• Journal of Science Education
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.331-344
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• 2020

This study aims to find meaningful implications for the development of Korean elementary school math education courses and textbooks by comparing and analyzing the number and arithmetic areas of Korean and Canadian math textbooks in fifth and sixth grades. To this end, the textbook composition system of Korean and Canadian elementary schools was compared and analyzed, and the number and timing of introduction of math textbooks and math textbooks by grade, and the number in fifth and sixth grade and the learning contents of math textbooks were compared and analyzed. The following conclusions were obtained from this study: First, it is necessary to organize a textbook that can solve the problem in an integrated way by introducing the learned mathematical concepts and computations naturally in the context of problems closely related to real life, regardless of the type of private calculation or mathematics area. Second, it is necessary to organize questions using materials such as real photography and mathematics, science, technology, engineering, art, etc. and to organize textbooks that make people feel the necessity and usefulness of mathematics. Third, sufficient learning of the principles of mathematics through the use of various actual teaching aids and mathematical models, and the construction of textbooks focusing on problem-solving strategies using engineering tools are needed. Fourth, in-depth discussions are needed on the timing of learning guidance for fractions and minority learning or how to organize and develop learning content.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.317-325
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze the readability of the 2015 revised elementary science textbooks at the vocabulary and sentence levels, and to provide an opportunity to use vocabulary and sentences with an appropriate level of readability for writing textbooks in the future. To do this, the readability of the 2015 revised elementary science textbook was analyzed and the vocabulary and sentence level the readability of sentences defining scientific terminology were analyzed. The results were then compared to the readability of previous curriculum textbooks. The results are as follows: first, the grade average of vocabulary remained at 1.5-2.1, with vocabulary appropriate to the elementary school level being used on average. However, grades 4 to 5 vocabulary are distributed at a relatively high rate. Second, the sentence-level analysis shows that the sentence lengths for the third and fifth grades were relatively long and the percentage of simple sentences was low. Third, compared to other curriculum textbooks, it was confirmed that the proper level of readability was maintained at the vocabulary level, but that the sentence lengths and the percentage of simple sentences could adversely affect the readability of third-grade science textbooks.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.115-124
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• 2023

This study aimed to investigate elementary school teachers' interest in mathematics textbooks following the new change in the publication system for elementary mathematics textbooks. To achieve this, an online survey platform was used to conduct a survey of elementary school teachers in teaching grade 3-4 across the country, and the responses of 199 participants were analyzed to determine their interest in mathematics textbooks. The research results showed that elementary school teachers had high levels of interest in mathematics textbooks, particularly in informational and personal interest. Moreover, the stages at which teachers showed the highest level of interest were reinforcement interest and operational interest. Analysis of the differences in interest in mathematics textbooks based on personal variables showed significant differences depending on the teacher's experience in mathematics education training, satisfaction with mathematics textbooks, and whether they majored in mathematics education. Based on these findings, it can be inferred that elementary school teachers have a high level of informational interest in the characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and materials related to authorized and approved mathematics textbooks, and their high level of personal interest in mathematics textbooks can have a positive effect in line with the goal of the new textbook system. Additionally, since many teachers showed a high level of interest in reinforcement interest, it is necessary to devise various ways to support teachers' creative use and reconstruction of mathematics textbooks.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.73-88
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• 2022

Mathematics is a way of thinking. To do mathematics means to think mathematically. In other words, mathematics education and mathematics literacy are related. In elementary and secondary school mathematics education in many countries, teaching of mathematics using textbooks is conducted mostly in their native language. So mathematics education takes place while reading, writing, listening, and speaking mathematics. Analysis of mathematics textbooks for the lower grades of undergraduate mathematics shows that most advanced countries in mathematics use excellent undergraduate mathematics textbooks written in their native language. However, the ratio of using imported textbooks from foreign countries is particularly high in the case of textbooks for mathematics majors at Korean universities. In this article, the effect of language used in university mathematics education is analized. In particular, the importance of high-quality leading-edge university mathematics textbooks in native language is introduced by analyzing the case of Bourbaki in France and 'War of language' at the Israel Institute of Technology. The innovation of French university mathematics education in the 20th century began with Bourbaki's 'Fundamentals of Mathematics', a French textbook written in his native language. Israel's Technion and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem continue to teach all subjects in their mother tongue. This has led to produce many Nobel Prize and Fields medal winners in these two countries. This study shows that textbooks and languages used in university mathematics education has affected mathematical literacy.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.299-324
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to identify high school students' mathematics learning style and its characteristics according to their personality disposition types and to propose mathematics learning strategies fit into each personality disposition type. For this purpose, MBTI personality test and survey to find mathematics learning style for 375 high school students were executed. The results were as follows. First, many students highly evaluated the effects of private education and prefer reference book to textbook. Second, there were significant differences on following variable domains of mathematics learning style such as learning attitude, learning habit(concentrativeness to concept understanding), problem solving strategies(effort for problem comprehension, use of various strategies), self management(metacognition) by MBTI personality disposition types(SJ, SP, NT, NF groups). Third, based on the results, the following mathematics learning strategies fit into each personality disposition type were recommended. SJ type students are needed to effort creative approach for open problem and to use mindmap as mathematics learning strategy. SP type students are needed to fulfill stepwise problem solving process and to effort constantly practice long/short term learning objectives. NT type students are needed to expand opportunity to study with friends and to use SRN(self reflection note) or mathematics journal writings as mathematics learning strategy. NF type students are needed to use mathematics learning note writing activity which include logical basis for each step of problem solving and to invest more time on learning algebra which need meticulous calculation.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.67 no.5
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• pp.353-361
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• 2023

This study analyzed the uses of visual representations of particles in the matter units of the middle school science textbooks developed under the 2015 Revised National Curriculum. The material units in four textbooks were divided into explanation, inquiry, and evaluation sections, and visual representations of particles presented in the science textbooks were analyzed by the use type, the activity type, and the level of activity. In the explanation section, the visual representations of particles were mainly presented in the auxiliary use type, and in the inquiry and evaluation section, they were mainly presented in a direct use type. In terms of the activity types of the direct use of visual representations of particles, the interpreting activity was mainly presented in the explanation and evaluation sections, while the generating activity and completing activity were presented in relatively higher proportion in the inquiry section than the other two sections. In terms of activity level, identifying was the most common activity level in the explanation section, and inferring was the most common activity level in the inquiry and evaluation sections. Based on these results, the implications for the presentation and uses of visual representations of particles in science textbooks are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.262-277
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• 2017

Digital textbooks enable learning that is appropriate to the characteristics and level of learners through various interactions. The purpose of this study was to develop an instruction model that can more effectively use digital textbooks in elementary science classes and to verify its effectiveness. The results were as follows. The instruction model for helping learners complete their learning by using digital textbooks needs to receive diagnostic assessment and feedback on entry behavior, to build a self-directed learning environment, and to interact with teachers, students, and digital textbooks as scaffolding. In this study, we developed an instruction model using digital textbooks reflecting these characteristic. The instructional model consists of preparation, practice and solidity step. In the preparation step, the learner performs a diagnostic evaluation using digital textbooks. Based on the results, feedback provided at each level can complement the entry behavior and maintain interest in learning activities. In the practice step, self-directed learning is implemented using diverse functions of digital textbooks and various types of data. In the solidity step, learners can internalize the learning contents by reviewing video clips which are provided by teachers, performing problem-solving activities, and accessing outcomes accumulated by learners in the community online. In order to verify the effectiveness of this model, we selected the "Weather and our Life" unit. This experiment was conducted using 101 students in the 5th grade in B Elementary School in Gwangju Metropolitan City. In the experimental group, 50 students learned using a smart device that embodies digital textbooks applied with the instruction model. In the comparative group, 51 students were taught using the paper textbooks. The results were as follows. First, there was a significant effect on the improvement of the learning achievement in the experimental group with low academic ability compared with the comparative group with low academic ability. Second, there was a significant effect on self-directed learning attitude in the experimental group. Third, in the experimental group, the number of interactions with the learner, teacher, and digital textbook was higher than the comparative group. In conclusion, the digital textbooks based on the instruction model in elementary science classes developed in this study helped to improve learners' learning achievement and self-directed learning attitudes.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.478-485
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• 2013

"GukMinSoHakDokBon", published in 1895, is the first national textbook designated by the Education Institute. Ten of the 41 chapters consist of scientific contents. In this thesis, some the contents are reviewed in detail and studied to see what significance it has in view of science education. The scientific contents described in "GukMinSoHakDokBon" include Plants Change, Clock, Camels, Wind, Hive, Respiration, Crocodiles, Nature of Animals, and Chemical Elements. For that kind of diversity, it was told that "GukMinSoHakDokBon" was not considered for normal students, and there were many ambiguities due to in sufficient explanations. Some of the contents were even technically wrong. So it has been noted that the scientific contents of "GukMinSoHakDokBon" have more significance in providing new information at that time but not in understanding newly-organized scientific knowledge. However, it is obvious that the early science education in Korea is composed of the methods of reading "GukMinSoHakDokBon". This is a common figure, which can be found in "Willson's Reader", the elementary reading textbook in the U.S. in the 1860's or "小學讀本" by the Ministry of Education in Japan. One thing remarkable is "GukMinSoHakDokBon" induced students' interests through the use of storytelling method for introducing some unfamiliar scientific knowledge. There is no doubt that "GukMinSoHakDokBon" has a very positive role in increasing students interest and intelligence. These advantages are being actively applied in the present model of storytelling education these days. Therefore, "GukMinSoHakDokBon" can be regarded as both a language textbook and an early figure in science education, and it can be also considered that "GukMinSoHakDokBon" has a significance not only in approaching scientific substances theoretically but in using storytelling methods to deliver unfamiliar and strange knowledges to students.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.123-138
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• 2024

This study described the utilization of ChatGPT in teaching and students' learning processes for the course "Introductory Mathematics for Artificial Intelligence (Math4AI)" at 'S' University. We developed a customized ChatGPT and presented a learning model in which students supplement their knowledge of the topic at hand by utilizing this model. More specifically, first, students learn the concepts and questions of the course textbook by themselves. Then, for any question they are unsure of, students may submit any questions (keywords or open problem numbers from the textbook) to our own ChatGPT at https://math4ai.solgitmath.com/ to get help. Notably, we optimized ChatGPT and minimized inaccurate information by fully utilizing various types of data related to the subject, such as textbooks, labs, discussion records, and codes at http://matrix.skku.ac.kr/Math4AI-ChatGPT/. In this model, when students have questions while studying the textbook by themselves, they can ask mathematical concepts, keywords, theorems, examples, and problems in natural language through the ChatGPT interface. Our customized ChatGPT then provides the relevant terms, concepts, and sample answers based on previous students' discussions and/or samples of Python or R code that have been used in the discussion. Furthermore, by providing students with real-time, optimized advice based on their level, we can provide personalized education not only for the Math4AI course, but also for any other courses in college math education. The present study, which incorporates our ChatGPT model into the teaching and learning process in the course, shows promising applicability of AI technology to other college math courses (for instance, calculus, linear algebra, discrete mathematics, engineering mathematics, and basic statistics) and in K-12 math education as well as the Lifespan Learning and Continuing Education.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-53
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• 2015

In environmental policy areas, a greater use of economic instruments (EIs) has recently been observed in many countries. However, EIs are heterogeneous policy tools. The textbook case of a Pigouvian tax is far from widely used, mainly due to the information requirements and other structural and institutional constraints. The successful implementation of EIs might heavily depend on pre-existing structural and institutional conditions. Moreover, these institutional conditions are particularly unfavorable in developing countries. Using a simple analytical general equilibrium model, this paper examines how these constraints affect the welfare gain from the introduction of environmental taxes in developing countries. First, this paper solves for the second-best optimal Pigouvian tax and output tax in the presence of a distortionary tax on market use of labor. The result confirms that an environmental output tax achieves a socially-efficient level of emissions in the least-cost manner only if the nature of the linkage between the tax base and the environmental damage is fixed. Second, incorporating structural and institutional constraints into the model through a set of parameter values from China and the US, this paper calculates the net welfare effects of either using the ideal Pigouvian tax or instead using an output tax. The numerical simulation results show that the net welfare gain from the use of an ideal Pigouvian tax could be more than six times larger than that of an output tax in developing countries. On the other hand, the welfare gain is only 50 percent in developed countries. This means that the potential welfare disadvantage from using output taxes instead emissions tax for environmental purposes could be much greater in the case of developing countries.