• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.717-746
• /
• 2014

The study aimed to explore how to improve mathematical thinking through metacognitive learning by stressing metacognitive abilities as a core strategy to increase mathematical creativity and problem-solving abilities. Theoretical exploration was followed by an analysis of correlations between metacognitive abilities and various ways of mathematical thinking. Various metacognitive teaching and learning methods used by many teachers at school were integrated for sharing. Also, the methods of learning application and assessment of metacognitive thinking were explored. The results are as follows: First, metacognitive abilities were positively related to 'reasoning, communication, creative problem solving and commitment' with direct and indirect effects on mathematical thinking. Second, various megacognitive ability-applied teaching and learning methods had positive impacts on definitive areas such as 'anxiety over Mathematics, self-efficacy, learning habit, interest, confidence and trust' as well as cognitive areas such as 'learning performance, reasoning, problem solving, metacognitive ability, communication and expression', which is a result applicable to top, middle and low-performance students at primary and secondary education facilities. Third, 'metacognitive activities, metaproblem-solving process, personal strength and weakness management project, metacognitive notes, observation tables and metacognitive checklists' for metacognitive learning were suggested as alternatives to performance assessment covering problem-solving and thinking processes. Various metacognitive learning methods helped to improve creative and systemic problem solving and increase mathematical thinking. They did not only imitate uniform problem-solving methods suggested by a teacher but also induced direct experiences of mathematical thinking as well as adjustment and control of the thinking process. The study will help teachers recognize the importance of metacognition, devise and apply teaching or learning models for their teaching environments, improving students' metacognitive ability as well as mathematical and creative thinking.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.847-860
• /
• 2011

In this study, the instrument of mathematical thinking ability tests were considered, and the differences between gifted and regular high school students in the ability were investigated by the test. The instrument consists of 9 items, and verified its quality due to reliability. Participants were 353 regular and 252 gifted high school students from tenth grade. As a result, not only organizing ability of information but also ability of space perception and visualization and intuitive insight ability could be the characteristics of the mathematical giftedness.

• School Mathematics
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.503-526
• /
• 2016

The study aimed at determining the identity of mathematics essay test in the university entrance examination. For this purpose, a document research was conducted for higher order thinking and mathematics essay ability and it analyzed the goal of assessment and the tendency of problem settings and looked into mathematics essay problems of twenty-five universities. As a result, the study found out that evaluation factors of mathematics essay test requires higher order thinking ability including mathematical knowledge and essay ability such as mathematical knowledge, understanding, problem solving, logical and critical thinking, creative ability, power of expression, argument skills. Also, problems from previous mathematics essay tests were set mainly to assess mathematical knowledge, understanding and problem solving. Based on the findings, the past mathematics essay tests in university entrance examination in Korea that require logical and critical thinking, creative ability, power of expression, argument skills were a rather small percentage of questions.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.31-38
• /
• 2009

This paper aims to develop a program which cultivates statistical ability for elementary students. For this purpose, I examined the relationship between mathematical thinking and statistical thinking. I developed statistical programs including classification, discussion of data, generating statistical problem and project program. As result, this study suggests implications for further elementary statistical education.

• Research in Mathematical Education
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.33-50
• /
• 2010

The mathematical thinking which transforms important mathematical content and developed into mathematical structure is a vital process in building up mathematical ability as mathematical knowledge based on structure. Such process based on students' recognition of mathematical concept. Developing mathematical thinking into mathematical structure happens when different cognitive units are connected and compressed to form schema of solution, which could happen through some guided problems. The effort of arithmetic approach in problem solving did not necessarily provide students the structure schema of solution. The using of equation to solve the problem is based on the schema of building equation, and is not necessary recognizing the structure of the solution, as the recognition of structure may be lost in the process of simplification of algebraic expressions, leaving only the final numeric answer of the problem.

• The Mathematical Education
• /
• v.44 no.1 s.108
• /
• pp.103-112
• /
• 2005

This paper is designed to characterize the concept of flexibility of mind and analyze relationship between flexibility of mind and divergent thinking in view of mathematical problem solving. This study shows that flexibility of mind is characterized by two constructs, ability to overcome fixed mind in stage of problem understanding and ability to shift a viewpoint in stage of problem solving process, Through the analysis of writing test, we come to the conclusion that students who overcome fixed mind surpass others in divergent thinking and so do students who are able to shift a viewpoint.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.59-76
• /
• 2005

We examined the relations between the score of the divergent thinking in mathematical (Mathematical Creative Problem Solving Ability Test; MCPSAT: Lee etc. 2003) and non-mathematical situations (Torrance Test of Creative Thinking Figural A; TTCT: adapted for Korea by Kim, 1999). Subjects in this study were 213 eighth grade students(129 males and 84 females). In the analysis of data, frequencies, percentiles, t-test and correlation analysis were used. The results of the study are summarized as follows; First, mathematically gifted students showed statistically significantly higher scores on the score of the divergent thinking in mathematical and non-mathematical situations than regular students. Second, female showed statistically significantly higher scores on the score of the divergent thinking in mathematical and non-mathematical situations than males. Third, there was statistically significant relationship between the score of the divergent thinking in mathematical and non-mathematical situations for middle students was r=.41 (p<.05) and regular students was r=.27 (p<.05). A test of statistical significance was conducted to test hypothesis. Fourth, the correlation between the score of the divergent thinking in mathematical and non-mathematical situations for mathematically gifted students was r=.11. There was no statistically significant relationship between the score of the divergent thinking in mathematical and non-mathematical situations for mathematically gifted students. These results reveal little correlation between the scores of the divergent thinking in mathematical and non-mathematical situations in both mathematically gifted students. Also but for the group of students of relatively mathematically gifted students it was found that the correlations between divergent thinking in mathematical and non-mathematical situations was near zero. This suggests that divergent thinking ability in mathematical situations may be a specific ability and not just a combination of divergent thinking ability in non-mathematical situations. But the limitations of this study as following: The sample size in this study was too few to generalize that there was a relation between the divergent thinking of mathematically gifted students in mathematical situation and non-mathematical situation.

• The Mathematical Education
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.183-190
• /
• 2009

This is a following study of the preceding study, Flexibility of mind and divergent thinking in problem solving process that was performed by Choi & Do in 2005. In this paper, we discuss the relationship between ability to shift a viewpoint and insight into invariance, another major consideration in mathematical creativity, in the process of mathematical problem solving.

• The Mathematical Education
• /
• v.52 no.4
• /
• pp.531-547
• /
• 2013

The purpose of the study is to examine how effects of activities using Google SketchUp on students' spatial ability and 3D geometric thinking in measuring the volume of solid figures. By comparing the results from pre- and post-tests between the experimental group and control group, we found that activities using Google SketchUp help students improve their spatial ability in the spatial orientation and visualization. In addition, more than half students in the experimental group moved from level 4 up to level 7 in thinking process of measuring the volume in terms of Battista(2004)'s levels. This study suggests that the instruction with Google SketchUp can help to improve students' spatial ability and 3D geometric thinking in the regular class in middle school. In addition, SketchUp can be an advanced technological tool to support students' self-directed learning, which create an efficient educational environment and a great opportunity to learn geometry in an effective manner.

• The Mathematical Education
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.149-167
• /
• 2009

This study was aimed to examine problem-solving ability of fifth graders on two types of mathematical essay problems, and to analyze the process of mathematical justification in solving the essay problems. For this purpose, a total of 14 mathematical essay problems were developed, in which half of the items were single tasks and the other half were data-provided tasks. Sixteen students with higher academic achievements in mathematics and the Korean language were chosen, and were given to solve the mathematical essay problems individually. They then were asked to justify their solution methods in groups of 4 and to reach a consensus through negotiation among group members. Students were good at understanding the given single tasks but they often revealed lack of logical thinking and representation. They also tended to use everyday language rather than mathematical language in explaining their solution processes. Some students experienced difficulty in understanding the meaning of data in the essay problems. With regard to mathematical justification, students employed more internal justification by experience or mathematical logic than external justification by authority. Given this, this paper includes implications for teachers on how they need to teach mathematics in order to foster students' logical thinking and communication.