• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.47-61
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• 2023

Rather than an abstract discourse, the purpose of this study is to outline the core concepts in the 2015 revised curriculum as a concrete teaching and learning method in the school context. We interviewed eight secondary science teachers and reported their perceptions and perspectives on core concepts using a backward design model based on the cyclical process of the platform, deliberation, and design for developing teaching and learning materials to understand core concepts. The participants perceived these core concepts differently, such as big ideas corresponding to the ultimate principle, minimum science concepts required for daily life, and primary and significant key concepts. In addition, this affects the association of teaching and learning. When core concepts are understood as transferable and expandable big ideas, there is a tendency to focus on the relationship between concepts and design project learning in a specific direction. However, if core concepts are identified as minimum science concepts at the level of science literacy, that can be recalled within the context of life, there is a tendency to emphasize on activities that make a meaningful difference to the lives of students with focus on case studies that are relevant to everyday life. Once core concepts are identified as key scientific content elements, such as basic or significant concepts, teachers recognize that it is essential to emphasize concept changes by correcting misconceptions, acquiring accurate scientific knowledge, and developing problem-solving items through paper-and-pencil evaluation. As the 2015 revised curriculum is finalized and the 2022 revised curriculum is scheduled for release, effective policy support is required to ensure that the curriculum is revised, which emphasizes the purpose of big ideas by naming core concepts as core ideas, to be stably implemented in schools.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.441-454
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• 2021

In this study, we propose the composition of contents on the area of astronomy for high school Earth Science elective courses for the 2022 revised curriculum based on high school students' perceptions of changes in Earth Science core concepts over the curriculum revisions, and analysis of learning elements in the area of astronomy for domestic and foreign Earth Science curriculum. Four Earth Science education experts compared and analyzed the astronomy contents presented in Korea, the US, British Columbia (BC) in Canada, Japan, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) curriculum. According to the survey results, high school students who answered that they were most interested in the core concepts of astronomy expressed a lot of regret that the contents related to astronomical observation were eliminated from the 2015 revised curriculum. As a result of comparing domestic and foreign curriculum, Korea and IBDP curriculum dealt with the largest amount of learning elements in astronomy. In the case of BC in Canada and IBDP, astronomy was offered as an independent subject, and the curriculums of Japan and Korea dealt with astronomy in the Earth Science subject. According to the results, it is necessary to develop general elective courses in Earth Science with astronomy-related contents with high discriminating power in order to strengthen astronomy education. Since astronomy requires background knowledge from various disciplines and inter-disciplinary learning was required, it is necessary to organize the career-related elective courses in Earth Science so that astronomy can be dealt with according to the knowledge structure of general Astronomy. Based on the research results, ways to organize astronomy contents for Earth Science elective courses were suggested.

• 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 Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.40-52
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to explore ways to change high school earth science elective courses with the introduction of the high school credit system in 2025, and ways to restructure them in preparation for the next curriculum revision. For this purpose, Delphi surveys with earth science education experts, a survey with in-service earth science teachers, and in-depth interviews with experts were conducted. According to the results, we need to consider four keywords such as cultivation of earth science literacy, connection with student career paths, emphasis on the fun of earth science itself, and student selection rate and college entrance exam in restructuring Earth science electives. Based on this direction, we composed four subjects: Earth System Science emphasizing earth science literacy, and three such subjects reinforcing career connection as Solid Earth Science, Atmospheric and Ocean Science, and Space Science. To resolve concerns about falling selection rate of earth science courses with the introduction of the high school credit system, it is necessary to re-establish the status of the earth science subjects including enhancing the career connection of the earth science electives. Follow-up studies are necessary to elaborate and publicize the titles and core concepts of Earth science electives.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.48-58
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze the contents related to the strata in the elementary science textbooks and to investigate the strata concepts of preservice elementary teachers. As a result of the study, most of the strata knowledge in elementary textbook has an explicit sentence structure, such as A is B. it is limited to being used as a subject of discussion and debate among students in science classes. Formal knowledge, although its meaning is clear, is disadvantageous as a material for core competency education. Regarding strata concepts, 70% of preservice elementary teachers thoughts that heat and pressure were the only key factors in turning sediments into hard rocks. Regarding whether information about the natural information in the geological period can be obtained through the strata, 20% thought that information on the natural environment could be obtained only through fossils and not from the strata. Even 80% of preservice elementary school teachers who thought that informations on the past natural environment could be obtained from the stratum showed a lot of scientific misconceptions in the information contents. In conclusion, in order to increase the effect of core competency education through elementary science education, it is necessary to review the form and contents of strata knowledge presented in elementary science textbooks.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.498-518
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• 2010

This study analyzed the characteristics of organization scheme and the levels of core concepts in science textbooks used in Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan, which have shown superior achievement according to the TIMSS 2007. Science textbooks in Korea clearly divide the fields of Energy, Matter, Biology, and Earth, presenting the fields in nearly equal proportion in each grade. In the case of Singapore, science textbooks take an integrated content approach, combining concepts from several fields under a single theme. Science textbooks in Taiwan present a single content field in each unit. Also, because each grade engages in a specific field intensively, there are many cases in which concepts related to a single field are studied in a single grade. In view of levels of core concepts, Singapore or Taiwan showed higher achievement than Korea in themes of 'Cell and their Functions', 'Ecosystems', and 'Human Health' under the TIMSS 2007 biology field. Singapore introduces core concepts for these themes in lower grades compared to Korea and presents them repeatedly in several grades. In Taiwan, there are many cases in which these core concepts are taught only once during the course of $3^{rd}$ to $8^{th}$ grade, but the explanations are presented at a level that is suitable to TIMSS 2007 assessment objectives. Considering the results of this analysis, there is a need to reconsider the division of content fields and methods of presenting core concepts in the science textbooks of Korea.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.173-185
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to present a reflective review of the earth and universe units from the revised elementary curriculum of 2007-2015 and suggest changes in the 2022 revised curriculum. For this purpose, we conducted an FGI with earth science educators and elementary school teachers regarding the content elements and system, the achievement standards and inquiry activity composition, and the vertical and horizontal curriculum connectivity. Free response and weighted hierarchical analysis items were incorporated into the FGI to ensure logical consistency of the inductively derived improvement. This analysis revealed that the composition of units by grade group had been unevenly distributed among each of the "earth systems" until the 2015 revised curriculum was finalized. Furthermore, the basic concept was still insufficient. We suggest that achievement standards centered on the learning content and skills must state specific scientific core competencies, and inquiry activities should include rigorous critical thinking, student written responses, and student inquiry and analysis. In the hierarchical analysis items, FGI emphasized the inclusion of essential content elements rather than reduction of content elements, understanding-oriented concept learning rather than interest-centered phenomenon learning, basic concept division learning before integration between subjects, and expanding vertical-horizontal connectivity rather than repeating and advancing learning. There is a limit to the generalizing the suggestions proposed in this study to the common opinion of elementary earth science experts. However, since the main vision of the 2022 revised curriculum is to gather opinions through educational entities' participation in a variety of educational subjects, it is suggested that our results should be incorporated as one of the opinions proposed for the 2022 curriculum revision.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.34-48
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• 2024

With the global rise in interest in competency-based education, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea outlined six core competencies in the 2015 revised curriculum, essential for future society's 'creative and convergent talent'. This study introduces an HTE-STEAM constellation education program designed to develop the core competencies outlined in the 2015 revised curriculum and address the limitations of hands-on astronomy education. The program's effectiveness was assessed through a pilot test. The program was implemented at G Library, an out-of-school education site in Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, targeting students from 3rd to 6th grade. The study's results include: First, the HTE-STEAM program significantly impacted all aspects of the STEAM attitude test except for 'self-concept', particularly influencing 'science and engineering career choice', 'consideration', and 'communication'. Thus, it has led to positive outcomes in the cultivation of future society's core competencies, including 'creative thinking skills', 'communication skills', and 'community skills'. Secondly, the HTE-STEAM constellation education program, despite covering the challenging concept of spacetime, was deemed easy by many students. Observations of students applying the spatial concepts they learned by using teaching aids suggest that the program was effective in enhancing students' understanding of the spatial structure of the sky and the universe. Additionally, this program aligns with the 2022 curriculum's updated standards for understanding the sky's spatial structure. Consequently, the HTE-STEAM constellation education program positively cultivates future society's core competencies and serves as a valuable complement to night observation practices in schools.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.151-164
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to find out the effects of reconstructing unit 'Seasonal Change' using step-by-step questioning for concepts changes to adjusting misconceptions of elementary school students. Most students have pre-conceptions at describing seasonal changes based on their experiences. Therefore, in newly developed unit, we reconstructed unit to include core teaching and learning contents by finding out common pre-conceptions of students and specifying purpose of teaching at misconceptions found in pre-conceptions as 'constituent of class for conceptual change'. After the scientific concept test, the result of 24 students in experimental group is statistically significant. Also, according to the result of qualitative analysis, the number of activated conceptional resources and degree of specificity in explaining seasonal changes are higher than that of control group.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.112-122
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• 2021

The goal of this study is to explore ways to restructure Convergence Elective Courses in science in preparation for the high school credit system, ahead of the 2022 revised science curriculum. This study started from the problem that the 2015 revised science curriculum has not guaranteed science subject choice for students with non-science/engineering career aptitudes. To this end, a survey was conducted by randomly sampling high schools across the country. A total of 1,738 students responded to the questionnaire of 3 science elective courses such as Science History, Life & Science, Convergence Science. In addition, in-depth interviews with 12 science teachers were conducted to examine the field operation of these three courses, which will be classified and revised as Convergence Elective subjects in the 2022 revised curriculum. According to the results of the study, high school students perceive these three courses as science literacy courses, and find these difficult to learn due to lack of personal interest, and difficulties in content itself. The reason students choose these three courses is mainly because they have aptitude for science, or these courses have connection with their desired career path. Teachers explained that students mainly choose Life & Science, and both teachers and students avoid Science History because the course content is difficult. Based on the research results, we suggested ways to restructure Convergence Electives for the 2022 revised curriculum including developing convergence electives composed of interdisciplinary convergence core concepts with high content accessibility, developing convergence electives with core concepts related to AI or advanced science, developing module-based courses, and supporting professional development of teachers who will teach interdisciplinary convergence electives.