• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.463-474
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• 2012

The necessity of computer science education has been increased in the society which has been changing rapidly by the development of information science. But most elementary school teachers don't realize its necessity and don't recognize the notion of computational thinking which is the fundamental principle of computer science. In this research, we designed and implemented an algorithm learning program based on computational thinking with using Logo, which was for pre-service elementary school teachers to be able to realize the necessity of computer science education and recognize computational thinking. As the findings analyzed between pre- and post-test, the averages of correlational reasoning, combinatorial reasoning and the sum of overall logical thinking increased significantly. Also, participants' awareness of computer science education and computational thinking changed positively.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.291-305
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to survey the perceptions of the elementary school teachers on the smallscale chemistry(SSC) following its training session. The teachers participating in the survey were 266 teachers in the Gyeongnam province. They were given a questionnaire that focused on the nine areas of the SSC: Needs for the teacher training and its application, its benefits, issues of safety and danger as well as treatment of environmental pollution, its economic efficiency and the development of investigative skills. The designed questionnaire was checked by an authority, and the responses to each question were tallied and analyzed. The results are as follows. The biggest problems of the traditional experimental methods as rated by the teachers were, in the order of importance, the preparation time, the legal liability of teachers for the safety and accidents, financial issues, disposal of the experimental wastes and the lack of relevant data. Since most of the teachers had not experienced the SSC lab programs in the field, they responded positively to the questions of need for its introduction and training. The implementation of the experimental SSC lab programs should proceed in the following order: introduction into the textbook, teacher training program, after-school education and the invitation of instructors. The most useful materials for the SSC program were CDs, videos, books and various printed materials, in that order. The responses regarding benefits of the SSC program included its simplicity, convenience, time savings, diversity, qualitative and quantitative aspects, integration into the regular class and use of toys. In particular, the teachers mentioned the increased safety due to the small amount of experimental reagents needed and the durability of plastic instruments. The familarity from the use of everyday tools as well as easy access to and the low-cost of the instruments were other important benefits. The teachers in general rated the educational content of the program highly, but many also found it to be average. Some pointed out the lack of sufficient discussion due to the individual or pair groupings as a potential shortcoming. The potential for development of problem solving ability and improvement of skills was rated positively. The number of teacher who rated the development of creativity positively was just over the half. As for the area of improving investigative skills, many found its assessment difficult and confusing because of the lack of its systemic definition and categorization. Based on the findings of this study, I would like to recommend the application and a wider dissemination of the small-scale chemistry lab program into the elementary school science curriculum.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.107-115
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• 2018

To learn the Earth's shape is a very important achievement standard in the earth science education. The purpose of this study is for helping school experiments by investigating effective experiments of the Earth's shape of each stage of school. Researchers suggest various experiment methods to learn the Earth's shape and investigated appropriate experiments to stage of elementary school, secondary school, high school and university for 26 pre-service teachers. As a result, there is difference between schools in effective experiments of the Earth's shape. Pre-service teachers thought that to observe a sail of ship to come back to a harbour is effective for elementary school students. And they responded that to compare the altitude of the polar star by latitudes is good for the secondary and high school students and to compare difference of sight according to height of the ground is effective for university students. They thought that level of the experiment method, abstract thinking and depth of background knowledge should be considered when teachers choose an effective experiment of the Earth's shape.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.616-626
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• 2022

This study aims to investigate the effect of the application of the brain-based learning model on the self-efficacy, creative problem-solving ability, and academic achievement of elementary school students in science classes. The participants consisted of 22 students from one class (experimental group) and 22 students from another class (comparison group) of J Elementary School in B Metropolitan city. The experimental group conducted science classes that applied the brain-based learning model, and the comparison group conducted general explanatory science classes according to textbooks and the guide books of the teachers. The study found that science classes that applied the brain-based learning model exerted positive effects on the three abovementioned skills. Based on the results, the study confirmed that the application of the model is an effective learning tool that increases the self-efficacy, creative problem-solving ability, and academic achievement of for elementary school students in science classes.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.389-405
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to analyze elementary school teachers' understanding, certainty, and familiarity with 13 key concepts of wave physics that are presented in textbook and teacher's guidebook. 123 elementary school teachers answered concept tests and questionnaires. In the results to these tests and questionnaires, teachers demonstrated a high level of understanding and high certainty in understanding with regard to the concepts of sound generation, effect of medium on wave, timbre, wavelength, and trough and crest of wave. For the topics of sound velocity, wave reflection and wave transmission, teachers demonstrated a high level of understanding but low certainty in understanding. With regard to sound propagation, teachers demonstrated a low level of understanding and an improperly high certainty in that low understanding. Teachers lacked knowledge, i.e., displayed a low level of understanding and low certainty in sound strength, sound frequency, constructive interference and destructive interference. In constructive and destructive interference, the teachers also displayed a low level of familiarity. We analyzed the differences in teacher's understanding, certainty, and familiarity according to teacher demographics defined by the teacher's gender, teaching experience with concepts of sound, career, curriculum track while in high school, and major in university. There were no significant differences in understanding, certainty, or familiarity as defined by gender, teaching experience, and career. However, these displays of knowledge were affected by the teacher's curriculum track in high school and their major. These results suggest that the teacher's understanding of, familiarity with, and certainty in wave physics concepts are more influenced by their learning experience than by their teaching experience. Therefore, we suggest additional learning opportunities for teachers (such as teacher training programs) in order to improve teacher knowledge and correct teacher misconceptions in wave physics.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.174-182
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to analyze the professionalism of elementary school teachers and to draw out factors which elementary teachers should try to improve their professionalism for environmental education. For the study, both Quantitative analysis and qualitative methodologies were applied: First, randomly selected 483 elementary teachers from Seoul and Gyeonggi self responded to 5 evaluation areas by Hungerford et al. (1994) to evaluate their environmental education professionalism through the use of five point Likert scale. Second, 2 elementary teachers' environmental classes were observed for the purpose of analyzing strengths and weaknesses in classroom instruction, and then the results of self-evaluation on environmental education professionalism and teacher professionalism as shown in the classes were compared. It was found that 483 elementary teachers including 2 teachers fer analyzing classroom instruction who performed a self-evaluation gave themselves mid-scores on the Hungerford et al.'s 5 evaluation areas. However, the result of self-evaluation did not correspond with the result of actual class observation and teacher interview. That is, the actual environmental classes conducted by 2 teachers did not seemed to reflect the evaluation areas which were the foundation of the study: the conceptual awareness, the investigation & evaluation, environmental action skills, and educational application. The results of this study can be used as the basis reference to develop teaching-learning program and in-service programs for professional development of teachers for successful application of environmental education in elementary school classes.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.44-49
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• 2004

This study was based upon the survey on the name of 13 basic experimental instruments used in elementary science class: Schale, evaporating dish, mortar & pestle, beaker, erlenmeyer flask, spuit(medicine dropper), graduated cylinder, balance, spatula, dropping bottle, gas collecting bottle, funnel, alcohol burner, and their uses. To implement this study, an open-ended, written questionnaire was administered to the subjects of in-service elementary school teachers, future elementary teachers who have attended at the Gyeongin national university of education, and elementary students in Korea. The findings of this study were as follows: The rates of in-service and pre-service elementary school teachers that knew correct name of experimental instruments were not high, the elementary school student's rates were especially very low. In this study, we found several reasons which they wrote inaccurately: the name to be represented at the textbook that they had studied, the confusion of the name about a fortis pronunciation, the recognition as the vocabulary like flask and cylinder to be meaningless, the habit to say in an everyday life, wrong expression in the internet and general book. All respondents had a wide range of perceptions of uses for the experimental instruments. Their understanding of uses for evaporating dish, erlenmeyer flask, balance, gas collecting bottle were very poor. And then most of them understood that graduated cylinder, beaker, and erlenmeyer flask were tools to measure the volume of solution or liquid, so they did not exactly distinguish the difference of their uses.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.326-342
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• 2021

In this study, experimental guide materials for teachers were developed so that algorithm expression, the core of computational thinking, can be applied to experimental activities. The experimental manuals presented in text was converted into an algorithmic form with a linear, branched, and repetitive structure according to the information visualization process using flowchart symbols. As an example, an experiment guide materials was developed by applying an algorithm expression to an experiment to find out the properties of a magnet. The developed experiment guide materials is different from the existing experiment guide materials expressed only sequentially in that it has an algorithmic structure of branching and repetition in which the suitability and judgment of information are expressed, and that the experiment process is visualized and expressed. It is expected that the experimental guide materials developed in this study will help teachers to understand algorithmic thinking and to implement experiments using it.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 2019

Through the criticism and evaluation of different classes teaching the same lesson topic, this study compared the viewpoints by two ways between two groups including pre-service and experienced teachers. Through free-style criticism, this study analyzed the differences between pre-service and experienced teachers' areas of attention. Through criteria-based analysis, the study analyzed the judgement of each area and the criteria of each judgement. The results of the study found that pre-service teachers criticised more limited areas, but somewhat more positive than their experienced teacher counterparts. Also, pre-service teachers did not observe thoroughly whether or not the teacher was well-informed of the science content, the sequence of curriculum, and whether or not meaningful interaction had occurred. As well as, pre-service teachers were not actually feel importance of student-oriented lessons, and they could not look room and materials are useful to students on students' sides. Additionally, pre-service teachers thought highly of lessons which were connected to other subjects rather than connected to daily life. Therefore, to notice diverse areas in the class, pre-service teachers need to criticise lessons using a diverse criterion. Also, pre-service teachers realized simple questions and that mechanical group activities are not always effective and that they need to think how to improve meaningful interaction. Moreover, they have to perceive that an inquiry-oriented student-lead approach is very important. Lastly, pre-service teachers have to closely consider the room efficiency and materials available to the students, and they must internalize that science class has to be connected with daily life.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.213-223
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to identify the types of essential inquiry activities presented in elementary science textbooks for grades 5-6, and to find out what difficulties teachers have in the actual teaching process. To this end, the essential research activities presented in the textbook were analyzed into six types: experimentation/observation, investigation/discussion and presentation, data interpretation, discussion/discussion, simulation activity, and expression. In addition, 108 elementary school teachers were investigated for the suitability of inquiry activity achievement standards, suitability at the student's level, student interest, and difficulty in teaching instruction. To summarize the research results, the most frequently suggested type was the experiment/observation type, followed by simulation activity type and data interpretation type. It was analyzed that there was no discussion/discussion type in the 5th grade textbooks, and the 6th graders did not present research activities that correspond to the research/discussion/presentation type and the expression type in the textbook. In the results of teachers' responses to the suitability of achievement standards for inquiry activities presented in textbooks and the suitability of the student's level, 5th graders showed lower average scores than 6th graders, and showed similar average scores in student interest and instructional difficulty. Also, it was confirmed that improvement was required for a total of 17 inquiry activities. Specifically, teachers responded that they had difficulty in guiding inquiry activities when the experimental results did not appear as intended in the textbook, when students' interest in inquiry activities was low, and when students and teachers had low understanding of related science concepts. Teachers pointed out practical problems such as difficulties in long-term observation in astronomy-related units, and students in upper elementary school not actively participating in dynamic play activities.