve this problem, we performed the cooperative learning of small group subject to the students at year 6 in an elementary school by making up a similar personality type of group and a different personality type of group through MMTIC examination, and also tried to find out any significant difference in terms of mathematical attitude and achievement in mathematics between two groups. The results obtained in this research are as follows; First, organizing groups in accordance with personality types did not affect on mathematical attitude. Although there were some positive opinions towards mathematics and cooperative learning, the both similar personality type of group and different personality type of group showed no significant difference in terms of mathematical attitude between two groups. Second, organizing groups in accordance with personality types showed positive effects on the achievement in mathematics. The similar personality type of group showed the better achievement in mathematics than the different personality type of group.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.219-233
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• 2020

Teachers' intervention in small groups is a research area that needs more research attention. Ehrenfeld and Horn (2020) identified teachers' group work monitoring routines that consist of four recurrent talk moves: 1) Initiation, 2) Entry, 3) Focus, and 4) Exit. To better understand prospective teachers' (PTs) intervention in small groups in mathematics classrooms, I investigated how PTs' intervention actions and purposes are related to the monitoring routines, particularly, in terms of Focus moves. I analyzed 26 PTs' responses to four written scenarios, each of which depicts interactions among students in a small group. I identified 1) types of PTs' math talk, 2) types of PTs' non-math talk, 3) types of intervention purposes, and 4) patterns of intervention actions and purposes by scenario. This study contributes to understanding PTs' intervention actions and purposes in mathematics instruction.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.43-66
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• 2006

This study was proposed to analyze mathematical communication activity and mathematical attitudes while students were solving project problem and to consider how the conclusions effects mathematics education. This study analyzed through qualitative research method. The questions for this study are following. First, how does the process of the mathematical communication activity proceed during solving project problem in a small group? Second, what reactions can be shown on mathematical attitudes during solving project problem in a small group? Four project problems sampled from pilot study in order to examine these questions were applied on two small groups consisting of four 5th grade students It was recorded while each group was finding out the solution of the given problems. Afterward, consequences were analyzed according to each question after all contents were noted. Consequently, conclusions can be derived as follows. First, it was shown that each student used different elements of contents in mathematical communication activity. Second, during mathematical communication activity, most students preferred common languages to mathematical ones. Third, it was found that each student has their own mathematical attitude. Fourth, Students were more interested in the game project problem and the practical using project problem than others.