The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary school students' conceptions of gas and analyse the type of alternative conceptions of gas which students constructed. To appreciate the conceptions formed by elementary school students on this topic, 173 sixth grade students from an elementary school located in Suwon participated in this study. Additionally, their conceptions and their alternative conceptions of gas represented by the questionnaires were analyzed. The questionnaires consisted of 11 questions related to the conception of gas. To analyze the types of alternative conceptions which presented themselves, constructed prototypes were generated by interviewing the students themselves. From our results, we suggest that sixth grade elementary school students have various conceptions of gas and tend to think that gas is weighty, and that gaseous volume decreases by pressure. However, their conceptions of gas melting in water were very low, as only about 16% of students were aware of this scientific conception. Students who did not understand precisely the conception of the nature of oxygen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen were over 20%. The results of the interviews showed that the construction of alternative conceptions of gas was affected by various and complex causes.

The purposes of this study was to analyze qualitatively changes in students' experience and perceptions in relation to studying science using portfolios and any resultant effects on the portfolio itself. Five fourth-grade elementary students from one small city participated in this study. Data was collected through interviews as well as through student portfolios containing the science content matter of two units over two weeks. Observational diaries recorded by a teacher were also used to test the reliability of data collection. All interviews with students were transcribed to develop a suitable network to categorize students' responses. Students' portfolios were analyzed in order to reveal their essential characteristics in combination with their teacher's observational diaries. The results were as follows. First, student perceptions of their portfolios were categorized into three different levels; superficial, extended, and moderate perceptions. The changes in perception could also be divided into three levels; consistent-superficial, unstable, and a progressive-extended pattern. Second, the experience of students with their portfolio were investigated in terms of the following; successfully completing the elements of the portfolio, development of evidence, interaction with peers, teachers, and parents, and the standards of evaluation used for the portfolios. Third, the perceptions and experience of working on the portfolio by students had a number of direct effects on the way in which students actually created and developed their portfolios. Finally, students with positive attitudes towards their portfolios actively participated in the portfolio experience and finally understood what it meant completely. However, students with negative attitudes regarding portfolio based work, did not leave the experience with any heightened awareness of the utility or indeed, purpose of portfolio based work.

In order to investigate elementary school students' readiness to write on scientific subject, we analyzed the participants' draft in elementary student section [National Student Science Writing Contest] which is sponsored by a daily press. As a first step, we designed an assessment framework to analyze the students' writing. It is composed of three domains: scientific thinking, logical validity, creativeness. Each domain has three sub-domains. By using the framework, seven raters scored the students' inquiry reports. The findings reveal that the students needed the training for scientific writing. Especially they had great difficulty in the sub-domain of 'suggestion of rational alternative solution' in scientific thinking domain, the sub-domains of 'clearness' and 'coherence' in logical validity domain, and in the sub-domains of 'creative problem solving' and 'creative presentation' in creative domain.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of 2nd grade students' interaction in the classification activities of LTTS. For the purposes of this study, three heterogeneous groups, chosen by cognitive level, were selected. The students' interactions were audio/video taped and classified as either cognitive or affective interaction. The results of this study are as follows. In the cognitive interactions, the frequency and quality of the functions of 'questions' and 'making suggestions' were higher than those of 'Responses' and 'Receiving opinions'. In the affective interactions, the frequency of 'induction' and 'dissatisfaction' was higher than that of the other types. The frequency and quality of interactions of students in both the early and mid concrete stage were higher than those of students in the transitional stage. Qualitatively higher-level interactions such as 'making suggestions' and positive interactions such as 'induction' to induce students who were passive in activities were made by the students at higher cognitive levels. However, the low-level of interaction in suggesting their opinion to the constituent's suggestion and 'dissatisfaction' with student in transition period who were passive in activity influenced group working negatively.

The purpose of this research is to develop standards with which we can design an instrument to assess classifying inquiry skills by observing students' behavior and reported outcome which is not the paper and pencil test. This research is focused on developing a standard for analysis of classifying ability among research functions. To identify classifying inquiry skills, standards from classifying behaviors were comparing ways with other cards and using information included in the cards; Standards selected from the final reports were the appropriateness, inconsistency and hierarchy of the classification outcome. The standards were initially selected during the class with picture cards printed various birds appearances on the front side and their traits on the back which was specially designed among sixth graders. The picture cards prepared with plant leaves and stems had designed to identify whether standards was effective to assess student's classifying ability. The standards was an effective tool to assess student's classifying inquiry skills.

The purpose of this study was to describe the elementary teachers' teaching behavior procedure in verification-type laboratory instructions. In order to do this, we should know first what constituted the teaching behavior elements in the teachers' instructions, before the teaching behavior can be analyzed. Thirty sets of instructions were recorded and their transcripts were used in this study. The results of this study indicated that the number of teaching behaviors numbered twenty four in total, and that the teaching behaviors could be classified into nine categories, and finally the procedure used in verification-type laboratory instructions generally followed seven steps. These steps can be described as follows; reminding subjects of the preliminary learned concept, presenting inquiry type questions or introducing the main concept, explaining the method used or presenting the predictable outcome/matter for verification, performing lab-based activities, presenting the outcomes, applying the main concept, and finally closing the instruction. For the purpose of promoting more authentic scientific inquiries using these types of instructions, the authors's claims were discussed.

이 연구에서는 초등 예비교사를 대상으로 반성적 사고가 과학 수업에서 교사의 언어적 상호작용에 미치는 효과를 알아보았다. 연구를 위해 2명이 예비교사가 선정되었고, 각 예비교사마다 3차시의 과학 수업을 하였으며, 연구자가 매 차시 과학 수업을 녹화 녹음하였다. 녹음된 자료 중 1차시와 3차시의 자료만 교사의 언어적 상호작용을 분석하기 위해 전사하였다. 예비교사의 언어적 상호작용의 변화와 특징을 분석한 결과, 수업이 진행될수록 교사의 언어적 상호작용 빈도가 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. 그러나 상호작용 빈도의 증가는 예비교사의 과학 수업에 대한 관점과 수업 준비도에 따라 다른 패턴을 보였다. 또한 예비교사의 언어적 상호작용의 질적 변화를 분석한 결과, 수업이 진행될수록 학생들의 사고를 자극하거나 열린 사고를 유발하는 높은 수준의 상호작용이 증가하고, 학생들에게 닫힌 사고를 유발하는 낮은 수준의 상호작용은 다소 감소하는 경향을 나타냈다. 이러한 변화 역시 예비교사의 개인적 특성에 따라 다르게 나타남을 알 수 있었다. 따라서 과학 수업에서 반성적 사고를 통한 교사의 언어적 상호작용의 변화에 효과는 있었으나, 예비교사 개인의 특성 특히, 과학 수업에 대한 관점과 준비도에 따라 효과의 정도가 다름을 알 수 있었다.

The purpose of this study is to examine elementary students' conceptions of magnetic fields around various magnets by drawing tasks. A total of 105 elementary students from the 3rd and 6th grade levels were asked to draw how iron filings would arrange around magnets. We classified their drawings of magnetic field lines with some criteria to identify conceptions of magnetic forces and checked them through interviewing about their representative drawing. Through analyzing drawings, we discovered that 40% of elementary students drew the correct arrangement of iron filings around a bar magnet. In the case of two bar magnets in opposite directions, 33% of them drew correct patterns of iron dust and around two magnets in the same direction only 20% did well. Only 2.9% and 7.6% of students presented the correct drawings of magnetic fields near a disc and a horseshoe magnet. While 3rd grade students were supposed to be poor in drawings of magnetic fields around a loose and a dense coil which was not learned about, only 31% and 23% of 6th grade students who have just studied electromagnetism properly drew patterns of iron dust. This shows that only one quarter of students understood the magnetic filed lines even after instruction of electromagnetism. Many of 6th grade students learned a solenoid becomes just as a permanent magnet, but very few of them correctly drew a magnetic field line could distinguish between the iron dust around a loose and dense coil. After interviewing students, it is found that students consider magnetic forces to be existed only in parts of magnet because many of them drew magnetic field line of a specific areas around magnets. Students had misconceptions that magnetic forces exist only on the poles not in the middle around a horseshoe magnet. Also the disc-shape magnet made students to reveal various types of misconceptions: N- and S-poles are mixed in a whole magnet and right part of a disc-shape magnet is N-pole, left part is S-pole. Students who had not studied magnetic fields of around a magnet and electromagnets could not draw the correct patterns of iron dust suggest that it is indispensable for students to teach how patterns of iron filings would represent a visual image of magnetic fields in order to understand magnetic fields.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the 'Chemistry and Experiment' course employing the Small-Scale Chemistry(SSC) experiment on the 30 pre-service elementary teachers' attitude toward laboratory work and their science teaching efficacy. This study also examined the perception of the pre-service elementary teachers about the SSC experiment. In the result, there were found significant interactions between the treatment and prior level in attitude toward laboratory work. The attitude toward laboratory work of low-level pre-service teachers was improved while that of high-level pre-service teachers remained unchanged. However, there was no significant change in their beliefs regarding science teaching efficacy. Through the analysis of questionnaire, it was also found that they had positive perceptions about the SSC experiment, and most of them as pre-service teachers found the SSC experiment helpful to teach chemistry experiments.

The purpose of this study was to compare the illustrations used in elementary science textbooks of Korea and BSCS in USA, and analyze the types, role, and characteristics of the illustrations. For the analysis, we used 8 elementary science textbooks of the 7th curriculum of science education in Korea from 3rd through 6th grade, and 16 volumes (stage 2 to stage 5) used in BSCS in USA. We examined types of illustrations, including photograph, picture, graphic, cartoon, chart, and their 4 roles such as, motivation, introducing the lesson activity, providing the materials, presenting the learning result. The results were as follows: First, Korean textbooks have more "photograph" type of illustration than BSCS. In BSCS textbooks, diverse types of illustrations were used compared to Korean textbooks. Second, large portion of illustrations in Korean textbooks took a role of providing materials. In BSCS textbooks, the roles of illustrations were more diverse. In BSCS, there were many illustrations to describe students working together with the disabled children, and to explicitly encourage cooperative learning. Considering the findings in this study, educational implications were discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine the elementary pre-service teachers' interest in biological topics and activities. The instrument to survey the interest of them consists of 8 domains containing 27 topic items and 7 domains containing 12 activity items(three-point from 0 to 2 Likert scale). Data were collected from 108 pre-service teachers. The interest level in the topics was high, but the interest level in the activities was average. There was not different between interest levels of females and males in both topic and activity components (p > .05). Among the topics, the 'genetics' domain correlated strongly with the domains of 'nutrition and digestion', 'circulation', 'respiration' and 'nervous system', and the 'respiration' domain correlated with the 'circulation' domain(r >.450, p<.01). The correlation between the domains of 'out-of class experience activity' and 'visual information activity', and 'experimental performance following procedure' and 'discussing and debating'(r >.450, p<.01). This results suggested that the educational contents including learning materials and experiential activities be developed to activate the interest of elementary pre-service teachers in biology.