• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.337-348
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine epistemic thinking in middle school students in an argument-based inquiry science class. Participants of the study were 93 9th grade students from four classes of a middle school in a metropolitan city. Observations were made over one semester during which argument-based inquiry lessons on five subjects were conducted. Data was collected from argument-based inquiry activity worksheets and student questionnaires. After analysis of epistemic thinking in the written reflections, students were found to have the highest frequency of epistemic metacognitive skills, followed by epistemic cognition, epistemic metacognitive experience, and epistemic metacognitive knowledge. While investigating the effects of an argument-based inquiry science class on student epistemic thinking and after analysis of the reflections written for the first ABI activity and the fifth ABI activity, we found that all of the sub-elements of epistemic thinking have increased. The rate of growth for epistemic cognition is greatest, followed by epistemic metacognitive knowledge and epistemic metacognitive skills. Assessed for epistemic thinking, the level of epistemic thinking improved over the course of the argument-based inquiry science class. The results of the survey show that students actively participating and being recognized for their active participation in the argument-based inquiry science class are helpful in understanding scientific knowledge. Therefore, an argument-based inquiry science class is a teaching and learning program that allows students to understand and experience the epistemic nature of scientific knowledge and its construction through collaboration and agreement.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.763-773
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Argument-Based Inquiry (ABI) strategy on student's character competency. For this study, 51 grade 11 students (two classes) were selected to the role assignment (ABI-R group) and 46 students (two classes) were assigned to the non-role assignment group (ABI group). In the result, the role assignment group (ABI-R group) showed a statistically higher change in character competency than the group without role assignment (ABI group). Particularly, the ABI-R group has significantly higher grade than ABI group in empathy, responsibility, and respect among the sub-factors of character competency. However, in the case of the cooperation factor of character competency, the ABI group showed statistically significant higher grade than ABI-R group. The results of this study showed that Argument-Based Inquiry (ABI) as teaching and learning strategies in science can contribute to the enhancement of human character competency. In addition, we suggest that students should be actively involved in the class through role assignment, but it is necessary to present the class situation so that they can be actively engaged according to the problem situation rather than being fixed in a given role.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.32 no.7
• /
• pp.1099-1108
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of argument structure on students' writing in implementation of argument-based inquiry using the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach. Participants of this study were 108 8th grade students (three classes). Two classes (68 students) were assigned to an experimental group, and the other class (35 students) was assigned to a comparative group. The experimental group was taught argument-based inquiry using the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach, while the comparative group was taught with the traditional teaching strategy. After implementing this program, the two groups were asked to write summaries using structured argumentation in their writing. The result of this study showed that the experimental group used better argument structure and multimodal representation such as pictures, graphs and examples in evidence than the comparative group. The quality of evidence used in the students' writing was different between two groups. Students of the comparative group only listed fragments of science concepts for evidence to support their claims, but students of the experimental group explained science concepts by giving specific examples. The findings show that argument-based inquiry using the SWH approach was effective on argument structure in students' writing.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.347-360
• /
• 2016

This study focused on the use of student assessment activities to investigate the impact on reflective thinking in Argument-based Inquiry. The participants of the study were 166 10th grade students (six classes). Over one semester, students participated in five ABI programs that we developed. The experimental group (84 students) was taught Argument-Based Inquiry with students' self and peer assessment activities. The comparative group (82 students) was taught without the activities. We analyzed students' reflective writing to investigate how the student assessment activities influenced the students' reflective thinking. We also used the interviews and surveys to examine the validity of student assessment activities. According to analysis of the reflective writing, the experimental group had a significantly higher mean score than the comparative group in the 3rd and 5th writing. The ratio of students who showed a metacognitive level of reflection with regard to analysis of inquiry process, understanding of learning, and change of thinking increased in both groups, but the experimental group's ratio was higher than the comparative group's. The result of analysis of the reflective practice showed that the ratio of the experimental group's students who reached the metacognitive level of reflection in their writing increased, while the comparative group's decreased. Therefore, we conclude that student assessment activities can create a learning environment that facilitates student participation, increases the students' engagement in the learning process, and can be used as a tool to scaffold learning.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.221-232
• /
• 2019

Despite the continuing emphasis on the importance of scientific inquiry, research studies have commented that authentic scientific inquiry is not implemented in school science classroom due to a lack of understanding of scientific inquiry by the teacher. The purpose of this study is to investigate understanding of scientific inquiry developed by beginning teachers through open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interview. They voluntarily set up the goal of inquiry-based classes, planned inquiry-based classes, shared and reflected their teaching experience in professional learning community for more than a year. It appeared that participant teachers understood scientific inquiry as 'what scientists do', 'process how students do science' and 'science teaching methods.' All teacher participants described scientific inquiry as 'what scientists do', and understood 'the process of doing scientific investigation to solve problems related to natural phenomenon' and 'the process of constructing scientific knowledge using scientific practice.' Two participant teachers seemed to understand scientific inquiry as a 'teaching method' based on the understanding of the process how scientists or students do science. Participant teachers had a limited understanding of scientific inquiry that it is the same as laboratory works or hands-on activities prior to engaging the professional learning community, but they developed an understanding of scientific inquiry that there are various ways to conduct scientific inquiry after engaging in professional learning community.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.273-290
• /
• 2017

The purposes of this study are to develop a measuring instrument for perception of science classes based on the view of 'Community of Inquiry in Science Classroom' and to investigate elementary school students' perceptions with the instrument developed in the study. A total of 417 6th grade students participated in this study. As a result, first, we developed two set of questionnaire: (a) the questionnaire for the 'process of inquiry' consisted of six factors: 'problem recognition I: recognition of inconsistency,' 'problem recognition II: interests,' 'problem explanation I: hypothesis generation and examination,' 'problem explanation II: cooperative review,' 'problem solving I: reflection on the change of relationship with objects/conceptions,' and 'problem solving II: reflection on the change of relationship with community/ inquirer,' comprising a total of 42 items; (b) the questionnaire for the 'basis of inquiry' consisted of three factors:'will of conducting inquiry,' 'attitudes of conducting inquiry,' and 'structure of communication,' comprising a total of 17 items. Second, we found that elementary school students had positive recognition generally on their science classes in terms of the 'community of inquiry in science classroom,' but they had relatively negative recognition on the factors of problem recognition based on recognition of inconsistency, problem solving accompanied with reflection on the change of relationship with objects/conceptions, and attitudes of conducting inquiry based on severity and fallibilism, Finally, several suggestions for the science education were given.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.79.2-79.2
• /
• 2011

대전국립중앙과학관의 천문영역 전시가 Booth et al(2008)의 논증을 기초로 한 과학철학 측면에서 얼마나 잘 부합되는지 확인하는 것이 이 연구의 목적이다. 과학관은 비형식 교육기관 중 하나이다. 과학관의 전시물들은 관람자들에게 정보를 전달하고, 관람자들은 전시물들을 통하여 지식을 탐구한다. 그러므로 교육적 상호작용을 뒷받침하는 이론적인 기준이 필요하다. Booth et al(2008)이 주장한 논증모형은 관람객의 심리적인 진행과정을 고려한 과학철학이다. 그렇기 때문에 과학관 전시에 Booth et al(2008)의 논증이 적용된다면, 관람객들은 전시물들이 의도한 지식을 스스로 탐구 할 수 있다. 김정엽(2011)은 Booth et al(2008)의 논증을 이용하여 과학관 천문영역 전시형태를 재구성하였고, 대학생들을 상대로 설문 조사와 SPSS 통계 분석을 수행하여, 재구성한 전시형태가 정보전달과 지식 탐구 관점에서 기존보다 더 설득력 있음을 보인 바 있다. 최근 대전국립중앙과학관은 천문영역 전시를 개선하였다. 그러므로 개선된 전시가 Booth et al(2008)의 논증을 기반으로 한 기준에 적합한지를 재분석할 필요가 있다. 분석 결과, 거시적인 전시형태는 이전에 비해 큰 변화를 보이지 않았으나, 미시적인 전시내용은 상당히 많은 부분에서 개선이 있음을 확인하였다. 그 자세한 분석 내용과 결과를 논의한다.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.599-608
• /
• 2015

This study aims to explore the characteristics of student inquiry found in project-based science practices. The participants were four high school students in a science research club and worked their own project for one semester. During the project, they made their research questions, planned and executed their research procedures, and made their own conclusion. Their activities during the project were videotaped and recorded. They were also interviewed. Group worksheets and written reports were all collected for analyses. The whole processes of the inquiry were analyzed and interpreted qualitatively. The characteristics of student inquiry were presented in the view of the theory-evidence-method coordination. Three different modes of the coordinations that were found recursively in their inquiry were the theory-evidence coordination, the evidence-method coordination, and the theory-evidence-method coordination. It was also revealed that students' tacit knowledge using various tools were exhibited and these skills improved during their group works. The implications for school science inquiry education and research based on this study are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.63 no.5
• /
• pp.360-375
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate beginning science teachers' perceptions of inquiry-based science instruction using open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interview. Participants of this study voluntarily set up a goal of inquiry-based science instruction, planned inquiry-based science lessons, and shared and reflected their teaching experiences in their professional learning community for more than a year. Participant teachers recognized students' construction of core scientific concepts through performing scientific inquiry as a goal of science inquiry instruction. Participant teachers indicated that goals of science education such as 'learning scientific core concepts', 'improving students' interest of science', 'improving scientific thinking', and 'understanding the nature of science' can be achieved through students' active engagement in scientific inquiry. Participant teachers recognized not only the importance of teachers' role, but also what roles science teachers should play in order to enable students to perform scientific inquiry. Participant teachers emphasized teachers' roles such as 'identifying core concepts', 'reorganizing science curriculum', 'considering student ability', 'asking questions and providing feedbacks to students', 'explaining scientific concepts', and 'leading students' argumentation.'

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.221-237
• /
• 2004

This research analyzed mathematical discourse of the students in an RME-based differential equations course at a university in order to investigate the social transformation of the students' conceptual model of differential equations. The analysis focused on the change in the students' use of conceptual metaphor for differential equations and pedagogical factors promoting the change. The analysis shows that discrete and quantitative conceptual model was prevalent in the beginning of the semester However, continuous and qualitative conceptual model emerged through the negotiation of mathematical meaning based on the inquiry of context problems. The participation in the project class has a positive impact on the extension of the students' conceptual model of differential equations and increases the fluency of the students' problem solving in differential equations. Moreover, this paper provides a discussion to identify the pedagogical factors Involved with the transformation of the students' conceptual model. The discussion highlights the sociocultural aspect of teaching and learning of mathematics and provides implications to improve teaching of mathematics in school.