• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.1450-1470
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to develop elementary science programs that used multi-level instruction and to analyze verbal interaction patterns in science classes that applied these programs. For this study, the 27 children from the fifth grade at B elementary school, located in Gyeonggi-do, were selected and separated into heterogeneous groups of four students. Verbal interactions occuring in two groups during each class were recorded using video. Elementary science programs using multi-level instruction were developed to target a fifth grade second semester 'Lesson 1. Human Body'. This program provided a mission form for each group and evaluation form for each child. A mission form depending on the children's level has different colors and levels of difficulty for questions. The evaluation form is composed of questions suitable for a child's level in reaching the goal with key concepts. The verbal interaction was mostly categorized into the cognitive domain and the affective domain for analysis. The cognitive domain was subdivided into question, response, making solution, receiving opinion, and the affective domain was divided into behavioral participation and students' attitude. Results of study showed that the frequency of the cognitive domain was higher than the frequency of the affective domain. In the cognitive domain, the median-level was of highest frequency in the children. In the affective domain, high-level was of highest frequency in the children. In terms of both the cognitive and affective domains of children, low-level exhibited the lowest frequency. Verbal interaction frequency was no difference between high-level and median level in cognitive and affective aspects, so median-level children were actively participating in activities similarly with high-level children. There were more types of interactions question, response, making solution, students' attitude in the median-low level children's verbal interaction than high-median level children's verbal interaction.