COMPLETION REPORT

Asst. Prof. Dr. Sampan Thinwiangthong
Khon Kaen University, Thailand

The Comparative Study of Mathematical Communication in Japan, Laos and Thailand

This comparative study of means of mathematical communication in Japanese, Laotian, and Thai mathematics schools
can disclose essential aspects about mathematics teaching and learning. This is a measure of how well mathematics is taught andlearned across 3 countries. The purpose of this qualitative case study research was to explore the means of mathematicalcommunication of teachers and primary school students in Japanese, Laotian, and Thai Math classes. The target
groups were teachers and students in Grades 1 – 6 at the Attached School of Naruto University of Education in Japan;
the Demonstration School of Savannakhet Teacher Training College in the Lao People's Democratic Republic; andthe Demonstration School of Khon Kaen University in Thailand. A total of 18 classes were inspected, one from each
grade. Research tools included a video recorder, a camera, and field notes. The information was gathered byvideotaping, photographing, and taking notes. Analytic descriptive methods were used to examine the data, whichwere based on Pirie (1998)'s conceptual framework for means of mathematical communication.
The results showed that the Japanese math classes had utilized six means of mathematical communication: ordinary
language, mathematical verbal language, symbolic language, visual representation, unspoken but shared assumptions, and quasimathematical language. Meanwhile, math classes in the Lao PDR had discovered four means of mathematical communication,
while the Thai math classes had discovered five, indicating that teachers and students in Japanese classes were using a wider
variety of means of mathematical communication than those in the Thai and Lao PDR classes. Moreover, the findings revealed
that at least 3 different means of mathematical communication had been used in the math classes in the three countries (ordinarylanguage; mathematical verbal language and symbolic language). However, the means of mathematical communication in allof the Japanese classes had been based on the students at the center of mathematics learning, but some of the Thai and Lao
PDR classes had been based on question - answer interactions between the teachers and students, where the teacher is thecenter of the classroom. This reflects the Japanese math classroom culture that allows students to think and solve problems in avariety of ways, as well as to use a variety of means of mathematical communication to create mutual understanding. Meanwhile,
the math classes in Thailand and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, represent a classroom culture that aims to shift awayfrom traditional teaching methods and towards education that encourages students to think and solve problems on their own
according to educational reform policies and directions for the twenty-first century.

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Publication of the Results of Research Project:
Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)
Drafted for submission to international journal:
1) The Investigation of Means of Mathematical Communication: Case Studies of Math Classes inJapan, Lao PDR, and Thailand
2) The Comparative Study of Mathematical Communication in Japan, Lao PDR and Thailand
Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)-2/2-