• 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 Science Education
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.127-138
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• 2023

In this study, the implementation of science classes by pre-service elementary teachers were explored to foster the digital literacy of elementary students. To this end, interviews were conducted with four university students in their 4th year of study at 'G' Education University in Gwangju, also their teaching plans and class implementation videos were analyzed. Interview questions were divided into the science class planning stage, the science class implementation stage, and the post-science class implementation stage, and the interview contents were transcribed and categorized after recording. The results of the study are as follows. First, in the science class planning stage, pre-service elementary teachers considered the degree of elementary students' familiarity when choosing digital teaching and learning tools to foster digital literacy. While writing the teaching plan, it was difficult to set standards related to fostering digital literacy. Second, while pre-service elementary teachers had positive experiences such as improving students' participation in classes and increasing student-specific guidance through real-time data sharing, class time was exceeded due to poor use of digital teaching and learning tools. Third, after teaching their science classes, pre-service teachers presented reflections and requirements for the class. Based on these results, the necessity of developing digital literacy for pre-service elementary teachers and the need to improve the curriculum of education university were proposed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.174-183
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of situation-based class using digital storytelling on elementary school students' science class motivation and scientific attitude for 50 fifth graders in B elementary school in P metropolitan city. In order to conduct this study, 25 students in 5th grade were selected as research group and 25 students in another class as comparative group, and the research group conducted situation-based classes using 8-hour digital storytelling. The comparative group received 8 classes of general science classes by curriculum. The results of this study are as follows. First, the situation-based class using digital-storytelling has a statistically significant effect on elementary school students' science learning motivation. Second, situation-based class using digital-storytelling has a statistically significant effect on the scientific attitudes of elementary school students. It is thought that the situation-based class through digital-storytelling has a positive effect on the exploration of science principles through students' daily experiences.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.271-294
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to explore the meanings of science classes to elementary school teachers from a phenomenological perspective. Participants were twenty-eight elementary teachers who majored in elementary science education in a graduate school of education. The study revealed that meanings of science classes were not consistent but rather varied with what the teachers experienced. In their early career years, when the teachers were filled with enthusiasm, they devoted themselves to doing science-related school works as well as science lessons. But, the teachers were gradually concerned about good science teaching, and this concern became more severe as they realized the characteristics of science experiments and elementary school students. The teachers' concern did not actually develop into good science teaching practices because of such constraints as lots of school works, accidents in science labs, and household affairs. Despite these difficulties, the teachers revitalized their interest in science and resumed their effort for good science teaching. However, for "unfillable cups" to the elementary school teachers.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.593-615
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• 2022

This study aimed to analyze the relationship between the observation ability and scientific creativity of elementary students through observation learning of outdoor plants and to identify the factors that influence the two constructs. The study recruited 21 fifth-graders in Seoul. After evaluating observation ability and scientific creativity through observation tasks, qualitative data were obtained through interviews with students about their observation of the plants. Additionally, the study collected various materials, such as the observation records and worksheets of the students to verify the validity of research. The main results of this study are as follows. First, the students were first classified into four groups according to levels of observation ability and scientific creativity. The result demonstrated that the higher the level of observation ability, the higher the level of scientific creativity. Second, observation ability and scientific creativity pointed to a positive correlation. Furthermore, originality, which is one of the components of scientific creativity, indicated a weak positive correlation with observation ability. Third, the factors that influenced observation ability were frequency of plant observation and interest and cooperation in observation learning, and those of scientific creativity were observation ability and the level of plant-related knowledge. Lastly, the study discussed educational methods for improving observation ability and scientific creativity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.132-141
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of science classes using elementary school distance science classes on science academic achievement and creative personality. The research group and non-research group were selected for 6th grade elementary school students. After 10 weeks of experimental treatment, science classes were conducted with the contents of the elementary school science section, 'Changes of the seasons'. In the three domains of 'knowledge', 'inquiry', and 'attitude', which are sub-domains of science academic achievement, as a result of the pre-post test, there was a positive effect in 'inquiry' and 'attitude', which are sub-domains of science academic achievement. However, it was found that there was no positive effect in 'knowledge', a sub-domain of academic achievement. However, it was found that there was a positive effect in the overall test result of academic achievement. Therefore, it is interpreted that science classes using elementary school distance science classes had an effect on academic achievement. There was a significant effect in the sub-domains of the creative personality test, 'persistence/obsession', 'self-confidence', 'humor', 'imagination', 'openness', 'adventure', and 'independence'. However, it was found that there was no effect in the sub-domain 'curiosity'. The overall test results of the creative personality test showed a significant effect. Therefore, it is interpreted that science classes using elementary school distance science classes are effective in cultivating creative personality. Students' perceptions of science classes using elementary school distance science classes also showed positive responses.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.267-281
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of breeding experiences of companion animals on elementary school students' interest in science, science curiosity, and science self-concept in relation to companion animals that are rapidly increasing in modern society. To achieve the purpose of this study, level of four hundred and seventy-four 6th grade at elementary school students' interest in science, science curiosity, and science self-concept according to breeding experiences of companion animals were compared and analyzed through ANOVA and independent sample t-test. As a result of the analysis, students who have experience in raising companion animals have higher interest in science, science curiosity, and science self-concept than students who have no experience in raising companion animals. It is believed that students participate in breeding activities of companion animals with interest and curiosity, and that self-concept has increased due to the process of acquiring knowledge necessary to raise companion animals and successful breeding experiences. The results of this study are meaningful in that they discussed the implications of breeding experiences of companion animals for science education, using companion animals that have not been studied much in the field of science education so far.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.155-166
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• 2024

This study investigated and compared orientations toward scientific inquiry learning among general and science-gifted elementary students. It also investigated and compared the relationship between their orientations toward scientific inquiry learning and their coping strategies for anomalous situations. To realize this, 61 general elementary students and 53 science-gifted elementary students in Seoul were selected, and questionnaires were administered to investigate their orientations toward scientific inquiry learning and coping strategies for anomalous situations. In addition, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted individually with some of the general and science-gifted students. The results showed that among orientations toward scientific inquiry learning, regardless of grade level, the general students were most likely to possess 'concept understanding' and second most likely to exhibit 'scientific practice'. On the other hand, the science-gifted students demonstrated the highest frequency of 'scientific practice', with 'concept understanding' and 'complexity' also being relatively common. 'Activity driven' was found only among some of the general students and 'engineering practice' was found only among some of the science-gifted students. 'Process skills' were not found. No clear relationships between orientations toward scientific inquiry learning and coping strategies for anomalous situations were found. However, some differences in the choice of coping strategies for anomalous situations between the general and science-gifted students were discovered, even when they had the same orientations toward scientific inquiry learning. The educational implications of these findings were discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.825-838
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to develop a survey tool of scientific character for elementary student which connects science education and character education effectively by figuring out traits of elementary students' character being presented in teaching and learning context of elementary school science. For this, we adapted the theocratical model from the previous research which defined scientific character as the competencies being able to practice in concrete teaching and learning context of science. Based on this model, we developed the survey tool as 'Scientific Character Inventory for Elementary Student' to assess elementary students' scientific character as the competences to practice the virtues being pursued in the context of elementary school science and verified its reliability and validity. As a result of an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, we confirmed all the items could be summarized into 28 items and eight constructs such as scientific problem-solving, self-management, self-reflection, communication, interpersonal skill, community participation, global citizenship, and environmental ethics awareness. We found that minimum reliability coefficient of constructs was over than 0.5 and reliability coefficient of the total items was 0.878. And also, there was modest relationship between each construct and the total score of scientific character. These results show that the developed survey tool can be useful in evaluating the effectiveness of science character education. This study is meaningful in that it systematically reveals constructs of scientific character which can be raised in concrete context of science teaching and learning so as to suggest the survey tool to assess this.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.642-657
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• 2022

This study aimed to investigate how elementary school students' science reading ability is influenced by collaborative problem-solving for competency instruction strategy using science reading text. This study recruited two groups of elementary students in fifth grade. The experimental group underwent an instruction strategy using science reading text, while the comparative group experienced a science class using a textbook. Afterward, data from the science reading ability tests, voice recordings of the discussion process involving each group, and class videos were collected and analyzed. The results showed that science classes that used collaborative problem-solving for their competency instruction strategy via science reading text were effective in enhancing elementary school students' science reading ability. Meanwhile, the science reading ability test results indicated that the experimental group had statistically higher total scores than the comparative group in the three subelements, especially "introspection and evaluation" and "integration and interpretation" owing to their significant improvement in high-level cognitive processes. In these classes, the students read the materials that the teacher provided, participated in the discussion based on what they have read, and had the chance to reflect on their reading processes. Overall, students' science reading ability was enhanced through this process.