• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.235-246
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between botanical garden visitors' ecological consciousness and their needs, in order to provide some effective measures to manage them. For this purpose, 3 study points were set up: "botanical garden visitors' ecological consciousness and their needs", "differences of such consciousness depending on their demographic variables" and the "relationship between such consciousness and their needs". To this end, Botanical garden visitors were surveyed for an empirical analysis. The visitors' awareness about ecology was measured with Dunlap's 15-item NEP Inventory, while their needs were analyzed in reference to Maslow's 7-Step Human Desire Ladder. The survey was conducted at Botanical garden for 3 days. As a result, a total of 360 questionnaires were returned. The results of this study can be summarized as follows; First, the visitors' ecological consciousness and their needs were higher than normal level. In terms of their consciousness of ecology, their awareness of the ecological crisis potential and anti-humanism were the highest. In terms of their needs, the aesthetic need was the highest, followed by the cognitive need. On the other hand, the needs for self-achievement and self-esteem were the lowest; except them, the higher the needs were positioned at Maslow's ladder of desire, the more responsive the subjects became. As a result of analyzing the correlation between the subjects' consciousness of ecology and their needs, it was found that the correlation was negative in some sub-areas, while being positive in other sub-areas. After all, the ratio of the sub-areas having a positive correlation was 3 times higher than that of the sub-areas having a negative correlation. Even as for the correlation coefficient values, they were higher in the positive sub-areas, which suggests that the correlation between wetland visitors' ecological consciousness and their needs was positive, although at a lower level, in overall terms. As a result of comparatively analyzing visitors' needs by dividing them into 3 sub-groups depending on the levels of their ecological consciousness, it was found that the higher their consciousness of ecology was, the higher their needs were. Overall, botanical garden visitors' ecological awareness was higher than the normal level, and it was estimated that such awareness would continue to increase. Hence, it could be inferred that their needs, particularly their aesthetic and cognitive ones, would also continue to increase. Accordingly, it is important to manage the wetland landscape making use of its visual resources, while keep providing the visitors with the contents fulfilling their need for knowledge.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.542-561
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among elementary school teachers' high school and college backgrounds in science, their attitudes toward teaching science, their science teaching efficacy beliefs, and their instructional strategies. Both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, were utilized in this study. This paper, however, presents only the results of the quantitative data analysis while expecting to report the qualitative data analysis outcomes afterwards. Four instruments were used to ascertain information concerning teachers' backgrounds in science(the number of high school science courses they took and the grades of courses, the number of college science courses and grades, the number of college science methods courses and grades), attitudes toward teaching science, science teaching self-efficacy beliefs(personal science teaching efficacy and science teaching outcome expectancy), and their instructional strategies(indirect, direct, and mixed methods). A sample of 340 practicing elementary school teachers participated in this study. To determine statistically significant results, Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to relate teachers' backgrounds in science, attitudes toward teaching science, science teaching self-efficacy beliefs and their instructional strategies. The correlation coefficients were statistically significant regarding four variables, teachers' backgrounds in science, attitudes toward teaching science, science teaching self-efficacy beliefs, and instructional strategies investigated in this study. These results can be interpreted that programs of teacher preparations and trainings which include science and science methods courses should help prospective and practicing teachers change in their attitudes and beliefs toward science teaching. It is expected that future studies concerning teachers' attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors toward teaching science can help to improve science teacher education in Korea.

• 한국노년학
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.1003-1024
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• 2016

The human rights of older people have gotten more attention recently in South Korea, a country that is in transition to a super-aged society. This study aimed to systematically review studies on elder abuse and related factors among community-dwelling older adults in South Korea over twenty years (1994-2016). We searched major databases (Riss, DBpia, KISS, KMbase, and PubMed) and identified published studies relevant to the topic. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria related to study quality, a total of 31 studies were selected for this review. We examined types, measurements, and risk factors of elder abuse as well as study designs in the selected studies, guided by Johannesen's theoretical framework on elder abuse. All of the reviewed studies on elder abuse in Korea were cross-sectional studies, most of which focused on older people living in urban areas, using a non-random sampling method. All of the studies focused on certain types of elder abuse only. Some adopted elder-abuse instruments that were not validated, and others used self-developed instruments without psychometric tests. As for the risk factors of elder abuse in South Korea, the physical and mental health of the victims and aggressors impacted the risk of elder abuse, but general sociodemographic factors such as age, sex, and education were less likely to be related to the risk. In addition, decreasing caregiver burden and building elder-friendly communities are important for the prevention of elder abuse. Needed are further empirical studies on elder abuse with a theoretical framework that gives consideration to the unique sociocultural contexts of Korea. It is also recommended to develop instruments to measure elder abuse reflecting the sociocultural contexts of Korea, and to examine the multi-dimensional risk factors of elder abuse.