• The Mathematical Education
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.15-37
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• 2010

In this study, we investigated the application of oriental history of mathematics in school mathematics teaching. We set up three study problems to achieve this purpose. First, we analyze the middle and high school mathematics textbooks and auxiliary books. Second, we survey the mathematics teacher's knowledge and degree of application on history of mathematics. Third, we develop the teaching and learning materials on oriental history of mathematics. We performed three study-methods to settle above study problem. First, we analyzed 24 textbooks and auxiliary books for study problem 1. There were 6 middle school mathematics textbooks and 6 auxiliary books and also 6 high school mathematics textbooks and 6 auxiliary books. We categorized the contents into "anecdote", "systematization", "application of problem", "expansibility of thought", and "comparative of the contents". Second, we surveyed the 78 mathematics teachers's knowledge and degree of application using questionnaire about knowledge and application on history of mathematics. The questionnaire was made up of four types of question; the effect of material about history of mathematics, the understanding of western history of mathematics, the understanding of oriental history of mathematics; the direction of development of teaching material. Third, we exemplified the teaching and learning materials about three categories: "anecdote", "comparative of the contents".