• School Mathematics
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.357-374
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• 2008

The complex number system is supposed to introduce first chapter in the first grade of high school. When number system is expanded to complex numbers, the main aim is to understand preservation of algebraic structure with regard to the flow of curriculum and textbook. This research reviewed overall alternative articulation and treatment of textbooks from a logical viewpoint. Two research questions are developed below. First, in the structure of the current curriculum, when we consider student's 'level', how are the alternative articulation and treatment of textbooks in complex unit on a logical point of view? Second, What are more logical alternative articulation and treatment? What alternative articulation and treatment are suitable for a running goal? and what are the improvement which is definitive?

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.1-19
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• 2012

In this study, contents of 'the 2007 revised curriculum handbook' and 16 kinds of mathematics textbooks were analyzed first. The purpose of this study is to examine the understanding state of students at general high schools by making questionnaires to survey the understanding state on contents of chapter of complex number based on above analysis. Results of research can be summarized as follows. First, the content of chapter of complex number in textbook was not logically organized. In the introduction of imaginary number unit, two kinds of marks were presented without any reason and it has led to two kinds of notation of negative square root. There was no explanation of difference between delimiter symbol and operator symbol at all. The concepts were presented as definition without logical explanations. Second, students who learned with textbook in which problems were pointed out above did not have concept of complex number for granted, and recognized it as expansion of operation of set of real numbers. It meant that they were confused of operation of complex numbers and did not form the image about number system itself of complex number. Implications from this study can be obtained as follows. First, as we came over to the 7th curriculum, the contents of chapter of complex number were too abbreviated to have the logical configuration of chapter in order to remove the burden for learning. Therefore, the quantitative expansion and logical configuration fit to the level for high school students corresponding to the formal operating stage are required for correct configuration of contents of chapter. Second, teachers realize the importance of chapter of complex number and reconstruct the contents of chapter to let students think conceptually and logically.