• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using graphing calculators on students' understanding of the linear and quadratic function concepts. The populators of this study are tenth graders at high school in Seoul, one class for the treatment group and another class for the comparison group, and experiment period is 14 weeks including two weeks for school regular exams.Function tests used in the study was proposed which described a conceptual knowledge of functions in terms of the following components: a) Conceptual understanding, b) Interpreting a function in terms of a verbal experission, c) Translating between different representations of functions, and d) Mathematical modeling a real-world situation using functions. Even though the group test means of the individual components of conceptual understanding, interpreting, translating, mathematical modeling did not differ significantly, there is evidence that the two groups differed in their performance on conceptual understanding. It was shown that students learned algebra using graphing calculators view graphs more globally. The attitude survey assessed students' attitudes and perceptions about the value of mathematics, the usefulness of graphs in mathematics, mathematical confidence, mathematics anxiety, and their feelings about calculators. The overall t-test was not statistically significant, but the students in the treatment group showed significantly different levels of anxiety toward mathematics.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.85-102
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• 2000

The concept of variables is central to mathematics teaching and learning in junior and senior high school. Understanding the concept provides the basis for the transition from arithmetic to algebra and necessary for the meaningful use of all advanced mathematics. Despite the importance of the concept, however, much has been written in the last decade concerning students' difficulties with the concept. This Thesis is based on research to investigate the hypothesis that LOGO programming will contribute to 6th grader' learning of variables. The aim of the research were to; .investigate practice on pupils' understanding of variables before the activity with a computer; .identify functions of LOGO programming in pupils' using and understanding of variable symbols, variable domain and the relationship between two variable dependent expressions during the activity using a computer; .investigate the influence of pupils' mathematical belief on understanding and using variables. The research consisted predominantly of a case study of 6 pupils' discourse and activities concerning variable during their abnormal lessons and interviews with researcher. The data collected for this study included video recordings of the pupils'work with their spoken language.

• School Mathematics
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.637-660
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• 1999

Although ‘to understand mathematics’ is an important educational purpose, most student do not have a relational understanding of the basic concept of mathematics but have a instrumental understanding. This paper will investigate the possibility of using computers for enhancing relational understanding. In the ‘Qualitative case study’, three students who are in the first grade at E-High school took part in 7 activities during four weeks, and were later interviewed and engaged in informal discussion and were observed. This is the result of this study. 1. The three students were passive participants in mathematics problem solving situation at school. Therefore, student B just applied formulas which she had memorized, and student C would forgot the formulas occasionally. These common students needed to participate actively in doing mathematics. 2. The activities utilized two software healing with connection between graphs and function, giving the students the opportunity to plan, practice, and test by themselves. As a result, they understood the mathematical formulas and rules more deeply through their own trial and error, and then they gained thinking abilities necessary for doing mathematics. In addition, the activities boosted their confidence. 3. The understanding type of students was slightly different. Student A who received a high score, understood the most relationally, but student B who received a very high score, understood instrumentally and so couldn't app1y her knowledge to solving problems related to function concept. Student C who received a middle score lacked knowledge of mathematics but thought more creatively. The result is that students need an opportunity to think rotationally regardless of score. Therefore, this study concludes that using computer software will provide a positive effect for relational understanding in loaming function concept.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.221-247
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• 2008

In order to find the structure and scheme of basic mathematics education in life and nano-related areas in university, I've studied how much the freshmen in those fields in the university know about the graphic expressions for the basic functions(quadratic function, rational function, irrational function, log function and trigonometric function), basic information contained in those graphs and basic high school mathematics. Also, I've examined mathematics used in books for majors related to those areas. The result of the study shows that there is a lack of understanding of the graphic expressions for basic functions, information contained in those graphs and basic high school mathematics. I've also found out that there is a difference in the amount and depth of mathematics used in each major in life and nano-related areas. According to the result of this study, the amount of understanding of freshmen with each major in basic high school mathematics needs to be reflected in structuring basic mathematics education in life and nano-related areas in university, and the amount and dept of content of mathematics should be considered in each major.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.247-268
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the mathematical components of word problems and the structure of the components, to examine the characteristics of the understanding of mathematics high achievers about word problems, and ultimately to devise a teaching method geared toward facilitating learner understanding of the word problems. Given the findings of the study, the following conclusion was reached: First, word problems could be categorized according to their mathematical components, namely the mathematical structure of multiple variables provided to learners for their problem solving. And learner's reaction might hinge on the type of word problems. Second, the mathematics high achievers relied on diverse strategies to understand the mathematical components of word problems to solve the problems. The use of diverse strategies made it possible for them to succeed in problem solving. Third, identifying the characteristics of the understanding of the mathematics high achievers about word problems made it possible to layout successful lesson plans that stressed understanding of the mathematical structure of word problems. And the teaching plans enabled the learners to get a better understanding of the given word problems.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.41-58
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• 2003

This study firstly examined 18 prospective secondary mathematics teachers' understanding of the nature of definitions and the use of the dynamic geometry software Sketchpad to not only improve their understanding of definitions, but also their ability to define geometric concepts themselves. Results indicated that the evaluation of definitions by accurate construction and measurement enabled students to achieve a better understanding of necessary and sufficient conditions, as well as the ability to more readily find counter-examples, and to recognize uneconomical definitions, and improve them.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.127-141
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• 2007

This paper compares and analyzes mathematics teachers' understanding of students' mathematical comprehension after experiences with the Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) or the Development of Mathematical Ideas (DMI) teaching strategies. This report sheds light on current issues confronted by the educational system in the context of mathematics teaching and learning. In particular, the declining rate of mathematical literacy among adolescents is discussed. Moreover, examples of CGI and DMI teaching strategies are presented to focus on the impact of these teaching styles on student-centered instruction, teachers' belief, and students' mathematical achievement, conceptual understanding and word problem solving skills. Hence, with a gradual enhancement of reformed ways of teaching mathematics in schools and the reported increase in student achievement as a result of professional development with new teaching strategies, teacher professional development programs that emphasize teachers' understanding of students' mathematical comprehension is needed rather than the currently dominant traditional pedagogy of direct instruction with a focus on teaching problem solving strategies.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.175-188
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• 2022

Measurement has been an important part of mathematics content students must learn through their schooling. Many studies suggest students' weak measurement learning, particularly related to length measurement, on the part of lower grade students. This difficulty has been attributed to mathematics curriculum as well as instruction. Building on a view of teaching as an interactive activity, this paper explores how a first grade teacher interacted with her students in small groups in a length measurement lesson to promote conceptual understanding as well as procedural fluency. I found that even though the teacher supported students to explain and justify what they understood, the ways the teacher interacted with students were not effective to promote students' understanding. Even though this finding is based on an analysis of a single mathematics lesson, it provides an example of challenges in promoting students' understanding through interaction with students in the context of teaching length measurement.

• Korean Journal of Mathematics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.409-424
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• 2010

We observed the symptoms that occur to students who dislike mathematics when they study mathematics and the data that mathematics is related to foreign language. This study investigated the relation between mathematics and foreign language. Continuous immersion aids not only in acquiring language but also in learning mathematics. For continuous immersion, it is essential to organize small class. We organized small class and compared large class with small class about how the relation between mathematics and language appears in achievement, rate of presence, rate of submission of report, and attitude and enthusiasm. Based on the result, we try to find out the way to increase understanding mathematics and level up the achievements.