• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.147-160
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to compare the elementary science curriculum and textbooks of Korea, the United States, Japan, and Singapore to know how the contents on particulate concept of matter is introduced and expressed. In Korea, particulate concept of matter was adopted as a term for 'molecules' in the 3rd through 6th curriculum, and the term for 'particles' was adopted in the 2009 revised curriculum. In the United States, NGSS adopted the term 'particle' in fifth grade. Japan presented the concept of 'particle' as a core concept of matter in the commentary, and the expressions 'particles' were being introduced in the textbooks. But it did not cover particulate nature of matter at the elementary school level in Singapore. An analysis of elementary textbooks in Korea, the United States and Japan except Singapore showed particulate expressions in 'dissolution', 'state change of water', 'gas pressure and volume', 'combustion and extinguishment' units. Korean textbook was only being introduced in 'dissolution' and 'gas pressure and volume', but in the textbooks of Japan and the United States, water was expressed as particles in 'state change of water' unit. Discussion and implication on the introduction of particulate concept to elementary science curriculum and textbooks were suggested based on the results.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.390-403
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• 2009

We have examined the perception of teachers and students in elementary schools toward the frontier science and analyzed corresponding contents in science textbooks in Korea and the U. S. in order to promote a good guidance for the frontier science education. We prepared separate questionnaires for teachers and children, respectively, and analyzed the responses obtained from 244 teachers and 1,000 students in five elementary schools. For the analysis of how to introduce the frontier science, we investigated textbooks such as Science, Society and Practical Arts of Korean elementary school, and an American science textbook published by Scott Foresman. This study revealed that teachers are well aware of the importance of the frontier science, however, they are inactive in conducting the subject in class rooms because of their insufficient scientific knowledge and poor environment for teaching. It has been found that children had strong interest in the frontier science, however, opportunities to learn the topic are not properly provided. The frontier science m the American science textbook turned out to be more systematically introduced than that in Korean ones.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.288-296
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• 2015

This study aimed to analysis of concepts and inquiry activities related to the 'Earth Science' area in the South Korean elementary school textbooks to the current and to seek the improvement of future textbook. For the study, we were collected South Korean elementary school textbooks to the current. After the collection had been made, we were analyzed related to the 'Earth' area in the South Korean elementary school textbooks and were extracted central concepts and inquiry activities. The result of this study: First, there were 'A change in the land', 'Strata and Fossil', 'Volcanoes and Earthquakes', 'Earth and Moon', 'The weather', 'The Solar system and the Star', and 'Seasonal Change' in the central concepts related to the 'Earth' area in the South Korean elementary school textbooks to the current. Second, central concepts were almost the same but the curriculum was changed. Third, inquiry activities also were confirmed to be maintained with little change. This result was believed that it can provide a variety of suggestions at this point in changing the curriculum.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.315-329
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• 2007

The concepts of ratio, rate, and proportion are used in everyday life and are also applied to many disciplines such as mathematics and science. Proportional reasoning is known as one of the pivotal ideas in school mathematics because it links elementary ideas to deeper concepts of mathematics and science. However, previous research has shown that it is difficult for students to recognize the proportionality in contextualized situations. The purpose of this study is to understand how the mathematical concept in the middle school mathematics curriculum is connected with ratio, rate, and proportion and to investigate the characteristics of proportional reasoning through analyzing the concept including ratio, rate, and proportion on the middle school mathematics curriculum. This study also examines mathematical concepts (direct proportion, slope, and similarity) presented in a middle school textbook by exploring diverse interpretations among ratio, rate, and proportion and by comparing findings from literature on proportional reasoning. Our textbook analysis indicated that mechanical formal were emphasized in problems connected with ratio, rate, and proportion. Also, there were limited contextualizations of problems and tasks in the textbook so that it might not be enough to develop students' proportional reasoning.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.587-610
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• 2010

This paper investigates the ways for estimation ability improvement in length, which is recently emphasized in measurement area of mathematics education. According to preceding studies, students' length estimation ability is considerably low. Revision curriculum tried to pursue estimation and feeling of massiveness responsive to trends in mathematics education. But, Such efforts are not reflected in textbooks and they are rather weak in the aspect of estimation and feeling of massiveness. This paper analyzes the contents related to length estimation in current textbooks critically and explores an alternatives. This paper is suggestive for textbook development to improve ability to estimate length.

• Educational Technology International
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.17-37
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• 2008

This study is to examine different views of teachers, students, parents and experts on existing mathematics textbook and ideas and alternatives for developing new textbooks. We interviewed deeply with 18 teachers, 18 students, 9 parents, and 4 experts and analyzed two analysis frame categories; Strengths and weaknesses of current textbooks and directions of mathematics textbooks that will be revised. We found that among teacher, student, parent and expert, there are some differences of meaning about mathematics textbooks, based on interview questions. The directions of new textbooks are as follows. First, 'the definitions of mathematics textbook concepts' shared and sympathized by teachers, students, parents, and experts should be considered in developing the textbooks. Second, the textbooks should be much usable in classrooms and be matched to the goals of mathematics subjects. Third, the contents and levels of difficulty of the textbooks should be based on the specific objectives and the analysis of curriculum and its contents. Fourth, understanding students should be presupposed as the external side of contents and the textbooks themselves should be associated with the image of joyful and fun mathematics. Fifth, the mathematics textbooks should reflect real daily life to their contents and be linked to other subjects.

• The Journal of Korean Association of Computer Education
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2019

In order to improve the quality of textbooks, this study analyzed seven informatics textbooks published based on the 2015 revised curriculum. Content analysis was used to analyze the organization system of these textbooks. Learning objectives of the textbooks were also analyzed according to Anderson's taxonomy of educational objectives. Furthermore, a textbook satisfaction survey, in which textbook selection criteria were applied, was given out to preliminary teachers. The results showed that the textbooks were similarly organized, centered on practice, activities, differentiated learning, and small group learning. However, the number of pages varies considerably for each chapter. After analyzing learning objectives of the textbooks, it was found that in terms of cognitive processes, 'understanding' (53%) was the highest item and 'analyzing' (16%) the second highest; in terms of type of knowledge, 'conceptual' (42%) and 'procedural' (31%) accounted for the two highest categories; in terms of cognitive domains, there has been a significant increase in 'analyzing' and 'creating' facets for learning objectives of these new versions of textbooks as compared to those of previously existed textbooks. In the satisfaction survey on a 5-point Likert scale, 'the accuracy and fairness of the content' had the highest points at 4.21 among four scale items. In this study, the improvement of the textbook is proposed based on the findings from this analysis.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.283-300
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• 2011

Since elementary students are in the concrete operational stages, they have to learn mathematics using intuitive methods such as visualization, observation, operation, experiment instead of formal approach. For this, we should present the various intuitive methods in curriculum and textbook. It is because that curriculum and textbook are important tools to students when they study mathematics. So, this paper intended to analyze the instructional content by intuitive principle in elementary mathematics curriculum, textbook and curriculum guide. The results are as follows: there is an intuitive principle in only character of mathematics in curriculum. I can't find the intuitive principle in other areas in curriculum. There are 12 intuitive principles in figures area, 1 in measurement area, and 2 in probability and statistics area in curriculum guide. But intuitive principles which are used are inclined to restricted to intuitive principle via representation obtained in the usual experience. Finally, I suggest some implications about teaching via intuitive principles, curriculum, and writing textbook based on the this findings.

• The Journal of Korean Association of Computer Education
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.1-13
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• 2010

According to the 2007 national curriculum amendment, new 'informatics' textbooks have been used since 2010 as a textbook for middle school first graders and will eventually be used in other grades. However, only a few studies that have evaluated the 'informatics' textbooks, have been performed. What is worse is the fact that none of the evaluating tools even exist. Therefore, we propose the criteria of selecting 'informatics' textbooks in middle school. Its contents can be summarized as follows: First, this paper classifies previous studies on textbook evaluation into general criteria of selecting textbooks, method of textbook analysis based on how inquisitively students can learn and previous studies which analyzed existing secondary school 'informatics' textbooks and propose the criteria of selecting 'informatics' textbooks in middle school. Second, using the proposed selection criteria for 'informatics' textbooks and other evaluation criteria, five kinds of informatics textbooks were analyzed. Furthermore, it is expected that we can use the selection criteria as a material to choose the new 'Information science' textbooks, and to suggest alternative directions of future studies in the area of evaluating 'Information science' textbooks.

• The Journal of Korean Association of Computer Education
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.35-45
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• 2010

In this thesis, newly distributed informatics-1 textbook is analyzed according to the curriculum for middle school revised in 2007 and, as a result, a questionnaire is conducted to find solutions for early adoption of informatics-1 textbooks. The sample of this survey was limited to Kyungi province-based middle school teachers on Informatics-1. Items of the survey were chosen to explore the degree of satisfaction of teachers on the informatics-1 textbook and to discover contents requiring further necessary revision. Out of seven items concerning the satisfaction of the textbook, the item with the most positive responses was 'the consistency with the curriculum' with 95%. Also, the item with the most negative responses was 'the adequacy of contents and their organization' with 13%. In conclusion, we, based on the results from the questionnaire, proposed the introduction of various lecture materials and the training of teachers to learn new teaching methods.