• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.106-119
• /
• 2018

The purposes of this study were to develop a learner activity-centered science class program, apply it to the fourth-grade elementary students, and analyze its effects on their attitude towards science, academic achievement, and concept sustainability. To this end, the content of the fourth-grade elementary subject related to 'volcanoes and earthquakes' was reorganized through 12 periods, and the class was divided into two groups. Then, general science class was applied to the comparative group, and the learner activity-centered science class program including writing, making, and expressing was applied to the experimental group. In order to compare the two groups regarding attitude towards science, academic achievement, and concept sustainability before and after the application, mind map data was collected and analyzed based on mind map grading criteria. As a result of the post-test, the two groups showed statistically significant differences in all the sub-factors of attitude towards science, that is, recognition, ability, value, and interest sustainability, especially in interest sustainability. As for academic achievement, as a result of the post-achievement test, the experimental group had higher average scores than the comparative group, and it also showed improved scores compared to the pre-achievement test results. In addition, as a result of the post-achievement test, both the two groups showed statistically significant results. In the concept sustainability test after the post-achievement test, the experimental group had higher average scores than the comparative group in the areas of center circle, branches, and expression, which were the evaluation criteria for the mind map analysis, and the two groups showed statistically significant differences in the areas of center circle and expression, except for branches. In conclusion, learner activity-centered science class turned out to be effective on students' attitude towards science, academic achievement, and concept sustainability. If the learner activity-centered science class program is actively introduced and used in actual educational sites, it is expected to contribute to improving related classes.

• School Mathematics
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.219-237
• /
• 2010

On inquiry of international comparison assessment, the Korean students achieve high scores in mathematics while they achieve relatively low scores in responses of the affective questionnaire. It can be an important point in mathematics education of Korea, but there are few studies which explore the specific reasons. So in this study, we analysed the results of PISA 2003(in math domain) based on multiple regression analysis and correlation analysis to investigate the reasons and features of those phenomena. We compared the results of Korean students with students of other countries. As a result, there were 7 factors which effect on Korean students' affective domain in mathematics learning and they were statistically significant. According to this study, it needs to improve students' positive attitudes to their school, mathematical interest, and positive self-concept. And it needs to develop an actual instrument to explore the affective domain which effect on mathematics learning.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.46 no.1
• /
• pp.76-82
• /
• 2002

This study investigated the effects of assigning cognitive roles, a method that may promote verbal interaction in knowledge-building processes, in small-group discussion for science concept learning. Two classes (62 students) of 7th-graders respectively received a concept learning instruction through small-group discussion with assigned cognitive roles (CR) asking to explain and contradict one's idea and to synthesize and conciliate group's idea, and a concept learning instruction through small-group discussion with no specific assigned roles (NSR), for 9 class periods. After the instructions, the tests of achievement, conceptions, the perceptions on science learning environments, and the perceptions toward small-group discussion were administered. ANCOVA results revealed that low-achievers in the NSR group performed significantly better than those in the CR group. Similar tendency was also found in the scores of the conceptions test. Two groups did not differ significantly in the perceptions on science learning environments and toward small-group discussion.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.753-762
• /
• 1998

This Paper reports results of investigating the relationship between students' perfoonance and mathematics imtructiooal system in understanding of the function concept. A written examination measuring calcullli students' understanding of the fimction concept was administered to two groups of students whose educatiooal oockground were different. One group consists of students who completed a pre-calculus course in Korea and the other group completed the same course in the United States. This study investigates how students in two groups acquire an understanding of major aspects of the function concept and provided interesting insights regarding the different background and belief related to their performance. Follow-up interviews were conducted to identify possible explanations for the different performance of the two groups in understanding the function concepts. Results indicate that the differences came from the educational environment and individual belief.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
• /
• v.45 no.5
• /
• pp.669-687
• /
• 2010

Critical scholarship has shown itself much more adept at identifying and analyzing the content of religious geopolitics than its impacts or effects. This article suggests ways in which the concept of social performance can be used to more carefully consider the effects of religious geopolitics. Judith Butler's identity-oriented notion of performativity is usually geographers' point of entry into issues of performance. But its strong poststructuralist distrust of agency limits its power among those who question poststructuralism's grounding beliefs. This article illustrates the added utility of other theories of performance-particularly the recent pragmatic, dramaturgical, and non-poststructuralist theorization of social performance by the cultural sociologist Jeffrey Alexander-in evaluating the impact of religious geopolitical action. It does so through the case of a recent, particularly geopolitically laden Mormon General Conference. It concludes, through Butler and Alexander, that this General Conference likely accomplished significant geopolitical work. But it also, mainly through Alexander, argues that this work likely had limited capacity to motivate new or additional geopolitical action. Its power was more to reinforce than transform.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
• /
• v.14 no.1_spc
• /
• pp.427-468
• /
• 2008

This article examines the role and influence of educational achievement on Korean society and its future. Four major factors that associated with and influence educational achievement in Korea (i.e., trust, efficacy beliefs, quality of life, and societal transformation) are reviewed. First, the role of educational achievement on establishing a basis for trust in Korean society is examined. By reviewing studies of perception of Korean society, people and institutions, the importance of establishing trust in Korean society is outlined. Second, the role of efficacy belief in promoting educational achievement is examined. The importance of collective efficacy, at the adolescent, adult and political levels is emphasized. In addition, the concept and application of self-efficacy for teachers and parents is reviewed. Third, the role and influence of educational achievement on quality of life is outlined. Studies indicate that educational achievement plays an important role in improving the quality of life. The pressure to achieve, however, can have negative impact on stress and mental health and support systems need to be developed to alleviate their impact. Fourth, the future and prospects for Korean society through educational achievement is discussed. Through education, the importance of bridging the divide with North Korea is an important agenda for the future of Korean society. Finally, the importance of indigenous psychological perspective in understanding Korean society and providing direction for the future is discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.266-274
• /
• 1999

This study investigated the effects of cooperative and individual computer-assisted instructions upon middle school students' science conceptions, achievement, perception of learning environment, and motivation. The cooperative, individual, and traditional learning groups were selected from a middle school, and taught about the motion of molecule for 5 class hours. Data analyses indicated that the students with cooperative computer-assisted instruction scored significantly higher than those with traditional instruction in the tests of conceptual understanding, perception of learning environment and motivation. Better understanding of the cooperative learning group was also found in a retention test of conceptions. In addition, there were significant interactions between the instruction and the level of prior achievement in the tests of retention of conceptions and motivation. Educational implications are discussed.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2000

이 프로젝트는 미국의 소수민족학생들의 과학과 수학의 수행능력과 흥미를 갖도록 혁신적인 교육전략을 개발하기 위한 준 실험설계연구이다. 연구대상은 중학교 7학년과 8학년 학생으로, 과학과 수학에 흥미가 있고 성적이 우수하며, 신체적으로나 기능적으로 장애가 있고, 소수민족이고, 경제적으로 빈곤한 계층이며 여학생을 우선조건으로 실험집단 52명, 비교집단 28명이 무선표집되었다. 연구대상 대부분(72명)이 흑인이고, 나머지(8명)는 히스파니아인이다. 연구내용은 1) 방과후 학술활동 2) 사회적 기술활동 3) 현장학습 4) 가족지원 프로그램을 실험집단에 실시한 후 실험집단과 비교집단의 학업성취도와 실험집단의 자아개념과 프로젝트 활동에 대한 평가를 분석한 것이며, 다음과 같은 연구결과를 얻었다. 1. 학업성취에 있어서 실험집단의 과학성적(CRT)이 통계적으로 비교집단보다 유의한 증가를 보였고, 프로젝트의 목표를 초과달성하였다. 비교집단도 자연적 성숙효과로 증가를 보였으나 유의도는 실험집단보다 낮았다. 2. 학생들의 프로젝트에 대한 평가는 긍정적이었다. 프로젝트 목적과 명확성, 현장학습의 적절성, 게임이나 학술활동보다 현장학습의 선호, 특히 자아존중감 활동이 많은 도움이 되었다고 보고하였다. 3. 실험집단의 자아개념은 프로젝트 기간동안 통계적으로 유의한 증가를 보였으나 학업 성취와의 상관관계는 유의하지 않았다. 이상의 연구결과를 토대로 이 프로젝트의 한국적 상황의 적용에 대한 시사점을 얻을 수 있었다.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.885-899
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this research project is to explain why high-achieving high school students in our country do or do not choose a science major and to explore gender differences. First-year students attending science high schools and international high school participated, responding to open-ended questions on science activities, self-concept of strengths for science learning, and rationales for choosing or not choosing a science major. For high- achieving students, it is shown that intrinsic interest has the greatest correlation with choosing a science major, with the next important influence being self-efficacy. On the other hand, in not choosing a science major, the lack of self-efficacy has a greater correlation than the lack of intrinsic interest. Self-concept in science-learning and science activities occurring outside of school classes are also compared and analyzed, and implications are discussed from educational and policy viewpoints.

• School Mathematics
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.237-257
• /
• 2014

The purpose of this study is to investigate the academic achievement characteristics in terms of proficiency levels through the in-depth analysis of mathematics test items and achievement standards of the National Assessment of Educational Achievement(NAEA) from 2010 to 2012, and to provide suggestions for teaching and assessing mathematics in middle schools. The results showed that 'Advanced level' students could fully understand the concept of mathematical terms and symbols as well as various mathematical properties presented in the national curriculum. However, 'Proficient level' students tended to feel difficult to apply linear function, properties of a plane figure, and a solid figure, while 'Basic level' students seemed to have trouble solving mathematical problems in almost all areas. Thus, it is necessary to identify the mathematical misconceptions that students have and to strengthen teaching, particularly, the areas of number and operation.