• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.327-344
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• 2006

This study examined the proof levels and understanding of constituents of proving by three mathematically gifted 6th grade korean students, who belonged to the highest 1% in elementary school, through observation and interviews on the problem-solving process in relation to constructing a rectangle of which area equals the sum of two other rectangles. We assigned the students with Clairaut's geometric problems and analyzed their proof levels and their difficulties in thinking related to the understanding of constituents of proving. Analysis of data was made based on the proof level suggested by Waring (2000) and the constituents of proving presented by Galbraith(1981), Dreyfus & Hadas(1987), Seo(1999). As a result, we found out that the students recognized the meaning and necessity of proof, and they peformed some geometric proofs if only they had teacher's proper intervention.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.619-636
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• 2012

The main purpose of this study was to explore the process of generalization generated by mathematically gifted students. Specifically, this study probed how fourth, fifth, and sixth graders might generalize geometric patterns and represent such generalization. The subjects of this study were a total of 30 students from gifted classes of one elementary school in Korea. The results of this study showed that on the question of the launch stage, students used a lot of recursive strategies that built mainly on a few specific numbers in the given pattern in order to decide the number of successive differences. On the question of the towards a working generalization stage, however, upper graders tend to use a contextual strategy of looking for a pattern or making an equation based on the given information. The more difficult task, more students used recursive strategies or concrete strategies such as drawing or skip-counting. On the question of the towards an explicit generalization stage, students tended to describe patterns linguistically. However, upper graders used more frequently algebraic representations (symbols or formulas) than lower graders did. This tendency was consistent with regard to the question of the towards a justification stage. This result implies that mathematically gifted students use similar strategies in the process of generalizing a geometric pattern but upper graders prefer to use algebraic representations to demonstrate their thinking process more concisely. As this study examines the strategies students use to generalize a geometric pattern, it can provoke discussion on what kinds of prompts may be useful to promote a generalization ability of gifted students and what sorts of teaching strategies are possible to move from linguistic representations to algebraic representations.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.19 no.4 s.24
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• pp.699-713
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• 2005

In this paper, we attempted to find out the meaning of several means and inequalities, their relationships and proposed the effective ways to teach them in college mathematics classes. That is, we introduced 8 proofs of arithmetic-geometric mean equality to explain the fact that there exist diverse ways of proof. The students learned the diverseproof-methods and applied them to other theorems and projects. From this, we found out that the attempt to develop the students' logical thinking ability by encouraging them to find out diverse solutions of a problem could be a very effective education method in college mathematics classes.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.111-135
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• 2023

This study conducted a student-centered inquiry lesson on the similarity of figures using AlgeoMath, with student learning aspects analyzed from a communication perspective. This approach aimed to inform pedagogical implications related to teaching geometric similarity. Through utilizing AlgeoMath, students were able to visually confirm that their chosen figures were similar, experiencing key mathematical concepts such as the ratio of similarity to the area of similar figures, and congruency and similarity conditions of triangles. In the lessons applying this concept, we categorized the features of similarity learning displayed by students, as seen in the communication aspects of their exploratory activities, into 'Understanding similarity ratios', 'Grasping conditions of similarity in triangles', and 'Comparing concepts of congruency and similarity'. Through exploratory activities based on AlgeoMath, students discussed the meaning and mathematical relationships of key concepts related to similarity, such as the ratio of similarity to the area of figures, and the meaning and conditions of congruence and similarity in triangles. By improving misconceptions about the similarity of figures, they were able to develop deeper mathematical understanding. This study revealed that in teaching and learning the geometric similarity using AlgeoMath, obtaining meaningful pedagogical outcome was not solely due to the features of the AlgeoMath environment, but also largely depended on the teacher's guidance and intervention that stimulated students' thinking.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.507-539
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• 2014

The algebra is an important tool influencing on a mathematics in general. To make good use of the algebra, it is necessary to transfer from a given situation to a proper algebraic representation. But some research in related to algebraic word problems have reported the difficulty changing to a proper algebraic representation. Our study have focused on transformation and elaboration of algebraic representation. We investigated in detail the responses and perceptions of 29 Grade 7 students while transforming to algebraic representation, only concentrating on the literature expression form the problematic situations given. Most of students showed difficulties in transforming both descriptive and geometric problems to algebraic representation. 10% of them responded wrong answers except only a problem. Four of them were interviewed individually to show their thinking and find the factor influencing on a positive elaboration. As results, we could find some characteristics of their thinking including the misconception that regard the problem finding a functional formula because there are the variables x and y in the problematic situation. In addition, we could find the their fixation which student have to set up the equation. Furthermore we could check that making student explain own algebraic representation was able to become the factor influencing on a positive elaboration. From these, we also discussed about several didactical implications.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.45-63
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• 2023

The activity of finding rules is useful for enhancing the algebraic thinking of elementary school students. This study analyzed the pattern activities of a finding rules unit in 10 different government-authorized mathematics curricular materials for fourth graders aligned to the 2015 revised national mathematics curriculum. The analytic elements included three main activities: (a) activities of analyzing the structure of patterns, (b) activities of finding a specific term by finding a rule, and (c) activities of representing the rule. The three activities were mainly presented regarding growing numeric patterns, growing geometric patterns, and computational patterns. The activities of analyzing the structure of patterns were presented when dealing mainly with growing geometric patterns and focused on finding the number of models constituting the pattern. The activities of finding a specific term by finding a rule were evenly presented across the three patterns and the specific term tended to be close to the terms presented in the given task. The activities of representing the rule usually encouraged students to talk about or write down the rule using their own words. Based on the results of these analyses, this study provides specific implications on how to develop subsequent mathematics curricular materials regarding pattern activities to enhance elementary school students' algebraic thinking.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.113-130
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to analyze how well middle school students understand space geometrical concept related to a cylinder. To this end, we developed the test tool based on prior research and examined 433 middle school students in November and December, 2018. And in March 2019, we interviewed 4 students who showed some type of errors. The difference in the correct answer rate of the questions by the grade and gender was tested, and the error type was analyzed based on the student's responses to the questions to evaluate the spatial reasoning ability. The results of this study are as follows. First, the difference by graders was not statistically significant in the questions evaluating spatial visual ability. On the other hand, in the case of the two questions for evaluating spatial measurement ability and spatial reasoning ability, the difference in the correct answer rate between the 7th graders and 8th is not significant, but the difference between lower graders and 9th was significant. Second, there was no significant difference in the spatial geometric ability of all girls and boys participating in this study. Third, analyzing the student's error type for an item which assessed spatial reasoning ability, we found that there are various error types in relation to visual, manipulative, and reasoning errors.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.865-884
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• 2010

The purpose of this research was to analyze the characteristics of teachers' questionings in the geometry field and suggest the characteristics of teacher questioning to enhance students' mathematical creativity. Teacher questioning plays a role to students' mathematical achievements, mathematical thinking, and their attitudes toward mathematics. However, there has been little research on the roles of teacher questioning on students' mathematical creativity. In this research, researchers analyzed teachers' questions concerning the concepts of triangles in the geometric areas of 4th grade Korean revised 2007 mathematics textbooks. We also analyzed teachers' questionings in the three lessons provided by the Jeju Educational Internet Broadcasting System. We classified and analyzed teachers' questionings by the sub-factors of creativity. The results showed that the teachers did not use the questionings that appropriately enhances students' mathematical creativity. We suggested that teachers need to be prepared to ask questions such as stimulating students' various mathematical thinking, encouraging many possible responses, and not responding with yes/no. Instead, teachers need to encourage students to explain the reasons of their responses and to take part in learning activities with interest.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.303-322
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• 2007

This study is to investigate student's processes of problem solving using open-ended Geometric problems to understand student's thinking and behavior. One 8th grader participated in performing her learning in 5 lessons for June in 2006. The result of the study was documented according to Polya's four problem solving stages as follows: First, the student tended to neglect the stage of "understanding" a problem in the beginning. However, the student was observed to make it simplify and relate to what she had teamed previously Second, "devising a plan" was not simply done. She attempted to solve the open-ended problems with more various ways and became to have the metacognitive knowledge, leading her to think back and correct her errors of solving a problem. Third, in process of "carrying out" the plan she controled her solving a problem to become a better solver based on failure of solving a problem. Fourth, she recognized the necessity of "looking back" stage through the open ended problems which led her to apply and generalize mathematical problems to the real life. In conclusion, it was found that the student enjoyed her solving with enthusiasm, building mathematical belief systems with challenging spirit and developing mathematical power.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.81-98
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• 2007

In order to help students learn geometric concepts in mathematics in an easy and interesting way, the present study restructured the textbook so that it utilizes GSP based on van Hiele's theory. In addition, we purposed to examine how effective the restructured textbook is in enhancing students' van Hiele level and to lay a base for the active use of GSP in learning figures in elementary school. In conclusion, the results of this study is expected to solve problems in the structure of the current textbook such as the violation of continuity in van Hiele's theory and inconsistency between the level of textbook contents and students' level through the restructuring of the textbook using GSP and provide helps for effective figure learning. In addition, this research is expected to be an opportunity for the active use of GSP in teaching figures in elementary school.