The goal of this paper is to describe the teaching of initial multiplication concepts and skills, up to the multiplication table, in the Croatian educational system. As Stiegler and Hiebert (1999) concluded, teaching is a complex system rooted in a cultural script of a given society. To describe it without ignoring certain features of it that…

The present study compared Japanese and U.S. preschool children's knowledge of geometric shapes. The main goal was to explore if differences in shape-naming conventions in Japanese and English could explain differences in children's understanding of geometric shapes. In ancient Chinese-based languages (e.g., Japanese), all standard 2D shapes…

"Assumptions" play a fundamental role in disciplinary mathematical practice, especially concerning the relativity of truth. However, much is still unclear about ways to help students recognize key aspects of this role. In this paper, we propose a set of principles for task design to introduce students to the role of assumptions in…

This paper presents the importance of the visual expression of factor decomposition in regression analysis, which is particularly worthwhile for undergraduate students whose majors are not mathematics but social science. The conventional purpose of regression analysis is to examine specific hypotheses empirically. In particular, the statistical…

Data science education in Japan extends from elementary to high school students. However, some studies show that this has not enhanced interest or curiosity in data science. Therefore, gamification appears to be an efficient method for encouraging high school students' interest in data science, with research indicating that video games are…

This study investigated how Japanese curricula represent functional relationships through the lenses of quantitative and covariational reasoning. Utilizing both macro and micro textbook analyses, we examined the tasks, questions, and representations in the Japanese elementary and lower secondary course of study, teachers' guide, and textbooks.…

According to the Programme for International Student Assessment, functions constitute an important part of mathematical literacy. In Japan, students start learning about bivariate relationships in the fourth grade (at the age of 9). However, reports suggest that elementary school students and lower-level secondary school (junior high) students…

Studies have found that problems exist with respect to elementary school teachers' understanding of proportions and their knowledge of the appropriate methods for teaching the concept. This study aims to help aspiring elementary school teachers form a healthy mathematical identity and deepen their understanding of mathematics. This quantitative…

It has become increasingly clear that the early use of decomposition for addition is associated with later mathematical achievement. This study examined how younger children execute a base-10 decomposition strategy to solve complex arithmetic (e.g. two-digit addition). 24 addition problems in two modalities (WA: Written Arithmetic; OA: Oral…

Recently a team of third- and fourth-grade teachers tested instructional ideas on the topic of division with remainders (DWR) using lesson study. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics give little attention to the concept of the remainder, specifying only that students are to solve problems for which remainders must be interpreted (NGA…

The purpose of the study was to explore how contents related to sustainable development were presented in Japanese, Korean, and Singaporean elementary mathematics textbooks. For this purpose, the contents in the textbooks were analyzed at both macro and micro levels through a mixed method research. The results showed that the…

There has been a lack of research into conceptually teaching the structure of contextual problems to kindergarten students. This is despite the popularity of contextual problems and the difficulties that students have with them. This study focuses on creating a textless, image-based application that uses the Triplet Structure Model to teach about…

This paper reports on combining semiotic and discursive approaches to reification in classroom interactions. It focuses on the discursive characteristics and semiotic processes involved in the teaching and learning of square roots in a ninth grade classroom in Japan. The purpose of this study is to characterize the development of mathematical…

This paper explores the use of gamification in math lessons for children in order to highlight the relationship between math education and its application to society. In school education, there is an existing problem about how to relate concepts learned in math to everyday life. One of the reasons for this problem is that it is difficult for…

Structured problem-solving lessons are used to explore mathematical concepts such as pattern and relationships in early algebra, and regularly used in Japanese Lesson Study research lessons. However, enactment of structured problem-solving lessons which involves detailed planning, anticipation of student solutions and orchestration of whole-class…