• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.747-764
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• 2017

Problems in mathematics textbooks are very important because there is a high reliance on textbooks in elementary school mathematics classes and there is a strong belief that mathematics is to find the solution to problems. Considering this importance, we analyzed problems in elementary mathematics textbooks quantitatively and qualitatively. Concretely, problems of addition and subtraction with carry on in the range of two digit numbers in the mathematics textbooks from the 1st to the 2015 national revised curriculum were analyzed. As a result, the problems in each textbook were found to reveal important features of the textbook reflecting changes in curriculum and educational background. And the problem of textbooks has changed in the direction of enhancing students' reasoning, communication, and problem solving ability. Based on these results, we suggested several implications for dealing with problems in elementary mathematics textbooks.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.27-48
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• 2024

In order to prepare for changes in future society, cross-curricular learning is emphasized, and the need to link cross-curricular learning topics and subjects is increasing. However, there are few studies on how to deal with cross-curricular learning in mathematics education. This study analyzed the contents and methods of cross-curricular learning topics in subject-specific curriculum and mathematics textbooks. As a result of the study, the curriculum can be categorized into four types according to the variety of cross-curricular learning topics applied and the presence or absence of a main cross-curricular learning topic, and the mathematics curriculum belongs to the type where some cross-curricular learning topics are dealt with passively and there is no main topic. On the other hand, the analysis of 10 math textbooks for grades 5 and 6 according to the 2015 revised curriculum showed that, unlike the curriculum, various cross-curricular learning topics were applied in the textbooks, mainly environment and sustainable development education, safety and health education, career education, character education, and economic and financial education. In addition, in mathematics textbooks, cross-curricular learning topics appeared in various types such as materials, questions, explanations, illustrations, and in many cases, they appeared mainly as materials or illustrations. Based on these findings, implications were explored and suggested on how to integrate and apply cross-curricular learning topics in mathematics.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.95-111
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• 2019

This study searched for the possibility of tangram activities through modifying the tasks of elementary school mathematics textbooks into content based open tasks. As a result of analyzing previous researches, it was confirmed the educational effect of the mathematical tasks transformation and the educational value of tangram activities. The analysis of the textbooks revealed that the tangram activities presented in the textbooks are likely to be at the level of play. It was tried to modify 2015 revised curriculum textbook-tasks into content based open tasks. Based on this study, it could be expected advantages of task modification such as improvement of teachers' expertise and expectation of diverse reactions of students.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-21
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• 2010

This paper analyzed the contents and instructional methods of various plane figures presented mainly in a series of elementary mathematics textbooks on the basis of the analysis of related contents in the 2007 revised national mathematics curriculum. As such, this paper provided detailed analyses of how textbooks would implement the vision and intention of the curriculum, how the definition of each plane figure in the textbooks might be different from its mathematical definition, and how textbooks would introduce each plane figure. It is expected that the issues and suggestions stemming from this analysis will be informative in designing new instructional materials.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.353-372
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• 2015

This study investigated how to utilize number line related number concept learning and analyzed problems related utilization of number line focused on natural number and rational number(fraction, decimal), in elementary school mathematics textbook. The purpose of this study is to identify desirable direction about the utilization of number line, based on analysis of the introduction of time, introduction contents and utilization method in elementary school mathematics textbook.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.527-544
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• 2015

Storytelling is one of the important features in the elementary school mathematics textbooks of the 2009 revised curriculum. In particular, the whole 'comparing objects' unit in the first grade mathematics textbook is based on storytelling method. In this study, we investigate the contents of the stories and the mathematical activities in the 'comparing objects' unit from both mathematical and character educational viewpoints. Based on our investigations, we analyze educational problems on teaching and learning mathematics as storytelling, suggest reconstructed alternative mathematical activities, and drew their educational implications.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.547-573
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• 2021

Capacity is a concept that has been covered in elementary mathematics textbooks but its meaning has not been accurately defined in the textbooks. Two units, liter (L) and milliliter (mL), are introduced as the units of capacity in the textbooks, but they are the units of volume according to the International System of Unit. These stimulated us to analyze what capacity is, and how the capacity is related to the concept of volume. This study scrutinized how the different elementary mathematics textbooks that were developed from the first national curriculum to the most recently revised curriculum introduced the capacity and explained the relationship between capacity and volume. This study also examined the understanding of capacity by elementary school teachers using a questionnaire. The results of this study showed that the concept of capacity has been mostly introduced in the third grade in common but that there were differences among textbooks in terms of how they presented and used the concept of capacity as well as whether they described its definition or relationship with the concept of volume. Regarding the results of teachers' understanding, most teachers could explain the capacity as either "the size of the inner space of the container" or "the amount that can be contained" but some of them provided only superficial or inappropriate feedback for the students with the common misunderstandings of capacity. Based on these results, this paper presents implications for textbook developers and teachers to better address the concept of capacity.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.221-237
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• 2022

This study investigated teachers' decision-making and related factors in the elementary textbook adoption process. Our participants include 296 elementary teachers who took part in the mathematics textbook (grades 3 and 4) adoption committees in his/her schools. Our study used the decision-making model of Shavelson and Stern (1981) for analyzing teacher beliefs and attitudes concerning choices and priorities, judgments, evaluation methods, and key factors to reviewing and selecting a mathematics textbook. Our discussion includes teacher beliefs and intentions and the way they come into conflict with determinant factors that influence the decision-making of textbook adoption. Findings also reveal the unique nature of elementary school teaching as generalists in contrast with secondary teachers as specialists, playing a significant role in the adoption process. Lastly, the study discusses the entanglements of textbook reform and explains the discrepancy between textbook authorization/approval policies versus the plight of little change (and innovation) in mathematics textbooks.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.263-289
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• 2017

New mathematics textbooks for elementary school students are under development according to the 2015 national revised curriculum. Not only contents but also framework of textbooks may be interesting to the mathematics educators and researchers. Considering the high dependency on textbooks in elementary classrooms, the influence of the framework of textbooks in mathematics learning cannot be overlooked. The unit and lesson frameworks of the textbook are important because they are directly related to the quality of mathematic lessons, especially when teachers make a lesson plan based on the unit and lesson frameworks of the textbook. This study is to analyse the unit and lesson frameworks of elementary school mathematics textbooks and to find out elementary school teachers' preference about its analysed key points. For longitudinal analysis, we selected 3rd-grade mathematics textbooks of 5th, 6th, 7th, the 2007, and the 2009 national revised curriculums. For horizontal analysis, we selected 3rd-grade mathematics textbooks of Korea, Japan, United States and Finland. We compared unit and lesson frameworks of various textbooks, and abstracted key elements of the textbook frameworks, and constructed survey questions. Looking at results from survey questions based on analysed key points, we were able to grasp the teachers' preference for unit and lesson frameworks for mathematics textbook. Based on the results of this study, some implications for the development of framework for new mathematics textbooks are suggested.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.91-109
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• 2007

This study deals with the problem of transition from arithmetic to algebra and the relationship between elementary and secondary school mathematics for systems of linear equations. In elementary school, activity for solving word problems related to systems of linear equations in two variables falls broadly into using two strategies: Guess and check and making a table. In secondary school, those problems are solved algebraically, for example, by solving systems of equations using the technique of elimination. The analysis of mathematics textbooks shows that there is no link between strategies of elementary school mathematics and secondary school mathematics. We devised an alternative way to reinforce link between elementary and secondary school mathematics for systems of linear equations. Drawing a diagram can be introduced as a strategy solving word problems related to systems of linear equations in two variables in elementary school. Moreover it is closely related to the idea of the technique of elimination of secondary school mathematics. It may be a critical juncture of elementary-secondary school mathematics in the case of systems of linear equations in two variables.