• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.91-106
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• 2005

History of mathematics must be analysed to discuss mathematical reality and thinking. Analysis of history of mathematics is the method of understanding mathematical activity, by these analysis can we know how historically mathematician' activity progress and mathematical concepts develop. In this respects, we investigate teaching algebra through historico-genetic analysis and propose historico-genetic analysis as alternative method to improve of teaching school algebra. First the necessity of historico-genetic analysis is discussed, and we think of epistemological obstacles through these analysis. Next we focus two concepts i.e. letters(unknowns) and negative numbers which is dealt with school algebra. To apply historico-genetic analysis to school algebra, some historical texts relating to letters and negative numbers is analysed, and mathematics educational discussions is followed with experimental researches.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.85-101
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• 2013

This study is to analyse the characteristics of Barrow's theorem on the historical standpoint of hermeneutics and to discuss the teaching-learning sequence for guiding students to reinvent the calculus according to historico-genetic principle. By the historical analysis on the Barrow's theorem, we show the geometric feature of the theorem, conjecture the Barrow's intention in dealing with it, and consider the epistemological obstacles undergone by Barrow. On a basis of this result, we suggest a purposeful and meaning-oriented teaching-learning way for students to realize the sameness of the 'integration' and 'anti-differentiation', and point out the shortcomings and supplement point in current School Mathematic Calculus.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.253-270
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• 2007

by A.C. Clairaut was written based on the historico-genetic principle such as his . In this paper, by analyzing his we can induce six principles that Clairaut adopted to teach algebra: necessity and curiosity as a motive of studying algebra, harmony of discovery and proof, complementarity of generalization and specialization, connection of knowledge to be learned with already known facts, semantic approaches to procedural knowledge of mathematics, reversible approach. These can be considered as strategies for teaching algebra accorded with beginner's mind. Some of them correspond with characteristics of , but the others are unique in the domain of algebra. And by comparing Clairaut's approaches with school algebra, we discuss about some mathematical subjects: setting equations in relation to problem situations, operations and signs of letters, rule of signs in multiplication, solving quadratic equations, and general relationship between roots and coefficients of equations.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.233-256
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• 2009

The notions of conditional probability and independence are fundamental to all aspects of probabilistic reasoning. Several previous studies identified some misconceptions in students' thinking in conditional probability. However, they have not analyzed enough the nature of conditional probability. The purpose of this study was to analyze conditional probability and students' knowledge on conditional probability. First, we analyzed the conditional probability from mathematical, historico-genetic, psychological, epistemological points of view, and identified the essential aspects of the conditional probability. Second, we investigated the high school students' and undergraduate students' thinking m conditional probability and independence. The results showed that the students have some misconceptions and difficulties to solve some tasks with regard to conditional probability. Based on these analysis, the characteristics of reasoning about conditional probability are investigated and some suggestions are elicited.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.53-75
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• 2012

When imaginary numbers were first encountered in the 16th century, mathematicians were able to calculate the imaginary numbers the same as they are today. However, it required 200 years to mathematically acknowledge the existence of imaginary numbers. The new mathematical situation that arose with a development in mathematics required a harmony of real numbers and imaginary numbers. As a result, the concept of complex number became clear. A history behind the development of complex numbers involved a process of determining a comprehensive perspective that ties real numbers and imaginary numbers in a single category, complex numbers. This came after a resolution of conflict between real numbers and imaginary numbers. This study identified the new perspective and way of mathematical thinking emerging from resolving the conflicts. Also educational implications of the analysis were discussed.

• School Mathematics
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.123-138
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• 2006

The fraction concept consists of various meanings and is one of the more abstract and difficult in elementary school mathematics. This study intends to analyze the fraction concept from historical and psychological viewpoints, to examine the current elementary mathematics textbooks by these viewpoints and to seek the direction for improvement of it. Basic ideas about fraction are the partitioning - the dividing of a quantity into subparts of equal size - and about the part-whole relation. So these ideas are heavily emphasized in current textbooks. However, from the learner's point of view, situations related to different meanings of fraction concept draw qualitatively different response from students. So all the other meanings of fraction concept should be systematically represented in elementary mathematics textbooks. Especially based on historico-genetic principle, the current textbooks need the emphasis on the fraction as a measure and on constructing fraction concept by unit fraction as a unit.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.331-349
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• 2007

This study aims to improve the teaching and learning method on the conic sections. To do that the researcher analyzed the impact of dynamic geometry software on students' problem solving of the conic sections. Students often say, "I have solved this kind of problem and remember hearing the problem solving process of it before." But they often are not able to resolve the question. Previous studies suggest that one of the reasons can be students' tendency to approach the conic sections only using algebra or analytic geometry without the geometric principle. So the researcher conducted instructions based on the geometric and historico-genetic principle on the conic sections using dynamic geometry software. The instructions were intended to find out if the experimental, intuitional, mathematic problem solving is necessary for the deductive process of solving geometric problems. To achieve the purpose of this study, the researcher video taped the instruction process and converted it to digital using the computer. What students' had said and discussed with the teacher during the classes was checked and their behavior was analyzed. That analysis was based on Branford's perspective, which included three different stage of proof; experimental, intuitive, and mathematical. The researcher got the following conclusions from this study. Firstly, students preferred their own manipulation or reconstruction to deductive mathematical explanation or proving of the problem. And they showed tendency to consider it as the mathematical truth when the problem is dealt with by their own manipulation. Secondly, the manipulation environment of dynamic geometry software help students correct their mathematical misconception, which result from their cognitive obstacles, and get correct ones. Thirdly, by using dynamic geometry software the teacher could help reduce the 'zone of proximal development' of Vigotsky.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.453-475
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• 2007

School algebra starts with introducing algebraic expressions which have been one of the cognitive obstacles to the students in the transfer from arithmetic to algebra. In the recent studies on the teaching school algebra, algebraic thinking is getting much more attention together with algebraic expressions. In this paper, we examined the processes of the transfer from arithmetic to algebra and ways for teaching early algebra through algebraic thinking factors. Issues about algebraic thinking have continued since 1980's. But the theoretic foundations for algebraic thinking have not been founded in the previous studies. In this paper, we analyzed the algebraic thinking in school algebra from historico-genetic, epistemological, and symbolic-linguistic points of view, and identified algebraic thinking factors, i.e. the principle of permanence of formal laws, the concept of variable, quantitative reasoning, algebraic interpretation - constructing algebraic expressions, trans formational reasoning - changing algebraic expressions, operational senses - operating algebraic expressions, substitution, etc. We also identified these algebraic thinking factors through analyzing mathematics textbooks of elementary and middle school, and showed the middle school students' low achievement relating to these factors through the algebraic thinking ability test. Based upon these analyses, we argued that the readiness for algebra learning should be made through the processes including algebraic thinking factors in the elementary school and that the transfer from arithmetic to algebra should be accomplished naturally through the pre-algebra course. And we searched for alternative ways to improve algebra curriculums, emphasizing algebraic thinking factors. In summary, we identified the problems of school algebra relating to the transfer from arithmetic to algebra with the problem of teaching algebraic thinking and analyzed the algebraic thinking factors of school algebra, and searched for alternative ways for improving the transfer from arithmetic to algebra and the teaching of early algebra.