News--Welcome to National Chiayi University

　　National Chiayi University Vice President Yang Der-Ching, also Lifelong Distinguished Professor of the Graduate Institute of Mathematics and Science Education, again won the Ministry of Science and Technology Academic Research Award in 2019, after winning the award in 2015. It was a hard-earned success indeed. The greatest contribution of his research lies in that, by allowing students to access the testing platform, the teachers may gain further understanding of the students’ performance, confidence and false concepts, among others, in answering math questions. The online testing system helps reduce the burden of the teachers without disturbing the teaching schedule.

　　 Prof. Yang is dedicated to exploring how to improve the elementary school students’ “number” sense. He has been upgrading the two- and three-tier diagnostic test systems that he had developed to the four-tier diagnostic test system. It is an innovative and unique approach in the mathematics education world. The diagnostic testing system enables the teachers to test a large number of children’s performance on “number” sense (answer options), while reviewing the methods they use in answering the questions (reason options). Moreover, by analyzing the students’ answers and problem-solving methods, it can be utilized to test the students’ confidence in answering questions, and thus detect the false concepts that may lead to false solutions. In other words, it allows better understanding of their inner thoughts in answering math questions.

　　 Also Vice President of NCYU, Professor Yang was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for winning the award again. To him, all the time and effort spent for the studies have finally earned recognition. Every researcher/scholar may attain the Academic Research Award only twice in their lifetime. He was grateful to the Ministry of Science and Technology for their long-term research funding, to the university for the administrative support, and also to his family for their consideration and spiritual support. Professor Yang encouraged everyone by saying, “Perseverance, commitment and enthusiasm are stepping stones to success.”