• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.841-854
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate the teaching methods of prediction, inference, and hypothesis. The major data source was gathered by in-depth interview of science teachers (about 50-80 minutes for each interview). The interviews were conducted using semi-structured interview protocol, which consisted of three major parts: (1) Teacher's definition of prediction, inferences, hypothesis, (2) Teaching methods of prediction, inferences, and hypothesis and (3)Reasons of teacher's inaccurate perceptions of prediction, inference, and hypothesis. All the interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. Topics in the questions were categorized. The results were as follows: Teachers recognized the importance of prediction, inferences, and hypothesis. But they didn't have an accurate conception and they have great difficulty in classifying and explaining the prediction, inferences, and hypothesis. To find out the teaching methods, researcher investigated the inquiry activities, teaching times, usage of terms, teachers' questions, and teaching difficulties. Reasons for having difficulty were lack of teaching competency, difficulties from the students, and problems in the present curriculum. Finally, we discovered that the reasons for teacher's inaccurate perceptions of prediction, inference, and hypothesis were two factors. One is internal factors, which include the lack of scientific inquiry process skills, burdens of science subject and lack of science education knowledge. The other is external factors, which include education system for evaluations and lack of teacher education. In conclusion, this study suggested establishing more elementary teacher education programs that include strengthened concepts of inquiry process skills and teaching methods.

• School Mathematics
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.353-370
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to select the components of spatial ability that could be associated with the implementation of a polycube task, embody the selected components of spatial ability as learning elements and develop the prototype of polycube teaching-learning materials applicable to gifted education, (2) to make a close analysis of the development process of the teaching-learning materials to ensure the applicability of the prototype, (3) to give some suggestions on the development of teaching-learning materials geared toward mathematically gifted classes. The findings of the study were as follows: As for the first purpose of the study, relevant literature was reviewed to make an accurate definition of spatial ability, on which there wasn't yet any clear-cut explanation, and to find out what made up spatial ability. After 13 components of spatial ability that were linked to a polycube task were selected, the prototype of teaching-learning materials for gifted education in mathematics was developed by including nine components in consideration of children's grade and level. Concerning the second purpose of the study, materials for teachers and students were separately developed based on the prototype, and the materials were modified and finalized in light of when selected students exerted their spatial ability well or didn't in case of utilizing the developed materials in class. And then the materials were finalized after being finetuned two times by regulating the learning type, sequence and degree of learning difficulty. Regarding the third purpose of the study, the polycube task performed in this study might not be generalizable, but there are seven suggestions on the development process of teaching-learning materials.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.89-101
• /
• 2001

The purpose of this study was to develop the elementary school science instructional material for nurturing students' creativity and to analyze the effects of this material on the changes of students' creativity. This material was composed of student's worksheet and a teacher's guidebook, in which are relevant to the elements of creativity and creative activities that can be applied to elementary science curriculum of 5th and 6th grades. Student's worksheets include various creative activities: imagination, guided imagery, experimental activity, mind mapping as wrap-up, and 'let's think' as an extended activity, game, puzzle, making a cartoon, to be, role playing, and so on. These materials were applied to 5th grade science class, 156 students. They were divided into two groups: the treatment group to which developed material was applied and the control group which was a traditional lecture-centered class. After this material had been applied for 3 months, students of both groups took a test of creativity. Interviews and observation were also carried out with three level groups (higher, medium and lower level) which were divided within the treatment group based on their creativity score. The results of this study were as follows: The treatment group showed higher score on creativity than that of control group(p<0.01). In the result of interviews and observation, the students of the higher and the medium level accomplished their tasks by themselves better than those on lower level.All of them took an interest in visual activity. In a wrapping-up step, the higher level students made mind map more systematically and the medium students improved as time goes on, but low level students feel constrained. In totally, they used various expression methods and were interested in making drawings and cartoons creatively.