• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.639-644
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• 2007

This study intended to examine the differences through comparative analysis of the illustrations in the 3rd - 6th grade elementary science textbooks. The analysis of the types and illustrations in the Korean and American textbooks revealed that the textbooks of both countries provide many photographs and illustrations, so as to deliver data mainly in the form of realistic illustration. In Korean textbooks, pictures and cartoons were mainly used with photographs to guide the students into experiments and to enhance their interests and curiosity. In contrast, the American textbooks place more emphasis on diagrams and photographs to train the students in analyzing and interpreting data. The Korean textbooks should place more emphasis on the diagrams in order to encourage elementary school students to analyze and interpret the given data. As a result the addition of more diverse forms of illustrations and the re-organization of illustrations according to the topic should be considered in future Korean textbooks.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.557-575
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• 2010

The purpose of the study was to suggest the characteristics and goals of the science teaching model for use as criteria in selecting the appropriate teaching model for science in secondary schools. These characteristics and the goals have been organized based on the analyses of the literature on the teaching and/or instructional model. The teaching models have been classified into four areas, and the characteristics and goals of each area have been summarized as follows: $\cdot$ Traditional models: teaching of scientific knowledge through lectures, acquisition of scientific knowledge through discovery, acquisition of inquiry process skills through inquiry-based teaching/learning $\cdot$ Transitional models: demonstration and discovery as teaching strategies, acquisition of inquiry process skills through inquiry approach, acquisition and change of scientific knowledge $\cdot$ Modernistic model - conceptual change models: differentiation of scientific knowledge, exchange of misconceptions for scientific concepts - learning cycle models: conceptual differentiation, exchange of misconceptions, acquisition of science process skills Also described in this paper are the model's characteristics and goals that can be used as the criteria for selecting the appropriate teaching model for the subject that will be taught.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.829-840
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• 2015

In this study, we analyzed the teaching practices of science teachers using smart technologies and investigated their difficulties in implementing smart education and their educational needs. We also studied their opinions on the application of smart technologies in science education. The participants were seven science teachers who participated in the smart education study group of a science teacher association in Seoul. We elaborated on the characteristics of smart education in science education during comprehensive analyses of instructional materials used in science classes and the initial interviews. We then analyzed the second interviews by categorizing their responses inductively. All the science teachers used the 'instant access as needed', but their interactions, simply answering students' questions, were found to be at a low level. They did not effectively use the 'collaborative interaction with SNS or wiki-based service' for the support for interactive learning. While most collected learning results of their students and provided feedback in the aspect of 'individualization according to leaner level', they were not aware of 'context, situation, and location of learners' in smart education. While all the teachers extended learning opportunities by using learning resources widely in smart education, most were not aware of 'support for self-directed learning'. Most teachers believed that smart education should be developed to help students learn interactively and in a self-directed manner. They also provided many opinions on teacher training programs and environmental support for smart education. Based on the results, some considerations for implementing smart education in science instructions effectively are discussed.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.159-183
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• 2012

In order to create a desirable science culture needed in our society, it is necessary to overcome the foreignness of science and technology and to overcome severance from tradition. In this context, this article attempts to understand the characteristics of our traditional science and to explore the possibility of forming a desirable science culture through astronomy, which is an example of traditional science. Thus, this article examined the general characteristics of astronomy that had appeared first in ancient civilization. It also focused on the fact that each civilization has its own unique cultural elements together with astronomical knowledge as a field of science in traditional astronomy. Calendar and lifa(曆法), which are considered science of time, are closely connected with people's daily lives and reveal cultural differences clearly among the subfields of astronomy. In all ancient civilizations, time was represented based on the movements of the sun and the moon, but how time should be concretely represented varied, depending on different cultures. As a result, various calendar system emerged. Throughout East Asia, including our country, the luni-solar calendar was used. The calendar in East Asia, unlike that in the West, was the one derived from the lifa, which was very complex and elaborate astronomical work. The characteristics of the luni-solar calendar can be clearly found in the seasonal customs that represent people's daily lives well; however, lots of so-called superstition are also included in the seasonal customs. For this reason, it is easy to misunderstand that our calendar system is unscientific, or to suspect that our overall traditional science lacks scientific aspects. However, proper understanding of the calendar and the lifa of East Asia can confirm that scientific aspects certainly existed in our tradition. This will be the vital link to tradition that will help overcome the foreignness of today's science and technology.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.970-985
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• 2011

In this study, we analyzed secondary science teachers' needs for mentoring programs improving their professionalism in science-gifted education. A survey was administered to 111 teachers who had experience in teaching science-gifted secondary students in Seoul. Analyses of the results indicated that most teachers needed the mentors' support in science content knowledge, knowledge of beliefs about science-gifted education, knowledge of science-gifted students, knowledge of instructional strategies for science-gifted education, knowledge of curriculum for science-gifted education, knowledge of assessment in science-gifted education, and knowledge of external factors influencing in implementing science-gifted education. Most teachers, especially having the perceptions of lower levels of professionalism, relatively needed more mentors' support in the knowledge of the instructional strategies for science-gifted education and the knowledge of assessment in science-gifted education. Most teachers wanted the mentors' supports for all subcategories of professionalism at the planning stage of the classes, and some did the support for some subcategories at the performance stage and the reflection-evaluation stage of the classes. They also relatively wanted more mentors' support for all subcategories of professionalism through lectures and/or group discussions, some did the support through face-to-face interviews and/or real-time or non real-time online interviews. They variously responded in the suitable ratio of mentors and mentees, and perceived positively the qualities required to mentor as well as the necessary factors for the effective use of mentoring.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.717-727
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• 2016

Using TIMSS survey data, we analyzed whether there were any significant changes in the learning environment of middle school science classes over the last 10 years. Our study selected questions from teachers and school principals' questionnaires and divided them by category: science class, teacher professional development, and school environment. The science class components were subdivided into three categories: science learning activities, evaluation, and homework. Within teacher professional development, the sub-categories included teacher training, collaboration to improve teaching, and teacher evaluation. School environment subdivided into two aspects, these being school characteristics and school system. Our research confirmed that there has been a positive change overall in learning environments. However, most classes are teacher-conducted and also teacher-oriented; the proportion of science investigation activities has declined compared against the prior ten years. Our study show that students do not engage in a range of inquiry-related activities. The questions on tests and examinations involve mostly knowledge application and understanding, although recent methods of evaluation show improvement. As for the science teachers, they participate in many professional development programs but focus on science content, science curriculum, and pedagogy. In addition, teachers do not have many opportunities to participate in the training to integrate information technology into science, science assessment, or improving students' critical thinking or inquiry skills. The teachers are satisfied with their profession, and the shortage of science resources does not seem to affect instruction.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.336-344
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to analyse achievement of 'Scientific Inquiry and the Nature of Science' in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study-Repeat (TIMSS-R), which was performed in 1999 with 38 nations participating. Korean 8th grade students' achievement of 'Scientific Inquiry and the Nature of Science' was compared to that of other countries and other content areas in science. Average percent correct of items in each subcategory - Scientific Method, Experimental Design, Scientific Measurements, Describing and Interpreting Data - was also analysed. Although 'Scientific Inquiry and the Nature of Science' topics were not included in intended curriculum in Korea, Korean students' average scale score of 'Scientific Inquiry and the Nature of Science' was significantly higher than international average and, in comparison with other science content areas, achievement of that area was relatively high. The reasons could be that the most students studied topics related to 'Scientific Inquiry and the Nature of Science' through the implemented curriculum and that the Korean teachers recognized the importance of inquiry. According to the results to analyze subcategories, the average percent correct of Korea were higher than 50% except the 'Scientific Measurements' subcategory. However, the international average percent correct were lower than 50%. Especially, the average percent correct of Korea was the highest in 'Describing and Interpreting Data' subcategory despite there were many students who were confused at observation, hypothesis and conclusion.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.65-78
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• 2022

This study aims to 1) verify the validity of the Science self-efficacy scale and 2) perform a latent mean analysis of the background variables about a pre-service teacher. The study uses pre-tests to analyze data from 187 pre-service teachers, which uses Tark's Science self-efficacy scale (2011). To identify the factor structure, exploratory factor analysis was performed. Based on the results of the pilot test, the expert group council revised the scale for the pre-service teachers to respond to the 3-factor structure. In the main test, 354 data were analyzed through a modified Science self-efficacy scale, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. The results of the study are as follows: First, in the pilot test, the pre-service teacher responded to a 3-factor instrument, but the validity of two items was examined further below. Second, the pre-service teachers responded to a 3-factor instrument on 29 items for the modified Science self-efficacy scale. The total reliability of the instrument was .886 and the reliability of each factor was analyzed as .882-.886. Finally, the latent mean analysis by gender showed that females have a higher self-regulation efficacy factor and males have a higher self-confidence factor (Cohen's d > .3). Furthermore, there is a significant difference in task difficulty preference and self-regulatory efficacy factor (Cohen's d > .8) between the college preparatory and science subject preference. This study provides important insights into and contributions to the accurate scientific self-efficacy diagnosis of pre-service teachers, as well as proposes a curriculum to improve the scientific self-efficacy of prospective teachers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.132-141
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of science classes using elementary school distance science classes on science academic achievement and creative personality. The research group and non-research group were selected for 6th grade elementary school students. After 10 weeks of experimental treatment, science classes were conducted with the contents of the elementary school science section, 'Changes of the seasons'. In the three domains of 'knowledge', 'inquiry', and 'attitude', which are sub-domains of science academic achievement, as a result of the pre-post test, there was a positive effect in 'inquiry' and 'attitude', which are sub-domains of science academic achievement. However, it was found that there was no positive effect in 'knowledge', a sub-domain of academic achievement. However, it was found that there was a positive effect in the overall test result of academic achievement. Therefore, it is interpreted that science classes using elementary school distance science classes had an effect on academic achievement. There was a significant effect in the sub-domains of the creative personality test, 'persistence/obsession', 'self-confidence', 'humor', 'imagination', 'openness', 'adventure', and 'independence'. However, it was found that there was no effect in the sub-domain 'curiosity'. The overall test results of the creative personality test showed a significant effect. Therefore, it is interpreted that science classes using elementary school distance science classes are effective in cultivating creative personality. Students' perceptions of science classes using elementary school distance science classes also showed positive responses.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.46-63
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• 2012

The purpose of this research is to explore factors which influence visitors' attention on exhibition panels by analyzing visitors' attention according to topic types and visitor group types. The subjects of this research are exhibition panels of a Tesla Coil exhibition in the Gwacheon National Science Museum. The exhibition panels' topic are basic concepts, explanations of phenomena, operating principles, applications and historical background. These topics are selected through a survey of visitors' intellectual needs for a Tesla Coil. Five new exhibition panels according to the topics are developed and visitor groups' behaviors in front of the panels are recoded in natural situations. The total participant groups are 586 groups, which includes individual student (30.0%), individual adult (20.6%), student group (28.2%), adult group(2.4%), and family group (18.8%). Visitors' attention to exhibition panels is sub-categorized into attracting power and holding power. Attracting power is defined by the percentile of group numbers who attend to an exhibition panel more than 3 seconds to the total group numbers who attend to an exhibition panel for more than a glance. Holding power is defined by average attention time and decay time. The attracting powers of historical background and application panels are 72.3% and 68.8% respectively, while that of the basic concept panel is 47%. Average attention times of explanation of phenomena and operating principle are 37.0 and 34.2 seconds, while those of historical background and application panels are 25.4 seconds. The decay times of each panel shows the same patterns of average attention times. Attracting powers of panels easy to approach and holding powers of panels with in-depth scientific concepts seems to be high. Attracting powers of the individual adult, family, and student group are 66.9%, 66.4% and 62.4% respectively, while the attracting power of the adult group and individual student are 57.1%, and 55.7%. Average attention times of the student group, family, adult groups are 34.0, 33.0, 31.6 seconds respectively, while that of individual student is 19.5 seconds. The decay times of each group shows the same patterns of average attention times. Both of attracting powers and average attention times of the student group and family group are high, while both of individual student are low. Tentatively, attracting powers of exhibition panels seems to be influenced more by topic types of panels, and holding power seems to be influenced more by group type. But these results are very limited and further studies are needed.