• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.481-506
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• 2019

Perpendicularity and parallelity are important concepts in Mathematics as well as real-life contexts. However, those concepts are rather reduced in 2015 revised curriculum compared to previous 2009 revised curriculum. This study firstly analyzed teaching method related to perpendicularity and parallelity in a series of mathematics textbooks of Korea, Singapore and Japan. Moreover, the unit of perpendicularity and parallel was redesigned in a way to understand the concepts meaningfully and to give opportunities for students to explore how to make perpendicular and parallel lines. The results showed that noticeable changes has been as the curriculum was revised in Korea. Also, three countries showed some differences in concepts definition and learning activities. This study is expected to suggest implications for how to teach perpendicularity and parallelity in elementary school mathematics.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.147-160
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine (1) if sociocultural factors that are known to influence gender gap in mathematics achievement are gender equitable for Singaporean eighth grade students, (2) if there is a higher level of gender equitability in students' attitudes towards mathematics and (3) how sociocultural factors influence mathematics achievement for Singaporean eighth grade students. This study is based on 5,923 Singaporean eighth grade students who participated in TIMSS 2011 assessment. The study found that there were no statistically significant gender differences in 'parental involvement in education' and 'teacher efficacy.' There were no statistically significant gender differences in students' attitudes of 'like learning mathematics,' and 'value learning mathematics'. A significant gender difference was identified for the attitude of 'confident with mathematics.' The boys displayed a higher level of confidence in mathematics than the girls consistent with other study findings for Asian students. The degree of effect from 'parental involvement in education,' 'teacher efficacy,' and 'confident with mathematics' on mathematics achievement are found to be stronger for girls than boys. The finding implies that girls' mathematics achievement can benefit from having more positive encouragement and involvement of parents and teachers and strengthening confidence in mathematics.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.135-160
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• 2017

Since mathematics textbooks for 6th graders based on the 2009 revised national curriculum were applied to the site, there has been a note pointing out that the unit of 'ratio and rate' causes some learning difficulties. This implies the necessity of search for desirable methods of organizing the unit of ratio and rate in mathematics textbooks. This study analyzed and compared Korean and foreign mathematics textbooks on ratio and rate longitudinally and horizontally, respectively. For longitudinal analysis, we selected the mathematics textbooks according to the national curriculum since the 5th one. For horizontal analysis, we took the mathematics textbooks of Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Finland. In each textbook, the contents and the order in relation to ratio and rate, the definitions of terminology, and the methods for introducing related concepts are set as the analysis framework. The results of analysis revealed many characteristics and the differences in ways of dealing contents about ratio and rate. Based on these results, we suggested some implications for writing the unit of ratio and rate in elementary mathematics textbooks.

• School Mathematics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.663-690
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• 2017

The aim of this study is to look into the meaning and sub-factors of spatial orientation, compare and analyze mathematics curriculums and textbooks of several countries with respect to spatial orientation and offer suggestions to improve teaching spatial orientation in elementary school mathematics in Korea. In order to attain these purposes, this study examined the meaning and sub-factors of spatial orientation through the theoretical consideration regarding various studies on spatial sense. Based on such examination, this study compared and analyzed mathematics curriculums and textbooks used in South Korea, Singapore, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Finland, United States of America, and Germany with respect to contents of mathematics curriculum and textbooks in grades, sub-factors of spatial orientation, and contexts for spatial orientation. In the light of such theoretical consideration and analytical results, this study provided suggestions for improving teaching spatial orientation in elementary schools in Korea as follows: extending content of spatial orientation in mathematics curriculum, emphasizing spatial orientation across the several grades, especially in the upper grades, providing opportunities to learn the sub-factors of location, direction, coordinates, route, and distance variously, and utilizing various familiar and realistic contexts in the world around students.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.403-420
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• 2016

Some of the critical changes in the revised 2015 Korean Mathematics curriculum were that direct proportion and inverse proportion were moved from elementary school to middle school and that supplementary content related to correlation was included. These decisions were based on comparative studies of international curriculum. Therefore in this study, we selected countries for comparison; United States, England, France, Finland, Australia, Japan, Singapore, China and Taiwan. We looked into the timing and scope for direct/inverse proportion and correlation in curricula of these countries. Along with this, we established four criteria; vertical sequence, horizontal sequence, external connection, and internal connection for an analysis framework. Then we compared and analysed the direct/inverse proportion and correlation in each curriculum. As a result, in most of these curricula, the direct/inverse proportions are introduced at middle school or are introduced at elementary school and then developed further at middle school. Most of curriculums on direct/inverse proportion and correlation match the four criteria. Correlation is introduced in high school mathematics in all counties except Finland and it is dealt in diverse context introducing related concepts, for example, correlation coefficient, regression straight line, and least square. We suggested that it is necessary to refer these international trends for the next revision of curriculum.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.505-525
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• 2021

In this study, we investigated how multiplication by 2-digit numbers had been taught in elementary mathematics textbooks of Korea, Japan, Singapore, and USA. As a result of analysis, we found as follows. Korean textbooks do not teach the multiplication by 10 and the multiplication by power of 10, but Japanese, Singapore, and US textbooks explicitly teach related content. In the '×tens' teaching, Japanese and American textbooks teach formally the law of association of multiplication applied in the process of calculating the partial product of multiplication. The standard multiplication algorithm generally followed a standard method of recording partial product result according to the law of distribution, but the differences were confirmed in the multiplication model, the teaching method of the law of distribution, and the notation of the last digit '0'. Based upon these results, we suggested some proposals for improving the multiplication teaching.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.199-220
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• 2018

This is a traditional education content that has been consistently handled in elementary school mathematics textbooks since the first curriculum in Korea. It has been mainly used to find out the properties of the solid figure or to save the surface area. However, as the importance of spatial ability is increasingly emphasized, the nets of solids can be a very suitable learning material for dealing with the spatial ability. Therefore, in this study, we examined how the nets of solids were taught in elementary school mathematics curriculum and textbooks in Korea, and based on the analysis, we analyzed the contents of the nets of solids covered in textbooks of Japan, Singapore, Finland and Hong Kong. Through this study, we suggested the enhancement of activities to find the right nets, the presentation of solid figure from various angles, and the nets of solids with patterns for improvement of spatial visualization and spatial orientation.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.207-231
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to examine the state of problem solving in Korean elementary mathematics. To do this, we considered the meaning of problem and problem solving in mathematics education, and analyzed the mathematics curricula in the longitudinal-latitudinal dimensions respectively. The longitudinal one consists in examining and comparing the all-time Korean elementary mathematics curricula. Meanwhile the latitudinal one consists in examining and comparing the elementary mathematics curricula of Singapore, the United Kingdom, Japan, and France. As a result of analysis, we selected ten sieves for analysing Korean elementary mathematics textbooks according to the 7th mathematics curriculum. By the analysis, we conclude that we teach problem solving quite positively in school mathematics relative to another countries, in particular we have to reconsider some issues including dealing problem solving as a independent content not a process integrated in other contents.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.328-341
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to analyze the achievements in science results of the TIMSS-R test, which was performed in 1999 with 38 nations participating. In this study, general trends in international science achievement considering the differences beween nation, content areas, and gender were analyzed through descriptive statics. The average scale score of Korean 8th grades students was 549, which was significantly higher than international average of 488. However it showed a relative decline from 4th grade in TIMSS to 8th grade in TIMSS-R. Chinese Taipei and Singapore students had the highest average performance, followed by Hungary, Japan, and Korea. The average gender differences of Korean students showed a decrease from TIMSS in 1995 to TlMSS-R in 1999, but it was still significantly higher than the international average. The average differences of overall science and each content area were not statistically significant both internationally and domestically.

• School Mathematics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.229-248
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• 2017

This study investigated the factors that should be considered when teaching proportional expression and proportional distribution through literature review. Based on these results, we analyzed and compared Korean and foreign mathematics textbooks on proportional expression and proportional distribution longitudinally and horizontally to search for desirable methods of organizing the unit of proportional expression and proportional distribution in mathematics textbooks. For longitudinal analysis, we took the mathematics textbooks according to the national curriculum since the 5th one. For horizontal analysis, we selected the mathematics textbooks of Japan, Singapore, and China. In each textbook, the contents and the order in relation to proportional expression and proportional distribution, the definitions of terminology, and the contexts and the visual representations for introducing related concepts are selected as the analysis framework. The results of analysis revealed many characteristics and the differences in ways of dealing contents about proportional expression and proportional distribution. Based on these results, we suggested some implications for writing the unit of proportional expression and proportional distribution in elementary mathematics textbooks.