• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.246-257
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• 2006

TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) aims to produce reliable and internationally comparable indicators of student achievement. The TIMSS science achievement scale summarizes student performance on test items designed to measure a wide range of student knowledge and proficiency. This study analyzed Korean middle school students' science achievement at the advanced and high international benchmarks of the four benchmark levels of the benchmarks classified in TIMSS 2003 in light of science content areas (physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, and environmental science) and item characteristics. The average percent correct on items at the advanced benchmark by Korean students was highest in physics followed by earth science, biology, chemistry, and environmental science, whereas internationally the order was earth science, chemistry, biology, physics and lastly environmental science. Korean students performed relatively better in physics yet somewhat worse in chemistry than other top-performing countries. According to item analysis, Korean students reaching the advanced international benchmark understood some fundamentals of scientific investigation, but demonstrated weakness in written explanations of scientific principles, abstract science concept comprehension, and application of scientific concepts to solve quantitative problems. In addition, Korean students reaching the high international benchmark demonstrated relative weak conceptual understanding of ecology compared with other countries.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.6-14
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• 2006

The study investigates mental models of scientifically gifted, middle school students when it comes to tides. This was done by analyzing facet of conceptual types for two contexts. We carried out two performance tasks of tide with different context. A large number of students showed different conceptual types by context. As a result of analyzing facet of conceptual types by context, there was a slight difference in content-specific facet, but a remarkable one in strategic facet. We classified four mental models about tide by configuring facets of conceptual types: (1) Tide model (2) Force model (3) Phase model (4) Hybrid model. The Tide model is scientifically accepted model, but Force model and Phase model are incorrect models, and Hybrid model is mixed model. In cases of Force model and Phase model, conceptual types concur with each other, but these types of students comprehend tides as a result of joined forces of Moon & Sun and phase change of Moon, respectively. Arranging low mental models in proportional order, Tide model (45.0%), Hybrid model (30.0%), Force model (12.5%), and Phase model (7.5%).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.21-37
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• 2018

The purpose of the study is to visualize the concept of water circulation in elementary school students through science behavioral system. Elementary school students found it difficult to understand concepts related to the water cycle. Most of the elementary school children think it rains because the clouds are heavier. It is most difficult to explain invisible concepts to elementary school children. Also, experiments in current textbooks are likely to disrupt scientific concepts. Accordingly, conventional water cycle, dew, fog, and cloud experiments were integrated into one system. The researchers then developed a device that allowed students to see the water's circulation at a glance. It is intended to enable integrated thinking on evaporation, condensation and precipitation. In addition, a instruction program to guide students using the system has been developed to demonstrate its effectiveness. Employing a quasi-experimental design, the participants were measured on their concepts of evaporation, condensation, and water circulation before and after participation. The findings indicated that the experiment is more effective in changing the concepts of evaporation, condensation, and water circulation than in previous experiments. Also, the optimal conditions for making use of the device were found, and there were no various experimental parameters, such as condensation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.261-275
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to analyze the conceptual understanding of carbon neutrality among secondary school science pre-service teachers, as well as to identify gaze patterns in visual materials. For this study, gaze tracking data of 20 pre-service secondary school science teachers were analyzed. Through this, the levels of conceptual understanding of carbon neutrality were categorized for the participants, and differences in gaze patterns were analyzed based on the degree of conceptual understanding of carbon neutrality. The research findings are as follows. First, as a result of performing modeling activities to predict carbon emissions and removals until 2100 using the concept of '2050 carbon neutrality,' 50% of the participants held a conception that carbon emissions would continue to increase. Additionally, 25% of the participants did not properly understand the causal relationship between net carbon dioxide emissions and cumulative concentrations. Second, the gaze movements of the participants regarding visual materials related to carbon neutrality were significantly influenced by the information presented in the text area, and in the case of graphs, the focus was mainly on the data area. Moreover, when visual data with the same function and category were arranged, participants showed the most interest in materials explaining concepts or visual data placed on the left side. This implies a preference for specific positions or orders. Participants with lower levels of conceptual understanding and inadequate grasp of causal relationships among elements exhibited notably reduced concentration and overall gaze flow. These findings suggest that conceptual understanding of carbon neutrality including climate change and natural disaster significantly influences interest in and engagement with visual materials.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.560-570
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• 2002

This study was focused on whether secondary science teachers have consistent, integrative scheme on the definition of atmospheric pressure and phenomena caused by air pressure. We had made questionnaire and let 94 science teachers answer. We sorted the responses according to their major, school and compared them with the description in textbooks. The result can be summarized into three findings. First of all, teachers whose major is chemistry have strong tendency to understand that atmospheric pressure is caused by molecular motion though it, in textbooks, is defined as the pressure by weight of air mass. The half of respondents believed that decreasing of atmospheric pressure in high altitude is due to molecular motions, while most textbook says decrease in the weight of air mass. Secondly, many science textbooks show that air mass expands, rises, becomes less dense and the pressure of atmosphere becomes low when it receives heat. So, most of respondents explained low pressure is formed by lower density. Thirdly, they answered that they just teach the phenomena of air pressure by using the textbooks which mainly deal with the present state rather than a principle. In conclusion, the science textbooks should present the exact description and consolidated structures of those concepts to prevent students from having misconceptions on air pressure. In addition, training program for science teachers would be necessary to reconsider and explore the natural phenomena in various viewpoints.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.99-108
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• 2010

This study lays its purpose on examining the effects of lessons with the application of drawing tasks on changes in conception among gifted science students. The lesson with the application of drawing tasks means the lesson where students express key concepts regarding lesson subjects in drawings which are then applied to the lessons to develop conception among the learners. This study analyzed the effectiveness of lessons by comparing conception scores before and after experiments between an experiment group with the application of drawing tasks and a control group with normal lessons for the gifted in general for 8 months from March to October, 2008. In addition, the researcher examined how the effectiveness of the developed lessons show differently according to levels of meta-cognition, creative problem-solving abilities, and scientific inquiry skills among the gifted students. The results from this study are as the following. First, lessons with the application of drawing tasks were effective in changing conception among the gifted science students. It is possibly because in the process where one student compare his/her own drawings with the others' ones and discuss them, changes in conception occurred effectively among the learners. Second, it was revealed that lessons utilizing drawing tasks have equal effects on changes in conception among both student groups irrespective of their levels of meta-cognition. Accordingly the lesson for changing perceptions utilizing drawing tasks developed in this study is a program which can be applied to all gifted science students in order to change conception among them. Third, lessons utilizing drawing tasks have the greatest effects on the gifted science students at a 'middle' level of creative problem solving abilities. Fourth, lessons utilizing drawing tasks have the greatest effects on the gifted science students at a 'middle' level of scientific inquiry skills. Putting these results together, it is thought that if lessons utilizing drawing tasks are applied to gifted science students, not only their concepts would be changed effectively but also their attitudes toward science would be changed positively.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.673-689
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• 2022

To understand seasonal changes it is necessary to understand the relationship between celestial bodies in a three-dimensional space, and to this end, modeling activities in which students directly construct, use, evaluate, and modify three-dimensional models are important. In this study, the process of elementary school students using globes and light bulbs to model Earth's motion in a three-dimensional space as a cause of seasonal changes was analyzed. Seventeen sixth graders participated in the modeling process. After exploring phenomena and concepts related to seasonal change, students constructed models using globes and bulbs and used them to explain seasonal changes. Video data recording students' modeling process, students' activity sheets, and transcripts of post-interview were used as research data, and data triangulation was conducted. The modeling level analysis framework was also developed based on previous studies. In particular, the framework was developed in detail in this study in consideration of the concept of Earth's motion as well as understanding model and implementing modeling. In the final analysis framework, the 3D modeling level was classified from level 1 to level 3, and student performance that may appear at each level was specified. As a result of the study, there were two main levels of modeling using globes for elementary school students to explain seasonal changes. The rotation and tilt of the axis of rotation and revolution of the earth were considered but the level at which empirical evidence was not used (level 2), the level at which empirical evidence was used to explain seasonal chages (level 3). However, even when students use empirical evidence, it did not lead to the construction of a scientific model. In this study, the cause was explored in relation to the characteristics of the tool used for modeling.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.46.1-46.1
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• 2016

2015 개정 교육과정은 초,중,고등학교 학생들의 기초소양교육을 강화하고 핵심개념과 원리를 중심으로 학습내용을 적정화하고 학생 중심의 교실 수업으로의 개선을 목적으로 하고 있다. 2015 개정 교육과정을 바탕으로 한 교과서가 집필되고 있는 중에 있으며 개발되는 교과서는 2018년부터 교육 현장에서 적용된다. 2015 개정 교육과정에 나타난 지구과학 과목 내 천문학 영역의 성취기준을 기존 교육과정과 비교해보고 새 교육과정의 핵심 역량을 살펴 교육 현장에서의 효과적인 천문학 교육에 대해 토의하고자 한다.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.387-394
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• 2005

We have analyzed the science-gifted educational program (year 2002) at the Seoul National University in terms of its educational objectives, scientific models, and cognitive processes in scientific inquiry in order to provide insights into developing and improving science-gifted educational program. We assumed the following items as important factors for teaching scientifically gifted students: higher-order thinking skills involving synthesis domain in the educational objectives, highly abstract nature and complexity in the scientific models, cognitive processes of planning experiments in the cognitive processes in scientific inquiry. According to the analyzed results, the program has the following characteristics: (1) the rates of both higher and lower-order thinking skill domain in the educational objectives are similarly high, but the rate of synthesis domain is relatively low; (2) in the case of the scientific models, the rate of the multiple concepts and/or processes model is relatively low, while the level of the abstractness is relatively on average (3) cognitive processes of authentic scientific inquiry is not thoroughly reflected in the scientific inquiry activities, and very few cognitive processes of planning experiments factor is reflected. Therefore, we conclude in the synthesis domain in the educational objectives, multiple concepts and/or processes model, and cognitive processes of planning experiments should be especially reflected more on the science-gifted educational program in order to serve the needs of scientifically gifted students.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.252-260
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to assist school science class by investigating effective Earth's rotation experiments of districts by school level. The researcher investigated or developed nine experiments for learning Earth's rotation, and conducted and discussed these experiments with 26 elementary school teachers. Each teachers chose an effective Earth's rotation experiment for the district and wrote the reason. As a result, elementary school teachers chose the experiment that is easy to prepare and to do. And elementary school students are interested in the experiments by conducting them on their own. Middle and high school teachers chose more difficult experiments that could be connected with other concepts. University teachers chose effective experiments based on application of knowledge, active exploration, computer literacy, and difficulty.