• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.841-856
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• 2015

This study sought to explore longitudinal changes in Korean fourth graders' career aspirations in science. The sample included those who had high interest, but low career aspirations in science, and the analysis focused on the concept of science identity. To achieve this study's objectives, we selected 14 participants and then conducted two in-depth interviews with them. Compared with the first interviews (4th grade), changes were observed in eight students' career aspirations in science in the second round (5th grade). While six students maintained "negative" career aspiration, six revealed "medium" and two revealed "positive" career aspiration in science. To explore the relationship between science identities and career aspirations in science, three students were selected from the sample for further study. According to the results, the aspects of science identity that students valued regarding potential careers varied individually. Depending on these aspects, each student showed different patterns in the interactions between different aspects of science identity, and between aspects of science identity and science-related career aspirations. Over time, participants' experiences and interactions with people around them produced changes in their science identity, which led to changes in their career aspirations resulting from the interactions between aspects of their science identity. Their career aspirations in science were also significantly influenced by each participant's perceptions of relationships with peers (i.e., recognition by peers and of peers) and of science-related careers. Therefore, the results suggest that students need to be provided with appropriate learning environments and guidance relating to science careers.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.613-624
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• 2014

The aim of this study is to explore why Korean 4th graders' interest in science was not connected to career aspirations in science using the perspective of science identity. Forty-five students with a high interest in science but with low science-related aspirations have been chosen from 488 elementary school students who have completed a questionnaire exploring students' interest and career aspirations in science. Among them, 19 who have received parental permission participated in in-depth interviews examining students' science identities (interest, competence, and recognition by others in science) and their experiences and perceptions of science-related activities. The results showed that most students have limited or situational interest in science, a gap between the perception of their competence in science and their competence for a science-related career, and negative recognition by others in science. Also, participants' science identities and low aspirations for a science-related career constrained their attention and participation in science-related activities. Students' negative science identities and low aspirations for science-related careers were based on the high standards of science-related careers. It seems that these erroneous perceptions and expectations led them to differentiate themselves from students pursuing science-related careers, as well as to perceive that their interest, competence, and recognition by others in science were not enough to pursue a science-related career. This study has implications for understanding the current condition of young students with low aspirations for science careers and exploring desirable objectives and strategies to promote activities to raise their aspirations for science-related careers.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.779-786
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• 2014

Elementary children, hoping for jobs in science/engineering(Sci/Eng) or medicine(Med), were surveyed on the reasons for jobs, science/math preferences, interests in science, and science aspirations. For 3rd grade boys, twice more students picked Sci/Eng than Med choices. However, for 6th grade boys, the numbers of Sci/Eng and Med became close. The ratios of girls with Sci/Eng in 3rd and 6th grade did not differ much. The 6th graders chosing Med was 1.4 times bigger than 3rd graders for both boys and girls. For students with Sci/Eng, the most important reason for a job was that he/she liked it. For Med, helping others was as much important as doing what he/she liked. Science preference were the highest in the Sci/Eng group. The Med group came next with the non-science group being last. Math preferences were lower than the science preferences. Therefore, children need to be guided to increase the preferences for math as well as for science to keep the Sci/Eng and Med career choices. The interests in science and the science aspirations show similar patterns. The 3rd graders showed higher value than the 6th graders, the boys higher than girls, and the Sci/Eng group highest, the Med the second and non-science group the last. Science aspirations were higher than the interests only for the Sci/Eng group, while it was lower than the interests in all other groups. This implies that science aspirations might have bigger influence on getting a career in Sci/Eng than interest does.

• The Science & Technology
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• v.29 no.2 s.321
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• pp.76-77
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• 1996

지난 1월9일 '식물ㆍ미생물 상호작용에서의 말론산 대사의 중요성'이란 논문으로 한국과학상을 받은 연세대 생화학과의 김유삼교수는 어렸을 때부터 과학을 좋아했고 대학에 입학해서도 생화학이 재미있어 일찍부터 자신의 진로를 결정했다고 한다. 김유삼교수는 "지금까지는 말론산과 식물의 관계에 초점을 맞춰 연구했지만 앞으로는 두뇌와 관련된 말론산연구를 계속하겠다"고 자신의 포부를 밝힌다.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.325-340
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• 2022

This study attempts to analyze the causes of low affective achievement of elementary, middle, and high school students in Korea in science. To this end, a total of 27 students, three to four students per grade, were interviewed by grade from the fourth grade of elementary school to the first grade of high school, and a total of nine teachers were interviewed by school level. In the interview, related questions were asked in five sub-areas of the 'Indicators of Positive Experiences about Science': 'Science Academic Emotion', 'Science-Related Self-Concept', 'Science Learning Motivation', 'Science-Related Career Aspiration', and 'Science-Related Attitude'. Interview contents were recorded, transcribed, and categorized. As a result of examining the causes of low science academic emotion, it was found that students experienced negative emotions when experiments are not carried out properly, scientific theories and terms are difficult, and recording the inquiry results is burdensome. In addition, students responded that science-related self-concept changed negatively due to poor science grades, difficult scientific terms, and a large amount of learning. The reasons for the decline in science learning motivation were the lack of awareness of relationship between science class content and daily life, difficulty in science class content, poor science grades, and lack of relevance to one's interest or career path. The main reason for the decline in science-related career aspirations was that they feel their career path was not related to science, and due to poor science performance. Science-related attitudes changed negatively due to difficulties in science classes or negative feelings about science classes, and high school students recognized the ambivalence of science on society. Based on the results of the interview, support for experiments and basic science education, improvement of elementary school supplementary textbook 'experiment & observation', development of teaching and learning materials, and provision of science-related career information were proposed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.507-521
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to investigate a meaningful path model among the components of students' positive experiences about science and science learning to understand the interactive relationships among different variables of affective domains. Positive Experiences about Science (PES) means whole experiences that have positive effects on students' affectional achievement related with science learning, which consists of science academic emotion, science-related self-concept, science learning motivation, science-related attitude, and science-related career aspiration. We conducted an online survey with 1,841 students consisting of 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th graders from 17 provinces and cities using Test for Indicators of Positive Experiences about Science (TIPES). To explore the structural relationships among variables, we selected and analyzed an optimal structural equation model and then conducted multigroup analyses among groups. According to the analysis of the structural equation model, 'positive as well as negative science academic emotion' has effects on science learning motivation, science-related attitude, and science-related career aspiration via science-related self-concept. According to the independent t-test results for TIPES scores by participants' characteristics, there were statistically significant differences in the average scores of five sub-components of PES depending on gender, school-level, school location, and participation in science-related activities. According to the multi-group analysis results, the difference of path coefficients by gender and school-level were statistically significant, whereas the difference of path coefficients by school location and participation were not significant. Discussed in the conclusion are the implications of this research for science education research and ways to help students' affectional achievement related with science learning.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.335-346
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• 2017

In this study, we developed and examined the validity and reliability of the Test for Indicators of Positive Experiences about Science (TIPES) that measures students' positive experiences about science. We have developed TIPES through literature reviews, development of the preliminary version of TIPES, a pilot test and revisions of the preliminary version, and the test of the final version. Through literature reviews and Delpi methods, we developed the preliminary version of TIPES, which consists of five categories such as science academic emotion, science-related self-concept, science learning motivation, science-related career aspiration, and science-related attitude. Using the preliminary version, we conducted a pilot test with 198 students consisting of 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th graders, and modified the first version based on the results from the pilot test and expert meetings. We then conducted a main test with the revised version of TIPES with 1,841 students consisting of 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th graders. According to a confirmatory factor analysis, a reliability test and descriptive statistics analyses, TIPES found to have a good validity as well as reliability. In addition, there are statistically significant differences in the norm distribution and scores of TIPES by student's grade, gender, school location, and level of participation in science-related activities. Discussed in the conclusion are the implications of this research for science education research and science teaching and learning practices in the school.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.214-229
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of science-based STEAM program on the positive science experience of elementary school students. The participants of this study were 64 fourth graders of S elementary school located in Gyeonggi-do. They were divided into the experimental group of 30 students and the comparative group of 34 students. The program was reorganized into the STEAM program, which emphasized communication with students in the second semester of 4th grade, centered on 'Earth and Moon' unit which were carried out in total 16 times. The experimental group was giving the science-centered STEAM program, and the comparative group was giving the general instruction model based on the instructional book guidelines. The results of the study are as follows. The science-centered STEAM program showed a further influence on the positive science experience of elementary school students. Based on these results, it can be confirmed that the class using the science-centered STEAM program positively influenced the improvement of students' positive science experience.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.455-466
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• 2023

This study explored the relationship between science academic passion, positive experience about science and scientific creativity in elementary science-gifted students. To do this, 108 science-gifted students from grades 3 to 6 were selected. After conducting the tests on their science academic passion, positive experience about science and scientific creativity, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were conducted. The results revealed that the students exhibited relatively high levels of science academic passion and positive experience about science, but their scientific creativity was not relatively high. While there was no statistically significant correlation between the overall science academic passion and scientific creativity, there was a significant negative correlation with scientific creativity in the aspect of 'obsessive passion' of the five subcategories ('importance', 'like', 'time/energy investment', 'harmonious passion', and 'obsessive passion'). Furthermore, the five subcategories, particularly 'like', 'harmonious passion', and 'obsessive passion' were statistically significant predictors of scientific creativity. However, the five subcategories of positive experience about science ('science academic emotion', 'science-related self-concept', 'science learning motivation', 'science-related career aspiration', and 'science-related attitude') did not exhibit statistically significant correlations with scientific creativity and did not had a significant influence on it. Additionally, neither the overall science academic passion nor the overall positive experience about science had a statistically significant effect on scientific creativity. Educational implications of these results were discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.215-226
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• 2022

This study analyzed the trends and causes of the decline in Korean students' positive experiences about science (PES). To do this, 4th to 10th grade students were sampled by grade at general elementary, middle, and high schools in Seoul, and then a questionnaire was administered to ask the students about their PES and the causes for their decline. The results of one-way ANOVA for Test for Indicators of Positive Experiences about Science (TIPES) revealed that there were no statistically significant differences according to grade and school level in the overall mean of TIPES scores. However, the results were slightly different for each sub-component. That is, in 'science academic emotion,' the mean of elementary school students was statistically significantly higher than that of middle school students. In addition, the mean of 4th graders was significantly higher than the mean of middle school 1st graders, middle school 3rd graders, and high school 1st graders, respectively. The mean of high school students was statistically significantly higher than that of middle school students in 'science-related career aspiration.' In the 'science-related self-concept', 'science learning motivation,' and 'science-related attitude,' the differences in scores according to grade and school level were not statistically significant. The main causes of the decline in each sub-components of PES were somewhat different depending on the school level. Based on these results, the ways to improve students' PES were sought according to grade and school level.