Academic literature on the topic 'Textbook Usage, Mathematics Textbook Characteristics'

This study examined the differences in the presentation of geometry concepts and characteristics of geometry questions among elementary mathematics textbooks in Finland, Singapore, and Taiwan. Horizontal and vertical analysis methods were used to collect and analyze the data. A popular Mathematics textbook from a dominant publisher in each country were selected: Laskutaito from Finland, My Pals are Here! Maths from Singapore, and Kang Hsuan from Taiwan. The results indicated differences in the presentation of geometry concepts among the three textbook series. In addition, the questions in these textbooks were determined to demonstrate different characteristics. Moreover, these findings highlight the importance of cross-national textbook comparison to enhance the understanding of differences in learning opportunities across different countries.

Many studies regarding the acquisition of te iru focus on the learner’s language output. There are very few researches that focus on textbooks as the input in language studies. There is a possibility that introducing grammatical items in textbooks tends to lead the learners to misuse te iru. It is necessary to clarify the grammatical items' characteristics in the basic level textbooks as a language input. Especially, in the study abroad, such as in Indonesia, non-textbook sources for Japanese input are limited. Therefore Indonesian Japanese learners mostly depend on textbooks. This research will discuss the introduction of te iru in the basic level textbooks from the input viewpoint. This research examines how te iru is introduced in “Situational Functional Japanese”. The data in this research include the main textbook and the grammatical explanation, from which te iru sentences are collected and classified. In order to identify the general tendency of te iru in textbooks, te ita, te inai and subordinate sentences are also included as data. Each textbook recognizes that five usages are introduced in the explanation of SFJ, but only two usages are written in explaining the usage of te iru. Their usage is resultative and progressive. And, te inai and te ita are also introduced in SFJ. Moreover, if we look at the distribution of the example sentences of te iru in SFJ the example sentences can still be found, some of which show an increase in subsequent chapters.

Relevance of the study is substantiated by the need for the optimisation of foreign languages education in non-linguistic higher education establishments at economic faculties that are particularly influential on the process related to the acquisition and memorising of linguistic material. The purpose of the study is to analyse the English textbook «Enterprise 4» issued by the Publishing house «Express Publishing» as an effective means of communication. Special attention is paid to the correspondence of the content of the textbook to its aim, expediency of using the mentioned textbook at practical sessions at higher educational institutions at economic faculties by the students majoring in Hotel and Restaurant Business. The methods used are as follows: the methodological aspect of the textbook is stressed; the author emphasises a positive role of the data obtained and the introduction, underlining the aim of lessons for seekers of higher education. The scholar examines the usage of the most spread types of tests: asking-answering questions, translating, matching, completing, gap-filling, information transferring, recording, correcting, paragraphing, multiple choice, finding differences (similarities) and so on. Results: the article underlines the importance of the textbook’s functions, the necessity to include into the educational process such creative tasks as working out portfolios, group work, making notes, making up dialogues, organisation of discussions, presentations, role-playing. Unquestionable advantages of the “Enterprise 4” textbook are as follows: complete compatibility to the requirements of the teaching programs, prominent clarity of the material structuring, availability of technical support for the textbook users, visible scientific correctness in the contents and completeness in the revealing of the main issues, the use of up-to-date and generally accepted scientific terms. The lexical and grammar material is practice-oriented, its interactions with life is obvious. The textbook shows the ways to the differential approach to teaching new material; its content correlates with age characteristics of higher school students. The language of the mentioned material is clear and simple. One can trace comparative studies in the textbook (American English – British English reference book). Motivation of the youth’s learning activities, development of their interest to the subject by using the methods proposed in the textbook show the presence of problematic and searching tasks. The didactic adequacy of the tasks system given in the textbook, its capacity to facilitate students’ independent activities alongside the logic of the illustrative material layout and use are considerable advantages of the textbook as both a stand-alone and an additional information source. Conclusions: this article accents on further development of the four language activities at the English lessons – listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as on four competences –linguistic, speaking, social-cultural and strategic (general learning) ones.

The topic of similarity plays an essential role in developing students’ deductive reasoning. However, knowing how to teach similarity and understanding how to incorporate deductive reasoning and proof along with plane geometry remain a challenge to both school curriculum creators and teachers. This study identified the problems and characteristics regarding how similarity is treated in secondary mathematics textbooks in Hong Kong in the past half century. The content analysis method was used to analyze six secondary mathematics textbook series published in different periods. From the epistemological perspective of the textbook contents, our analysis shows the historical context and learning trajectories of how similarity was treated in school curriculum. The natural axiomatic geometry paradigm is not emphasized too much at different stages and most of the textbooks did not provide formal proofs of similarity. The intuitive idea was gradually consolidated into a formal definition of similarity. Furthermore, the way that rigorous geometric deduction can be performed from intuitive concepts and experimental geometry to the idea of proofs and formal proofs is also discussed.

The purpose of this study is to design a structural model explaining how elementary students use digital textbooks on mobile devices. This study extends the technology acceptance model framework, with self-efficacy, learning motivation, learning strategies, and parent education level as external variables. Results show that perceived usefulness was a significant mediating factor for students’ actual usage of digital textbook on mobile devices. Self-efficacy and learning strategies influence self-reported actual usage through perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. In addition, parent education level has a significant influence on students’ self-efficacy and especially learning motivation. These findings have broadened research on technology acceptance with emphasis on a more learning-centered framework that focuses on the learners’ characteristics and their unique contexts when using digital textbooks via mobile devices.

The package CONVODE (CONVersion of Ordinary Differential Equations) is written in REDUCE 3.4 in order to study differential equations and systems of differential equations. Differential equations (D.E.) whose solutions can be obtained using CLASSICAL methods of integration are investigated. CONVODE is written on the framework of most of the textbook on D.E. One of the characteristics of CONVODE is to be a very wordy program and to keep its user aware of its process.

The assessment and grading practices in 19 mathematics classes in 5 high schools in 3 states were studied. In each class the most frequently used assessment tools were tests and quizzes, with these determining about 77% of students' grades. In 12 classes other forms of assessment, such as written projects or interviews with students, were also used, with performance on such instruments counting for about 7% of students' grades averaged across all 19 classes. Test items generally were low level, were stated without reference to a realistic context, involved very little reasoning, and were almost never open-ended. Most test items were either neutral or inactive with respect to technology. Written projects usually involved more complex analyses or applications than tests did. The teachers' knowledge and beliefs, as well as the content and textbook of the course, influenced the characteristics of test items and other assessment instruments. Only in geometry classes did standardized tests appear to influence assessment.

The article deals with the problems of term functioning and classification in the field of electronic educational publications (electronic textbooks) in the Ukrainian publishing market. It analyses the main features of the standards in the field of electronic book publishing, as well as basic principles of its creation. The problems of creating electronic textbooks have been highlighted. Prospects for further research and a possibility of terms’ usage from the publishing business have been described. Previously, this term was understood as a device enabling reading, but at present an e-book is a content that requires playback by individual devices. The problems of creating interactive electronic publications, including the lack of skills of publishers and a high cost of software for such publications’ layout have been explored. This issue can be resolved either in concluding agreements with foreign partners,or in creating their own technological platforms. Summarizing our analysis, we can conclude that standards in the field of electronic publications should be updated at least once every five years. Ukraine needs not only well-designed standards, but also a respect for copyright and a protection of intellectual property. A lack of control, unified typological classification and certification of such publications can result in springing up electronic publications of improper quality. Respectively, they can harm users. Sometimes publishers can not clearly identify which electronic product they have made. The problem can be solved only at the national level, with the help of regulations and a creation of a regulative institution. The latter should be responsible for standardization and certification of e-learning publications and their quality characteristics. The prospects for standardization of electronic publications have been determined. Keywords: e-learning edition, e-textbook, interactive textbook, multi media content, standard, typology, problems.

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers&rsquo<br>ways of using mathematics textbooks while planning the lesson and during the lesson, to document teachers&rsquo<br>views about elementary students&rsquo<br>usage of mathematics textbook during the classroom time and for their homework and teachers&rsquo<br>views about mathematics textbooks&rsquo<br>characteristics. A case study was conducted in a private elementary school with more class hours for mathematics and six mathematics teachers teaching 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th grade mathematics in this school participated. Data were collected in the spring semester of 2010-2011 academic year through an interview protocol with 16 main questions addressing teachers&rsquo<br>mathematics textbook usage and students&rsquo<br>mathematics textbook usage developed for this study by the researcher through the findings and discussions in the literature. Data analysis was conducted through qualitative methods. The findings of this study showed that participant teachers expressed both positive and negative views about characteristics of textbook and usage of textbook. All of them stated that the textbook was their main tool for lesson preparations and teaching. They followed the curriculum from textbook and decided what to do, how to do, and when to do. Participants underlined that textbook was an effective helper but it needed improvement in many aspects. The findings also showed that teachers viewed that students did not use their textbook efficiently. All of the teachers expressed that students did not prefer to study from textbook if there were not any assignment or homework. Teachers specified that students could improve studying habits from textbook if teachers could direct them efficiently. The findings of this study might be useful to prepare more effective lessons for teachers, to give ideas to teachers for guiding their students for effective textbook usage, and to increase the quality of textbooks.

碩士<br>國立臺中教育大學<br>數學教育學系在職進修教學碩士學位班<br>97<br>This research is a probe into the teachers’ background of primary school mathematics field, the selecting factors of mathematics textbooks to consider for use and the present situation of satisfaction. This research adopts the investigation method of the questionnaires. The questionnaire was based on self-edited called “The Questionnaire for textbook selection consideration factors of primary school teachers in mathematics and satisfaction about the usage of mathematics textbook ”. 550 mathematics teachers of the 96th semester in Taiwan were used as a stratified sampling. 469 were valid samples. This questionnaire used SPSS 10.0 for Windows package software to undergo statistic analysis such as factor analysis, reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, percentage, mean and standard deviation, one-way ANOVA, Scheffe’s method, t-test and Importance-Performance Analysis. Depending on the analysis result of materials mentioned above, the conclusions are as follows: (1) Those who take on mathematics classes at present are women mostly, and those who didn’t graduate from the major of mathematics department are more than those who are in relevant department. (2) The contents that the teachers relatively put much emphasis on context-related attributes while selecting the mathematics textbooks . In addition, tested teachers feel very much important about the factor that research institute design. Turning into a respect in different backgrounds, it is the teachers that graduated from relevant department of mathematics got higher scores of considering the factor of the textbook apparently than the teachers who are relevant to department of mathematic. Men and women consider factors of context-related attributes have apparently difference in the selection of using textbook. The score of women are higher than men. (3) Teachers feel fairly satisfied with the mathematics textbooks used at present. Turning into a respect in different backgrounds, the satisfaction to mathematics textbooks one of the teacher that irrelevant department of mathematics graduate that is highly satisfied than the teachers who are relevant department of mathematics graduated apparently. Men and women also have significantly difference of showing in publisher of the satisfaction of the mathematics textbook attribute, man are relatively much satisfied than women. (4) Among 23 pieces of textbook satisfaction which this research institute designs select, there are only 3 questions could be continue keeping in. And there are 11 questions needed improvement, and it shows that there is still some space that needs to revise in the current textbook. (5) After analyzing with IPA, there are 6 questions need improvement first, whose name is respectively for “publisher can seek for opinions, collecting by suggestion of user voluntarily, and improve to improve continuously”, “offer course implement or publication of teaching method”, “layout is left with the blank, support position of the exercise, it is convenient for child to write, do mark”, “the content example accords with students' experience of life”, “teaching material content arrange for order”, “the order of teaching material content is accorded with cognition, study development of students and the logic structure with mathematics According to above-mentioned conclusion, we can propose the suggestion, especially to educational administrative organ, publishing business person and follow-up research.

碩士<br>南華大學<br>出版與文化事業管理研究所<br>96<br>The purpose of this research is aimed at investigating the relationship and consideration factors for the selection of a mathematics textbook and the subsequent usage satisfaction of elementary school teachers, as well as the differences in the background of elementary school teachers, and Yunlin County as a sample source. 　　 　　The participants in this study were lower grade elementary school teachers in Yunlin Country. 418 lower grade teachers from 100 elementary schools were used as a stratified sampling. Actual reclaim of valid samples were 407. 　　 　　This research adopted questionnaire method is self-editing based “Survey of the consideration factors for the selection of a mathematics textbook and the subsequent usage satisfaction of elementary school teachers” to collect information. All quantitative data has been analyzed via some statistical methods including descriptive statistics, T-test, one-way ANOVA, confirmatory factor analysis and Pearson product-moment correlation. 　　 　　The major results were summarized as follows: 1. The consideration factors for the selection of a mathematics textbook were generally identified by lower grade teachers, which include physical-related attributes, publication-related attributes, context-related attributes and instructional design attributes of textbook. 2. The lower grade teachers were highly satisfied with the mathematics textbooks used at present. 3. With the slight difference, the teachers participating in the textbook selection showed high satisfaction in physical-related attributes and publication-related attributes of the textbook. 4. In comparing with the experience of lower grade teaching, the teachers from the group of 2 to 4 years had higher satisfaction about the textbook context-related attributes than the others. 5. The teachers will emphasize the high satisfaction of the textbook context-related attributes and instructional design attributes, when the textbooks were used to be the complementary materials. 6. The main factors affecting teacher satisfaction degree in the selection factors lie in “instructional design attributes” and “physical-related attributes”.

Ethiopia has succeeded in rapidly expanding access to primary education over the past two decades. However, learning outcomes remain low among primary school children and particularly among girls and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Starting with a systematic review of quantitative studies on the determinants of learning outcomes among primary school children in Ethiopia, this study then examined key determinants of students’ numeracy achievement over the 2018-19 school year. The study focused on Grade 4 children (N=3,353) who are part of an on-going longitudinal study. The two questions that guided this study are: what are the key determinants of numeracy achievement at Grade 4 in primary schools in Ethiopia, and how does our current empirical study contribute to understanding achievement differences in numeracy among primary school children in Ethiopia? We employed descriptive and inferential statistics to examine factors that determine differences in numeracy scores at the start and end of the school year, as well as determinants of numeracy scores at the end of the school year conditional on achievement at the start of the school year. We examined differences across gender, region, and rural-urban localities. We also used ordinary least squares and school ‘fixed effects’ approaches to estimate the key child, household and school characteristics that determine numeracy scores in Grade 4. The findings revealed that boys significantly outperformed girls in numeracy both at the start and end of the 2018/19 school year, but the progress in numeracy scores over the school year by boys was similar to that of girls. Besides, students in urban localities made a slightly higher progress in numeracy over the school year compared to their rural counterparts. Students from some regions (e.g., Oromia) demonstrated higher progress in numeracy over the school year relative to students in other regions (e.g., Addis Ababa). Key child (e.g., age, health, hours spent per day studying at home) and school- and teacher-related characteristics (e.g., provision of one textbook per subject for each student, urban-rural school location, and teachers’ mathematics content knowledge) were found to be significantly associated with student progress in numeracy test scores over the school year. These findings are discussed based on the reviewed evidence from the quantitative studies in Ethiopia.