• School Mathematics
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.581-598
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• 2011

Given the growing agreement that algebra should be taught in the early stage of the curriculum, considerable studies have been conducted with regard to early algebra in the elementary school. However, there has been lack of research on how to organize mathematic lessons to develop of algebraic reasoning ability of the elementary school students. This research attempted to gain specific and practical information on effective algebraic teaching and learning in the elementary school. An exploratory qualitative case study was conducted to the fourth graders. This paper focused on the associative law of the multiplication. This paper showed what kinds of activities a teacher may organize following three steps: (a) focus on the properties of numbers and operations in specific situations, (b) discovery of the properties of numbers and operations with many examples, and (c) generalization of the properties of numbers and operations in arbitrary situations. Given the steps, this paper included an analysis on how the students developed their algebraic reasoning. This study provides implications on the important factors that lead to the development of algebraic reasoning ability for elementary students.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.799-801
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• 2011

Computational science is a field of study concerned with constructing mathematical models and quantitative analysis techniques and using large computing resources to solve the problems which are difficult to approach in a physical experimentally. Recently, a new web-based simulation environment for computational science is becoming more and more popular for supporting multi-user access without restriction of space or time, however, to develop web-based simulation applications, the researchers performed their works too much difficulty. In this paper, we present automated web interface generation tool that allows applied researchers to concentrate on advanced research in their scientific disciplines such as Chemistry, Physics, Structural Dynamics.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.153-161
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• 2023

Background: Fukushima Medical University (FMU) is located 57 km northwest of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Our laboratory has been conducting environmental radiation measurements continuously before and after the nuclear accident. We aimed to report the observed behavior of radiation originating from the released radioactive materials due to the accident, predict future trends, and disseminate the results to the local residents. Materials and Methods: Measurements of the counting rate by a diameter of 76 mm and a length of 76 mm thallium-doped sodium iodide (NaI[Tl]) scintillation detector (S-1211-T; Teledyne Brown Engineering Environmental Services) in the central part of the laboratory, and the dose rate outward at the window by NaI(Tl) scintillation detector and digital processor (EMF211; EMF Japan Co. Ltd.) were conducted. Results and Discussion: Measurements by Teledyne S-1211-T showed that in the early stages, radiation from radioactive isotopes with short half-lives was dominant, while radiation from radioactive isotopes with longer half-lives became dominant as the measurement period became longer. Through nonlinear least squares regression, both short and long half-lives were successfully determined. It was also possible to predict how the radiation dose would decrease. The environmental radiation trends around FMU were measured by the EMF211. Both measurements were affected by rainfall and snow accumulation. Decontamination work on the FMU campus impacted measurements by the EMF211 especially. Conclusion: The results of two types of measurements, one at the center and the other at the window side of the laboratory, were presented. By applying a simplified model, radiation from radioactive isotopes with short and long half-lives was identified. Based on these results, future trends were predicted, and the information was used for public communication with the local residents.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.123-145
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• 2013

This study was expected to yield the meaningful conclusions from the experimental group who took lessons based on inductive activities using GeoGebra at the beginning of proof learning and the comparison one who took traditional expository lessons based on deductive activities. The purpose of this study is to give some helpful suggestions for teaching proof to mathematically gifted elementary students. To attain the purpose, two research questions are established as follows. 1. Is there a significant difference in proof abilities between the experimental group who took inductive lessons using GeoGebra and comparison one who took traditional expository lessons? 2. Is there a significant difference in proof attitudes between the experimental group who took inductive lessons using GeoGebra and comparison one who took traditional expository lessons? To solve the above two research questions, they were divided into two groups, an experimental group of 10 students and a comparison group of 10 students, considering the results of gift and aptitude test, and the computer literacy among 20 elementary students that took lessons at some education institute for the gifted students located in K province after being selected in the mathematics. Special lesson based on the researcher's own lesson plan was treated to the experimental group while explanation-centered class based on the usual 8th grader's textbook was put into the comparison one. Four kinds of tests were used such as previous proof ability test, previous proof attitude test, subsequent proof ability test, and subsequent proof attitude test. One questionnaire survey was used only for experimental group. In the case of attitude toward proof test, the score of questions was calculated by 5-point Likert scale, and in the case of proof ability test was calculated by proper rating standard. The analysis of materials were performed with t-test using the SPSS V.18 statistical program. The following results have been drawn. First, experimental group who took proof lessons of inductive activities using GeoGebra as precedent activity before proving had better achievement in proof ability than the comparison group who took traditional proof lessons. Second, experimental group who took proof lessons of inductive activities using GeoGebra as precedent activity before proving had better achievement in the belief and attitude toward proof than the comparison group who took traditional proof lessons. Third, the survey about 'the effect of inductive activities using GeoGebra on the proof' shows that 100% of the students said that the activities were helpful for proof learning and that 60% of the reasons were 'because GeoGebra can help verify processes visually'. That means it gives positive effects on proof learning that students research constant character and make proposition by themselves justifying assumption and conclusion by changing figures through the function of estimation and drag in investigative software GeoGebra. In conclusion, this study may provide helpful suggestions in improving geometry education, through leading students to learn positive and active proof, connecting the learning processes such as induction based on activity using GeoGebra, simple deduction from induction(i.e. creating a proposition to distinguish between assumptions and conclusions), and formal deduction(i.e. proving).

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.211-222
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• 2016

This article examines K-8 pre-service teachers' (PSTs) engagement in lesson plan modification using the eight Mathematics Teaching Practices (MTPs) in Principles to Actions, the most recent landmark publication of framework by National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in the U.S. The activity consisted of four phases that involved the analysis and modification of an existing lesson plan. Fifty-seven PSTs participated in the activity throughout the semester, and data from each phase was analyzed using the inductive content analysis approach. PSTs' initial conceptions of lesson planning reflected little on teaching practices (i.e., the MTPs) with more emphasis placed on the form - rather than function - of lesson elements. With the opportunity to interpret MTPs and analyze lesson plans using MTPs as an analytical lens, PSTs demonstrated various interpretations of MTPs, made efforts to incorporate MTPs into lessons, and attended to the interwoven nature of MTPs. This article also shares the challenges, conflicts, and tensions reported by PSTs during their participation of lesson plan modification; as such, the results from this study will inform the research examining the pedagogical (im)possibilities for utilizing MTPs in mathematics teacher training programs.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.95-111
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between metacognition and math creative problem solving ability. Specific research questions set up according to the purpose of this study are as follows. First, what relation does metacognition has with creative math problem-solving ability of mathematically gifted elementary students? Second, how does each component of metacognition (i.e. metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive regulation, metacognitive experiences) influences the math creative problem solving ability of mathematically gifted elementary students? The present study was conducted with a total of 80 fifth grade mathematically gifted elementary students. For assessment tools, the study used the Math Creative Problem Solving Ability Test and the Metacognition Test. Analyses of collected data involved descriptive statistics, computation of Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis by using the SPSS Statistics 20. The findings from the study were as follows. First, a great deal of variability between individuals was found in math creative problem solving ability and metacognition even within the group of mathematically gifted elementary students. Second, significant correlation was found between math creative problem solving ability and metacognition. Third, according to multiple regression analysis of math creative problem solving ability by component of metacognition, it was found that metacognitive knowledge is the metacognitive component that relatively has the greatest effect on overall math creative problem-solving ability. Fourth, results indicated that metacognitive knowledge has the greatest effect on fluency and originality among subelements of math creative problem solving ability, while metacognitive regulation has the greatest effect on flexibility. It was found that metacognitive experiences relatively has little effect on math creative problem solving ability. This findings suggests the possibility of metacognitive approach in math gifted curricula and programs for cultivating mathematically gifted students' math creative problem-solving ability.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.115-140
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• 2009

Freudenthal has advocated the mathematisation theory. Mathematisation is an activity which endow the reality with order, through organizing phenomena. According to mathematisation theory, the departure of children's learning of mathematics is not ready-made formal mathematics, but reality which contains mathematical germination. In the first place, children mathematise reality through informal method, secondly this resulting reality is mathematised by new tool. Through survey, it turns out that area unit of Korea's seventh elementary mathematics textbook is not correspond to mathematisation theory. In that textbook, the area formular is hastily presented without sufficient real context, and the relational understanding of area concept is overwhelmed by the practice of the area formular. In this thesis, first of all, I will reconstruct area unit of seventh elementary textbook according to Freudenthal's mathematisation theory. Next, I will perform teaching experiment which is ruled by new lesson design. Lastly, I analysed the effects of teaching experiment. Through this study, I obtained the following results and suggestions. First, the mathematisation was effective on the understanding of area concept. Secondly, in both experimental and comparative class, rich-insight children more successfully achieved than poor-insight ones in the task which asked testee comparison of area from a view of number of unit square. This result show the importance of insight in mathematics education. Thirdly, in the task which asked testee computing area of figures given on lattice, experimental class handled more diverse informal strategy than comparative class. Fourthly, both experimental and comparative class showed low achievement in the task which asked testee computing area of figures by the use of Cavalieri's principle. Fifthly, Experiment class successfully achieved in the area computing task which resulting value was fraction or decimal fraction. Presently, Korea's seventh elementary mathematics textbook is excluding the area computing task which resulting value is fraction or decimal fraction. By the aid of this research, I suggest that we might progressively consider the introduction that case. Sixthly, both experimental and comparative class easily understood the relation between area and perimeter of plane figures. This result show that area and perimeter concept are integratively lessoned.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.211-230
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• 2016

The study aimed to investigate the characteristics of algebraic thinking of the mathematically gifted students and search for how to teach algebraic thinking. Research subjects in this study included 93 students who applied for a science gifted education center affiliated with a university in 2015 and previously experienced gifted education. Students' responses on an algebraic item of a creative thinking test in mathematics, which was given as screening process for admission were collected as data. A framework of algebraic thinking factors were extracted from literature review and utilized for data analysis. It was found that students showed difficulty in quantitative reasoning between two quantities and tendency to find solutions regarding equations as problem solving tools. In this process, students tended to concentrate variables on unknown place holders and to had difficulty understanding various meanings of variables. Some of students generated errors about algebraic concepts. In conclusions, it is recommended that functional thinking including such as generalizing and reasoning the relation among changing quantities is extended, procedural as well as structural aspects of algebraic expressions are emphasized, various situations to learn variables are given, and activities constructing variables on their own are strengthened for improving gifted students' learning and teaching algebra.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.443-465
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• 2016

The study aims to compare our newest mathematics curriculum with Singapore's and analyse the differences of them. Because the levels of our mathematics education have been evaluated to be difficult to our students, we try to find that the evaluation is appropriate and there are other characteristics we have to notice carefully, and provide some implications for our mathematics curriculum. We mainly compared both mathematics curriculums focussed on the national documents of mathematics curriculum, and textbooks in the level of middle school. The results are following. Firstly, Singapore has three tracks based on students' abilities and there are three kinds of textbooks on the tracks. This is a different from our teaching on students level. Secondly, the introductions of our mathematics curriculum contents are not faster than Singapore's, but they have more concrete ranges of contents than us. Thirdly, the focus of Singapore's mathematics education lies on problem solving, and we can find some good examples of contents of textbook focussed on problem solving. Some mathematical concepts are introduced simply without any process of students discoveries or investigations, and the focus lies on the problem solving using the concepts. Fourthly, Singapore's mathematics textbooks are more emphasis on the internal connections than ours.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.373-388
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• 2013

This paper is to investigate how two elementary school teacher's belief mathematics as educational content, and teaching and learning mathematics as a part of educational methodology, and what the two teachers believe towards gifted children and their education, and what the classes demonstrate and its effects on the sociomathematical norms. To investigate this matter, the study has been conducted with two teachers who have long years of experience in teaching gifted children, but fall into different belief categories. The results of the study show that teacher A falls into the following category: the essentiality of mathematics as 'traditional', teaching mathematics as 'blended', and learning mathematics as 'traditional'. In addition, teacher A views mathematically gifted children as autonomous researchers with low achievement and believes that the teacher is a learning assistant. On the other hand, teacher B falls into the following category: the essentiality of mathematics as 'non-traditional', teaching mathematics as 'non-traditional, and learning mathematics as 'non-traditional.' Also, teacher B views mathematically gifted children as autonomous researchers with high achievement and believes that the teacher is a learning guide. In the teacher A's class for gifted elementary school students, problem solving rule and the answers were considered as important factors and sociomathematical norms that valued difficult arithmetic operation were demonstrated However, in the teacher B's class for gifted elementary school students, sociomathematical norms that valued the process of problem solving, mathematical explanations and justification more than the answers were demonstrated. Based on the results, the implications regarding the education of mathematically gifted students were investigated.