• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2020

Looking at the understanding of scientific concepts from a linguistic perspective, it is very important for students to develop a deep and sophisticated understanding of words used in scientific concept as well as the ability to use them correctly. This study intends to provide the basis for productive knowledge education of scientific words by noting that the foundation of productive knowledge teaching on scientific words is not well established, and by exploring ways to teach the relationship among words that constitute scientific concept in a productive and effective manner. To this end, we extracted the relationship among the words that make up the scientific concept from the text of science textbook by using quantitative text analysis methods, second, qualitatively examined the meaning of the word relationship extracted as a result of each method, and third, we proposed a writing activity method to help improve the productive knowledge of scientific concept words. We analyzed the text of the "Force and motion" unit on first grade science textbook by using four methods of quantitative linguistic analysis: word cluster, co-occurrence, text network analysis, and word-embedding. As results, this study suggests four writing activities, completing sentence activity by using the result of word cluster analysis, filling the blanks activity by using the result of co-occurrence analysis, material-oriented writing activities by using the result of text network analysis, and finally we made a list of important words by using the result of word embedding.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.495-507
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• 2023

Teachers often encounter challenges in supporting students with question generation and the development of investigation plans in sensemaking activities. A primary challenge stems from the ambiguity surrounding how students apply their conceptual understandings in this process. This study aims to explore how students apply their conceptual understandings to generate questions and design investigation processes in a sensemaking activity. Two types of student group activities were identified and examined for comparison: One focused on designing a process to achieve the goal of sensemaking, and the other focused on following the step-by-step scientific inquiry procedures. The design of investigation process in each group was concretized with epistemic criteria used for evaluating the designs. The students' use of conceptual understandings in discussions around each was then examined. The findings reveal three epistemic criteria employed in generating questions and designing investigation processes. First, the students examined the interestingness of natural phenomena, using their conceptual understandings of the structure and function of entities within natural phenomena to identify a target phenomenon. This process involved verifying their existing knowledge to determine the need for new understanding. The second criterion was the feasibility of investigating specific variables with the given resources. Here, the students relied on their conceptual understandings of the structure and function of entities corresponding to each variable to assess whether each variable could be investigated. The third epistemic criterion involved examining whether the factors of target phenomena expressed in everyday terms could be translated into observable variables capable of explaining the phenomena. Conceptual understandings related to the function of entities were used to translate everyday expressions into observable variables and vice versa. The students' conceptual understanding of a comprehensive mechanism was used to connect the elements of the phenomenon and use the elements as potential factors to explain the target phenomenon. In the case where the students focused on carrying out step-by-step procedures, data collection feasibility was the sole epistemic criterion guiding the design. This study contributes to elucidating how the process of a sensemaking activity can be developed in the science classroom and developing conceptual supports for designing sensemaking activities that align with students' perspectives.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.437-447
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• 2014

Learning progressions (LP), which describe how students may develop more sophisticated understanding over a defined period of time, can inform the design of instructional materials and assessment by providing a coherent, systematic measure of what can be regarded as "level appropriate." We developed LPs for the nature of matter for grades K-16. In order to empirically test Korean students, we revised one of the constructs and associated assessment items based on Korean National Science Standards. The assessment was administered to 124 Korean secondary students to measure their knowledge and submicroscopic representations, and to assign them to a level of learning progression for the particle nature of matter. We characterized the level of students' understanding and models of the particle nature of matter, and described how students interpret various representations of atoms and molecules to explain scientific phenomena. The results revealed that students have difficulties in understanding the relationship between the macroscopic and molecular levels of phenomena, even in high school science. Their difficulties may be attributed to a limited understanding of scientific modeling, a lack of understanding of the models used to represent the particle nature of matter, or limited understanding of the structure of matter. This work will inform assessment and curriculum materials development related to the fundamental relationship between macroscopic, observed phenomena and the behavior of atoms and molecules, and can be used to create individualized learning environments. In addition, the results contribute to scientific research literature on learning progressions on the nature of matter.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.169-179
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• 2008

In this study, 46 teaching materials for understanding the nature of science (NOS) were developed based on the 42 statements describing the NOS. Each teaching material involves scientific knowledge and scientific inquiry skills as well as NOS statements. Teaching materials consist of students' learning worksheets and teachers' guides. Among the materials, 11 materials for understanding the nature of scientific thinking (NOST) were applied to 3 scientifically gifted students. As results, the degree of difficulty was appropriate and students showed interests in scientific thinking rather than new concepts or inquiry activities involved in the materials. It was expected that understating the NOST would be helpful for conducting scientific inquiry in more authentic way. And similarly to the Park's (2007) theoretical discussions about the relationship between the NOS and scientific creativity, students actually responded that undertrading the NOST could help their creativity. Therefore, it was expected that teaching the NOST would be plausible elements for teaching scientific creativity.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.412-420
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• 2007

In this study, we investigated the influences of the epistemological beliefs on the conceptual change processes in respects of cognitive conflict, situational interest, attention and state learning strategies. After administering epistemological belief questionnaire as a pretest, 218 seventh graders possessing misconceptions about density were selected from the results of a preconception test. The questionnaires of responses to a discrepant event and situational interest were administered. After learning with a CAI program, attention test, state learning strategy test and conception test were also administered as post-tests. Analysis of the results revealed that fixed ability, quick learning and certain knowledge, which are epistemological factors, were highly related, but only certain knowledge exerted a direct effect on conceptual understanding negatively. It also had positive effects on attention directly as well as via situational interest, and thus increased conceptual understanding, even if the effects were relatively smaller than the direct effect. However, epistemological beliefs had little influence on conceptual understanding through cognitive conflict and/or state learning strategies.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.345-352
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• 2019

The 2015 revised information curriculum emphasizes the ability to solve problems in real life based on the basic concepts, principles and techniques of computer science. How the contents of textbooks are designed is an important issue in terms of achievement of educational goals and whether contents can be easily and clearly communicated. The purpose of this study is to analyze the concept presentation method presented in middle school informatics textbooks by three types of text- centered type, picture-centered type, and case-centered type- to analyze differences in understanding according to individual variables (sex, subject preference). Analysis results found the figure-centered type showed the highest degree of comprehension among students, and the preference of contents design type and the difference of understanding according to sex did not show significant differences. According to the preferred subjects, understanding of the content design types were found to be significantly different according to preferred subjects.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.93-104
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the high school students' interests and and perceptions about the soil concepts. The data were obtained from 72 boys and 82 girls at a high school in Daegu area. The questionnaires were developed 8 questions for students' interest and 10 questions for students' understanding. The results of this study were as follows. In the examination of students' interest on the soil concepts, boys showed 3.2point(64.9%) out of 5point and girls showed 3.2point(64.6%) out of 5 point. Furthermore, a percentage of correct answers for understanding on the soil concepts was 47.4%. In detail, Boys had 48.2% and girls had 46.6%, boys showed higher understanding about soil concepts than girls. And students understood soil concepts by a visible side, to approach the soil concepts from a biological point of view, rather than a geologic one. Also high school students didn't think soil concepts to consist of minerals and rocks from a geologic point of view. Correlation between interest and understanding on the soil concepts was very weak by showing r=.170(p<.05).

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.305-314
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• 1999

The effects of three teaching models were compared in this research. One of those is concept change model, another is concept change model based on students learning motivations, the other is traditional teaching method based on science textbooks. The subjects of this research were the 8th grade students of Korean middle school. They were divided into three groups, and tested learning motivations. All of the three groups improved their learning motivations and concept understanding by the classes. Especially, the group of concept change model based on students learning motivations represented most effective improvement of learning motivations. The concept change teaching model and concept change teaching model based on students learning motivations are more effective in concept understanding than traditional teaching method based on textbooks. The students who have high learning motivations improved their concept understanding by the classes of concept change model based on students learning motivations. The students who have low learning motivations improved their learning motivations by the classes of concept change model based on students learning motivations also.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.31-44
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• 2015

This study aims to test effect of transfer learning program rather than students' transfer ability. For these purpose, firstly this study design transfer learning program to apply from 'rate concept' in learning math class to 'velocity concept' in science class. Subsequently, this study is to analyze whether this program affect on 'the rate concept understanding' and 'the mathematics learning attitude'. Followings are the findings from this study. First, transfer learning program affect on improving students' rate concept understanding. Moreover, 17 among 35 students' who stay in 'ratio level' move to 'internalized ratio level'. Second, besides transfer learning program is not only cause to change students' learning attitude, this program impact on changing their learning attitude positively. The study has an important implications in that it designed new learning program that students experience transfer and test its effect.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.320-330
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• 2012

Understanding the relation between basic science and applied science is important for students in understanding the importance of learning science, the relationship between scientific knowledge and human life, and for enhancing their science motivation. In this study, we evaluated the statistical validity of this hypothetical model and explored the effect of gender and students' preferred courses (e.g., humanities, science, and art) on four dependent variables. We also evaluated the differences of students' understanding across scientific domains and students' understanding concerning basic and applied scientific knowledge. Three hundred and twenty five 10th grade students participated in this survey research. Statistically, we employed bivariate correlation, partial correlation, path analysis, two-way ANOVA, and repeated measures ANOVA. Our findings illustrated that our hypothetical model was statistically valid. In addition, the significant interaction effects of gender and students' preferred courses on each dependent variable were shown. Students have different levels of understanding of the convergence of basic and applied science, the relation between scientific knowledge and human life, and the importance of learning science across scientific domains (e.g., physics, chemistry, earth science and biology).