The purpose of this study is to examine the learner's variables affecting on scientific thinking and scientific process skills. To study this purpose, through the procedure study, the learner's variables were divided into cognitive variable, ego variable, and affective variable, then the questionaire survey through the reconstruction of standardization instrument was made over 120 elementary school fifth grade student in Seoul, Anyang, and Pajoo. The results of this study were as follows: 1) The learner's variables affecting on scientific thinking were cognitive variable and for female students, also affect affective variable. The subordinated catagories of statistically significant degree of explanation were achievement motivation, cognitive level, and cognitive style and another statistically significant correlation were meta-cognition, self regulated learning, self efficacy, and muliple intelligence. 2) The learner's variables affecting on science process skills were cognitive variable and affective variable. And the subordinated catagories of statistically significant degree of explanation were achievement motivation, and cognitive level. And another statistically significant correlation were meta-cognition, self regulated loaming, self efficacy, multiple intelligence, and attribution.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the functions of prefrontal lobe on the formation of conservation scheme of elementary students. In this study, 107 students of 4th to 6th grades were selected from the elementary school in Seoul area. As to the research,4 items for conservation logic test from GALT test sheet were used. The planning ability, inhibiting ability and reasoning ability were measured for the prefrontal lobe functions. About 30% of 4-6 grade students did not have volume conservation logic skills. The formation of conservations was not linear. Inhibiting ability was significantly different in level of conservation. And, conservation logic skills were significantly correlated with cognitive variables. Reasoning ability was significantly explained about 10% of the conservation logic in 4-6 grades.

The 7th Science Curriculum of Korea is applied in elementary schools from 2000, and the New Science Curriculum of Japan is applied in schools from 2002. In this study, we made a comparison between the 7th Science Curriculum of Korea and the New Science Curriculum of Japan in relation to Elementary school in aspects of construction, aim, and contents. The major findings of this study are as follows. 1. The New Science Curriculum of Japan presents a specific aim, treatment of content, and process skills according to grade, but the 7th Science Curriculum of Korea does not classify them according to grade. Hence the 7th Science Curriculum of Korea emphasize on the sequence between grades. 2. In aim of Science Curriculum, the 7th Science Curriculum of Korea show more emphasis on the practical application than the New Science Curriculum of Japan. 3. In construction of content, a area of science content is handled with gradual advance in several grades and several areas of content are treated in a grade in the 7th Science Curriculum of Korea. On the contrary, a area of content is treated intensively in a grade in the New Science Curriculum of Japan. Therefore, the 7th Science Curriculum of Korea shows more reflection of connection and hierarchy between grades. 4. The statements of the 7th Science Curriculum of Korea are centering around specific matters and include specific activities, but the New Science Curriculum of Japan focuses on concepts to team and does not state specific activities.

The purposes of this study were grasping the degree of students' understanding for course contents through the concept mapping strategy as meaningful learning in science and measuring the effect for change of conception and changing the misconception. The results of the study were as follows: 1. Before the lesson, only 10.7％ of students had scientific conception of molecular motion. Other students had various kinds of misconceptions. 2. The extent of concept formation after lesson through the using concept mapping strategy was tested. As a result, compared with the controlled group, the experimental group showed higher extent of sound concept formation (statistical significance level 0.05). 3. The differences between the experimental group and the control group were analyzed into quantitative and qualitative points of view. The results of the comparison showed that the maps of the students were well configured in the categories of the relationship, the hierarchy and the examples; while students showed lower abilities in the category of the cross-links. 4. The student's attitudes to ward concept mapping was positive. Most of the students answered that teaching strategy of concept mapping benefits them in meaningful learning outcomes.

The purpose of this study is to guide and apply gettable and accessible materials around everyday life into classroom instruction, and to find out their effects on student academic achievement. In order to achieve it, this study was tried to develop and guide available materials around life in teaming activities, to provide a preliminary assignment that could apply the available materials, and to compare its academic achievement to one from field trip loaming. For the hypothesis testing, first, the experimental and comparing classes were selected based on the results of basic learning diagnostic evaluation, which conducted by the researcher being served as a full-time science teacher of the third and sixth grade of K elementary school in Kwangju for 2 years. Secondly, the instructional use of the available materials around life was applied to the experimental class. Also, the instructional use of the existing materials was applied to the comparing class. Finally, for the testing of the effects on academic achievement, the posterio test was implemented after conducting the experimental instruction in knowledge·understanding, inquiry process, and attitude domains classified by the unit characteristics. Using SPSS/WIN program the t-test was performed in order to compare the differences between the two groups. Major findings were as follows: 1) In the achievement test of knowledge·understanding domain, there were no significant differences at the 5％ level between the experimental and comparing classes. It could be difficult to say, therefore, that the instructional use of the available materials around life was more effective than the instructional use of the existing materials. However, it had some effects on differences between the third grade final achievement test and sixth grade experimental class. 2) In the achievement test of inquiry process domain, there were some significant differences in that the sixth grade experimental class was higher than the third grade out-of classroom experience unit. It was indicated that the instructional use of the available materials around life had some effects on improving the students' inquiry ability 3) In achievement test of attitude domain, there were some significant differences. It was shown that the self-evaluation test of the sixth grade experimental class unit was higher than that of the third grade out-of classroom experience unit; Especially, the learning activities in the experimental class were more active, and the experimental practice ability was improved. It was presented that the instructional use of the available materials around life had some effects on the students' academic achievement in attitude domain. It was concluded from this study that the instructional use of the available materials around life was less effective on Knowledge understanding domain, but was effective on improving their scientific inquiry ability and interest on science education.

The National Science Fairs has been held in every year for the promotion of science and technology and scientific civil life. The purpose of this study is to survey the current problems in National Science Fairs by making up a question and to improve them. The study makes up a questionnaires about the existing Science Fairs to the teachers who have submitted their works to the Science Fairs and suggest the ways of improvement. The result of questionnaires is that little availability of reference materials, difficulty of paying proper attention to regular classes because of frequent travels, and absence of experimental devices and experimental rooms are perceived as major obstacles in preparing for the exhibition. Respondents teacher also pointed out some problems with the current organization of the exhibition; non-voluntary selection process for the potential authors, separation of research content from regular teaching materials, unrealistically high standard, low participation rate of teachers, so many exhibited works, lack of professionalism in the screening process. The majority however, agreed that the exhibition event should be continuously done, after remedial measures have been taken about the problems. First, the side of science education is emphasized in a purpose of the science fairs to let activity related to science fair be closely connected with school education. Second, students have to be divided according to grade. Third, research level have to be set not too higher than regular instruction content. Fourth, hand book related to science fairs have to be manufactured and spread. Fifth, data of local science fair have to be arranged. Sixth, judging section have to be subdivided and people related to science education have to be included to a judge. Seventh, excellent works have to be support to participate in ISEF.

The purpose of this study is to get the more qualified elementary science teacher's guide as a major curriculum material for teachers and to find more improvement suggestions by analyzing of the teachers' perception and using status of it. To examine the problems of this study, 183 teachers from the elementary schools were surveyed by the questionnaire that was developed by researcher, and statistical technique for data analysis was frequency, using SPSS win(version 7.5). Teachers generally thought that the general remarks of the elementary science teacher's guide were helpful to understand elementary science education and the detailed subjects were useful, but teachers less satisfied about 'practice of teaching' of the detailed subjects. The most interested sector of the teachers' was the sector of the teaching methods. The results of this study were that the sector' the methods and evaluation of the elementary science education' of the general remarks and the sector' practice of teaching' of the detailed subjects were mostly interested. So it is necessary to be more detailedly guided when the development of the elementary science teacher's guide are considered.

이 연구에서는 물의 상태와 상태 변화를 중심으로 유치원, 초등, 중등 과학 교재의 탐구능력 전개 과정의 연계성을 고찰해 보고자 하였다. 이를 위하여 유치원 제 5차 교육과정 교재들과 제 6차 교육과정에 근거한 초등학교 자연 고과서와 중학교 과학 교과서를 분석하였다. 분석 결과, 유아, 초등, 중등 과학 교육과정의 연계성 측면에서 볼 때, 모든 학년에서 예상, 분류, 가설설정, 실험 설계 등의 탐구능력이 부족한 것으로 나타났다. 또한 측정 능력은 이론적으로 초등학교 저학년부터 가질 수 있음에도 불구하고, 고학년 이상에서만 제시되었다.

The Purpose of this study is to find the effects of the portfolio assessment on elementary students' scientific knowledge, inquiry process skill, scientific attitudes in the teaching of science. And finally the parents' response to the portfolio assessment is also investigated. In order to reach the goal of this study, the investigator developed the evaluation instrument such as an experimental report and a cumulative observation sheet for the 4th-grade Unit-1 'Light Propagation' and Unit-3 'Separating Mixtures', and then these were administered to 42 4th-grade elementary students in Inchon. Based upon the findings and within the limitations of this study, several conclusions can be drawn regarding the problems investigated. First, as the portfolio assessment offers enough information about individual student's performance, it has a highly positive effect on evaluating the students' scientific knowledges. It can also make possible to grasp the several aspects of the student's progress. Second, the portfolio assessment can be implemented without giving students any psychological pressure from testing itself. Therefore, the portfolio assessment is an effective means of appraising inquiry process skills. Third, the portfolio assessment is effective to evaluate the students' attitude toward science by means of individual records which include such aspects that is hardly found by the teacher who teaches science in the class. Fourth, as most parents showed a positive response to this portfolio assessment, it is considered to be effective method of appraising the result of teaching science at elementary school. Accordingly, this study demonstrated that the portfolio assessment is an effective method that can assess students' scientific knowledges, inquiry process skills, and scientific attitudes gained from science teaching-learning. Therefore, it is necessary to implement the portfolio assessment to other grade students as well in the following study where teacher may give more encouragements and suggestions to sti dents for the better learning motives. Also teachers should suggest more definite evaluation criteria to students so that they may improve the students' self and peer evaluation skills.

In this study, the contents of elementary school science textbooks related to 'heat and temperature' are analyzed and alternative conceptions ofi"heat and temperature" among students enrolled in grades 4, 5 and 6 are investigated. 259 students were selected from a elementary school located in urban area. The relationships between students' alternative conceptions and the content of elementary science textbooks are also examined. Students' conceptions are analyzed from their answers to a paper-and-pencil test. The typical alternative conception of "heat and temperature" held by students was follows. They think that "heat" is a material and "temperature" is value of heat amount. They can't distinguish between "heat" and "temperature". Their explanation of "heat and temperature" is focused on hot or cool sensation and other observable characteristics of a material. A textbook analysis indicated that contents on "heat and temperature" were organized without the viewpoint of particle motion theory. This may be one of the causes of students' alternative conceptions.

This paper is to study on the change of volume and temperature of the solution which mixed water with ethanol. And its main purpose is to examine closely how the volume changes, and to find the method to maximize the change of the volume. The summaries for results of the study are; First, we were known that water and ethanol are homogeneously mixed. But two solvents does not mix homogeneously by different specific gravity at early stages. Second, we could see that the volume changed large at homogeneous mixed water with ethanol by stirrer, the change of volume is the largest value when water mixed with ethanol in the ratio of one to one. Third, when water mixed with ethanol in the ratio of one to one, the change of temperature is very large by activated hydrogen bond. We conclude that it is the best result when ratio of water and ethanol is one to one and the solution is well mixed.