• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.149-160
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• 2023

A Korean-version science curiosity questionnaire (Science Curiosity in Learning Environments [SCILE(15)]) was developed after factor analysis of the Korean-version SCILE(30) questionnaire. Pre-service elementary school teachers were surveyed using the Korean-version SCILE(30), and a factor analysis based on their responses was performed. The factor analysis demonstrated that the Korean-version SCILE(15) consisted of three curiosity factors: a 'science practices' factor, a 'stretching' factor, and an 'embracing' factor. Confirmatory factor analysis of the factor structure revealed correlations between all the factors, thus confirming their commonality as a science curiosity factors. The Cronbach alpha for the reliability of all items in the Korean-version SCILE(15) and of items by factor was greater than 0.700. The Korean-version SCILE(15) was therefore evaluated to be reliable as a science curiosity questionnaire. Pre-service elementary teachers who participated in the survey for the development of the SCILE(15) were aware of the 'science practices', 'stretching', and 'embracing' science curiosity factors. Analysis in a general linear model of the degree of recognition accorded by pre-service elementary teachers to the three science curiosity factors demonstrated significant differences between the curiosity factors in terms of recognition. This cohort of pre-service elementary teachers showed the highest level of recognition of the 'stretching' curiosity factor and the lowest level of recognition of the 'embracing' curiosity factor.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.175-190
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to find out how interest in thermal concepts and the perceived difficulty affect the stimulation of science state curiosity. To achieve this purpose, 410 elementary school students in 5th to 6th grade were asked to measure interest in the content of the thermal concept tasks, the perceived difficulty and science state curiosity while solving the thermal concept tasks. 2 (low interest vs. high interest)×2 (easy vs. difficult) ANCOVA was conducted with the covariate of the student's level of science curiosity, which is expected to affect the stimulation of science state curiosity. As a result of the analysis, students with high interest in the contents of the task were showed high science state curiosity. Meanwhile, there was no difference in the level of science state curiosity according to the perceived difficulty. In addition, science state curiosity level of the students with low interest in the content of the task were high when they perceived the task as easy, but science state curiosity level of the students with high interest in the content of the task were high when they perceived the task as difficult. This study was meaningful in that it empirically verified that interest in the content of the tasks has an effect on the stimulation of science state curiosity, and that the effect of interest on the stimulation of science state curiosity varies according to the level of the perceived difficulty.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.343-365
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of learner variables on triggering state curiosity and state anxiety in confronting scientific task situation for fifth to sixth grades of elementary school. Science curiosity, interest, need for cognition, science self-concept, science anxiety, prior knowledge, and perceived difficulty were selected as learner variables that are expected to affect state curiosity and state anxiety. As a result of this study, the variables that had a significant influence on evoking state curiosity in confronting scientific task situation were in the order of interest, need for cognition, science curiosity, and prior knowledge, and all of these variables had a positive effect. In addition, the variables that significantly affect on evoking state anxiety in confronting scientific task situation were in the order of science anxiety, perceived difficulty, need for cognition, science self-concept, and prior knowledge. Of these, only prior knowledge had a negative effect on evoking state anxiety, and the other variables had a positive effect. The results of this study are expected to broaden the comprehension of students' emotional states in science education, and provide a theoretical foundation for the studies of state curiosity and state anxiety in science learning.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.485-502
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument for the measuring students' state curiosity and anxiety by dividing science learning context into three stages: when confronting scientific task, checking the results, learning science concepts, and verify the validity and reliability of the measurement tools developed. For this purpose, based on the theoretical background of various prior studies, science state curiosity and science state anxiety were defined in three stages of the learning context, and preliminary items were developed according to these definitions. The preliminary items were developed with the same number and the basic framework for each stage to identify changes in state curiosity and anxiety. Some preliminary items were refined during the confirming face validity and content validity. As a result of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the measurement tool consisted of five items of state curiosity and five items of state anxiety (two factors, ten items) at each stage, and confirmed the construct validity of the measurement tool. The Cronbach alpha was 0.8 or higher for each factor or for all items. This measurement tool is meaningful in that it can measure the state curiosity and anxiety applicable in three stages of science learning context and identify the changes.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.221-235
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to investigate the learning effects according to the level of Science State Curiosity (SSC) and Science State Anxiety (SSA) in science learning situation for 5th~6th grade elementary school students. To achieve this purpose, we measured and analyzed SSC and SSA in each learning situation by dividing science learning into three situations: Confronting scientific task (I), Checking the results (II), and Learning science concepts (III). In order to identify the net effects of SSC and SSA on learning effects, science curiosity, need for cognition, science self-concept, science anxiety, and interest, which were expected to affect the learning effects, were controlled. SSC and SSA in the situation of confronting scientific tasks were defined as 'SSCI' and 'SSAI,' SSC and SSA in the situation of checking the results were defined as 'SSCII' and 'SSAII,' and SSC and SSA in the situation of learning science concepts were defined as 'SSCIII' and 'SSAIII.' In addition, the learning effects were divided into post-learning effect and delayed post-learning effect, and the degree of improvements in the post- or delayed post-test scores compared to the pre-test score were calculated and analyzed. As a result of the analysis, SSCI·SSCII had a positive effect on the post- and the delayed post-learning effect, but SSAIII had a negative effect on the post- and delayed post-learning effect, SSAI·SSAII had a negative effect on the post-learning effect. SSC had a greater effect on learning effects than SSA, and SSCII had the most influence on the post-learning effect and SSCI had the most influence on the delayed post-learning effect. As SSCIII increased, there was a tendency to do additional voluntary learning. The results of this study are expected to broaden the understanding of students' emotional states in science learning and provide a theoretical foundation for studies of state curiosity and state anxiety.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.521-537
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• 2022

State curiosity and state anxiety in the science learning have a great influence on academic performance and achievement. Since the levels of state curiosity and anxiety can change at any moment, it is essential to identify the levels of student's state curiosity and state anxiety throughout the course of science learning. Accordingly, we assessed the changes in state curiosity and anxiety levels sensed by 5th- and 6th-grade elementary school students depending on their exposure to the violation of expectation. To this end, we classified science learning into three situations: confronting a scientific task, checking the result, and learning science concepts. As a result, there was no significant difference in state curiosity level of the nVOE group who confronting the result consistent with their expectations in checking the result after confronting a scientific task, but the state curiosity level of the VOE group who facing violation of their expectation increased. In the VOE groups, there was no significant change in the state curiosity level of the VOE-R group who correctly inferred the reason for the result, but that of the VOE-FR group who could not correctly inferred increased. The state anxiety levels of the VOE and nVOE groups decreased after checking the result of the task. The state anxiety level also declined in the VOE-R group. In contrast, there was no significant change in state anxiety level of the VOE-FR group. In learning science concepts of the result after checking the result, the state curiosity of the VOE, nVOE, and VOE-FR group all faded. No significant change was observed in the state anxiety level of the nVOE group, whereas the VOE, VOE-R, and VOE-FR group presented a decreased state anxiety. This study discusses the educational implication of these findings and its outcomes are expected to broaden the understanding of emotional states of students in science learning.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.267-281
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of breeding experiences of companion animals on elementary school students' interest in science, science curiosity, and science self-concept in relation to companion animals that are rapidly increasing in modern society. To achieve the purpose of this study, level of four hundred and seventy-four 6th grade at elementary school students' interest in science, science curiosity, and science self-concept according to breeding experiences of companion animals were compared and analyzed through ANOVA and independent sample t-test. As a result of the analysis, students who have experience in raising companion animals have higher interest in science, science curiosity, and science self-concept than students who have no experience in raising companion animals. It is believed that students participate in breeding activities of companion animals with interest and curiosity, and that self-concept has increased due to the process of acquiring knowledge necessary to raise companion animals and successful breeding experiences. The results of this study are meaningful in that they discussed the implications of breeding experiences of companion animals for science education, using companion animals that have not been studied much in the field of science education so far.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.1-16
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• 2006

This study investigated the effectiveness of the Developmentally Appropriate Instruction Model for Science(DAIM-S) on increasing scientific curiosity and problem solving in young children. Subjects were 60 5-year-old middle class children, randomly assigned to one of two groups: either the DAIM-S group or the direct instruction group. For 2 months, the children in both groups took part in 21 science activity sessions. Both before and after treatment, subjects were tested on curiosity and scientific problem solving. The DAIM-S group showed higher achievement than the direct instruction group in the acquisition of curiosity and scientific problem solving. From these results, the researchers suggest application of the DIAM-S to the science teaching of young children.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.1-13
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• 2009

This study examined the extent to which young children's scientific inquiry capabilities and curiosity are affected by their mothers' awareness about science education and their mutual interaction. Instruments were Levels of Mothers' Awareness about Science Education and Interaction with Children (Jeon, 2006), Children's Scientific Thinking Capabilities (Lee, 2000), and Children's Curiosity (Lee, 2001). Differences between high-and low-ranked groups were analyzed by t-tests. Results showed that children whose mothers displayed high levels of awareness about science education and mutual interaction showed better scientific inquiry capabilities and curiosity than children whose mothers did not display such high levels. By confirming the significant role of mothers in their children's science education these results can be an aid to parent education.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.192-212
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to analyze scientific attitude and its components in the general remarks and in the particulars of one government-designated and seven authorized elementary school science teacher's guides for the 3rd~4th grades which were developed according to the 2015 national science curriculum, and to derive implications for future development of teacher's guide. The results of the study are as follows: First, in their general remarks, five of eight teacher's guides (62.5%) give a very brief explanation on the components of scientific attitude, and the remaining three teacher's guides give a relatively detailed explanation on the components but they lack practical information on teaching and assessing of the components; Second, in the case of unit objective in the four units of the area of 'Earth and Universe', five of eight teacher's guides (62.5%) contain 3~4 components among 'curiosity', 'cooperation', 'objectivity', 'critical mindedness', or 'respect for evidence', and one of the remaining three teacher's guides contains only the component of 'curiosity', another guide doesn't have any component, and the other guide doesn't have unit objective itself; Third, in the case of unit assessment, only one of eight teacher's guide (12.5%) has independent unit assessment, includes several components of scientific attitude in the unit assessment, and is broadly consistent between the components of scientific attitude in unit objective and in unit assessment; Fourth, in case of lesson objective, three teacher's guide (37.5%) contain 3~4 components among 'curiosity', 'cooperation', 'objectivity' and 'critical mindedness', and the remaining five teacher's guide (62.5%) include only 'curiosity'; Fifth, in the case of lesson assessment, among eight teacher's guides, five (62.5%) evaluate 3~4 components of scientific attitudes, two (25.0%) evaluate only 'curiosity' and 'cooperation', and one (12.5%) does not evaluate anything.