Improvement of Students' Problem Finding and Hypothesis Generating Abilities: Gifted Science Education Program Utilizing Mendel's Law

In the process of establishing the principle of genetics, Mendel discovered problems based on various observations. Mendel's scientific thinking ability can be effective if this ability is embedded in gifted science education programs. The study aims to develop a science gifted education program utilizing Mendel's scientific thinking ability shown in the principles of genetics and examine students' changes in scientific thinking ability before and after the program implementation. For the program development, first, the characteristics of Mendel's scientific thinking ability in the process of establishing the principle of genetics were investigated and extracted the major elements of inquiry. Second, the science gifted education programs was developed by applying the inquiry elements from the Mendel's Law. The program was implemented with 19 students of $7^{th}$, $8^{th}$ graders who attend the science gifted education center affiliated with university during July 2011. The Mendel's scientific thinking ability was classified into induction, deduction, and integration. The elements of inquiry extracted from the Mendel's scientific thinking include making observation, puzzling observation, proposing causal questions, generating hypothesis, drawing inference, designing experiment, gathering and analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and making generalization. With applying these elements, the program was developed with four phases: $1^{st}$ - problem finding; $2^{nd}$ - hypothesis generating; $3^{rs}$ - hypothesis testing and $4^{th}$ - problem solving. After implementation, students' changes in scientific thinking ability were measured. The findings from the study are as follows: First, students' abilities of problem finding is significantly (p<.05) increased. Second, students' abilities of hypothesis generating is significantly (pp<.05) increased.

문제발견 및 가설설정 능력 신장 과학영재교육프로그램 개발: 멘델의 과학적 사고과정 적용

본 연구는 역사적 발견을 이루어낸 과학자 가운데 멘델(Mendel, Gregor Johann, 1822-1884)의 과학적 사고과정을 활용하여 과학영재교육프로그램을 개발하고, 이 프로그램을 학습한 학생들의 문제발견 및 가설설정 능력의 변화를 측정하여, 프로그램의 효과성을 검증하는데 목적을 두었다. 이를 위해 먼저, 멘델이 유전법칙을 확립하는 과정에서 나타낸 과학적 사고과정을 분석하여 특징적 탐구요소를 추출하였다. 추출된 탐구요소 가운데 문제발견과 가설설정을 적용한 프로그램으로서 완두를 활용한 모의실험탐구중심의 과학영재교육프로그램을 개발하였다. 개발한 과학영재교육프로그램은 대학교 부설 과학영재교육원 소속 중학교 1, 2학년 학생 19명(남학생 11명, 여학생 8명)을 대상으로 적용되었다. 적용한 결과, 학생들은 문제발견 능력의 하위요소 융통성, 정교성, 독창성이 신장되었고, 가설설정 능력의 논리성도 신장되었다. 이에 개발된 과학영재교육프로그램은 중학교 과학영재로 선발된 학생들의 문제발견 및 가설 설정 능력을 향상시키는데 효과가 있는 것으로 고찰되었다.