• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.920-932
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• 2010

Many topics in science, especially, abstract concepts, relationships, properties, entities in invisible ranges, are described in mathematical representations such as formula, numbers, symbols, and graphs. Although the mathematical representation is an essential tool to better understand scientific phenomena, the mathematical element is pointed out as a reason for learning difficulty and losing interests in science. In order to further investigate the relationship between mathematics knowledge and science understanding, the current study examined 793 high school students' understanding of the pH value. As a measure of the molar concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution, the pH value is an appropriate example to explore what a student mathematical structure of logarithm is and how they interpret the proportional relationship of numbers for scientific explanation. To the end, students were asked to write their responses on a questionnaire that is composed of nine content domain questions and four affective domain questions. Data analysis of this study provides information for the relationship between student understanding of the pH value and related mathematics knowledge.

• School Mathematics
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.373-399
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• 2001

The function is a basic and key concept to understand mathematical problems. However, many students have difficulties to expand the knowledge to other related concepts and to transfer the knowledge to real world problems. The reasons for the problem may be that the concept of function is taught by simplified and abstracted formula without fully understanding of the reasoning process. Also, the examples for the concepts are artificial and not related to students' experiences. Situated learning theory provides great implications to solve these problems. So, this study was designed to teach the concept of function more meaningful to students by appling situated learning theory. Thirty-eight middle school students were participated in this study. Students were provided the instruction designed according to the principles of situated learning theory. Then, they were asked to complete attitude survey questionnair and a performance assessment task. The result showed that the instruction based on situated learning theory was useful to Promote students' understanding and motivation for learning. More implications of the study was provided in the paper.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.377-393
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• 2012

The understanding demands the different degree of the understanding according to student's learning situation. In this paper, we investigate what is the foundation for the complete understanding for the generalization in the generalization-process and justification of some concepts or some theories, through a case. We discovered that the completeness of the understanding in the generalization-process and justification requires 'the meaningful-mental object' which can give the meaning about the concept or theory to students. Students can do the generalization-process through the construction of 'the meaningful-mental object' and confirm the validity of generalization through 'the meaningful-mental object' which is constructed by them. And we can judge the whether students construct the completeness of the understanding or not, by 'the meaningful-mental object' of the student. Hence 'the meaningful-mental object' are vital condition for the generalization-process and justification.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.141-159
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• 2011

The purpose of the present research is to suggest implications on guidance of height concept understanding of figures by investigating concept understanding how sixth grade's elementary school students understand a height concept of figures. In order to achieve this research purpose, a height concept understanding test of figures was carried out with the target of 54 sixth grade students who already learned a height concept of plane figures and three-dimensional solid figures and thus this research analyzed characteristics and errors appeared there. When analyzing its characteristics and errors interviews with students were carried out for in-depth analysis. And as a result the following implications could be obtained. First, students felt more difficulty in measuring height in a figure that its lower base is not horizontal in questions measuring height of a plane figure. Second, there were cases that students associate a height concept of figures with experience of height experienced in daily life. Third, students were feeling difficulty in linguistically expressing a concept called height that oneself has. Expressing a concept linguistically plays an important role in understanding a concept clearly. Accordingly activities for raising this mathematical communication ability are required, Fourth, the present research can suggest implications in designing classes that students can clearly understand the height concept of figures.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.131-146
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• 2018

Differentiation with integration is an important subject which is widely applied in mathematics, natural science, and engineering. Derivative is an important concept of differentiation. But students don't understand its concept well and concentrate on acquiring only the skill to solve the standardized calculus problem. So they are poor at understanding of the concept of differentiation. In this study, after making a survey of differentiation on college students, we try to analyze errors which appeared in solving differentiation problem and investigate mathematics process of limiting process inherent in the derivative and historical development about derivative. Thus, we try to analyze the understanding of differentiation and present the results about this.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.189-209
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• 2009

One of the characteristics in math -abstract concept- makes the students find difficulties in understanding general ideas about math. This study is about how much do the modeling lessons using the technical instruments which is based on the realistic mathematical theory influence on understanding the mathematical concept. This study is based on one of the contents the first grade of middle school students study, the function, especially the meaning of it. Some brilliant students being the objects of this study, mathematically experimental modeling lesson was planned, conducted. Survey on the students' attitudes about math before and after the modeling classes and Questionnaire survey on the effectiveness about the modeling class were conducted and their attitudes were recorded also. This study tells that students show very meaningful changes before and after the modeling class and scientific knowledge seems to be very helpful for the students to understand the mathematical concept and solve the problems. When scientific research and development get together with mathematics, students will be more motivated and be able to form the right mathematical concept easily.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.123-141
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• 2003

This study investigated the understanding level and the using level of mathematical language for middle school students in terms of Freudenthal' language levels. It was proved that the understanding level task developed by current study for geometric concept had reliability and validity, and that there was the hierarchy of levels on which students understanded mathematical language. The level that students used in explaining mathematical concepts was not interrelated to the understanding level, and was different from answering the right answer according to the sorts of tasks. And, the level of mathematical language that was understood easily as students' thought, was the third level of the understanding levels. Mathematics teachers should consider the students' understanding level and using level, and give students the tasks which students could use their mathematical language confidently.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.453-475
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• 2018

This study examines how elementary students understand fractions with operations conceptually and how they perform procedures in the division of fractions. We attempted to look into students' understanding about fractions with divisions in regard to mathematical proficiency suggested by National Research Council (2001). Mathematical proficiency is identified as an intertwined and interconnected composition of 5 strands- conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, and productive disposition. We developed an instrument to identify students' understanding of fractions with multiplication and division and conducted the survey in which 149 6th-graders participated. The findings from the data analysis suggested that overall, the 6th-graders seemed not to understand fractions conceptually; in particular, their understanding is limited to a particular model of part-whole fraction. The students showed a tendency to use memorized procedure-invert and multiply in a given problem without connecting the procedure to the concept of the division of fractions. The findings also proposed that on a given problem-solving task that suggested a pathway in order for the students to apply or follow the procedures in a new situation, they performed the computation very fluently when dividing two fractions by multiplying by a reciprocal. In doing so, however, they appeared to unable to connect the procedures with the concepts of fractions with division.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.71-84
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• 2017

Taylor series has a complicated structure comprising of various concepts in college major mathematics. This subject is a strong tool which has usefulness and applications not only in calculus, analysis, and complex analysis but also in physics, engineering etc., and other study. However, students have difficulties in understanding mathematical structure of Taylor series convergence correctly. In this study, after classifying students' mathematical characteristic into three categories, we use structural image of Taylor series convergence which associated with mathematical structure and operation acted on that structure. Thus, we try to analyze the understanding of Taylor series convergence and present the results of this study.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.355-372
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• 2020

The concept of infinite series is an important subject of major mathematics curriculum in college. For several centuries it has provided learners not only counter-intuitive obstacles but also central role of analysis study. As the understanding in concept on infinite series became foundation of development of calculus in history of mathematics, it is essential to present students to study higher mathematics. Most students having concept of infinite sum have no difficulty in mathematical contents such as convergence test of infinite series. But they have difficulty in organizing concept of infinite series of partial sum. Thus, in this study we try to analyze construct the concept of infinite series in terms of APOS theory and genetic decomposition. By checking to construct concept of infinite series, we try to get an useful educational implication on teaching of infinite series.