Generally school algebra is to start with introducing variables and algebraic expressions, which have major cognitive obstacles to students in the transfer from arithmetic to algebra. But the recent studies in the teaching school algebra argue the algebraic thinking from an early algebraic point of view. We compare the Korean elementary mathematics textbooks with Americans from this perspective. First, we discuss the history of school algebra in the school curriculum. And Second, we investigate the recent studies in relation to early algebra. We clarify the goals of this study(the importance of early algebra in the elementary school) through these discussions. Next we examine closely the number sense in the arithmetic and the symbol sense in the algebra. And we conclude that the operation sense can connect these senses within early algebra using the algebraic thinking. Finally, we compare the elementary mathematics books between Korean and American according to the components of the operation sense. In this comparative study, we identify a possibility of teaching algebraic thinking in the elementary mathematics and early algebra can be introduced to the elementary mathematics textbooks from aspects of the operation sense.

The purpose of the study is to find out how to improve the ability of problem-solving for matriculants who have deficiency in understanding general mathematics. To figure out effective teaching method for the matriculants, we manage special lecture for basic mathematics and, analyze student assessment, course evaluation and also effects on calculus subject.

Herbart's education provides an implication for mathematics education that combine a practical ethics education with mathematics education. Herbart show that an theoretical mathematics education would not exist as a sole. It implies that mathematics education must do activities that take into consideration the humanity in its entirety. The theory of mathematics education based on Herbart's ethics theory of education reveals the entireness of human. There are possible explanations for the ways to increase the value of the mathematics education as an education for whole human. It is that the advantage of learning mathematics is not only that we can solve the problems we face in our lives but also that we can acquire a form of life.

Since the center of mass of mathematics curriculum in middle school is dealt with only on triangle and it is defined as just an intersection point of median lines without any physical experiments, students sometimes have misconception of the centroid as well as it is difficult to promote divergent thinking that enables students to think the centroids of various figures. To overcome these problems and to instruct effectively the centroid unit in middle school mathematics classroom, this study suggests a teaching and learning method for the unit which uses physical experiments, drawing, and calculation methods sequentially based on the investigation of students' understanding on the centroid of triangle and the analysis of the mathematics textbooks.

This paper started from a question: Can it help a student solve the problem to give supports in point of view of a teacher knowing the solution. We performed a case study to get an answer for the question. We analysed a case which students do not make full use of data in the mathematical problem from this point of view of the mental representation. We examined closely the cause for not making full use of data. We got that the wrong mental representation which the students get from data in the problem lead to not making full use of data. We knew that it is insufficient to present the data not making use of. To help a student truly, it is necessary to give a aid based on a student's mental representation. From the conclusion of study, We got that figuring out student's mental representation is important and hope that many investigation about student's mental representation for various problem occur with frequency.