• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.107-134
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of two teaching methods of word problems, one based on mathematical modeling learning(ML) and the other on traditional learning(TL). Additionally, the influence of mathematical modeling learning in word problem solving behavior, application ability of real world experiences in word problem solving and the beliefs of word problem solving will be examined. The results of this study were as follows: First, as to word problem solving behavior, there was a significant difference between the two groups. This mean that the ML was effective for word problem solving behavior. Second, all of the students in the ML group and the TL group had a strong tendency to exclude real world knowledge and sense-making when solving word problems during the pre-test. but A significant difference appeared between the two groups during post-test. classroom culture improvement efforts. Third, mathematical modeling learning(ML) was effective for improvement of traditional beliefs about word problems. Fourth, mathematical modeling learning(ML) exerted more influence on mathematically strong and average students and a positive effect to mathematically weak students. High and average-level students tended to benefit from mathematical modeling learning(ML) more than their low-level peers. This difference was caused by less involvement from low-level students in group assignments and whole-class discussions. While using the mathematical modeling learning method, elementary students were able to build various models about problem situations, justify, and elaborate models by discussions and comparisons from each other. This proves that elementary students could participate in mathematical modeling activities via word problems, it results form the use of more authentic tasks, small group activities and whole-class discussions, exclusion of teacher's direct intervention, and classroom culture improvement efforts. The conclusions drawn from the results obtained in this study are as follows: First, mathematical modeling learning(ML) can become an effective method, guiding word problem solving behavior from the direct translation approach(DTA) based on numbers and key words without understanding about problem situations to the meaningful based approach(MBA) building rich models for problem situations. Second, mathematical modeling learning(ML) will contribute attitudes considering real world situations in solving word problems. Mathematical modeling activities for word problems can help elementary students to understand relations between word problems and the real world. It will be also help them to develop the ability to look at the real world mathematically. Third, mathematical modeling learning(ML) will contribute to the development of positive beliefs for mathematics and word problem solving. Word problem teaching focused on just mathematical operations can't develop proper beliefs for mathematics and word problem solving. Mathematical modeling learning(ML) for word problems provide elementary students the opportunity to understand the real world mathematically, and it increases students' modeling abilities. Futhermore, it is a very useful method of reforming the current problems of word problem teaching and learning. Therefore, word problems in school mathematics should be replaced by more authentic ones and modeling activities should be introduced early in elementary school eduction, which would help change the perceptions about word problem teaching.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.17-39
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to analyze the mathematical beliefs of students and teachers by Latent Class Analysis(LCA). This study surveyed 60 teachers about beliefs of 'nature of mathematics', 'mathematic teaching', 'mathematical ability' and also asked 1850 students about beliefs of 'school mathematics', 'mathematic problem solving', 'mathematic learning' and 'mathematical self-concept'. Also, this study classified each student and teacher into a class that are in a similar response, analyzed the belief systems and built a profile of the classes. As a result, teachers were classified into three types of belief classes about 'nature of mathematics' and two types of belief classes about 'teaching mathematics' and 'mathematical ability' respectively. Also, students were classfied into three types of belief classes about 'self concept' and two types of classes about 'School Mathematics', 'Mathematics Problem Solving' and 'Mathematics Learning' respectively. This study classified the mathematics belief systems in which students were categorized into 9 categories and teachers into 7 categories by LCA. The belief categories analyzed through these inductive observations were found to have statistical validity. The latent class analysis(LCA) used in this study is a new way of inductively categorizing the mathematical beliefs of teachers and students. The belief analysis method(LCA) used in this study may be the basis for statistically analyzing the relationship between teachers' and students' beliefs.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.210-224
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate science teachers' orientation toward scientific inquiry-based teaching. In this study, five middle school science teachers formed and participated in a teacher learning community for scientific inquiry-based instruction during one year. Data collection consisted of pre and post questionnaire and interviews, audio-recordings of teachers' collaborative lesson planning and reflection on teaching practice, and field notes of participant teachers' teaching practice and follow-up interviews. Data analysis indicated that there were four orientations toward scientific inquiry-based teaching. They were knowledge and beliefs about 'goals of scientific inquiry-based teaching', 'scientific inquiry-based teaching and learning', 'argumentation-based teaching and learning', and 'nature of science and science inquiry'. Teachers' collaboration in a teacher learning community would be effective in facilitating teachers' orientation to scientific inquiry-based teaching.

• East Asian mathematical journal
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.431-451
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• 2017

This is a descriptive study with the intent of providing a rich characterization of teachers' perceptions of rate of change. The nature of teachers' perceptions and differences among teachers were examined by collecting data through a survey on teachers' conceptions of rate of change in terms of learning goals, prerequisites, and beliefs about teaching and learning of rate of change, and an interview individually assessing teachers' concept images and definitions. The participating 13 teachers were selected to provide a range of similar and contrasting levels of experiences based on the teachers' educational background and the number of years they had been teaching. Findings and implications of this study are discussed.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 1999

The purpose of this review of literature is to investigate what kinds of research have been done on social construction of mathematics understanding among elementary students in small groups. Only empirical studies were reviewed, and then grouping was done in terms of the purpose of the study. This grouping identified three categories: 1) Social and mathematical norms in mathematics classroom, 2) Teaching productive communication behaviors for active learning in small group, and 3) Participation roles and communication behaviors in different group structure. To enhance social construction of mathematics understanding in small group settings two suggestions are made: the importance of the selection of collaborative tasks or problems and teachers' beliefs about mathematics and the teaching an learning of mathematics.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.155-169
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• 2021

This study aims at exploring the features of science teaching orientation (STO) and its relationships with other PCK (pedagogical content knowledge) components. To do this, based on the definition of STO by Friedrichsen, Driel, & Abell(2011) and PCK model by Magnusson, Krajcik, & Borko(1999), we observed one experienced elementary teacher's science lessons for 21 lesson hours (10 hours of 'Motion of Objects' and 11 hours of 'Light and Lens') and carried out qualitative analyses of the data obtained from lessons observation, teacher interviews, and CoRe (content representation) responses. We analyzed the teacher's three aspects of STO (i.e. beliefs about the goals and purpose of science teaching, beliefs about the nature of science, and beliefs about science teaching and learning) which can converge into an overall STO of 'inquiry'. And these aspects of STO appear to interact differently with four PCK components (i.e. curriculum knowledge, learner knowledge, instructional knowledge, and assessment knowledge) depending on the topic of the lesson. It is hoped that this in-depth understanding of the features of STO and its relationship with other PCK components would provide useful information on how to monitor and improve STO and PCK of elementary teachers.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.1329-1342
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• 2013

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between the change of beginning teachers' beliefs about a lesson and that of teaching practice and argument-based inquiry using science writing. Participants were three science teachers (A, B, and C) from different middle schools. Classroom observation and interview data were collected and transcribed for analysis. A Summary Writing test was also administered to examine whether there was an improvement in students' learning. The results indicated that the interaction between the teachers and their students developed, which is concluded as an improvement in the teaching practice. Teacher A and B also reported that teacher-student interaction had improved. Teacher A and C came to understand that argument-based inquiry using science writing classes constituted learner-centered instruction. The result from the Summary Writing Test showed the impact of the changes in teaching practice and in teachers' awareness of students' learning as well as produced meaningfully higher scores than compared groups on the rhetorical structure of all the specific areas in teacher A's school and on the scientific concept at B and C's schools.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.221-233
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• 2002

This study investigated preservice science teachers' understandings of philosophical foundations(i.e., ontological and epistemological beliefs) underlying constructivist notions of learning. The teacher education program these subjects participated in explicitly addressed philosophical notions consistent with different views of constructivism. For these preservice science teachers, the program provided them with the opportunity to reflect upon the implications that their ontological and epistemological commitments had for their role as a science teacher. Data from four in-depth interviews were used to explore changes in each preservice science teacher's ontological beliefs, epistemological commitments, and pedagogical preferences. Results indicated that ontological beliefs and epistemological commitments were not necessarily consistent with conceptions of science teaching and learning for these preservice teachers. While some students internalized idealist and relativist perspectives, they did not integrate these relativist epistemological views into their preferred instructional practices. Also, regarding the fallible and tentative nature of knowledge, data in this study indicated that participants' epistemological beliefs about scientific Knowledge did influence how they were thinking about their roles as science teachers. Implications for teacher education programs and research on preservice science teacher's philosophical beliefs are discussed.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.27-49
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• 2009

This study aimed to explore EFL learners' beliefs and preferences about reading tasks and to examine the reading processes that they use for making sense of text. The subjects were comprised of 107 college students who were non-English majors and aged 19-28 years. Based on scores achieved on a reading comprehension test, they were divided into two groups (more-skilled and less-skilled readers) and asked to respond to a survey in class. The results of the survey revealed that: (1) a majority rate themselves as fair readers, which might be indicative of the insecurity they feel toward L2 reading; (2) authentic texts (especially magazines) and popular media appear to be their favorite reading materials; (3) unknown vocabulary is a major impediment to their L2 reading comprehension; (4) the more-skilled readers manifest a meaning centered view of reading, whereas the less-skilled readers center on vocabulary; and (5) both groups employ a multistrategic approach to L2 reading; however, the less-skilled readers are less successful in determining the meaning of unknown vocabulary. Pedagogical implications for EFL classroom teachers are provided.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.784-794
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• 2014

In this study, we operated science teacher learning community to enhance professionality of elementary science teachers. 8 participants with various background, which include their science content knowledge, teaching experience and beliefs about teaching, were involved in this study. Bales(1950)'s social interaction process framework was mainly used to understand the members' interaction, focusing particularly on process aspects not on contents aspects. The data analysis shows that the members in the science teacher learning community tried their best to maintain the positive reaction to other members in most occasions in the community meetings. On the other hand, there were also negative reaction process due to their different ideas and views, causing their emotional conflicts in some social relations and dialogical situations. Nevertheless, the results also imply that the dual reaction processes, which are positive and negative processes, are equally important to facilitate science teachers' professional knowledge and experience. The educational meanings are discussed in the aspects of science teacher education.