• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.389-403
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• 2019

This study aims to analyze criteria and characteristics for preservice elementary teachers' critiques of their peers' inquiry-based instruction. This study reviews critiques written by 31 preservice elementary teachers enrolled in an elementary school science inquiry methods course wherein the teachers designed and implemented inquiry-based instruction. These preservice teachers participated in inquiry-based instruction as if they were elementary students and then evaluated their peers' instruction. Analysis of the critiques reveals that preservice teachers evaluated their peers' instruction on the following criteria: instruction context, science content, teaching strategies, students, instructional goals, non-verbal attitude, and assessment. Their beliefs about teaching science inquiry were reflected in the critiques. Additionally, it was found that four orientation for teaching inquiry-didactic, academic rigor, activity-driven, inquiry orientation-reflected in critiques; some of critiques held more than one of these orientations. And they did not merely criticize but suggested alternatives to general teaching strategies; furthermore, of inquiry-instruction specific teaching strategies. They showed higher epistemic understanding of inquiry-based instruction after mid-term demonstrations. The evidence demonstrated that the proportion of critiques specifically about inquiry-based instruction increased after the mid-term demonstrations. Moreover, the post mid-term critiques emphasized interaction between students as well as understanding of the nature of science. These findings could provide implication for teaching inquiry and criticizing others' instruction as part of elementary school science courses in preservice elementary teacher education.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.307-320
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• 2019

This study explores how an elementary school homeroom teacher who continued to lecture, can use diversified science teaching methods for learner-centered instruction. Using an auto-ethnographic approach over the course of a year, self-memory data, facebook diaries, class diaries, and interview data of an elementary teacher's day-to-day preparations and practice of elementary science, in the context of a Korean elementary school, were collected. The data was analyzed through cultural historical activity theory, examining how the interplay of key elements (i.e., the subject as a homeroom teacher with instructional expertise, norms, community, division of labor, tools, and goals) was characterized within and across distinct two-activity systems, and how these elements shaped the teacher's teaching methods into either lecture format or diversified teaching. The study revealed that a non-cooperative community, lack of division of labor, and norms that neglect preparation for science class were the elements that perpetuated the lecture format, and that a contradiction between goals and tools occurred in the activity system. However, these elements were able to be transformed into a cooperative community, shared labor, and norms that saved preparation time for both science class and diversified teaching methods, and those changed elements facilitated the teacher in using diversified teaching methods (e.g., experiments, subject-integrated classes, field work), thereby mitigating the contradiction. This study also discusses that diversified teaching methods can be facilitated when dealing with norms, community, and division of labor elements in an elementary school context as well as improving individual teachers' instructional expertise.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.185-200
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• 2024

This study explored the changes in the elementary science teaching expertise of teachers who participated in an in-school professional learning community for elementary science instructional research. Six elementary school teachers from grades 4, 5, and 6 at an 18-class S elementary school in a medium-sized city in Chungcheongbuk-do conducted collaborative instructional research on elementary science lessons as part of an in-school professional learning community, which was held 26 times over 7 months in 2020. During the professional learning community, video and audio recordings of the activities, research lessons, course materials, and professional learning community reflection activities were collected for analysis. The collected data were analyzed using qualitative research methods; data processing, reading, note-taking, description, classification, interpretation, reporting, and visualization; and the instructional professionalism elements were extracted based on the instructional professionalism framework. In the early professional learning community activity stages, the participating teachers first discussed their teaching perspectives, their experiences, and their goals for teaching science, which resulted in a selection of research questions. The teachers then collaboratively designed and implemented research lessons for each grade level, after which lesson reflections were conducted. The teachers' abilities to engage in qualitative reflection on the research questions improved after each reflection iteration. It was found that this professional learning community collaborative lesson study experience positively contributed to teaching expertise development. Based on the study findings, the implications for using professional learning communities to improve elementary teachers' science teaching expertise are given.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.375-382
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• 2015

Textbooks corresponding to curriculum goals are necessary because they are specific products of curriculum and are the most important materials for teaching, learning, and evaluation. In particular, learning objectives written in textbooks should be clearly described because they play a role in promoting learning by showing learning goals to learners clearly. This study analyzed the characteristics of verbs used as predicate of learning objectives written in high school physics I and II textbooks of Korea and compared them with physics textbooks of Singapore and the United States. Results show that Korean textbooks have less kinds of verbs compared to those of Singapore and the United States, and the verbs with abstract and comprehensive meaning such as 'understand' and 'know' were mainly used. In American textbooks, it was noticeable that no verbs have been used by more than 10%. When classifying the learning objectives in the two Korean textbooks, cognitive domain accounted for 98 to 99%, and inquiry domain accounted for only 1% to 2%. With regard to physics textbooks of the United States, inquiry domain accounted for a large proportion of domains in learning objectives compared with physics textbooks of Korea and Singapore. Physics textbooks of Singapore were similar to those of Korea in that learning objectives were biased toward cognitive domain, but differed from those of Korea in that learning objectives were specifically described using action verbs.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.1157-1168
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• 2012

This study examined the effect of simulated instruction activities based on a constructivist teaching approach on epistemological belief, science teaching efficacy belief, and teaching motivation. The RTOP (Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol) played a role to guide preservice biology teachers to obtain insights on current reformed teaching and to further practice teaching based on constructivism. The results indicated that preservice teachers changed their epistemological beliefs toward more sophisticated views, especially for 'simple knowledge'. They also improved their science teaching efficacy beliefs, both personal science teaching efficacy belief (PSTEB) and science teaching outcome expectancy (STOE). In addition, these perservice teachers decreased their scores of extrinsic teaching motivation. The Pearson correlation represented the negative relationship between personal science teaching efficacy belief (PSTEB) and extrinsic teaching motivation. After intervention, the preservice teachers mentioned inquiry, active participation and discussion as ideal science teaching methods and qualifications for science teachers.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.693-711
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• 2009

One of the most important objectives in science education is to develop students' science literacy. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relevance between biology instructional objectives in the 7th curriculum taught in elementary and secondary schools. For this study, 7 major parts in each grade were analyzed including cell, the form and function of plants, the form and function of animals, genetics, diversity, evolution, ecology, and environment. The strand map of instructional objectives is completed that represents the relation between the objectives. The summary of the results from this study is as follows. First, the concept about cells is not fully covered in lower grades including elementary schools. While the concept of energy metabolism is repeatedly covered, there is no concept of energy covered in learning the concept of energy metabolism in elementary schools. Second, the textbooks in elementary and middle schools have main concepts about the form and function of plants while those in high schools don't. The concept related to the part of the form and function of animals is repeatedly involved in the curriculum throughout the elementary, middle, and high schools. Third, the concepts such as genetics and evolution are involved in higher grades since these concepts are abstract ones. The part of genetics and evolution as well as diversity has no connection between grades in schools, so the development of "notion between" is necessary to relate these concepts with each other. Fourth, the 4 parts of diversity, ecology and environment, evolution, and the form and function of plants are covered in limited grade levels. The results of the relevance of gene in lesson goals will play an important rein as the primary material in developing the connection between textbooks in which lesson goals are closely related to each other throughout all grade levels in elementary, middle and high schools.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.460-479
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• 2021

The crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant changes in education systems worldwide, including in Korea. Due to COVID-19's social distancing policies, the education system was suddenly switched to distance learning, resulting in many problems in primary schools without preparation. The purpose of this study was to investigate a teacher's awareness of science education techniques, responses to issues in science classes, including inquiry activities, advantages and disadvantages, and roles after experiencing distance learning. Survey and focus interviews were conducted for primary school teachers who had previously participated in distance learning, such as online content classes and real-time interactive classes. The study findings showed three conclusions: 1) Primary school teachers conducted one-way and interactive lectures in online classes. It is vital to improve a teacher's digital literacy to improve other teaching methods such as investigation and discussion in online classes. 2) Primary school teachers acknowledged the challenges of field feedback, inquiry item preparations, and safety in inquiry activities of science classes, by providing individual experimental packages and videos and using online discussion and feedback among teacher - student and student - student interactions. 3) Primary school teachers recognized that various types of classes using IT devices and individualized learning were possible as advantages of distance learning. As for disadvantages, it was acknowledged that inquiry activities, cooperative learning, immediate feedback, and interaction among students were challenging. Furthermore, learning gaps were wider in distance learning.

• 한국지구과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.287-288
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• 2005

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.415-428
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• 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything, even education. Last year when distance learning was introduced, science teachers faced many challenges to overcome. However, teachers adapted quickly, and in this year, it became the 'new normal'. In this situation, teachers are likely to habitually repeat past practices, but the context of the second year of distance learning is changing constantly, and teachers are asked to interpret the problem occurring in a situation and to adjust their practice for solving the problem with their teacher agency. In this study, we explore the emergence of science teacher agency and factors shaping teacher agency in the second year of distance learning and we focus on teachers' agentic practice that did not follow their past practice without reflection. For this purpose, we mainly analyze the semi-constructed interview of three science teachers. In the first year of distance learning, two teachers maintained their practice, not much different to face-to-face learning. However, one teacher reflected upon herself and started to recognize and solve her problems. Reflection for her practice can support this process. Another teacher changed her practice due to external suggestions, but it evolved her practice to fit the situation better, and her experience of last year helped her to adapt to the change. The other teacher who modified her practice to persist her professional purpose last year was consistently practicing in the second year and collaboration and autonomy can support her. This study shows the teachers' dynamic change of agency and the emergence for the relational interaction between teacher and context.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.172-186
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze the science lesson plan of pre-service elementary teachers about condensation. Pre-service elementary school teachers in A national university of education was included in this study. Through the analysis of prior research and expert review, a framework for analysis of science lesson plan of pre-service elementary teachers was derived. The results of the using the analysis frame are as follows: First, the ability to apply the instructional model in the science lesson plan about condensation differences in pre-service elementary teachers need to be enhanced due to deviations, and teaching on the exact understanding of condensation-related concepts of pre-service elementary teachers is also needed. Second, there is also a deviation of pre-service elementary teachers in the beginning, development, and finishing composition of lesson course, so feedback should be supplemented. Third, in the sub-domain of lesson environment, there was a demand for specific know-how on the lesson environment. Therefore, support is needed for related PCK growth. Fourth, the sub-domain of lesson evaluation have a variety of perspectives on timing and subjects, and some missing about learning objectives in the composition of evaluation content are found to require complementary teaching. In order to improve this situation, it was found that there was a need to prepare conditions for improving science teaching professionalism of pre-service elementary teachers through in-depth discussions on the teaching methods and organization related to science education in the university of education course.