This study analyzed the effects of 'app-based learning of observing and recording living things' on elementary school students' science-related attitudes. Samples of the study were composed of 24 sixth-grade students attending the science club of N elementary school in Seoul, Korea. The learning was conducted for 12 times over 7 months. 'TOSRA(Test of science-related attitude)' was used to quantitatively analyze the science-related attitudes of elementary school students. To find out more detailed characteristics, records of interview were also gathered and analyzed. The main results of this study are as follows. First, for the paired t-test of science-related attitudes, a statistically significant difference between the pre and post was found. As results of the interview, it was revealed that 'experiences of outdoor activities' greatly influenced the increase of science-related attitudes of the students. Second, in ANCOVA, according to 'gender' there was no statistically significant difference in score of science-related attitudes. But, there was statistically significant difference in science-related attitudes according to 'preferred science subjects' and 'whether individual interest has occurred about observing and recording living'. Based on the results of this study, implications for research of elementary biology education are discussed.

To achieve effective learning, knowledge must be shared and developed through interaction with peer learners. Therefore, science education emphasizes small group inquiry activities that solves tasks through the interaction of members. The effect of small group inquiry activities depends on how to compose small groups. The way in which a group is composed is a very important factor for improving interaction. In particular, it has been reported that the gender of peer is a very important factor in the interaction between students in the composition of small groups. Meanwhile, studies are being conducted on the types and stability of verbal interactions in small group inquiry activities using social network analysis. The purpose of this study is to analyze the types and stability of verbal interaction types and stability according to gender-grouping in elementary school students' small group activities using social network analysis. To this end, 60 5th graders in elementary school were conducted with different gender in the composition of the group of male, female and mixed-gender students. The study found that the composition of a group by gender had little impact on the type or stability of verbal interaction. However, the frequency of verbal interactions was higher in mixed-gender groups than in other groups. Through this process, the gender-grouping in elementary school students' small group activities suggests a mixed-gender group.

This study analyzed and compared the characteristics in plan and practice of elementary school teachers' science-gifted classes and invention-gifted classes based on pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). To do this, we selected eight elementary school teachers with experience in conducting elementary science-gifted classes and/or invention-gifted classes were selected at the gifted education institutes in Seoul and conducted individual in-depth interviews. The analysis of the results reveal that the teachers tended to organize the science-gifted classes with a focus on the exploration of causes and application activities for scientific phenomena, but tended to organize the invention-gifted classes with a focus on producing creative output based on methodology. They were all emphasizing the enhancement of creativity in planning and practicing both science-gifted classes and invention-gifted classes. However, there were also some differences in the elements of creativity required by each class. They tended to select subjects for science-gifted classes based on regular science curriculum, while selecting subjects for invention-gifted classes focused on creative design rather than considering the practical art curriculum related to invention-gifted education. They tended to pursue and practice STEAM education in both science-gifted classes and invention-gifted classes. In a way that conforms to these class goals and points, they were using experiments and practices, providing feedback to students, and conducting evaluations. However, some shortcomings were also revealed in the processes. Educational implications of these findings are discussed.

This study analyzed the teacher's perception for influence of behavioral characteristics of scientifically-gifted students on general students in elementary school science class. To do this, we selected the eight elementary school teachers who were conducting the regular science classes including scientifically-gifted students belonging to the gifted education institutes in Seoul and conducted individual in-depth interviews. The analysis of the results reveal that the teachers mentioned seven behavioral characteristics of scientifically-gifted students in general elementary school science classes.: 'excellent in designing and performing experiments', 'playing a leading role in experiments', 'expressing their abundant prior knowledge frequently', 'attempting their tasks with curiosity and persistence', 'displaying scientific creativity', 'often asking scientific questions in detail', and 'expressing their opinions logically'. These behavioral characteristics of scientifically-gifted students had positive effects on general students, such as 'providing them with a successful experience in conducting experiments', 'improving understanding of science class contents', 'developing scientific thinking and reflective thinking', and 'improving their students' positive experiences about science'. However, the excessive learning-driven behaviors of scientifically-gifted students had negative effects on general students, such as 'limiting opportunities for general students to participate in classes', 'conducting passive exploration centered on results', and 'causing conflicts with general students'. Educational implications of these findings are discussed.

This study aims to analyse the relationship between multiple intelligence and scientific creativity of science-gifted elementary students focusing on the subject of biology. For this, 37 science-gifted fifth-graders in the Science-Gifted Education Center at an Office of Education conducted a multiple intelligence test. In addition, researchers collected science-gifted students' results of scientific creativity activity at the botanical garden field trip. The main findings from this study are as follows: First, strong intelligence was logical-mathematical intelligence for gifted students, and weak intelligence was found to be naturalistic intelligence for them. Second, there was no significant correlation in the relationship between multiple intelligence and scientific creativity of science-gifted students. Third, as a result of independent two sample t-test for each intelligence and scientific creativity scores divided into the upper and lower groups, only verbal-linguistic intelligence statistically differed significantly at the level of p<.05 (t=2.13, df=35, p=0.04). Fourth, as a result of conducting a two-way analysis to see if there were any interaction effects, verbal-linguistic and visual-spatial, logical-mathematical and visual-spatial, logical-mathematical and bodily-kinesthetic, and visual-spatial and musical-rhythmic intelligence all showed significant values at the level of p<.05 level in interaction effects on originality element comprising scientific creativity. Fifth, an analysis of students with high naturalistic intelligence showed that their scores of scientific creativity tasks conducted at the botanical garden field trip were all lower. Based on the results of this study, this study discussed the implications of scientific creativity learning linking multiple intelligence in primary science education and gifted education.

This study aims to analyze the relationship between scientific content knowledge of science-gifted elementary students and their expression of scientific creativity, and the characteristics of divided groups according to the levels of their scientific content knowledge and scientific creativity. A science-gifted program was implemented to 33 forth-graders in the Science-Gifted Education Center of an education office in Seoul, Korea. The method of evaluating scientific knowledge was divided into well-structured paper-pencil test (asking specific and limited range of content knowledge of plants) and ill-structured descriptive test (stating all the knowledge they know about plants) to find out which methods were more related to scientific creativity. In addition, in order to find out the characteristics of each group according to the level of scientific content knowledge and scientific creativity, students were required to answer a questionnaire about their own self-perception of scientific knowledge and scientific creativity and how to obtain scientific knowledge. The main results of this study are as follows. First, Both well-structured paper-pencil test (r=.38) and ill-structured descriptive test (r=.51) results of elementary science gifted students were significantly correlated with scientific creativity. Second, As a result of the regression analysis on scientific creativity of science-gifted elementary students, both the knowledge measured by the two evaluation methods have the ability to explain scientific creativity. Third, the students were categorized into four groups according to the levels of their scientific content knowledge and their expression of scientific creativity, and the result showed that the higher the knowledge of science, the higher the scientific creativity. Fourth, the description about self-perception of scientific knowledge revealed that the highest percentage of Type LL students of all 13 students (53.8%, 7 students) answered 'I have little knowledge of plants because I have little interest in them.' Fifth, the description about self-perception of scientific knowledge revealed that the highest percentage of Type HH students of all 15 students (40%, 6 students) answered 'I think my science creativity is high through my experience of scientific creativity. Sixth, the responses to the Questionnaire revealed that 'reading' was the most popular way to obtain scientific knowledge, with 27 out of total 33 students choosing it. In particular, all 18 students from Type HH (high scientific knowledge and high scientific creativity) and Type HL (high scientific knowledge and low scientific creativity) - those with high scientific knowledge - gave that response. On the basis of this research, we should explore practical teaching methods and environment for gifted students to improve their scientific creativity by revealing the nature of the factors that affect scientific creativity and analyzing relationship between knowledge and scientific creativity.

This study aims to explore how elementary students perceive and approach the issue of plastic debris in marine habitats by examining students' perspectives on the ecosystem and environmental solutions. The study was conducted to 143 Grade Four elementary school students in Seoul. After implementing two class-units on plastic waste, students' constructed responses on the problem of and solutions to plastic debris in marine habitats were collected. Data were analyzed through semantic network analysis and the keywords were visualized to reflect their relationships. Furthermore, students' responses on how they perceive environmental problems were further analyzed based on the following analysis criteria: students' perspectives on the ecosystem, the level of complexity of food chain(s), and the scope of their perspective. Also, student responses on environmental solutions were classified to be either at a personal or social level. Through semantic network analysis, keywords identified for students' perceptions on the problem were the sea, plastic, debris, animals, living things, humans, extinction, while keywords extracted for the solutions were plastic, debris, recycling, disposable, and I. Based on the analysis criteria, it was found that students were well aware of the food chain concept, could perceive the ecosystem as having comprised of both biotic and abiotic factors, and could approach the problem beyond the scope of the marine environment. Also, most students mentioned the solutions only at a personal level. Based on the findings, implications on how to move forward in educating environmental issues related to the ecosystem in science education is further discussed.

The purpose of this study is to explore the characteristics and the level of fourth grade elementary students' system thinking when they learn the unit of "Journey of Water" in terms of four key elements of system thinking such as understanding of the structure of a system, non-linearity and cyclic features, inter-relations and feedback between system properties, and temporal and invisible aspects of a system. Data included students' worksheets and their responses to a set of Likert-scaled and written assessment items on water cycle. The results showed that the level of students' system thinking did not have any hierarchy in relation to the key elements of water cycle system. In addition, the aspects of individual student's system thinking on its sub-elements were different from each other. Also, there were core ideas of system thinking which were intensively considered according to a given context to understand a complex systemic subject. When students learn water cycle, understanding of non-linearity and inter-relations were weaker compared with other key elements of system thinking. Therefore, if these two factors are taught in advance, it can promote understanding of whole system of water cycle.

In this study, the tasks of thermal equilibrium and heat insulation concept were divided into scientific and everyday contexts to analyzed the level of familiarity, feeling of knowing, state curiosity, and state anxiety that students feel in task contexts and their relationship. The subjects of this study were One hundred nine students in sixth grade of elementary schools located in metropolitan cities. The results of this study were as follows. First, there was no difference in the level of feeling of knowing, state curiosity, and state anxiety in the task of scientific and everyday contexts. In the case of familiarity, there was no consistent tendency in the concept of thermal equilibrium and heat insulation. And the group who recognized the task context familiarly had higher feeling of knowing and lower state anxiety than the group who recognized the task context unfamiliarly. Second, familiarity and feeling of knowing showed high positive correlation, state anxiety and familiarity showed negative correlation, and state anxiety and feeling of knowing had also negative correlation. In addition, familiarity had a negative effect on state anxiety, and FOK had a positive effect on state curiosity and a negative effect on state anxiety. There was no significant moderating effect of the task context. Third, in case of state curiosity, the group perceived the knowledge gap was very small had the highest state curiosity, and the group perceived the knowledge gap was very large had the lowest state curiosity. In case of state anxiety, the less the knowledge gap was perceived, the lower the anxiety was triggered. This study broadens our understanding of the learning process and provides implications for effective instruction strategies for students' cognitive and emotional states.

This study was to analysis teaching strategies, types of inquiry activities and the relationship between science concepts and inquiry activities presented in science textbooks. As a result of the study, first, the inquiry-based teaching strategies presented in science textbooks were experiment, simulation, demonstration, and field study. Second, there were 53 inquiry activities presented in 8 units related to the earth science area of science textbooks, and the types of inquiry activities were experimental observation (EO) 18, mock activity (SA) 20, investigation discussion and presentation (IP). It was analyzed as 12, data interpretation (ID) 2, and express (EX) 1 piece. Third, the relationship between inquiry activities and science concepts presented in science textbooks was analyzed. As a result of the analysis, out of a total of 42 inquiry activities, 21 inquiry activities corresponded to EA (explicit activities), in which the result of inquiry activities was directly and explicitly linked to science concepts. And IA (implicit activities), which is an implicit inquiry activity in which science concepts must be inferred using the results of inquiry activities, were analyzed as 21. In particular, IA (implicit activities), which is an implicit inquiry activity, can be said to be the result of reflecting the characteristics of earth science areas where many simulated activities (SA) are used. This is considered to be a matter to be considered in the process of developing various elementary science textbooks in the future.