Earticle

This study explores the potential of using ChatGPT as a learning support tool in elementary school mathematical modeling lessons. To this end, real-world problems from the mathematics textbook were reconstructed into modeling tasks, and lessons were designed and implemented in which students utilized ChatGPT to solve these tasks. Students’ modeling processes and interactions with ChatGPT were qualitatively analyzed to investigate how the use of digital technologies influences the execution of modeling phases. In particular, students’ usage patterns and perceptions of ChatGPT were examined to provide a comprehensive understanding of the educational affordances of ChatGPT from both learner and teacher perspectives. The findings suggest that generative AI can serve as an effective cognitive and affective support tool in elementary mathematics education.

This study conducted a scoping review of literature related to TPACK in the field of mathematics education in Korea, aiming to explore overall research trends, identify gaps in AI-integrated TPACK studies, and suggest future research directions. A total of 20 studies published between 2007 and November 2024 that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed in terms of research methods, participants, and topics. The findings showed that research methods were evenly distributed among quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches. In terms of research participants, studies focusing on secondary school teachers accounted for approximately 89%, while no studies on pre-service primary teachers were identified. Regarding research topics, about half of the studies investigated changes in teachers’ TPACK-related perceptions or competencies through lessons or teacher education programs. Notably, only two studies addressed AI-based learning tools, and only one explicitly referred to an AI-TPACK model. These findings suggest that TPACK research relevant to AI-based teaching and learning environments in Korean mathematics education remains largely theoretical, with limited investigation into classroom applications or teacher expertise. Future research should focus on practice-oriented studies involving AI-based instructional implementation and further examine the applicability and educational impact of the AI-TPACK model, particularly in secondary school settings.

This study explores how high school students demonstrate instrumental understanding in the context of integer operations. Using a qualitative case study approach, semi-structured interview data from a second-year student were analyzed through the lens of Skemp’s (1976) distinction between instrumental and relational understanding and Sfard’s (1991) theory of mathematical discourse. The analysis revealed five key characteristics: reliance on memorized rules, difficulties in connecting operations with real-life contexts, dominant natural number-based strategies, conceptual errors, and lack of metacognitive strategies to avoid mistakes. The student often interpreted operations procedurally, applied rules mechanically, and showed limited structural understanding of integers. Attempts to contextualize problems with real-world scenarios frequently resulted in mismatches between the symbolic and narrative representations. These findings underscore the persistence of rule-based reasoning in mathematical learning and highlight the challenges students face when transitioning from procedural fluency to conceptual understanding. The study concludes with implications for mathematics education, emphasizing the need for instruction that supports relational understanding, fosters representational connections, and scaffolds the development of algebraic thinking through meaningful discourse.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how 8th grade students interpret and reason through addition and subtraction of integers by focusing on the multiple meanings of negative numbers and the symbols “+” and “–”. To analyze this, two students from a middle school in Seoul were interviewed using a semi-structured think-aloud protocol, and their reasoning was examined based on their responses to 15 designed questions, including open-number and real-context problems. The data were analyzed using a framework classifying students’ interpretations of the symbols and concepts involved. As a result, the study identified distinct patterns in how students assign meanings to “+” and “–” in different contexts, how these interpretations affect their problem-solving strategies, and how individual preferences for consistent symbol meanings influence reasoning. These findings emphasize the epistemological nature of symbol interpretation in mathematical learning and suggest implications for instruction that promotes flexible yet coherent understanding of integer operations.