臺灣、芬蘭、新加坡國小數學教科書代數教材之比較

A Comparison of Algebra Content in Instructional Materials in Elementary School Mathematic Textbooks of Taiwan, Finland and Singapore

本研究以臺灣、芬蘭與新加坡國小數學教科書為對象，探討三國教科書中代數教材呈現的異同。研究對象為臺灣康軒版《數學》、芬蘭WSOY 版LASKUTAITO in English、和新加坡MCE 版My Pals are Here! Maths 等三國使用最普及的教科書。本研究以「數學問題」為單位，採用內容分析法，依據數學問題的類型、情境和表徵形式來進行分析比較。結果發現，三國代數問題所占的比例均不高，約占7%至13%之間，臺灣和新加坡在例題的說明上較詳盡，芬蘭則以簡潔的方式呈現。三國在問題類型的分布上有一致的現象，都明顯地偏重無連結程序的問題；在問題情境上，臺灣代數問題以情境問題為主，芬蘭和新加坡則是以無情境問題為主；在問題表徵形式上，臺灣以文字型態的表徵為主，而芬蘭和新加坡都是以數學型態的表徵為主。

This study compared the algebra content of instructional materials in the most popular elementary school mathematics textbook series used in Taiwan, Finland and Singapore. The mathematics instructional materials reviewed were KangHsuan Mathematics, the WSOY LASKUTAITO in English, the MCE My Pals are Here! Maths used in Taiwan, Finland, and Singapore, respectively. The research method employed was content analysis. Mathematical problems were the unit of analysis and they were classified based on their cognitive types, contexts and representational forms. Findings showed that the percentage of algebra problems presented in the textbooks in these three countries was not high, only about 7% to 13%. In sample problems, Taiwan and Singapore presented a detailed problem-solving process, but Finland only offered brief descriptions or definitions. We found the ratio of different types of problems in textbooks to be similar in the three countries with most of the problems classified as ‘procedure without connection’ in each country. As to problem contexts, most algebra problems in Taiwan were contextual problems in nature, but in Finland and Singapore, were classified as non-contextual problems. When the representational forms of problems was examined, we found that most problems were presented in word form in Taiwan, but most frequently in a purely mathematical form in Finland and Singapore.