The academic achievement of Korean students on equation and function appeared as very high in the comparison with students in other nations at the results of an international student assessment, TIMSS 2007. However, according to the results of investi...
The academic achievement of Korean students on equation and function appeared as very high in the comparison with students in other nations at the results of an international student assessment, TIMSS 2007. However, according to the results of investigating the students’class activities among the relation between the mathematics achievement and contextual variables, for practice activities to perform calculations, the Korean average appeared as extremely high compared to the international average, but for writing activities of equations and functions and thoughts on data analysis activities at tables, charts and graphs were investigated as lower than the international average. Accordingly, it was investigated that Korean students thought the majority of mathematics class activities were practicing calculations. Thus, this research intends to figure out the abilities of students who understand the relation between equations and functions beyond the calculation of equations and functions, and their types.
By investigating and analyzing the development content on the relation between equations and functions at the textbooks of the 2nd and 3rd grade in middle school and the 1st grade in high school, this research presents its purpose in figuring out the differences and the characteristics of the 3rd grade students in middle school and 1stgrade students in high school through case studies based on the analysis, and selects the following study subjects.
1. How is the relation between equations and functions being suggested at the textbooks of the 2nd and 3rdgrade in middle school and the 1st grade in high school?
2. What differences exist between the type of understanding on equations and functions of the 3rd grade students and that of the 1stgrade students in high school?
3. What are the characteristics of the understanding type on the relation between equations and functions of the 3rd grade students in middle school and the 1stgrade students in high school?
For this research, the 8-Ga and the 9-Ga textbook and the high school mathematics textbook for the seventh national mathematics were analyzed, and 91 students in the 3rdgrade of middle school and 110 students in the 1stgrade of high school were selected and the understanding type of students were analyzed through an assessment test. The assessment test was consisted of a total of 8 problems that were translation assignments and analysis assignments on the relation between equations and functions, and the types of understanding on the relation between equations and functions were classified into three types and the differences between the understanding types of the 3rdgrade students in middle school and the 1st grade students in high school. Also, three from each understanding type of each grade were selected among the research subjects; their case studies through interview were conducted and the characteristics of understanding types were analyzed.
At the result of the first study problem, the relation between equations and functions was suggested for the 2ndgrade in middle school and the 1st grade in high school but not for the 3rd grade in middle school. At the result of the second study problem, many students from the 3rd grade in middle school were included at type 1 and 2, and especially type 2.1, indicating that they wereaware of the contents of linear equations and linear functions, among type 2. Majority of 1st grade in high school were included at type 2 and 3. For the result of the third study problem, the 3rd grade middle school students of type 2.1 separately understood the concept of equation and function at the problems about the relation between equations and functions and failed in connecting the two, but gradually figured out the relation between equations and function with the assistance of the researcher. Also, it was found that the 1stgrade high school students of type 3.2 were memorizing the relation between equations and functions as formulas and directly applied them at the problem solving, rather than understanding the relation between equations and functions by expressing the solutions of equations at the coordinates.
The conclusion drawn from these results is that since the relation between the first equations and functions is already studied at the 2nd grade as well as the 3rdgrade of middle school, when studying the concepts of second degree equations and functions, it is advised to guide the students to maintain the relation between equations and functions studied at the 2nd grade and flexibly accept the relation between equations and functions suggested again at the 1stgrade of high school, by mentioning the relation between equations and functions at the textbooks or classes not to put any limits on connecting the two concepts and understanding the relation between the two and avoiding the direct training of problem solving only. Also, the teaching on the relation between equations and functions must be accompanied along with the teaching on the connection between structure of equations and function and its meaning, rather than the teaching on the relation between equations and functions with formulas.
As the understanding types on the relation of equations and functions were re-organized through a precedent study by the researcher and analyzed according to the results, the outcomes can differ depending on the research purposes and it has a limit in selecting more concrete understanding types as configuring the understanding types as only two types. Therefore, the understanding types of students must be more specified and discussed based not only on translation and analysis assignments but also on other various types of assignments.