• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 2008

This Paper introduces a historical background of mathematical logic. Logic and mathematics were not developed dependently until the mid of the nineteenth century, when two streams of logic and mathematics came to form a river so that brought forth synergy effects. Since the mid-nineteenth century mathematization of logic were proceeded while attempts to reduce mathematics to logic were made. Against this background $G{\ddot{o}}del's$ proof shows the limitation of formalism by proving that there are true arithmetical propositions that are not provable.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.47-62
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• 2016

Cultivating mathematical creativity is one of the aims in the recently revised mathematics curricular. However, there have been lack of researches on how to nurture mathematical creativity for ordinary students. Perspective of Realistic Mathematics Education(RME), which pursues education of creative person as the ultimate goal of mathematics education, could be useful for developing principles and methods for cultivating mathematical creativity. This study reanalyzes RME from the points of view in mathematical creativity education. Major findings are followed. First, students should have opportunities for mathematical creation through mathematization, while seeking and creating certainty. Second, it is vital to begin with realistic contexts to guarantee mathematical creation by students, in which students can imagine or think. Third, students can create mathematics in realistic contexts by modelling. Fourth, students create the meaning of 'model of(MO)', which models the given context, the meaning of 'model for(MF)', which models formal mathematics. Then, students create MOs and MFs that are equivalent to the intial MO and MF given by textbook or teacher. Flexibility, fluency, and novelty could be employed to evaluate the MOs and the MFs created by students. Fifth, cultivation of mathematical creativity can be supported from development of local instructional theories by thought experiment, its application, and reflection. In conclusion, to employ the education model of cultivating mathematical creativity by RME drawn in this study could be reasonable when design mathematics lessons as well as mathematics curriculum to include mathematical creativity as one of goals.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.297-312
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• 2009

We study the process of horizontal and vertical mathematization on the polyhedron problems through the history of mathematics, computer experiments, problem posing, and justifications. In particular, we explore the Hamilton cycle problem, coloring problem, and folding net construction on the Archimedean and Catalan polyhedrons. In this paper, we present our mathematical results on the polyhedron problems, and we also present some unsolved problems that we found. We found that the history of mathematics and mathematical experiments are very useful in such R&E exploration as polyhedron problem posing and solving project.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.387-402
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• 2003

Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) focuses on guided reinvention through which students explore experientially realistic context problems to develop informal problem solving strategies and solutions. This research applied this philosophy of RME to design a differential equation course at a university level. In particular, the course encouraged the students of the course to use numerical methods to solve differential equations. In this context, the purpose of this research was to describe the developmental process in which the students constructed and reinvented Euler algorithm in the class. For the purpose, this paper will present the didactical principle of RME and describe the process of developmental research to investigate the inferential process of students in solving the first order differential equation numerically. Finally, the qualitative analysis of the students' reasoning and use of symbols reveals how the students reinvent Euler algorithm under the didactical principle of guided reinvention. In this research, it has been found that the students developed deep understanding of Euler algorithm in the class. Moreover, it has been shown that the experience of doing mathematics in the course had a positive impact on students' mathematical belief and attitude. These findings imply that the didactical principle of RME can be applied to design university mathematical courses and in general, provide a perspective on how to reform mathematics curriculum at a university level.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.373-389
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• 2008

In this paper, we designed a teaching unit for the learning mathematization of secondary pre-service teachers through exploring the relationship between partition models and generalized fibonacci sequences. We first suggested some problems which guide pre-service teachers to make phainomenon for organizing nooumenon. Pre-service teachers should find patterns from partitions for various partition models by solving the problems and also form formulas front the patterns. A series of these processes organize nooumenon. Futhermore they should relate the formulas to generalized fibonacci sequences. Finding these relationships is a new mathematical material. Based on developing these mathematical materials, pre-service teachers can be experienced mathematising as real practices.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-31
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• 2007

Negative numbers have been one of the most difficult mathematical concepts, and it was only 200 years ago that they were recognized as a real object of mathematics by mathematicians. It was because it took more than 1500 years for human beings to overcome the quantitative notion of numbers and recognize the formality in negative numbers. Understanding negative numbers as formal ones resulted from the Copernican conversion in mathematical way of thinking. we first investigated the historic and the genetic process of the concept of negative numbers. Second, we analyzed the conceptual fields of negative numbers in the aspect of the additive and multiplicative structure. Third, we inquired into the levels of thinking on the concept of negative numbers on the basis of the historical and the psychological analysis in order to understand the formal concept of negative numbers. Fourth, we analyzed Korean mathematics textbooks on the basis of the thinking levels of the concept of negative numbers. Fifth, we investigated and analysed the levels of students' understanding of the concept of negative numbers. Sixth, we analyzed the symbolizing process in the development of mathematical concept. Futhermore, we tried to show a concrete way to teach the formality of the negative numbers concepts on the basis of such theoretical analyses.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.45-69
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• 2007

In the 21st century, knowledge-based and information-based society requires not just the capability of applying mathematics simply but mathematical power such as problem-solving ability which composes and solves problems using mathematical knowledge in real-life and fields of various subjects. However, to develop mathematical power, we need various teaching and learning methods which raise basic mathematical knowledge, the inference capability, problem- solving ability, the flexibility of thinking, the expressing and transforming ability of mathematical ideas, perseverance, interest, intellectual curiosity, and creativity. In this paper, we develop the teaching-learning plans based on real life using the various methods of learning and then we analyze the change of students's cognition of mathematics and the students's reaction of the class.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.247-265
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to analyze the essence of ratio concept from educational viewpoint. For this purpose, it was tried to examine contents and organizations of the recent teaching of ratio concept in elementary school text of Korea from ‘Syllabus Period’ to ‘the 7th Curriculum Period’ In these text most ratio problems were numerically and algorithmically approached. So the Wiskobas programme was introduced, in which the focal point was not on mathematics as a closed system but on the activity, on the process of mathematization and the subject ‘ratio’ was assigned an important place. There are some educational implications of this study which needs to be mentioned. First, the programme for developing proportional reasoning should be introduced early Many students have a substantial amount of prior knowledge of proportional reasoning. Second, conventional symbol and algorithmic method should be introduced after students have had the opportunity to go through many experiences in intuitive and conceptual way. Third, context problems and real-life situations should be required both to constitute and to apply ratio concept. While working on contort problems the students can develop proportional reasoning and understanding. Fourth, In order to assist student's learning process of ratio concept, visual models have to recommend to use.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to uncover weaknesses in the constructivism in mathematics education and to search for ways to complement these deficiencies. We contemplate the relationship between the capability of construction and the performance of it, with the view of the 'Twofold-Structure of Mind.' From this, it is claimed that the construction of mathematical knowledge should be to experience and reveal the upper layer of Mind, the Reality. Based on the examination on the conflict and relation between the structuralism and the constructivism, with reference to the 'theory of principle' and the 'theory of material force' in Neo-Confucianist theory, it is asserted that the construction of mathematical knowledge must be the construction of the structure of mathematical knowledge. To comprehend the processes involved in the construction of the structure of mathematical knowledge, the epistemology of Michael Polanyi is studied. And also, the theory of mathematization, the historico-genetic principle, and the theory on the levels of mathematical thinking are reinterpreted. Finally, on the basis of the theory of twofold-structure, the roles and attitudes of teachers and students are discussed.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.175-198
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• 2010

To understand natural or social phenomena, we need various information, knowledge, and thought skills. In this context, mathematics and sciences provide us with excellent tools for that purpose. This explains the reasons why there is always significant emphasis on mathematics and sciences in school education; some of the general goals in school education today are to illustrate physical phenomena with mathematical tools based on scientific consideration, to encourage students understand the mathematical concepts implied in the phenomena, and provide them with ability to apply what they learned to the real world problems. For the mentioned goals, we extract six fundamental principles for the integrated mathematics and science education (IMSE) from literature review and suggest a instructional design model. This model forms a fundamental of a case study we performed to which the IMSE was applied and tested to collect insights for design and practice. The case study was done for 10 students (2 female students, 8 male ones) at a coeducational high school in Seoul, the first semester 2009. Educational tools including graphic calculator(Voyage200) and motion detector (CBR) were utilized in the class. The analysis result for the class show that the students have successfully developed various mathematical concepts including the rate of change, the instantaneous rate of change, and derivatives based on the physical concepts like velocity, accelerate, etc. In the class, they described the physical phenomena with mathematical expressions and understood the motion of objects based on the idea of derivatives. From this result, we conclude that the IMSE builds integrated knowledge for the students in a positive way.