유아교육현장에서 통합적 교육의 적용은 대체로 방법적 측면에 치중되고 있을 뿐이며, 교과내용에 대한 전문적 이해를 기초로 하여 무엇을, 왜 통합할지의 관점에서 다루어지지 않고 있다. 본 연구에서는 사회교육과 수학교육이 통합된 사회수학(social mathematics)교육의 적용모형을 설계하고, 이를 토대로 교육 목표 및 내용을 설정하였으며, 교수-학습의 구체적 적용 방안을 제시하였다. 사회수학교육의 통합적 접근은 실제상황에서 수학을 경험하며 문화의 산물로서 다양한 생활 패턴에 따른 문제해결 도구로 활용되었음을 이해할 뿐 아니라 사회적 현상이나 사건을 이해하고 자신과 주변생활의 문제해결의 기회를 제공할 수 있는 교육방안으로 그 활용적 가치가 기대된다.

Most early childhood educators so far generally have concentrated on the methodological issue of the integrated approach and paid little attention to the issue of what is being integrated and why. This study therefore has attempted to set up the conceptual framework for social mathematics, an integration of social studies and mathematics in terms of educational objectives, contents and teaching-learning methods. This study consists of the following items: 1) setting up the conceptual model for the integrated approach to social mathematics and its applications, 2) identifying the educational objectives of social mathematics based on the position statements of NCSS, NCTM, and the Korean National Kindergarten Curriculum, 3) selecting the content for an integrated social studies and mathematics from the sub-areas, Social Phenomena and Environment and Logical-Mathematical Inquire, in the National Kindergarten Curriculum, 4) suggesting possible teaching-learning methods and activities for social mathematics. The study finds that logico-mathematical thinking is essential for developing environmental and sociocultural understanding in young children by experientially connecting social mathematics to socio/cultural concerns, and assisting students in understanding how they function. The study implies that kindergarten teachers need to recognize the necessity of meaningful connections between social studies and mathematics. Various ways of teaching social math needs to be explored and the effectiveness of integrating social studies and mathematics should be confirmed in later classroom research.