• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.119-140
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• 2012

This study analyzed the questions related to the content knowledge of mathematics subject for the middle and high school teacher employment examination conducted from the school year of 2009 to 2012 based on the evaluation scope of the mathematics subject content knowledge and evaluation contents which were presented by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation(KICE). To achieve the objectives of this study, a total of 105 questions were collected with respect to the questions that appeared on the test over the last 4 years which aimed to evaluate the level of applicants' knowledge related to the contents of mathematics subject. The ratio of the contents covered in the test was assessed based on the scope of evaluation and the items for evaluation among the 9 subjects. Based on the results, suggestions were presented in relation to the operation of the mathematics curriculum for the department of mathematics education at the college of education or the restructuring of the evaluation scope. There was a significant difference in the ratio of items that appeared on the test among the 9 subjects related to the content knowledge of mathematics. Also, there was a remarkable difference in the ratio of items covered in the test among the evaluation scope by subject. The results of analysis on the evaluation content items suggested that 149 items out of 256 items did not appear in the teacher employment examination for 4 years. Based on such results of analysis, this study discussed the need for readjusting the ratio of items covered in the test of content knowledge related to mathematics or the evaluation scope and evaluation content items.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.899-925
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine how constructive-response questions in regular test was in aligned with the nature and goals of 2007 Curriculum Amendment. For this purpose, data were collected and analysed by using the framework for mathematical task and the cognitive demand of tasks suggested by Smith & Stein(1998) and mathematical proficiency suggested by National Research Council(2001). In particular, it aimed to reveal the overall picture of the level of cognitive demand and the proportion of mathematical proficiency of constructed-response items created by secondary mathematics teachers. The findings from the analysis showed that 70 percent of the constructed-response items were at low-level and the rest at high-level in terms of cognitive demand. Also, the constructed-response assessment focused on conputing (89%), understanding(45%), applying(30%) and least reasoning(17%). Most of the constructed-response items included computing and were algorithmic.

• School Mathematics
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.99-117
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• 2007

In this paper it is discussed how children develop their logical reasoning beyond difficulties in the process of making sense of division with decimals in the classroom setting. When we consider the gap between mathematics at elementary and secondary levels, and given the logical nature of mathematics at the latter levels, it can be seen as important that the aspects of children's logical development in the upper grades in elementary school should be clarified. This study focuses on the teaching and learning of division with decimals in a 5th grade classroom, because it is well known to be difficult for children to understand the meaning of division with decimals. It is suggested that children begin to conceive division as the relationship between the equivalent expressions at the hypothetical-deductive level detached from the concrete one, and that children's explanation based on a reversibility of reciprocity are effective in overcoming the difficulties related to division with decimals. It enables children to conceive multiplication and division as a system of operations.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.9 no.4 s.24
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• pp.317-328
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• 2005

The aim of this study is to investigate future teachers' skills that can make problem solving methods concrete for 7-11 year old students. For the students in the concrete operations level, solutions of word problems should also be taught by concreting. But most of teacher candidates can not solve the problems without algebra because they got used to solve the word problems with algebra during their high school and university education. In this study, whether the teacher candidates have the skills of solving the primary school level problems without using algebra or not are being observed. At the end of this observation it is determinated that primary level teacher candidates generally prefer using algebra operations because of their former habits. The results show that in the education of the primary level teacher candidates, there is the need of developing the solving skills using figures and diagrams without algebra rather than algebraic solutions in word problems.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2021

Factors influencing mathematics academic achievement are constantly changing and have direct and indirect effects on mathematics achievement, so longitudinal studies that can predict and analyze their growth are needed. This study uses longitudinal data on students from 2011 (5th grade of elementary school) to 2015 (2nd grade of middle school) of the Seoul Education Longitudinal Study, and divides them into groups with similar longitudinal changes in mathematics academic achievement. The direct and indirect effects of learning attitudes and achievement goals were examined. As a result of the study, it was found that learning effort and learning attitude had a direct effect on mathematics achievement in 1 group (2277 students, 67.7%), and learning attitude had a direct effect on mathematics achievement in 3 groups (958 students, 28.5%). And it was found that learning effort h ad an indirect effect. In addition, it was found that both learning attitudes, learning efforts, and achievement goals had no effect on the academic achievement of mathematics in the second group (127 students, 3.8%).

• School Mathematics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.803-825
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• 2014

From the early stages of learning algebra, literal symbols are used to represent algebraic objects such as variables and parameters. The concept of parameters contains both indeterminacy and fixity resulting in confusion and errors in understanding. The purpose of this research is to compare the beginners of algebra and pre-service teachers who completed secondary mathematics education in terms of understanding this paradoxical nature of parameters. We recruited 35 middle school students in eight grade and 73 pre-service teachers enrolled in a undergraduate course at one university. Using them we conducted a survey on the perception of the nature of parameters asking if one considers parameters suggested in a problem as variables or constants. We analyzed the collected data using the mixed method of qualitative and quantitative approaches. From the analysis results, we identified several difficulties in understanding of parameters from both groups. Especially, our statistical analysis revealed that the proportions of subjects with limited understanding of the concept of parameters do not differ much in two groups. This suggests that learning algebra in secondary mathematics education does not improve the understanding of the nature of parameters significantly.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1110-1120
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of gender differences in students' mathematics and science learning ability. The sample included 289 elementary and secondary school gifted teachers. The teachers filled out the survey, asking their perceptions of gender differences in mathematics and science learning ability, as well as of the reasons of the differences. The results were as follows: 1) 65% of the teachers responded that gender differences existed in students' mathematics and science learning ability, 2) 63% of the teachers perceived that the differences began around higher elementary or middle school ages, 3) 57% of the teachers thought that gender differences existed in the high-achieving student group. Teachers perceived the reasons of differences were 1) differences in inborn ability, 2) the different expectation, and 3) the different ways of parental cares. Since teachers' perceptions of students' ability would impact teachers' attitudes on students, implications and suggestions were included in this article to provide teachers insights that promote students' better learning.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.157-177
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• 2018

The students in secondary schools have been taught calculus as an important subject in mathematics. The order of chapters-the limit of a sequence followed by limit of a function, and differentiation and integration- is because the limit of a function and the limit of a sequence are required as prerequisites of differentiation and integration. Specifically, the limit of a sequence is used to define definite integral as the limit of the Riemann Sum. However, many researchers identified that students had difficulty in understanding the concept of definite integral defined as the limit of the Riemann Sum. Consequently, they suggested alternative ways to introduce definite integral. Based on these researches, the definition of definite integral in the 2015-Revised Curriculum is not a concept of the limit of the Riemann Sum, which was the definition of definite integral in the previous curriculum, but "F(b)-F(a)" for an indefinite integral F(x) of a function f(x) and real numbers a and b. This change gives rise to differences among ways of introducing definite integral and explaining the relationship between definite integral and area in each textbook. As a result of this study, we have identified that there are a variety of ways of introducing definite integral in each textbook and that ways of explaining the relationship between definite integral and area are affected by ways of introducing definite integral. We expect that this change can reduce the difficulties students face when learning the concept of definite integral.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.121-142
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• 2001

The goal of the National Assessment of Educational Achievement(NAEA) 2001 was to affirm the accountability of school education, to scientifically manage and elevate the quality of education at the national level, and to articulate the final design of the NAEA. It was implemented on June 28th of the year 2001. The assessment frame for NAEA includes the achievement standards, the assessment standards, the instruction for the item development, and the grading policy for mathematics subject. Most of items are multiple-choice types, but the performance-based items should be at least thirty percent of the total items, also 30% in case of mathematics. Approximately 1% of students among entire population of the Grades 6 were randomly selected. Therefore, the finally sampled examines were 8023 at Grade 6. The result of the analysis of the NAEA revealed that Grade 6 students was labelled as ‘average’ level in general (Number and Operation: average, Geometric figures: average, Patterns and Functions: excellent, Measurements: average, Letters and Expressions: average, Probability and Statistics: average). The most characteristic finding was that except for Grade 6(its average is 69.92), most secondary students obtained low test scores and its average of each grade is below 50 out of 100. Especially, the scores on the performance-based items were by and large very low. This finding implies that Korean students are not familiar with the kind of test items which requires expression of ideas and feelings and they are rather familiar with the multiple-choice items. Another interesting finding was that the students in small towns and remote areas showed significantly low scores in all four skills compared with Seoul, metropolitan cities and medium and small cities. This may be attributed from the fact that the remote areas do not have equal learning environment with regard to social and cultural experience, supply of various teaching materials, extracurricular lessons which are directly related to teaching and learning. These findings may be utilized as a reliable resource fur improving curriculum and teaching and learning in Mathematics.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.49-70
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• 2023

This study aimed to design a robot programming lecture for pre-service mathematics teachers to improve their TPACK-P (TPACK-Programming) and analyze its effectiveness. The lecture design involved stages of analysis, exploration, primary micro-teaching, and secondary micro-teaching, with each stage including design, application, and evaluation. The TPACK-P survey was conducted before and after the lecture, and the results indicated a statistically significant difference in TCK at the 1% significance level and TPK, TRACK, and TRACK(P) at the 5% significance level. Further analysis using dependent sample t-tests showed that the post-test mean was significantly higher than the pre-test mean in categories such as TCK, TPK, TPACK, and TPACK(P). These findings suggest that the designed lecture positively affected the growth of pre-service mathematics teachers' TPACK-P.