A Study on the instruction of function concept in school mathematics

학교수학에서의 함수 개념 지도 방법에 관한 고찰

As a researcher engaged in the mathematical education, mathematics teachers are interested in instructional methods. While it is unlikely that the viewpoints of individual mathematics teachers are reflected in making decisions on instructional purposes and instructional contents, a good many parts of instructional methods on mathematical facts are decided by individual teachers. This means that the role of mathematics teachers is given much weight in the mathematical education. Therefore, the mathematics teachers must not be excluded in all parts of the study of mathematical education. We studied the instructional methods of function concept, a central topic in school mathematics from the following perspectives. First, we examined the characteristics of the three(correspondence-centered, middle, dependence centered) viewpoints about the essence of function concept. And we should that which of them should be the viewpoint of instruction of function concept in school mathematics. Second, we investigated the questions regarding the process of function instruction in school mathematics and presented alternative instruction methods of function concept to solve the questions. Third, we postulated the importance of polynomial function, relating college mathematics in order to present the reason why the polynomial function is importantly treated in functional instruction of school mathematics.