• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.589-600
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• 1998

The present study tested the hypothesis that adolescent's prefrontal lobe growth plateau and spurt exists and that this plateau and spurt influence students' ability to reason scientifically and to learn theoretical science concepts. In theory, maturation of the prefrontal lobes during early adolescence allows for improvements in students' abilities to inhibit task-irrelevant information and coordinate task-relevant information, which along with both physical and social experience, influences scientific reasoning ability and the ability to reject scientific misconceptions and accept scientific conceptions. Two hundred six students ages 13 to 16 years enrolled in four Korean secondary schools were administered tests of prefrontal lobe functions, scientific reasoning, and theoretical concepts derived from kinetic-molecular theory. A series of 14 lessons designed to teach the concepts were then taught. The concepts test was then re-administered following instruction. As predicted among the 14-year-olds, performance on the measures of prefrontal lobe functions, scientific reasoning, and conceptual change remained similar or regressed. Performance then improved considerably among the 15 and 16-year-olds. Because so few of the present students were able to undergo this apparently necessary conceptual change, the value of introducing theoretical concepts to early adolescent is questioned.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.509-517
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• 2016

Previous studies have investigated the similarity between the development of evolutionary explanations and students' conceptual developments on evolution. However, the validity and reliability of the assessment method reflecting the similarity have not been quantitatively examined yet. In addition, no study has examined the conceptual progressions of evolution concept based on contexts although literature has addressed the contextual difference of evolutionary explanation in the history of science. This study examined the validity and reliability of history-of-science-based evolution concept assessment using ordered multiple choice (OMC) methods and Rasch analysis and explored conceptual progression by three contexts (e.g., human, animal, and plant). The evolution concept assessment developed by Ha (2007) was used to examine 1711 elementary, middle, and high school students, and pre- and in-service science teachers' (biology majors and non-majors) evolution concepts. Internal consistency reliability and item response fitness of the OMC method that provide 0- to 4-point scores to creationism, teleology, intentionality, use/disuse, and natural selection respectively met the benchmark based on the Cronbach alpha and MNSQ indices of Rasch analysis. The level of elementary and middle school students' evolution concepts were located between intentionality and use/disuse while the level of high school and non-biology science teachers' evolution concepts were located between use/disuse and natural selection. The conceptual progressions of evolution concepts were differentiated according to three contexts. This study provided the quantitative evidence for the similarity between the development of evolutionary explanations and students' conceptual developments on evolution and suggest new analysis methods (i.e., OMC) of evolution concept assessment.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.659-668
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• 2017

This study was conducted to identify whether there is a significant difference in the developmental stages of the evolution concept depending on the major and the country. For this study, college students (both biology major and non-biology major) in Korea and the United States answered evolution concept assessment developed by Ha (2007). The data were analyzed based on the method of developed by Ha (2016). As a result of this study, Cronbach alpha for internal consistency reliability and MNSQ indices for item response fitness of the ordered multiple choice method providing 0 to 4 point scores to creationism, teleology, intentionality, use/disuse, and natural selection respectively, satisfied the benchmark. The level of Korean college students' evolution concepts was located in use/disuse and the level of USA college students' evolution concepts was located in teleology. No interaction effect was found between the difference of conceptual progressions of evolution concept by major and country and evolution contexts (human, animal, and plant). There was a significant relationship between developmental stages of evolution concept and their religiosity. Based on the results of this study, we discuss developmental characteristics of evolutionary concepts.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.53-62
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• 1986

본 연구의 목적은 한국 중 고등학교 학생들의 지적 발달의 특성을 조사 분석함으로써 교과서 및 교육과정의 개발에 필요한 기초자료를 얻으려는 것이다. 지역, 학년, 연령, 성 및 가정의 사회 경제적 지위에 따른 인지 발달 특성을 조사하였다. 연구의 대상은 전국을 대도시, 중 소도시, 농촌으로 유층화한 유층군집 표집방법에 의해 표집한 중학교 1학년부터 고등학교 2학년까지의 남 녀 학생이었다. 표집학생 수는 중학교가 18개교 54학급 3,164명이었고, 고등학교가 18개교 36학급 1,981명이었다. 가정의 사회 경제적 지위는 가정의 경제적 형편, 부의 직업, 부의 학력, 가정의 수입 정도를 고려하여 4계층으로 구분하였다. 사용된 도구는 지적 영역의 조사에 Piaget의 인지발달이론에 따른 논리발달 검사를 이용했다. 분석된 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 첫째, 명제논리, 확률논리, 조합논리, 변인조작개념은 연령과 학년이 높아질수록, 대도시로 갈수록, 사회 경제적 지위가 높을수록 더욱 발달하는 경향이다. 둘째, 개념의 발달경향에 있어서 이원추리와 조합논리개념의 발달이 확률논리와 명제논리 개념의 발달보다 빠른 경향이다. 셋째, 한국의 중등학생 중에서 12세의 64.6%, 13세의 58.1%, 14세의 43.8%, 15세의 30.1%, 16세의 22.6%가 구체적 조작 후기에 도달해 있다. 넷째, 중등학생의 학년별 인지발달경향을 보면 중1의 69.8%, 중2의 51.1%, 중3의 47.4%, 고1의 21.6%, 고2의 21.7%가 구체적 후기의 발달수준이다.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.29-43
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• 2016

There have been much efforts to reconstruct the science curriculum focusing on Disciplinary Core Ideas(DCI) in many countries such as America and Europe, the most practical effort has been to design a curriculum with learning progressions(LPs). LPs describe stepwise how students can systematically move toward the understanding of more sophisticated ideas or scientific activities and explain in succession the process of understanding the ideas while the students learn. In this study, a LP for ecosystems has been developed, and the developed LP is then evaluated accordingly. The Ecosystem is one of the DCI of the life science in Next Generation Science Standards(NGSS). The development process of the LP was set at step 4(Development, Assessment, Analysis, and Amendment), and developed through an iterative process of sequences. As a result of analyzing the developed LP, an assessment based on the LP provides reliable information to identifying student ability. This study proposes the development process of the LP and its methodological aspects to use Core Achievement Standards, Ordered Multiple-Choice items and the Rasch model. In addition, using the empirically proven LP suggests a way of strengthening curriculum linked to educational content, teaching methods and assessment. Utilizing the proposed development process in this study will be to present the standard into the direction of becoming part of the curriculum. Currently, the state of domestic research for the LP is still lacking. This study determined the development process of the LP and the need to conduct future research on the LPs.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.141-157
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to analyze teacher's teaching-learning strategies and young children's concepts related to mathematics and science in integrated mathematics and science education activities. To achieve this purpose, actual class episodes were analyzed. The episodes were derived from 7 sessions of interaction between teacher and 4 kindergartners in integrated mathematics and science education activities. As a result of the study, children's concepts related to mathematics and science in integrated mathematics and science education activities occurred three factors: the relationship between weight, shape and movement, the relationship between weight and size, and the concept of measurement. In teacher's teaching-learning strategies, three factors were revealed: teacher's questioning, use of teaching materials, and children grouping.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.335-347
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• 2014

Size/scale is a central idea in the science curriculum, providing explanations for various phenomena. However, few studies have been conducted to explore student understanding of this concept and to suggest instructional approaches in scientific contexts. In contrast, there have been more studies in mathematics, regarding the use of number lines to relate the nature of numbers to operation and representation of magnitude. In order to better understand variations in student conceptions of size/scale in scientific contexts and explain learning difficulties including alternative conceptions, this study suggests an approach that links mathematics with the analysis of student conceptions of size/scale, i.e. the analysis of mathematical structure and reasoning for a number line. In addition, data ranging from high school to college students facilitate the interpretation of conceptual complexity in terms of mathematical development of a number line. In this sense, findings from this study better explain the following by mathematical reasoning: (1) varied student conceptions, (2) key aspects of each conception, and (3) potential cognitive dimensions interpreting the size/scale concepts. Results of this study help us to understand the troublesomeness of learning size/scale and provide a direction for developing curriculum and instruction for better understanding.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.81-94
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• 1988

본 연구의 목적은 Piaget의 인지발달단계(전조작 구체적 조작 단계)에 따른 자연과 개념획득에 효과적인 교수전략을 탐색하기 위한 연구로서, 첫째는 문헌연구를 통해서, Piaget의 인지이론을 기초로한 교육론과 개념학습을 위한 교수전략을 연구함으로써 전조작 단계의 어린이, 구체적 조작단계의 어린이에게는 연역적 교수전략보다 귀납적 교수전략이 더 효과적이며, 구체적 조작단계의 어린이에게는 초보적인 논리능력이 발달하므로 연역적 교수전략도 가능하며, 이 2가지의 인지단계가 복합돼 있는 국민학교 2학년 집단에게는 귀납적 교수전략이 보다 효과적일 것이라는 데에 이르렀다. 둘째로는 현장 실험연구로서 실제로 자연과 2학년의 한 단원을 연억 귀납의 교수전략의 단계에 맞추어 적용하였다. Piaget의 인지 발달 단계예 따른 자연과 개념획득을 위한 효과적인 교수전략을 탐색해본 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 전조작 단계의 아동은 자연과 개념획득을 위해서는 연역적 교수전략보다 귀납적 교수전략이 더 효과적이다. 둘째, 구체적 조작단계의 아동에게는자연과 개념획득을 위한 교수전략은 귀납적 교수전략이 효과적이지만, 연역적 교수전략도 가능하다는 것이다. 이로써 국민학교 2학년 즉, 전조작 단계와 구체척 조작단계가 복합돼있는 집단에게는 연역적 교수전략보다 귀납적 교수전략이 보다 더 효과적이라는 것이다.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.237-252
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• 2013

The philosophy of science of Bachelard is introduced mainly with epistemological obstacles in the discussions within mathematics education. In his philosophy, epistemological obstacles are connected with the dialectical developments of science. Science progresses through generalization of concepts and theories by negating things which were recognized as obvious. These processes start with ruptures against the existing knowledge. Epistemological obstacles are failure in keeping distance with the existing knowledge when reorganization is needed. This concept means that there are the inherent difficulties in the processes of concept formation. Finally I compare the view of Bachelard on the developments of science and the 'interiorization-condensation-objectification' scheme of reflexive abstraction in mathematics education and discuss the inherent difficulties in the learning mathematics.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.204-220
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• 2011

This study was intended to develop an experimental module based on inquiry processes conducted by photosynthesis scientists. It was aimed to enhance scientific inquiry ability of the middle school students by applying the developed module. Developed module included some experiments conducted by earlier photosynthesis scientists such as Helmont, Woodward, Priestly, Hales and Ingen-Hausz. Inquiry process was involved in the developed module for instructing the inquiry methods. Rapid-cycling Brassica rapa known as a Fast Plant was used for the experimental material. Developed module was applied to the experimental group consisting 27 eighth grader, while experiments suggested in the science textbook was applied to the control group consisting 30 eighth grader. Developed module was more effective in improving students' scientific inquiry ability, especially measuring, forecasting and hypothesizing ability as its subordinate elements. When the result of post-test was compared to one of pre-test in the experimental group, their observing, forecasting, and generalization ability were improved. Experimental group showed that students' conception in photosynthesis and conceptual development related with the role of plants in the ecosystem and plant's food and movement of the water and nutrients were also improved. Before application, students in the experimental group did not have enough understanding of the abstract concept such as the existence or the role of the materials like $CO_2$ or $O_2$ or the energy accumulation. Developed module could help students to achieve the comprehensive concept regarding the role of plants as producers of organic matter and oxygen and to enhance their scientific inquiry ability and concepts regarding photosynthesis.