• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2021

Logic and intuition are considered as the opposite extremes of teaching geometry, and any teaching method of geometry is to be placed between these extremes. The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of logical and intuitive approaches for teaching geometry and to derive didactical implications by taking Euclid's Elements and Clairaut's Elements respectively representing the extremes. To this end, comparing the composition and contents of each book, we analyze which propositions Clairaut chose from Euclid's Elements, how their approaches differ in definitions, proofs, and geometrical constructions, and what unique approaches Clairaut took. The results reveal that Clairaut mainly chose propositions from Euclid's books 1, 3, 6, 11, and 12 to provide the contexts that show why such ideas were needed, rather than the sudden appearance of abstract and formal propositions, and omitted or modified the process of justification according to learners' levels. These propose a variety of intuitive strategies in line with trends of teaching geometry towards emphasis on conceptual understanding and different levels of justification. Specifically, such as the general principle of similarity and the infinite geometric approach shown in Clairaut's Elements, we could confirm that intuition-based geometry does not necessarily aim for tasks with low cognitive demand, but must be taught in a way that learners can understand.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-23
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• 2006

It is regarded as critical to analyse and re-appreciate Euclidean geometry for the sake of improving school geometry This study, a critical analysis of demonstrative plane geometry in current secondary school mathematics with an eye to the viewpoints of 'Elements of Geometry', is conducted with this purpose in mind. Firstly, the 'Elements' is analysed in terms of its educational purpose, concrete contents and approaching method, with a review of the history of its teaching. Secondly, the 'Elemens de Geometrie' by Clairaut and the 'histo-genetic approach' in teaching geometry, mainly the one proposed by Branford, are analysed. Thirdly, the basic assumption, contents and structure of the current textbooks taught in secondary schools are analysed according to the hypothetical construction, ordering and grouping of theorems, presentations of proofs, statements of definitions and exercises. The change of the development of contents over time is also reviewed, with a focus on the proportional relations of geometric figures. Lastly, tile complementary way of integrating the two 'Elements' is explored.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.291-313
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• 2018

This study aims to analyze Pardies' ${\ll}$Elements of geometry${\gg}$. This book is very interesting from the perspectives of mathematical history as well as of mathematical education. Because it was used for teaching Kangxi emperor geometry in the Qing Dynasty in China instead of Euclid's which was considered as too difficult to study geometry. It is expected that this book suggests historical and educational implications because it appeared in the context of instruction of geometry in the seventeenth century of mathematical history. This study includes the analyses on the contents of Pardies' ${\ll}$Elements of geometry${\gg}$, the author's advice for geometry learning, several geometrical features, and some features from the view of elementary school mathematics, of which the latter two contain the comparisons with other authors' as well as school mathematics. Moreover, some didactical implications were induced based on the results of the study.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.253-270
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• 2007

by A.C. Clairaut was written based on the historico-genetic principle such as his . In this paper, by analyzing his we can induce six principles that Clairaut adopted to teach algebra: necessity and curiosity as a motive of studying algebra, harmony of discovery and proof, complementarity of generalization and specialization, connection of knowledge to be learned with already known facts, semantic approaches to procedural knowledge of mathematics, reversible approach. These can be considered as strategies for teaching algebra accorded with beginner's mind. Some of them correspond with characteristics of , but the others are unique in the domain of algebra. And by comparing Clairaut's approaches with school algebra, we discuss about some mathematical subjects: setting equations in relation to problem situations, operations and signs of letters, rule of signs in multiplication, solving quadratic equations, and general relationship between roots and coefficients of equations.

• School Mathematics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.109-122
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• 1999

In this paper we give a description of students' obstacles in their learning of geometry, especially resulted from their confusing a physical drawing with a figure, a geometrical object which a physical drawing represents. In computer-based teaching-learning environment, we could relieve such obstacles through providing students for experiences in which they must focus on elements of a figure and relations of them. But there may be potential in computer-based environment if we offer students only visual experience for validity of geometrical gacts: students' lack of understanding for need of proof and experience of cognitive obstacles which is very important for students to reflect their thinking and activities. Thus an didactical treatment must follows, which we also give an example.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.53-65
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• 2010

The congruent conditions of triangles' plays an important role to connect intuitive geometry with deductive geometry in school mathematics. It is induced by 'three determining conditions of triangles' which is justified by classical geometric construction. In this paper, we analyze the essential meaning and geometric position of 'congruent conditions of triangles in Euclidean Geometry and investigate introducing processes for them in the Elements of Euclid, Hilbert congruent axioms, Russian textbook and Korean textbook, respectively. Also, we give justifications of construction methods for triangle having three segments with fixed lengths and angle equivalent to given angle suggested in Korean textbooks, are discussed, which can be directly applicable to teaching geometric construction meaningfully.

• School Mathematics
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.401-420
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• 2003

We have many problems in the teaching and learning of proof, especially in the demonstrative geometry of middle school mathematics introducing the proof for the first time. Above all, it is the serious problem that many students do not understand the meaning of proof. In this paper we intend to show that teaching the meaning of proof in terms of historic-genetic approach will be a method to improve the way of teaching proof. We investigate the development of proof which goes through three stages such as experimental, intuitional, and scientific stage as well as the development of geometry up to the completion of Euclid's Elements as Bran-ford set out, and analyze the teaching process for the purpose of looking for the way of improving the way of teaching proof through the historic-genetic approach. We conducted lessons about the angle-sum property of triangle in accordance with these three stages to the students of seventh grade. We show that the students will understand the meaning of proof meaningfully and properly through the historic-genetic approach.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.61-77
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• 2022

This study looked at the deviation of each textbook, focusing on the detailed learning content related to the quadratic curve properties contained in high school geometry textbooks. Rather than criticizing the diversity of content elements covered in high school geometry textbooks and suggesting alternatives, it focused on analyzing the actual conditions of content element diversity. The curriculum specifies that the practical application of the quadratic curve should be emphasized so that student could recognize the usefulness and value. However, as a result of the analysis, it was confirmed that the purpose of the curriculum and the structure of the textbook did not match somewhat, the deviation of content elements for each textbook was quite large. In terms of acknowledging the diversity of teaching and learning, the diversity of each textbook on the methods of the introduction and the natures related to the quadratic curve can be fully recognized. But in our educational reality, which is aiming for the university entrance examination system through national evaluation such as CSAT, the results are too sensitive in society as a whole, so the diversity of expressions in mathematics textbooks is sometimes interpreted as a disadvantage of evaluation. It is time to reconsider the composition of textbooks that recognizes the diversity of content elements in textbook teaching and learning and at the same time reflects the aspect of equality in evaluation.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.227-239
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• 2011

The circumcenter of a triangle is introduced in logic geometry part of 8th grade mathematics. To handle certain characteristics of a figure through mathematical proof may involve considerable difficulty, and many students have greater difficulties especially in learning textbook's methods of proving propositions about circumcenter of a triangle. This study compares the methods how the circumcenter of a triangle is explored among the Elements of Euclid, a classic of logic geometry, current textbooks of USA and those of Korea. As a result of it, this study tries to abstract some significant implications on teaching the circumcenter of a triangle.

• School Mathematics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.123-138
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• 2008

The objective of this paper is to reveal the cause of failure of New Math in the field of the SMSG area education from the didactical point of view. At first, we analyzed Euclid's (Elements), De Morgan's (Elements of arithmetic), and Legendre's (Elements of geometry and trigonometry) in order to identify characteristics of the area conception in the SMSG. And by analyzing the controversy between Wittenberg(1963) and Moise(1963), we found that the elementariness and the mental object of the area concept are the key of the success of SMSG's approach. As a result, we conclude that SMSG's approach became separated from the mathematical contents of the similarity concept, the idea of same-area, incommensurability and so on. In this account, we disclosed that New Math gave rise to the lack of elementariness and geometrical mental object, which was the fundamental cause of failure of New Math.