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The Korean Earth Science Society (한국지구과학회)
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A Study on Elementary School Students' Perception of Geological Time Concepts: Focusing on the Sedimentary Rock Formation Process

초등학생들의 지질학적 시간 개념에 대한 인식 연구: 퇴적암 형성 과정을 중심으로

  • Dong-Young Lee (Research Institute for Science Education, Pusan National University)
  • 이동영 (부산대학교 과학교육연구소)
  • Received : 2024.07.05
  • Accepted : 2024.08.09
  • Published : 2024.10.31
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Abstract

This study aims to investigate how elementary school students understand the process of sedimentary rock formation based on their perception of geological time concepts. The research was conducted with 57 fourth-grade students from U Elementary School in B Metropolitan City. Data were collected using a modified and adapted version of the LIFT (The Landscape Identification and Formation Test) assessment tool developed by Jolley et al. (2012) and structured essay questions based on the interview framework used by Charles and McConnell (2018) on geological landscape formation. The qualitative analysis of the essay responses classified the students into three groups based on their expression of geological time concepts: the "Specific Time Concept" group, the "Vague Time Concept" group, and the "No Time Concept" group. Statistical verification was performed using the scores from short-answer questions about the sedimentary rock formation process. It was found that the "Specific Time Concept" group had a statistically significantly higher understanding of the sedimentary rock formation process compared to the "No Time Concept" group (p= .04). Additionally, instances of underestimation and overestimation of geological ages, as mentioned by Ault (1982), were observed in the specific cases. Furthermore, language networks were formed and centrality analyses were conducted based on the descriptive responses collected from each group. The analysis results showed that the "Specific Time Concept" group had a relatively good understanding of all processes involved in sedimentary rock formation, with geological time concepts well connected to the phenomena. The "Vague Time Concept" group did not have a well-connected understanding of the processes of deposition, compaction, cementation, lithification, and exposure but had a relatively good understanding of geological time concepts. The "No Time Concept" group explained the sedimentary rock formation process mainly focusing on deposition, compaction, and cementation, and had almost no understanding of geological time concepts. Additionally, community analysis using the centrality of time nodes showed that the "No Time Concept" group had difficulty associating the sedimentary rock formation process with the concept of time. Based on these conclusions, suggestions were made to provide insights into geological time.

본 연구는 초등학교 학습자들의 지질학적 시간 개념 인식에 따라 퇴적암 형성 과정을 어떻게 이해하고 있는지를 알아보기 위한 연구이다. 연구의 실행은 B 광역시에 위치한 U 초등학교 4학년 학생 57명을 최종 분석의 대상으로 진행되었으며, 데이터의 수집은 Jolley et al. (2012)이 개발한 LIFT (The Landscape Identification and Formation Test) 검사 도구를 수정 및 번안하여 객관식 문항을 구성하고, Charles and McConnell (2018)이 활용한 지질학적 경관 형성에 대한 인터뷰의 구조를 서술식 문항으로 제작하여 데이터를 수집하였다. 서술형 문항 응답 결과를 질적으로 분석하여 학생들의 지질학적 시간 개념 표출 유형을 기준으로 세 군집으로 분류하였다. 분류된 군집은 각각 구체적 시간 개념 군집(Specific time concept cluster), 막연한 시간 개념 군집(Vague time concept cluster), 시간 개념 미표현 군집(No time concept cluster)으로 명명되었으며, 각 군집별로 퇴적암 형성 과정에 대한 단답형 문항의 점수를 활용하여 통계적 검증을 수행하였으며, "구체적 시간 개념" 군집은 "시간 개념 미표현" 군집에 비해 퇴적암 형성 과정에 대한 이해가 통계적으로 유의미하게 높은 것을 확인하였다. 또한 그 구체적 사례에서 Ault (1982)가 언급한 지질학적 연대에 대한 과소 추정과 과대 추정의 사례를 발견하였다. 또한 각 군집별로 수집된 서술형 문항(퇴적암 형성 과정에 대한 서술)을 바탕으로 언어 네트워크를 형성하고, 중심도 분석을 실시하여 시각화한 후 분석하였다. 분석 결과, 구체적 시간 개념 군집은 퇴적암 형성의 모든 과정에 대해 비교적 잘 인식하고 있으며, 지질학적 시간 개념이 현상과 잘 연결되어 있는 것을 확인하였다. 또한, 막연한 시간 개념 군집은 퇴적암 형성 과정에서 퇴적, 압축, 교결, 암석화, 노출의 과정이 비교적 잘 연결되어 있지 않지만, 지질학적 시간 개념은 비교적 잘 인식하고 있었으며, 시간 개념 미표현 군집은 퇴적암 형성 과정에서 퇴적, 압축, 교결 작용을 중심으로 설명하고 있으며, 지질학적 시간 개념의 인식 또한 거의 이루어지지 못하고 있다는 것을 확인하였다. 추가로, 각 군집별 시간 노드의 커뮤니티가 가지는 중심도를 활용해 커뮤니티 분석을 실시간 결과, "시간 개념 미표현" 군집은 퇴적암의 형성 과정을 시간 개념과 연관시키는 것에 어려움을 겪는 것을 확인하였다.

Keywords

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