• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.535-547
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• 2014

This study analyzed the characteristics of National Science Curricula in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, and Korea with respect to core competencies. In the case of overseas countries, literature review on their curricula was conducted, and four common features were extracted: 'association of cross-curricular competencies with science-specific competencies', 'a combination of science contents and scientific practices', 'an emphasis on communication skills', and 'representation of an achievement level of competency'. In addition, the common core competencies of science education were 'critical thinking', 'creative thinking', 'problem solving', 'inquiry skills', 'communication skills', 'cultural literacy', 'ability to integrate discipline', 'application skills', and 'personal/social competency'. In relation to these features, this study also investigated Korean science teachers' perceptions of core competencies in science education. A survey was conducted on 135 teachers in elementary, middle, and high school in Korea. Teachers were not well aware of what core competencies are, and after introduction, they thought that they wanted to and needed to teach core competencies to their students. Teachers claimed that critical core competencies in science education are 'creative thinking', 'problem solving', and 'inquiry skills'. Teachers thought that core competencies-based science class would help develop students' scientific literacy and communication skills. However, they have difficulties in conducting core competencies-based science class because they are not familiar with how to conduct the class and they expect that it will take a long time to prepare such a class.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.265-275
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• 2022

In this study, focusing on science education in the future society, we explored students' key competencies to be cultivated for the future society, and the role and PCK expertise necessary for science teachers, who are the main agents of competency-based education to nurture these key competencies. A survey conducted among earth science teachers across the country results in 105 valid responses being obtained. The research results are discussed in terms of students' key competencies to be nurtured for the future society, the role and the expertise of science teachers required for competency-based education, and the structural relationship between the teacher role and teacher expertise. We also conducted network analysis to examine the relationship between student competency and teacher expertise, and the structure between the teacher's role and expertise. Main results include that communication and collaboration skills are the most important for students in the future society as core competencies. For science teachers, providing opportunities for collaboration-oriented activities are deemed as the most important. Regarding the structural relationship between the teacher's role and the teacher's expertise, there is a clear relationship with roles such as providing opportunities for collaboration-oriented activities and utilizing various materials and contents in relation to the expertise related to the science teaching practice. Based on the results, ways to promote student's agency based on raising teachers' awareness of the student's competencies, the inter-relatedness of the teacher's role and the teacher's expertise, and the totality of teachers' expertise were suggested.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.94-118
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to explore the multi-faceted understanding and issues of science subject matter competencies from the trends of competency-based curriculum discourse, and to examine the relationship between general core competencies and science subject matter competencies. First, we examined the theoretical background of competency-based curriculum focusing on behaviorism, humanism, and its comprehensive synthesis. After that, we reviewed OECD's competency-related projects (DeSeCo; OECD Education 2030), US Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Korea's 2015 Revised National Curriculum from the viewpoint of competency-based curriculum. After that, we summarized and systematically analyzed a list of competencies, 105 general core competencies and 45 science subject matter competencies proposed by 15 important documents from home and abroad. The results of this study are as follows: First, the issues of the proper number, appropriate dimension, and how individual competencies should be unique and independent were pointed, in terms of defining and categorizing competencies. Second, it was suggested that the competency items are presented in various dimensions such as personal-micro dimension, community meso-dimension, and social-macro dimension. Meso-dimension was placed on both general core competencies and subject matter competencies. Third, in the relationship between general core competencies and subject matter competencies, the former emphasizes macro-dimension, and the latter emphasizes micro-dimension, revealing an existing gap, and where the two can meet each other is the meso-dimension. These discussions are thought to provide insight into the understanding of competencies in the national curriculum, including the 2015 Revised National Curriculum.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.207-220
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• 2019

Although the 2015 revised science curriculum has newly introduced core science competencies, there are a lot of confusions and difficulties at the school sites because the concept of competence is not clear. In this study, we conducted literature analysis to understand what constitutes the components of science competence and how the components are related. Based on this analysis, a model of science competency, composed of six factors (non-cognitive characteristics, knowledge, skill, context, performance, level) was suggested. In addition, we have explored ways to utilize this science competency model to re-write the achievement criteria of current science curriculum as science learning objectives expressed in the form of science competency. Finally, advantages and limits of the model are discussed and related further researches are suggested.

• New Physics: Sae Mulli
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• v.68 no.12
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• pp.1338-1346
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to analyze the curriculum of a university-affiliated science gifted education center based on the core competencies and to suggest a direction for improving the education at the gifted education center. For this purpose, we set the 12 core competencies as follows: 6 cognitive competencies such as knowledge, creativity, scientific thinking ability, inquiry ability, problem solving ability and fusion ability, and 6 non-cognitive competencies such as task commitment, self-directed learning ability, motivation reinforcement and challenge, communication skills, collaboration ability and leadership. The curricula of the science gifted education centers reflect all the competencies, but some competencies are only potentially included in the contents of the programs. In this study, we present examples of education programs by each competences and suggest additional descriptions for the development of gifted education centers.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.353-370
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• 2012

The observation and recommendation system was recently introduced for selecting gifted-students in science, and it has required to arrange the reliable and valid selection criteria that could identify the high potential competency of them. In this study, we explored the competencies that could help to discriminate gifted-students' inner properties, and also developed the dictionary based on them. The competencies were extracted from the proven previous competency dictionaries/models and examined by the structured survey and the focus group interview in order to ascertain the competencies of the science-gifted students. The results revealed that there were two competency clusters such as cognitive and affective domains. The cognitive cluster consisted of 6 competencies as follows: goal suggestion, planning, information collection and analysis, problem solving, higher-order thinking, and expertise and self-development competency. The affective cluster consisted of 3 competencies: confidence, achievement orientation, and curiosity competency. The dictionary categorized by the names, definitions, key elements, and behavioral indicators and their levels of the derived competencies was developed. Findings were expected to provide the implications on the selection criteria of the potential science-gifted students through the observation and recommendation system.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.67 no.4
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• pp.271-280
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of chemistry program based on metacognitive learning strategies using realistic contents on prospective teachers' creative thinking skills and science core competencies, and their perception. In particular, it was intended to further improve the effectiveness of the program by introducing a strategy to strengthen metacognition. Participants were classified into the experimental group subject to the newly developed chemistry curriculum and traditional group subject to general programs that exclude realistic contents and metacognitive strategies. Both groups were surveyed before and after the application of the program to measure the degree of change in metacognitive competencies, creative thinking competencies, and science core competencies. It also analyzed the impact of metacognitive competencies and science core competencies on creativity thinking competencies. As a result of the study, relevance and rationality among sub-factors of metacognitive competencies and creative thinking competencies of the experimental group were improved, and all sub-factors except for scientific participation and lifelong learning ability among science core competencies were significantly improved. In addition, it was found that metacognitive knowledge among metacognitive competencies, scientific inquiry ability and scientific thinking ability among science core competencies affect creative thinking competencies. Through the results, it was suggested that realistic content that incorporates metacognitive learning strategies is needed to improve creative thinking competencies, and learning models and programs that can utilize them are needed.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.368-377
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• 2013

The purpose of this research was to investigate ways of restructuring key competencies (KCs) in preparation for a revision of Korean science curriculum. Recently a number of countries have reformed their curricular using competencies as a key element because they believe that competencies-based curriculum helps students build up the necessary skills to live in the future society. Through literature reviews, in-depth interviews with experts and teachers, expert meetings, Delphi methods, and surveys with teachers, three major categories of KCs emerged as follows: Character competencies, Intellectual competencies, and Social competencies. For each major category, its definition, characteristics and teachers' comments are discussed. The specific components of KCs for each major category and implementing KCs should be determined at the subject- and teacher-level based on teacher professionalism. In the conclusion section, we suggested a couple of important points that deserve readers' attention when we reconstruct science curriculum by incorporating three major categories of KCs. When we develop a science curriculum in the future, we need to include three major categories of KCs, and set up KCs as a minimum set of goals for all students. We need to remember that specific components of KCs for each major category and linkage among KCs may vary depending on science topics and objectives.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.84-91
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• 2020

In this study, we investigated the elements of knowledge and information processing competence of science inquiry activities in grades 3-6 science textbooks. For this purpose, the elements of knowledge and information processing competence were extracted and a framework for analysis was created. Analysis of eight science textbooks for grades 3-6 in elementary school was carried out using the analysis framework. The following results were obtained by the analysis framework: First, we divided the knowledge and information processing competence into five elements: 'collection,' 'analysis,' 'expression,' 'selection,' and 'evaluation.' Second, the elements of knowledge and information processing competence of science inquiry activity of elementary science textbooks were not evenly composed. The science inquiry activities of elementary science textbooks focused on 'collection' and 'analysis' among the five elements of the knowledge and information processing competence, followed by 'expression,' 'selection,' and 'evaluation.' As a result, we found that a science inquiry model or a science instruction model is needed to develop the knowledge and information processing competence in elementary school science curriculum.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.136-145
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• 2021

The Gifted Education Program is re-constructured into core competency-based program in line with fourth industrial revolution, where talented people with comprehensive ability are required. Therefore, competency-based elementary science gifted education program which is provided from Gifted Education Database(GED) is developed in accordance with 2015 revised edition in science and 5 main core-abilities; scientific thinking ability, scientific investigation ability, scientific problem solving ability, scientific communication ability and scientific participation and lifelong learning ability. This research, which is provided from GED, is focused on earth science area among competency-based elementary science gifted education program and analyse quantitatively and qualitatively how science and core-ability is appeared in 3 programs developed in science area. This research can be another guideline when someone would like to use competency-based earth science gifted education program in gifted education. Also, the purpose of this research is to help suggesting a right direction for competency-based earth science gifted education program. The conclusion based on research problem is as follow; Firstly, in competency-based earth science gifted education program, influence rates of scientific communication ability and scientific thinking ability are highest, where influence rates of scientific investigation ability, scientific problem solving ability and scientific participation and lifelong learning ability are relatively low. Secondly, in competency-based earth science gifted education program, single activity may includes several core-abilities. Following research is quite meaningful in aspect of giving out the information to choose topic in core-ability when using competency-based earth science gifted education program in gifted education. Also by supplementing lowly-influenced ability in competency-based earth science gifted education program, it is expected for gifted students to build scientific core-ability.