A comparative study of the mathematics curricula of Korea and Japan through the lens of transformation of plane figures

This study compares how geometric transformations are structurally introduced and utilized in the mathematics curric ula of Korea and Japan, analyzing how each country expands these concepts. In Korea, geometric transformations are introduced in a structured manner at the elementary level, while middle school education focuses on function graph transformations, pri marily translation, with limited connection to geometric concepts. In contrast, Japan emphasizes exploratory learning in elemen tary education and systematically expands translation, reflection, and rotation in middle school. At the high school level, Japan actively incorporates congruence transformations into various mathematical topics, including trigonometric functions and com plex number operations, while Korea continues to focus on function graph transformations, emphasizing algebraic approaches. This study highlights the need for a continuous, structured approach rather than a fragmented curriculum and suggests further discussions on improving the integration of rotation transformations in future revisions.