• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.71-91
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• 2004

For the education of scientifically gifted high-school students in the field of relativity, we have executed a research on the understanding of relativistic concepts through the case study of its students of Busan Science Academy appointed as a high school for the gifted education in science. We showed the analysis of the changes in students, understanding in the field of (special) relativity and their possible causes. The comparison of the pre-test and the post-test tends to support that the students attained better understanding through the instruction of relativity. Students' understanding and misconception of relativistic concepts were also investigated through the case study. The students showed low degree of understanding in the validity of the principle of relativity, the influence of the constancy of the speed of light on the classical physics, etc. It seems that the analysis of these concepts of insufficient understanding can make a contribution to designing the education of relativity for scientifically gifted students.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.125-134
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between motivational belief about learning science, self-directed learning ability and conceptual understanding of matter change with a quantitative method, assuming that motivational belief and self-directed learning ability might affect conceptual understanding. To do this, the authors investigated middle school students' motivational belief about learning science, self-directed learning ability, and conceptual understanding of matter change using measurement tools based on previous studies, and then analysed the casual relationship between three variables using PLS structural equation model. As a result, three latent variables in this study could be evaluated as appropriated in reliability and validity. And also, self-directed learning ability could affect both the motivational belief and conceptual understanding, while motivational belief could affect only self-directed learning ability but not conceptual understanding. Through this study the authors confirmed that in the context of science learning self-directed learning ability can directly affect conceptual understanding but motivational belief can affect indirectly. This study is significant in that the causal relationship between different variables in science learning could be confirmed in a quantitate manner, and also in that it can suggest PLS structural equation method as a new research methodology in science education research area.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.563-570
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• 2005

This study investigated the relationships among middle school students' understanding about the nature of scientific knowledge, conceptual understanding, and learning strategies. Grade 7 students (N=162) in Incheon completed the nature of scientific knowledge scales (NSKS) and a learning strategy questionnaire. After learning density by way of a CAl program, a conception test was administered. Results indicated that students' conceptual understanding and both deep and surface learning strategies were significantly correlated to their understanding about the nature of scientific knowledge. A cluster analysis was used to classify students on the basis of their deep and surface learning strategies. Three clusters of students with distinctive learning strategy patterns were found; high deep-low surface strategy (cluster 1), low deep-high surface strategy (cluster 2), and high deep-high surface strategy (cluster 3). One-way ANOVA results revealed that the scores of cluster 3 were significantly higher than those of the others in the NSKS and the conception test. Additionally, cluster 1 also performed better than cluster 2 in the conception test. Lastly, educational implications were discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.345-353
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of mental capacity and understanding of the oxi-dation-reduction concepts on the completion of the balancing redox equations. Participants were 92 senior high school students and 57 science high school students. Tests were conducted to measure the mental capacity, the understanding of the oxidation-reduction concepts and the completion of the balancing redox equations and the influence on the per-formance was analyzed. The performance of the senior high school students increased as the mental capacity increased, but the performance of science high school students did not change by mental capacity. Most of senior high school stu-dents couldn't understand the oxidation-reduction concepts well. Most of science high school students, however, under-stood the concepts completely and partially. The students who had a good understanding of the oxidation-reduction concepts showed a good performance for both senior and science high school students, regardless of the problem pattern.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.304-322
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of student-centered instruction using analogies for middle school students' learning of the photosynthesis concept. Participants in this study were 8th grade students at a middle school in Seoul (N=132). The students were divided into two groups for implementation. In the experimental group the teaching materials containing analogies were used while the contents of a science textbook were taught in the control group. The results of this study indicated that student-centered instruction using analogies was more effective than traditional methods of instruction for understanding photosynthesis concepts and the students' attitude toward the science class. Analogies were also found to contribute to developing an understanding of the photosynthesis concept through activating students' prior knowledge, focusing on structural features of the target concept and elaborating knowledge. In addition, analogies play an important role in activating small group discussions, improving students' meta-cognitive skills, and revealing and revising of misconceptions about photosynthesis. Moreover, analogies can help improve students' interests and self-efficiency in science classes.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.85-94
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• 2015

Constructivism gave many implications to science education but at the same time it has brought confusion about its implication to the field of science education. Hermeneutics has possibilities of being able to reduce confusion as well as opening a new horizon. Hermeneutics seeks the meaning of 'real understanding' through the concepts of horizon, hermeneutical circle, and fusion of horizons. Both hermeneutics and constructivism have positive attitude to students' pre-understanding and accept contextualization of knowledge. Thus, they both can criticize traditional teaching method and propose an alternative. Moreover, hermeneutics approaches human understanding holistically with the concept of horizon, and pays attention to the circularity of the process of human understanding. As a result, hermeneutics can open a new horizon and give new discourse to science education and contribute to the development of research and practice of science education.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.663-675
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• 2007

Chemical reactions in cells are so complicated and abstract that students have difficulty in understanding them. In this study, classes with the application of systematic analogies used at the interpretation of experimental results were taught to 10th-grade students in order to help them to understand the concept of enzymes, which play an important role in chemical reactions in cells. Effects of the classes on their understanding of the concept of enzymes and the role of systematic analogies were analyzed. The gap of understanding between the test group and the control group was significant at 0.05, indicating that systematic analogies are effective for students' understanding of the concept of enzymes. Looking into the concept of enzymes by individual element, the effect of systematic analogies was shown to be large for equilibrium-like processes, such as the enzyme structure change caused by temperature and pH; and the continuous and random actions of enzymes, which students have difficulty in understanding. For these processes, systematic analogies played a positive role in improving their conceptual status. The visualizations and familiarity of analogs increased their intelligibility regarding the concept of enzyme. Also, the systematic analogies increases their plausibility by helping to connect phenomena, taking place in the enzyme reaction experiments, with scientific concepts as scaffold. Accordingly, it was possible to explain experimental results as scientific concepts in a consistent manner. In addition, analogies familiar to students played a positive role from the affective perspective by promoting students' interest and helping them to approach hard scientific concepts.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1987

최근 인문사회과학은 지역적 특수성과 문화적 배경(context)를 무시하고 법측과 체계(system)을 추구하는 자연과학의 개념을 인간사회에 적용하려는 여러 이론들이 인간의 근본적인 문제를 해결하는데 한계가 있음을 지적하고 있다. 이러한 법치주의에 의한 법인간적인 해석보다는 지역적이고 문화적 상황하에서 인간사회의 문제를 이해하려는 경향이 지금까지 행태(behavior)나 사회구조(social structure system)의 이해를 통해 인간사회를 분석하고 있다. 그 방법론으로는 전체의 맥락(context)이나 주변의 연관관계를 통해 의미를 이해하는 책(text)의 해석(interpretation)의 비유를 그 틀(paradigm)로 하고 있다. 이러한 경향은 예술과 미의 문제도 같은 체계(system)속에서 이해하여 현대의 전통, 문화와 대중으로부터 분리된 예술과 미로부터 전통, 문화, 개인과 생활이 공명할 수 있는 본래의 예술과 미를 찾으려 한다. 본 연구는 이러한 사회문화 이론의 개념을 분석하고 그 원리와 이론의 축면에서 경관(landscape)을 해석하고 경관의 의미(미를 포함한)체계(meaning system)을 분석하여 설계언어(design language)를 찾아내며 이를 설계에 응용할 수 있게 하는 기본적 틀(paradigm)을 제시하고자 한다.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.383-394
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• 2008

We analyzed the description of diffusion phenomena in a 7th-grade textbook, and investigated teachers' understanding and teaching methods on diffusion concepts. The data were collected from textbook analysis and questionnaires from 46 science teachers and interviews with 5 teachers. Based on texts' analysis by definition, example, and representation of the diffusion, we found that most of the representations were macroscopically explained by observing the movement of ink in water and smelling the fragrance of perfume in the air. The analysis of questionnaire and interviews also revealed that the definition and the explanation of the diffusion were too abstract for teachers to understand and teach the concept without further information about the microscopic concept of collision of the matter with the medium. Such examples and models lead science teachers to form indistinctive concepts such as dissolution, effusion, and evaporation. Furthermore, the analytical data showed that teachers' understanding of the diffusion concept has been heavily dependent upon the textbook and the level of the understanding was very similar with that of textual description.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.402-408
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to investigate various conceptions of secondary school earth science teachers on some concepts in secondary school earth science courses; wind in cyclone, western intensification of ocean current, westerly wave, greenhouse effect, ozone layer and atmospheric pressure. The subject is 26 in-service teachers of earth science teachers. The results were analyzed on the view of teaching sources for earth science teachers. The results show that earth science teachers have also various misconceptions on some concepts selected in this study. A number of partial understandings were found that were not enough to apply to teaching concepts. Those misconceptions were related to gradient wind on wind in cyclone and frictional force, related to earth rotation on western intensification of ocean current, related to angular momentum conservation and related to the roles of westerly wave. And misconceptions on greenhouse effect are related to main role of greenhouse effect gases, related to sources of ozone gas and phenomenons by atmospheric pressure. The various understanding types found in this study could be apply to teach the selected concepts in secondary school earth science course.