• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.20 no.3 s.27
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• pp.443-467
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to study the 2nd grade elementary students' common thinking and differences of additive and multiplicative thinking. For meaningful discussion of the above, we have established the following research questions. 1. What are the properties of the multiplicative thinking of 2nd grade elementary students? - What are the common properties of the multiplicative thinking of 2nd grade elementary students? - What are the properties of the various multiplicative thinking levels? 2. How is multiplicative thinking presented in Korean math textbooks? The conclusions of this study were followings: First, the 2nd grade elementary students in the multiplicative thinking learnt used by translating multiplication into specific situations. And they often used different models of multiplication. Second, additive thinking developed into the multiplicative thinking. After being helped by their teachers, students who thought additively were then able to think multiplicatively. Whereas after being helped by their teachers, students who were already competent at multiplicative thinking gained a deeper understanding. Third, they learned the commutative property of multiplication after their understanding of the 'repeated addition approach' and the multiplicative approach was sufficiently reinforced. Last, students should be taught using different models based on the repeated addition approach.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.33-50
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• 2004

This study is intended to investigate the effect on the development of multiplicative thinking and multiplicative ability by teaching repeated addition, rate, comparison, area-array, and combination problems. Two research questions are established: first, is there any difference of multiplicative thinking between the experimental group(the modeling of problem situation learning group) and the control group(the traditional learning group)\ulcorner Second, is there any difference of multiplicative ability between the experimental group and the control group\ulcorner The treatment process for the experimental group is based on modeling problem situations for nine lesson periods. In order to answer the research questions the chi-square analysis was used for the first research question and the t-test was used for the second one. The findings are summarized as follows: there is no significant difference of multiplicative thinking be1ween the experimental and the control group but there is significant difference of multiplicative ability.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.57-73
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• 2014

This study investigated the connections of mathematical thinking of students at the second, fourth, and sixth grades with regard to multiplication, fraction, and proportion, all of which have multiplicative structures. A paper-and-pencil test and subsequent interviews were conducted. The results showed that mathematical thinking including vertical thinking and relational thinking was commonly involved in multiplication, fraction, and proportion. On one hand, the insufficient understanding of preceding concepts had negative impact on learning subsequent concepts. On the other hand, learning the succeeding concepts helped students solve the problems related to the preceding concepts. By analyzing the connections between the preceding concepts and the succeeding concepts, this study provides instructional implications of teaching multiplication, fraction, and proportion.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2013

The primary purpose of this study is to survey multiplicative thinking levels and its characteristics of third graders in elementary school and to analyze how to use it when they solve the proportional problems. As results, the transition thinking ranked the highest among the four kinds of thinking levels when the $3^{rd}$ graders solved the multiplication problems. It means that the largest numbers of students still can not distinguish the additive and multiplicative situations completely and remain in the transition thinking, which thinks both additively and multiplicatively. In addition, the performance of solving proportional problems was distinguished from the levels of thinking. Through this study, we can give some implications of the importance of multiplicative thinking and instructional methods related to multiplication.

• School Mathematics
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.351-368
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• 2009

This study presents data from a year-long teaching experiment which illustrate how two seventh graders modified their multiplicative thinking and interacted with their representing symbols in the context of combinatorial problem situations. Damon was at the process of construction of recursively multiplicative thinking by modifying his multiplicative reasoning, but Carol appeared to remain at the stage of a binary multiplicative scheme. The two students' struggles with their representing symbols or represented symbols by the teacher show that even well-organized symbolic systems from teachers' perspective do not necessarily help students advance their mathematical capacity.

• School Mathematics
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.155-179
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• 2008

Multiplication problems for the 7th curriculum focus on functional realms featuring the memorization and application of the multiplication table, exposing learners only to additive thinking characterized by simple counting and drawing. A diversity of research has yet to be conducted for the transition to multiplicative thinking that highlights the capability to solve problems by using multiplication and division in the expanded number scope like 'prime numbers', 'fractional numbers', and 'ratio/rates' and to describe accurately how they solved. This research was designed to develop and utilize teaching-learning materials for the transition of fifth graders' additive thinking to advanced multiplicative one and to analyze the application results in order to identify validity in material development. The following conclusions were made. First, the development and application of teaching-learning materials for multiplicative thinking cultivation facilitated the transition from additive thinking featuring simple counting and drawing to multiplicative thinking characterized by multiplication and accurate description in a more complicated and expanded number scope. Second, the development of materials featuring 'basic'-'intermediate'-'in-depth' courses by activity enabled learners to benefit from learning by level and expansion in number scope. Third, the use of topics and materials closely connected to daily lives stimulated learners' curiosity, helping them concentrate more on given problems. Fourth, communication between teachers and students or among learners themselves was promoted by continuously encouraging them to explain and by reviewing their documents identifying rules or patterns.

• East Asian mathematical journal
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.253-271
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to see the effects of a learning method of the multiplication play activities on improving the mathematical thinking ability and mathematical attitude of 2nd grade students in elementary school. We chose 19 students of the 2nd grade experimental group of D elementary school in the D city to conduct this research. The result of this study are as follows. First, Classes using multiplicative play activities have a positive effect on students' mathematical thinking ability. When analyzing transcripts and activities, students were able to think of strategies that could solve the problem according to the situation. Second, Classes using multiplicative play activities, in result of this they have positive effect mathematical attitude than using textbook in terms of attitude about mathematical subject and habits of study. In conclusion, the multiplication play activities are effective to improve mathematical thinking ability and attitude of second elementary school students. It can be a implication for the method of improving mathematical thinking ability and attitude.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2019

As the importance of algebraic thinking in elementary school has been emphasized, the links between fraction knowledge and algebraic thinking have been highlighted. In this study, we analyzed the solution methods and characteristics of thinking by fifth graders who have not yet learned fraction division when they solved 'reverse fraction problems' (Pearn & Stephens, 2018). In doing so, the contexts of problems were extended from the prior study to include the following cases: (a) the partial quantity with a natural number is discrete or continuous; (b) the partial quantity is a natural number or a fraction; (c) the equivalent fraction of partial quantity is a proper fraction or an improper fraction; and (d) the diagram is presented or not. The analytic framework was elaborated to look closely at students' solution methods according to the different contexts of problems. The most prevalent method students used was a multiplicative method by which students divided the partial quantity by the numerator of the given fraction and then multiplied it by the denominator. Some students were able to use a multiplicative method regardless of the given problem contexts. The results of this study showed that students were able to understand equivalence, transform using equivalence, and use generalizable methods. This study is expected to highlight the close connection between fraction and algebraic thinking, and to suggest implications for developing algebraic thinking when to deal with fraction operations.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.343-364
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• 2017

Despite the significance of functional thinking at the elementary school level there has been lack of research on teachers who play a major role in making students be engaged in functional thinking. This study surveyed 119 elementary school teachers to investigate their knowledge of functional thinking for teaching. A written assessment for this study was developed with a focus on the knowledge of mathematical tasks and instructional strategies to teach functional thinking. The results of this study showed that many teachers were able to design tasks corresponding to both the additive relationship and the multiplicative relationship, and to justify some strategies to promote functional thinking. However, some teachers had lack of understanding with regard to the core ideas of functional thinking. Based on these results this study is expected to suggest implications on what aspects of knowledge are further needed for elementary school teachers to promote students' functional thinking.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-31
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• 2007

Negative numbers have been one of the most difficult mathematical concepts, and it was only 200 years ago that they were recognized as a real object of mathematics by mathematicians. It was because it took more than 1500 years for human beings to overcome the quantitative notion of numbers and recognize the formality in negative numbers. Understanding negative numbers as formal ones resulted from the Copernican conversion in mathematical way of thinking. we first investigated the historic and the genetic process of the concept of negative numbers. Second, we analyzed the conceptual fields of negative numbers in the aspect of the additive and multiplicative structure. Third, we inquired into the levels of thinking on the concept of negative numbers on the basis of the historical and the psychological analysis in order to understand the formal concept of negative numbers. Fourth, we analyzed Korean mathematics textbooks on the basis of the thinking levels of the concept of negative numbers. Fifth, we investigated and analysed the levels of students' understanding of the concept of negative numbers. Sixth, we analyzed the symbolizing process in the development of mathematical concept. Futhermore, we tried to show a concrete way to teach the formality of the negative numbers concepts on the basis of such theoretical analyses.