Hyun Joo Song , Yeonseok Ka , Jihyun Hwang
DOI: JANT Vol.26(No.3) 253-270, 2023
This study aims to investigate the extent to which Korean high school textbooks incorporate opportunities for students to engage in the mathematical modeling process through tasks related to exponential and logarithmic functions. The tasks in three textbooks were analyzed based on the actions required for each stage in the mathematical modeling process, which includes identifying essential variables, formulating models, performing operations, interpreting results, and validating the outcomes. The study identified 324 units across the three textbooks, and the reliability coefficient was 0.869, indicating a high level of agreement in the coding process. The analysis revealed that the distribution of tasks requiring engagement in each of the five stages was similar in all three textbooks, reflecting the 2015 revised curriculum and national curriculum system. Among the 324 analyzed tasks, the highest proportion of the units required performing operations found in the mathematical modeling process. The findings suggest a need to include high-quality tasks that allow students to experience the entire process of mathematical modeling and to acknowledge the limitations of textbooks in providing appropriate opportunities for mathematical modeling with a heavy emphasis on performing operations. These results provide implications for the development of mathematical modeling activities and the reconstruction of textbook tasks in school mathematics, emphasizing the need to enhance opportunities for students to engage in mathematical modeling tasks and for teachers to provide support for students in the tasks.