• School Mathematics
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.889-920
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• 2013

The aim of this study is to look into the didactical background for introducing the concept of multiplication and teaching multiplication facts in elementary school mathematics and offer suggestions to improve teaching multiplication in the future. In order to attain these purposes, this study deduced and examined concepts of multiplication, situations involving multiplication, didactical models for multiplication and multiplication strategies based on key ideas with respect to the didactical background on teaching multiplication through a theoretical consideration regarding various studies on multiplication. Based on such examination, this study compared and analyzed textbooks used in the United States, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and South Korea. In the light of such theoretical consideration and analytical results, this study provided implication for improving teaching multiplication in elementary schools in Korea as follows: diversifying equal groups situations, emphasizing multiplicative comparison situations, reconsidering Cartesian product situations for providing situations involving multiplication, balancing among the group model, array model and line model and transposing from material models to structured and formal ones in using didactical models for multiplication, emphasizing multiplication strategies and properties of multiplication and connecting learned facts and new facts with one another for teaching multiplication facts.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.277-291
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• 2011

It is necessary for the teacher to understand why teach mathematics in order to implement the visions and expectations of the national mathematics curriculum in her actual classroom. This study conducted a survey of examining how elementary school teachers might understand the purpose of teaching mathematics. The results of this study showed that teachers' conceptions of the purpose of teaching mathematics were related mainly to the development of logical thinking, practical use of mathematics in everyday life, and a tool for studying other subjects or disciplines. However, teachers did not perceive much other purposes of mathematics education such as understanding the world, appreciating aesthetic value of mathematics, and developing communicative ability as well as sociality. Whereas teachers did not think of the significance of mathematics as an intellectual field when asked to write down how they would explain students why they had to learn mathematics, they tended to strongly agree it in the Likert-scale responses. Teachers' conceptions were not different according to their gender but teachers with less than five years' teaching experience were relatively negative than others with more experience. Given these results, this study provided issues and implications of teachers' conceptions of the purpose of teaching mathematics.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.71-94
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• 2001

The purposes of this study were to design small group collaborative learning models for developing the creativity and to analyze the effects on applying the models in mathematics teaching and loaming. The meaning of open education in mathematics learning, the relation of creativity and inquiry learning, the relation of small group collaborative learning and creativity, and the relation of assessment and creativity were reviewed. And to investigate the relation small group collaborative learning and creativity, we developed three types of small group collaborative learning model- inquiry model, situation model, tradition model, and then conducted in elementary school and middle school. As a conclusion, this study suggested; (1) Small group collaborative learning can be conducted when the teacher understands the small group collaborative learning practice in the mathematics classroom and have desirable belief about mathematics instruction. (2) Students' mathematical anxiety can be reduced and students' involvement in mathematics learning can be facilitated, when mathematical tasks are provided through inquiry model and situation model. (3) Students' mathematical creativity can be enhanced when the teacher make classroom culture that students' thinking is valued and teacher's authority is reduced. (4) To develop students' mathematical creativity, the interaction between students in small group should be encouraged, and assessment of creativity development should be conduced systematically and continuously.

• School Mathematics
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.331-346
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• 2002

This study has two purposes. One is to know that it is Possible to use portfolio in the elementary math class. The other is to make a useful method for using portfolio. We got the following conclusion through the study. Portfolio gave students an opportunity that they could review their mathematical thinking. But it couldn't work very well for the low-level students. They didn't pay attention to the class. So, careful prepa-ration and training were necessary for the portfolio material. And the portfolio material must be prepared by appropriate contents. Teacher had to do math class by considering students ability. The math class could be much better for motivation, teaching-learning activity impro-vement and communication tool by using portfolio material. There are several imple-mentation processes in preparation, execution and utilization of the class. 1) Preparation: Teacher must decide if it is appropriate for portfolio by analyzing the course and textbook and set a final goal. And then teacher has to select an appropriate item and make a schedule for the class. The portfolio material must contain valuable things from which students learn mathematics and use in their life. The student level, utilization purpose and contents are considered when one prepares portfolio material. 2) Execution: Students are supposed to understand about the portfolio very well. It is important for them to get the opportunity for reviewing through math class diary, their opinion, friends opinion and teachers opinion. 3) Utilization: Parents review ameliorates the communication among teacher, student and parents about learning activity.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.21-58
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• 2015

The aim of this study is to look into the didactical background for teaching proportional reasoning in elementary school mathematics and offer suggestions to improve teaching proportional reasoning in the future. In order to attain these purposes, this study extracted and examined key ideas with respect to the didactical background on teaching proportional reasoning through a theoretical consideration regarding various studies on proportional reasoning. Based on such examination, this study compared and analyzed textbooks used in the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea. In the light of such theoretical consideration and analytical results, this study provided suggestions for improving teaching proportional reasoning in elementary schools in Korea as follows: giving much weight on proportional reasoning, emphasizing multiplicative comparison and discerning between additive comparison and multiplicative comparison, underlining the ratio concept as an equivalent relation, balancing between comparisons tasks and missing value tasks inclusive of quantitative and qualitative, algebraic and geometrical aspects, emphasizing informal strategies of students before teaching cross-product method, and utilizing informal and pre-formal models actively.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.441-463
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• 2010

This study purposes to examine the learning achievements, attitude and reactions of elementary school students in fifth grade in mathematics after inducing to use of learning-notebook on mathematics. To achieve the purpose, this study focuses on the following matters. First, we develop the ways to write thoughts and activities in solving problems on learning-notebook for elementary school student in fifth grade. Second, we analyze the effects of the students' learning achievements after applying the ways to them in every mathematics learning activities at home and in school, etc. Third, this study examine the attitudes and reactions of the students toward mathematics after observing the learning activities and interviewing them. The results are summarized as follows. First, using learning-notebook helps to improve the performance of students. The average point of the final examination went up to 90.67 while the average of the first level test was 70.75. And almost each student's result have improved. Second, the interviews with the students show that they feel sense of accomplishment, their mathematical attitude has changed to be positive, and they've actively participated in class by using the learning-notebook. The students felt confidence and achievement and they were more interested in studying mathematics when they use the learning-notebook. Further, the students used the notes in doing their homework and at home studying. Finally, the learning-notebook had a good influence on the relationships between students and teachers. Moreover, learning-notebook serves as a medium that connects teacher and student's work.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.37-54
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• 2018

Despite the significance of fraction in elementary mathematics education, it is not easy to teach it meaningfully in connection with real life in Korea. This study aims to investigate and analyze 3rd grade students' understanding on unit fraction concepts and on comparison of unit fractions and to identify the parts which need to be supplemented in relation to unit fraction. For these purposes, I reviewed previous studies and extracted chapters which cover unit fractions in elementary mathematics textbooks based on 2009 revised curriculums and analyzed teaching contexts and visual representations of unit fractions. From this point of view, I constructed a test which consists of three problems based on Chval et al(2013) to investigate students' understanding on unit fraction. To apply this test, I selected forty-one 3rd grade students and examined that students' aspects of understanding on unit fraction. The results were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. In this study, I present the analysis results and provide implications and some didactical suggestions for teaching contexts and visual representations of unit fraction based on the discussion.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.385-415
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• 2011

To investigate the more effective mathematical communication process, a recommended teacher and a selected class as an exemplary model was analyzed with Flanders system. The mathematical communicative level was examined to measure content level using the framework analysing the mathematical communicative level(Park & Pang) based on describing levels of math-talk learning community(Hufferd-Ackles). The purposes of this paper are to describe the verbal flow pattern between teacher and students in the elementary school class for mathematically gifted students, and to propose the effective communication model of math-talk with analysis of verbal teaching behavior in the active class. In addition the whole and the parts of the exemplary class sample is respectively analysed to be used practically by elementary school teachers. The results show the active communication process with higher level presents a pattern 'Ask Question${\rightarrow}$Activity (Silence, Confusion or work)${\rightarrow}$Student-Initiated Talk${\rightarrow}$Activity (Silence, Confusion or work), and the teacher's verbal behavior promoting math communication actively is exhibited by indirect influence especially accepting or using ideas.

• School Mathematics
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.537-555
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• 2008

The study aims to analyze elementary school students' understanding of the concept of equality sign in contexts, to reflect the types of contexts for equality sign which mathematics textbook series for $1{\sim}4$ grades on natural numbers and its operation provide, and to invetigate the effects of teaching methods of the concept of equality sign suggested in this research. In order to achieve these purposes, the origin, concept, and contexts of equality sign were theoretically reviewed and organized. Also the error types in using equality sign were reflected. Modelling, discussing truth or falsity of equations, identifying relations between numbers and their operation, conjecturing basic properties of numbers and their operations, experiencing diverse contexts for equality sign, and creating contexts for equality sign are set up as teaching methods for better understanding the concept of equality sign. The conclusions are as follows. Firstly, elementary school students' under-standing of the concept of equality sign varied by context and was generally far from satisfactory. In particular, they had difficulties in understanding the concept of the equal sign in contexts with operations on both sides. The most frequently witnessed error was to recognize equality sign as a result of operations. Secondly, student' lack of understanding of the concept of equality sign came from the fact that elementary textbooks failed to provide diverse contexts for equality sign. According to the textbook analysis, contexts with operations on the left side of the equal sign in the form of $a{\pm}b=c$ were provided excessively, with the other contexts hardly seen. Thirdly, teaching methods provided in the study were found to be effective for enhancing understanding the concept of equality sign. In other words, these methods enabled students to focus on relational understanding of concept of equality sign rather than operational one.

• School Mathematics
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.541-553
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• 2003

The purposes of this study are to look into the changing processes of mathematical beliefs and attitudes of the students and to propose the plans how to manage cooperative learning, what can contribute to cognitive affective domains of mathematics learning in applying STAD-based cooperative loaming to mathematics class. So we, the researchers performed cooperative learning in the fifth grade of elementary school and did the exams of mathematical beliefs and attitudes, interviews, supplementary Questions. And students showed meaningful changes in 'the need of cooperative learning', 'critical thinking', 'the acceptance of thoughts of others'. Meanwhile, there were possibilities what all the members of one group can't recognize their errors in STAD, so we proposed 'Tongsinsa'. And we presented concrete methods how to reconstruct groups and somethings to consider when students are not satisfied with the group activities.