Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education (한국과학교육학회지)

The Korean Association for Science Education (한국과학교육학회)
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Elementary School Students' Perception about the Purpose of Scientists' Experiments

과학자의 실험 목적에 대한 초등학생의 인식

  • Received : 2013.09.29
  • Accepted : 2013.10.10
  • Published : 2013.10.31
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Abstract

This study investigated the elementary school students' perception of the "purpose of scientists' experiments" and discovered what roles teachers can take to provide guidance. The study subjects were 193 elementary school students (96 boys and 97 girls) in a school located in Gyeonggi-do. The responses were analyzed through categorization based on their gender, science test score at school, and understanding of the purposes of scientific experiments based on students' choice of science-related future careers. The results of this study were as follows. In relation to the purpose of science experiments, the elementary school students considered intrinsic values of doing experiments more valuable than their extrinsic values. Next, 34.2% of the students answered that scientists do science experiment 'to find a new fact' and 26.9% of the students answered 'to make life convenient.' The results showed that girls responded 'social usefulness' more frequently than boys. Considering the achievement levels, it was found that high level students replied 'to make life convenient' more frequently than middle and low level students on why scientists do science experiments. Students who want to have a science-related career had varied ideas about it.

본 연구는 초등학생을 대상으로 과학자의 실험 목적에 대한 응답을 통하여 인식의 정도를 확인 하고자 한 것이다. 이러한 연구 목적을 달성하기 위하여 경기도 G시 한 초등학교의 초등학생 193명(남학생 96명, 여학생97명)을 대상으로 설문 조사를 실시하였다. 초등학생들의 응답을 성별, 학업성취도별, 과학관련 직업 희망여부별로 그 경향성을 나누어 살펴보았다. 학습자 특성이 과학자의 실험 목적에 대한 인식과 어떠한 상관이 있는지에 대한 분석을 통하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 첫째, 학생들은 과학자의 실험 목적에 대하여 '새로운 사실을 발견하기 위해서'라는 내적가치 중 인지적 영역과 관련된 항목에 34.2%, '생활을 편리하게 하기 위해서'라는 외적 가치의 사회적 영역에 대한 항목에 26.9%의 응답을 보였다. 이는 대부분의 학생들이 과학자들의 실험 목적을 사실의 획득이나 사회적으로 도움이 되기 위해서라고 인식하고 있음을 알 수 있다. 둘째, 응답의 분포를 성별로 살펴보면, 여학생이 사회적 유용성 영역에 관한 인식이 높았으며 남학생이 논리 객관적 요소에 관한 인식이 높게 나타났다. 셋째, 응답의 분포를 학업성취도별로 살펴보면, 과학자의 실험 목적에 대하여 상위권 학생이 사회적 유용성 영역에 관한 인식이 높았으며, 중 하위권 학생들은 인지적 영역에 관한 인식이 높게 나타났다. 넷째, 과학관련 직업을 희망하는 학생과 그렇지 않은 학생을 대상으로 한 과학실험의 목적에 대한 인식을 살펴보면 과학 관련 직업을 희망하는 학생의 인식이 더욱 다양하며, 그렇지 않은 학생은 인지적 영역에 대한 응답이 더욱 높은 것으로 나타났다.

Keywords

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  2. The Influence of Learning by Scientist Type on Attitudes toward Science, Reception of Scientific Experimental Purpose, and Reception of Scientist vol.31, pp.1, 2019, https://doi.org/10.13000/jfmse.2019.2.31.1.11