• The Mathematical Education
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.181-195
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the understanding of basic knowledge of mathematics for $6^{th}$ grade students in elementary school by an essay test and provide instructional suggestions for teachers. A total of 132 students from 6 classes in 3 elementary schools were tested and analyzed in terms of the characteristics of correct answers and types of incorrect answers. The results showed that students had poor understanding of basic conceptual concepts and principles throughout six content areas of school mathematics curriculum, despite their good performance on mathematical skills. This study included implications to teaching and learning for each of the content areas.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.223-240
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• 2015

This study qualitatively investigates the nature of the challenges that a student who is highly successful in mathematics faces in learning college-level elementary statistics. The study draws on the constructs of eagerness, flexibility and willingness to characterize the necessary disposition for critical thinking that is essential in learning statistics. The case study is based on data collected through a survey assessment and a follow-up interview with a mathematics major enrolled in an elementary college statistics course at the time of the study. The qualitative analysis relies on the student's verbal descriptions of the challenges he was experiencing in the course. The findings suggest that while his strong inclination towards inquisitive learning and strong understanding of mathematical concepts supported this student's mathematics learning, the same characteristics might have been causing him difficulties in learning college-level elementary statistics.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.165-179
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• 2020

In this article, the author's intent is to begin a conversation centered on the question: How was the integration of digital technology into elementary mathematics classrooms framed? In the first part of the discussion, the author provides a historical perspective of the development of theoretical perspectives of the integration of digital technology in learning mathematics. Then, the author describes three theoretical perspectives of the role of digital technology in mathematics education: microworlds, instrumental genesis, and semiotic mediation. Last, based on three different theoretical perspectives, the author concludes the article by asking the reader to think differently.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2001

The purpose of the study is to introduce how tessellation can be used and integrated to connect geometry to pattern in elementary mathematics educations. Tessellation examples include transformations such as translational symmetry, rotational symmetry, reflection symmetry, and glide reflection symmetry. In addition, many examples of tessellation using softwares such as Escher, TesselMania!, and LOGO programs. Further, future study will continue to foster students and teachers to try to construct their alive mathematics knowledge. The study of geometry and patterns require a rich teaching and learning environment provided by in-depth understanding of thinking connections to objects in real world.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.487-507
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• 2011

Despite the recent increased attention to mathematics teacher education there have been lack of empirical studies on how to teach teachers. A study of mathematics instruction for prospective teachers can be conducted either by a teacher educator's critical reflection on her teaching or by observation of others' teaching practices. This paper was from the author's observation of a mathematics instruction course for future elementary teachers at the University of California at Irvine. As such this paper described in detail how the course was implemented throughout the quarter and drew implications for a teacher preparation program in Korea. As the course had a specific purpose of promoting future teachers' expertise in mathematics instruction and employed various strategies that were different from a typical university course, this paper is expected to provide teacher educators with the insight of an alternative teaching style and to provoke discussion of how to connect theory to practice for effective teacher education.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.191-206
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to find an implication for a direction to improve professional development in mathematics by exploring elementary school teachers' perception of the need for professional development in mathematics. To this end, 4 elementary school teachers were organized into one focus group, and group discussion materials were collected and analyzed based on cases of mathematics professional development needs. As a result of the study, the elementary school teachers' perception that the need for professional development in mathematics is both unnecessary and necessary. The perception of unnecessary was influenced by the easy level of elementary school mathematics content and the ease of teaching. Also, the perception of necessary factors were considering various aspects of mathematics teaching, changing the accumulation of failures in mathematics classes, maintaining authority of students, demand for class improvement due to social change, the impact of school work, the influence of the community of professional development and peers in school, and efforts to grow as teachers. Based on these results, the author discussed ways to promote teachers' participation in mathematics professional development by considering elementary school teachers' perceptions of the need of mathematics professional development.

• School Mathematics
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.657-675
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• 2002

This paper is to make strides toward an enriched understanding of the difficulties and issues raised by applying the 7th mathematics curriculum to elementary school classrooms. A general overview of the curriculum is presented in line with teaching and learning methods emphasized in the curriculum. Four classroom episodes are presented in brief in order to diagnose the problems in situating the curriculum in elementary mathematics classrooms. These episodes deal with lessons emphasizing activity rather than its associated concepts or principles, overusing multimedia data, pursuing play rather than its associated thinking, and distributing various individual worksheets in the name of differentiated instructional methods. In addition to the episodes, interview data with elementary school teachers also are presented as needed. This paper discusses two aspects of activating the curriculum into elementary mathematics classrooms. One deals with the issues of the curriculum and textbooks themselves, and the other covers those of research trends on mathematics education and teaching practices. This paper finally emphasizes a collaborative working relation among classroom teachers, mathematics educators, and policy makers with their own places and roles.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.143-161
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• 2001

This paper explores how unequally successful mathematics practices were constructed in the two elementary mathematics classrooms. The interview data that pertain to the two teachers' personal reflections on the influences on their professional development were used as a source of inquiry to identify the underlying factors that might account for the differences and the similarities in implementing reform ideals in teaching mathematics. This affords not only exploration of the challenges of moving teaching practices toward student-centered approaches but also insight of the processes of developing mathematics teaching practices through teachers\`own career paths.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.123-140
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• 1997

Researchers have insisted that mathematics should be learned not as a product but as a process. Nevertheless school mathematics has chosen ‘top-down’ method and has usually instilled into the mind of students the mathematical concepts in the form of product. Consequently school mathematics has been teamed by students without the process of inquiring and mathematical thinking. According to Freudenthal, it is a major source of all problems of mathematics education. He suggested mathematising as the method for 'teaching to think mathematically' 'Teaching to think mathematically' through the process of mathematization, interpreting and analysing mathematics as an activity, is a means to embody the purpose of mathematics education.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.125-148
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to analyze concretely and minutely a primary factor of deciding attitude of learning mathematics of elementary school students, grope a solution for negative attitude of learning mathematics with researching a difference between major factors by achievement in mathematics, and examine a suggestion in forming positive attitude of learning mathematics. The results of this study is as follows. First, elementary school students decided whether they liked or disliked mathematics, depending on not only characteristics of mathematics, but also teacher's teaching mathematics with interest and fun, or teacher's teaching tediously and difficultly. Second, negative attitude toward mathematics exam of elementary school students was influenced by parents' meddling for exam and negative attitude toward result of exam more than uneasiness by exam itself. Third, as private education for elementary school students becomes more popular, the learning mathematics out of school can be an important factor to decide attitude of learning mathematics of students on several sides such as teacher, teaching method, method of presenting task, and so on as much as mathematics class in school, and characteristics of mathematics. Fourth, students demanded silent and concentrative atmosphere in studying to have positive attitude of learning mathematics. Fifth, as the result of examining major factors that form attitude of teaming mathematics of groups by achievement in mathematics, there was considerable difference in each group. Students in a group of ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ disliked parents' meddling and rebuke, but it didn't change greatly their attitude toward mathematics exam. However a group of ‘middle’ showed the greatest uneasiness toward an exam, and they reacted sensitively to parent's rebuke, scolding, learning environment, and so on.