• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.371-381
• /
• 2005

In this study recent trends of research about beliefs in physics education were discussed and cultural approaches were suggested. Cultural aspects in the contexts of science education were discussed and diverse aspects of beliefs in physics education-beliefs about nature, physics, learning physics, value and expectation, and learning physics-were analyzed considerating cultural aspects. Finally, directions for future studies about beliefs and cultural approaches in physics education were suggested.

• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.240-249
• /
• 2011

The purposes of this study is to compare the beliefs in the nature of science, science teaching and learning of the elementary teachers in charge of the gifted and the general teachers. For this study, a survey on beliefs of the nature of science, science teaching and learning was conducted to 88 elementary teachers for the gifted and 90 elementary general teachers. Data was analyzed by their academic career and major. The results of this study were as follows: There were no significant differences in beliefs in the nature of science and science teaching between the elementary science teachers in charge of the gifted and the general elementary teachers, but the former has a more constructivism in science learning than the latter. In the some sub-domains of the beliefs of the nature of science, science teaching and learning, there were statistically significant differences according to their academic career and major. Implications from findings of this study were suggested, such as recruiting and in-service training system for teachers in charge of the gifted.

• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.555-568
• /
• 2014

Even though identical science textbooks are used in elementary science classes, differences exist in teachers' teaching practices. The purpose of this study was to understand the relationships between elementary teachers' beliefs of science learning and their science teaching practices. An Likert-scale survey and interviews were performed on four elementary teachers to obtain information about the beliefs of teachers in science learning. In order to understand their teaching practices and the relationships between teachers' beliefs and their teaching practices, 2 classes per each teacher were recorded and instruction analyses were performed in the aspects of teaching contents, methods, and learning environments. The results showed that teacher A and B, who held traditional beliefs of science learning, taught their classes mainly based on teacher's explanation. While, teacher C and D, who held constructive beliefs of science learning, reorganized the contents of textbooks and applied various teaching methods and strategies in conducting their teaching practices. There were differences in teachers' beliefs of science learning and teaching practices. These differences in beliefs were related with their science teaching practices.

• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.389-404
• /
• 2013

This study aimed to explore elementary teachers' beliefs about science teaching, science learning and the nature of science and consistency among these beliefs. Data was collected by using an open questionnaire and semi-structured individual interview. Teachers' beliefs were classified as traditional beliefs and constructivist beliefs. Traditional beliefs were further divided into content knowledge-centered beliefs and procedural knowledge-centered beliefs. The result showed that a relatively large number of teachers among the total 30 teachers had traditional beliefs about science teaching, science learning, and the nature of science(respectively 60.0%, 66.7%, 83.3%). Most of traditional beliefs were identified as content knowledge-centered beliefs. The proportion of teachers with consistent beliefs for all three aspects was 40.0%, the proportion of those with consistent beliefs for two of them (those with related beliefs) was 53.3%, the proportion of those with different beliefs for them (those with divergent belief) was 6.7%. Most of the teachers with the consistent beliefs had the content knowledge-centered beliefs of traditional beliefs. Although constructivism has been widely emphasized in science education from the 1980's, the rate of the teachers with the consistent beliefs in constructivism was as low as 6.7%.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.65-72
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between moral sensitivity for topics related to science and preference for science, and belief about learning science. 129 middle school students were involved in this study and completed questionnaires to measure moral sensitivity for topics related to science, preference for science, and belief about learning science. Students' responses were analysed to show the distribution of variables and the correlation between variables by gender and grade. As a result, moral sensitivity was not affected by respondents' grades and genders, but was affected by different topics. Preference for science was not affected by respondents' grades and genders, while belief about learning science was not affected by respondents' genders but affected by lower grade. There were correlations between students' moral sensitivity and preference in case of female students and higher grades, as well as relationship between moral sensitivity and belief about learning science. This result infers that students who have higher moral sensitivity can prefer science and show more positive belief about learning science. Also, it can implicate that affective domain including interest or belief can play an important role in the context of science education focusing on moral aspect or ethics, and that teachers should be aware of personal differences in case of teaching moral aspect of science.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.125-134
• /
• 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
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.15-25
• /
• 2015

This study examined pre-service secondary physics teachers' epistemological beliefs about scientific knowledge, science learning, and science teaching in two different science content topics, Lamarckism and the impetus theory. Two sets of open-ended questionnaires, for each of the topics respectively, were developed in the same format. The pre-service teachers completed the questionnaires at one month intervals. The beliefs were analyzed in two dimensions, knowledge justification and knowledge change for each belief area. The findings show that the majority of pre-service teachers held sophisticated epistemological beliefs about scientific knowledge regardless of content topics. On the other hand, more pre-service teachers exhibited sophisticated beliefs about science learning in the context impetus theory than Lamarckism. In the area of science teaching, the majority of pre-service teachers demonstrated a sophisticated view in knowledge justification but a naive view in knowledge change. When consistency across science topics and belief areas were examined, few pre-service teachers held consistent epistemological beliefs across all topics and areas. The difference in the levels of sophistication in belief areas showed that the pre-service teachers did not connect their epistemological beliefs about science knowledge to their ideas about science teaching and learning. This disconnection seems to make the consistency across topics and areas complicated. The difference in epistemological beliefs about science learning and teaching between two science topics need further inquiry. Implications for teacher education are offered.

• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.40-51
• /
• 2013

This study examined Korean pre-service science teachers' belief on science teaching and learning and its evolution over years in their teacher preparation programs. Juniors and seniors from two major universities, enrolled in college of education located in major cities in Korea, participated in this study. They completed BARSTL(Belief About Refrmed Science Teaching and Learning) which consisted of 32 Likert scale items. In order to investigate the evolution of their belief on science teaching and learning, the juniors responded to BARSTL again after 1 year. Results indicated that the pre-service science teachers had to some extent positive beliefs on science teaching and learning, but their beliefs were not much developed over a year.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.37-47
• /
• 2023

The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence and structural relationship of variables related to science teaching professionalism. These variables set up learning organizational culture as exogenous variables and science epistemological beliefs and science teaching efficacy as endogenous variables. For this study, a survey was conducted with 499 elementary science teachers from Seoul and Gyeonggi province participating. The results of this study are as follows: Science epistemological beliefs and science teaching efficacy were found to directly affect science teaching professionalism. In addition, learning organizational culture perceived by the teachers did not show significant effects on the science teaching professionalism, but it was found that it has direct significant effects on science epistemological beliefs and science teaching efficacy. Based on the results of this study, which examines the structural relationship between learning organizational culture, science epistemological beliefs, science teaching efficacy and science teaching professionalism. we deem that it is necessary to consider internal factors of teachers as well as ways to improve learning organizational culture.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.53-62
• /
• 2004

For teachers to develop new beliefs regarding science teaching and learning, they must undergo a process similar to what they are trying to provide their students. Seventy-one Korean secondary school teachers including 20 earth science teachers have participated in such process. In the four-week long summer workshop hosted by University of Iowa, science teachers were exposed to several activities and lectures wherein they experienced student-centered lessons by playing the roles of both teachers and learners. This study examined the influence of such experience on the teachers’ beliefs about science teaching and learning. Changes in teachers’ beliefs were found in seven question items on the subjects of goals of science learning, the roles of science teachers and students, and classroom practices after workshop participation; it was found that teachers’ beliefs of science learning and teaching shifted from teacher-centered to student-centered. Although this shift does not denote a complete shift from one extreme to the other, it is meaningful to note that teachers’ beliefs after attending the workshop were interpreted to be either anti- or contrary to teacher-centered. One of the possible factors for making such positive changes may have been teamwork or the teachers’ cooperative learning experience.