• School Mathematics
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.315-330
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• 2012

Mathematics educators have tried to teach mathematics to all students who are at any mathematical level by differentiated math instruction from late 1990s in Korea. The common differentiated math instruction separates students into two or three groups according to their mathematical ability and then different activities and tasks are given to each group. This kind of instruction fosters negative attitudes to mathematics to low level students and fix them at low level. So I investigated new mathematics instruction considering able students and low attainers at the same time. This new method is based on using open problems in math class. All students can respond to an open problem in different ways. If teachers could relate all varieties of answers got from students at every level to build good understanding the concept which the problem target at, low attainers could move to their potential developmental levels. This kind of instruction can change low math attainers' negative attitudes to good ones to mathematics and foster their confidence in performing mathematics.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.173-185
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• 2024

Mathematics is a subject that is closely related to ensuring basic academic abilities. As the importance of basic academic abilities has emerged recently, various policies and programs have been implemented to ensure basic academic abilities in mathematics. In this study, we extracted the programs related to mathematics from the Implementation Plans of the Basic Academic Abilities Guarantee of 17 city and provincial education departments and analyzed the actual status of the programs. We divided the programs into diagnosis and support. Regarding diagnosis, we analyzed what types of diagnostic tools are used, who chooses diagnostic tools, who is diagnosed, and when students are diagnosed. Regarding support, we classified it as in-class, in-school, and out-of-school support, and further analyzed the type of the learning support program and the expertise of the instructor. The results of this study showed that there was room for improvement in the timing of diagnosis and diagnostic expertise. This study also found the problems with the lack of preventive programs, ensuring teacher expertise, and support for dyscalculia. This study is expected to contribute to the implementation of programs to ensure basic academic abilities in mathematics and to promote research on basic academic abilities in mathematics education.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.13-24
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• 2010

Mathematics educators oriented to reform-based curricular have asserted that mathematics teachers should lead instructions where all students in their classrooms are able to participated. In this paper, some practices for them to implement it are discussed. Before explaining them, some discussions are made about students ability to construct knowledge. One of them is that teachers should know different learners construct different understandings because of their differences of prior knowledge and reasoning ability. Also, it was discussed that teachers consider classroom environments, assigning children's sitting and tasks in the light of learning. The reason to state them is that perspectives of them should be changed. Finally, "Teacher's careful listening to learners' responses", "Why do think in that way?, How do you know?, What is it meant?", "accepting ideas from all learners", "no supporting a particular idea", "utilizing waiting time", and "teacher's responses to learner's errors and mistakes" are discussed as practices for letting all learners be participated in the mathematics instruction.

• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.283-307
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• 2010

In this study, a new open-ended format math testing system for elementary school students has been proposed. This system is an application of the recently proposed Constructive Multiple-choice Testing (CMT) system on math testing. The CMT system is a testing system in which the examinee has to respond to an item twice, first in an open ended format, and then in the multiple choice format. The advantages of this system is that process information can easily be obtained and that the examinee can receive feedback immediately after the test, based on his/her multiple choice responses. This open-ended format math testing system includes the manager mode, which allows the generation of the test items and student account management, and the testing mode, which allows the students to input their solution process using the menu bar and the keyboard. When two groups, one tested using the CMT system and the other tested using the paper and pencil test, were compared, there was no significant difference in average scores between the two groups although the testing time was longer for the group tested using the CMT system. This result suggests that the open-ended format math testing system proposed in this study can be used effectively in the actual classroom setting.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.39-57
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to affirm what influences the lessons applied by reorganizing the ratio-graph unit of level 6-A on the basis on Realistic Mathematics Education(RME) give on mathematical scholastic achievements and mathematical preferences.In order to achieve the purpose of this study, the experimental study was exerted by making two classes of 6 grades in J elementary school located in Gumi city, Gyeongbuk province as subjects. In this study, test of degree of the mathematics learning ability of student, multiple-choice test and descriptive test of the learning dispositions of student were exerted and the results were t-test officially. The results and the conclusions of this study were as follows: First, the results acquired by officially t-test the levels of the mathematics learning ability of student of the group taught by lessons according to the teaching materials reorganized on the basis of RME and the group taught by lessons according to the 7th curriculum show a meaningful difference(p=.007). This means that the lessons according to the teaching materials reorganized on the basis of RME showed meaningful influences on the improvement of degree of the mathematics learning ability of student. Second, the results acquired by officially t-test the learning dispositions of student multiple-choice test of the group taught by lessons according to the teaching materials reorganized on the basis of RME and the group taught by lessons according to the 7th curriculum show a meaningful difference. Especially in the factors of 'mathematical will'(p=.017) and 'mathematical value'(p=.029) were meaningful differences. Also in the descriptive test of the learning dispositions of student, the experimental class showed that it had the potential possibility to have more positive attitudes meaningfully in comparison with the compared class. This means that the lessons according to the teaching materials reorganized on the basis of RME showed meaningful influences on the learning dispositions of student.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.307-332
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• 2022

This action research was carried out to help students learn fractions computation by making and using semi-concrete fraction manipulatives that can be used continuously in math classes. For this purpose, the researcher and students made semi-concrete fraction manipulatives and learned how to use these through reviewing the previously learned fraction contents over 4 class sessions. Afterward, through the 14 classes (7 classes for learning to reduce fractions and to a common denominator, 7 classes for adding and subtracting fractions with different denominators) in which the principle inquiry learning model was applied, students actively engaged in learning activities with fraction manipulatives and explored the principles underneath the manipulations of fraction manipulatives. Students could represent various fractions using fraction manipulatives and solve fraction computation problems using them. The achievement evaluation after class found that the students could connect the semi-concrete fraction manipulatives with fraction representation and symbolic formulas. Moreover, the students showed interest and confidence in mathematics through the classes using fraction manipulatives.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.247-265
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• 2009

In the 21C information-based society, there is an increasing demand for emphasizing communication in mathematics education. Therefore the purpose of this study was to research how properties of communication among small group members varied by mathematical problem types. 8 fourth-graders with different academic achievements in a classroom were divided into two heterogenous small groups, four children in each group, in order to carry out a descriptive and interpretive case study. 4 types of problems were developed in the concepts and the operations of fractions and decimals. Each group solved four types of problems five times, the process of which was recorded and copied by a camcorder for analysis, among with personal and group activity journals and the researcher's observations. The following results have been drawn from this study. First, students showed simple mathematical communication in conceptual or procedural problems which require the low level of cognitive demand. However, they made high participation in mathematical communication for atypical problems. Second, even participation by group members was found for all of types of problems. However, there was active communication in the form of error revision and complementation in atypical problems. Third, natural or receptive agreement types with the mathematical agreement process were mainly found for conceptual or procedural problems. But there were various types of agreement, including receptive, disputable, and refined agreement in atypical problems.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.207-219
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• 2004

There have been studies reporting the increase in student confidence in mathematics when using technology. However, past studies indicating a positive correlation between technology and confidence in mathematics do not explain why they see this positive outcome. With increased availability and easy access to the Internet in schools and the development of free online virtual manipulatives, this research was interested in how the use of virtual manipulatives in mathematics can affect students confidence in their mathematical abilities. Our hypothesis was that the classes using virtual manipulatives which allows students to connecting dynamic visual image with abstract symbols will help students gain a deeper conceptual understanding of math concept thus increasing their confidence and ability in mathematics. The participants in this study were 46 fifth-grade students in three ability groups: one high, one middle and one low. During a two-week unit on fractions, students in three groups interacted with several virtual manipulative applets in a computer lab. Data sources in the project included a pre and posttest of students mathematics content knowledge, Confidence in Learning Mathematics Scale, field notes and student interviews, and classroom videotapes. Our aim was to find evidence for increased level of confidence in mathematics as students strengthened their understanding of fraction concepts. Results from the achievement score indicated an overall main effect showing significant improvement for all ability groups following the treatment and an increase in the confidence level from the preassessment of the Confidence in Learning Mathematics Scale in the middle and high ability groups. An interesting finding was that the confidence level for the low ability group students who had the highest confidence level in the beginning did not change much in the final confidence scale assessment. In the middle and high ability groups, the confidence level did increase according to the improvement of the contest posttest. Through interviews, students expressed how the virtual manipulatives assisted their understanding by verifying their answers as they worked and facilitated their ability to figure out math concept in their mind and visually.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.91-110
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• 2024

The purpose of this study is to explore visual models for deriving the fractional division algorithm, to see how students understand this integrated model, the rectangular partition model, when taught in elementary school classrooms, and how they structure relationships between fractional division situations. The conclusions obtained through this study are as follows. First, in order to remind the reason for multiplying the reciprocal of the divisor or the meaning of the reciprocal, it is necessary to explain the calculation process by interpreting the fraction division formula as the context of a measurement division or the context of the determination of a unit rate. Second, the rectangular partition model can complement the detour or inappropriate parts that appear in the existing model when interpreting the fraction division formula as the context of a measurement division, and can be said to be an appropriate model for deriving the standard algorithm from the problem of the context of the inverse of a Cartesian product. Third, in the context the inverse of a Cartesian product, the rectangular partition model can naturally reveal the calculation process in the context of a measurement division and the context of the determination of a unit rate, and can show why one division formula can have two interpretations, so it can be used as an integrated model.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.533-543
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• 2008

Recently, many advanced countries have used original ICT tools in their educational courses. But Korea didn't have any effective origin ICT tools in our mathematical education, compared with other countries which have developed various tools, for examples, Web-Mathematica and HP Calculator. Although we have the advanced IT environment, the educational environments in mathematics using ICT seems to be not promising. In this paper, we suggest a new mathematics education tools in ICT and the internet environments in Korea, and a teaching and studyingmodel for the teachers, students and classrooms. It is based on the Sage-Math and RPG. Sage-Math which is the software based on the web and RPG(Random Problem Generator) will give a good answer for the future of Korean mathematics ICT education.