• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.401-414
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to investigate the elementary preservice teachers' conceptions about 'plastics' focusing on non-polar property from a National University of Education. For the study, the views about plastics, relative shapes of a water droplet on plastic or glass material, and relative shapes of water surface in the plastic or glass measuring cylinder were surveyed from the preservice teachers. And the responses were analyzed based on the patterns. The results from the study are as follows: First, most preservice teachers were well aware of the plastic products which are used in daily life. Second, the responses concerning the reason why plastics can be used commonly were divided into 2 categories with 14 sub-level groups. However relatively few preservice teachers mentioned regarding 'chemical stability' and 'conductivity', which are associated with the plastics' non-polar property. Third, it was found that 50 participants (30.1%) had 'Scientific conception (Sc)', 38 (22.9%) had 'Partial-scientific conception (Ps)', 66 (39.8%) had 'Misconception (Mc)', and 12 (7.2%) had 'No conception (Nc)' on the subject of the relative shapes of a water droplet. Fourth, the distribution patterns and the ratio of the preservice teachers' conception on the survey question 3 concerning the relative shapes of water surface were quite similar to those of the survey question 2. So it was concluded that overall understanding level of the preservice teachers was pretty low on the subjects of the relative polarities of the plastic, glass, and water as well as their interactions. Fifth, the distribution percentile of 'Sc'/'Ps'/'Mc'/'Nc' was not related with the gender but highly correlated with preservice teachers' academic field and their science subjects taken in high school. Based on the results from the study, some educational guidelines were suggested.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.335-351
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• 2014

The 96 elementary school teachers' the degrees of understandings about the characteristics of the currents according to the connection methods of batteries in simple electric circuits were investigated. In this study, the concepts on the characteristics of currents according to the connection methods of batteries were divided 'the learned concepts' and 'the differentiated concepts'. The characteristics of the currents in the region of the larger resistance of load than the internal resistance of a battery were called the learned concepts, they are taught in the science curriculum. While the characteristics of the currents in the region of the smaller resistance of load than the internal resistance of a battery were called the differentiated concepts, they are not exposed clearly in the science curriculum. The results obtained in this study are as follows: The average score related to the learned concepts was relatively high, while the degree of the teachers' cognitions of the internal resistance of a battery and the resistance of wires were low. Also the average score related to the differentiated concepts was very low because it seems so new to the elementary school teachers. It strongly suggests that the elementary school teachers did not understand meaningfully the characteristics of the currents related to the connections of batteries on the ground of the cognitions of the internal resistances of batteries and the resistances of loads in simple electric circuits. Hence, they might experience difficulties due to the problems occurred in relation to the connections of batteries in the elementary school science lessons.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.172-180
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• 2014

The first purpose of this study is to distinguish difficult chapters in 'Speed of objects' chapter and find the factors which give difficulty to the teachers and students. Also, it attempts to compare the students' assessment scores with the degree of difficulty in teaching and also with the degree of difficulty in learning. This report is expected to help science teachers develop their PCK(Pedagogical Content Knowledge) for teaching the chapter professionally. 15 teachers who had taught the 'Speed of Objects' chapter and their 386 students took part in the survey to acquire information about the difficulties in teaching and learning. 386 students also received a test to examine their understandings of the chapter. The results of this study are as follow; First, the degree of teachers' and students' difficulty is only affected by the contents, and the degree of onerousness felt by teachers is higher than that of students. Second, The topics caused higher difficulty to teachers were 'Understanding the meaning of motion(2nd lesson)', 'Understanding the meaning and unit of speed(5th lesson)', 'Changing unit of speed(6th lesson)', 'Drawing a distance-time graph(7th lesson)', and 'Understanding the relative motion(10th). The topics that led higher difficulty to students were the contents of 5th, 6th, and 7th lessons. Third, the 'Speed of Objects' chapter can be divided into 4 types of difficulty according to the degree of teaching and learning; 'Strong difficulty', 'Learning difficulty', 'Weak difficulty', and 'Teaching difficulty'. Last, students showed low achievement to the tasks that were related with 'Strong difficulty' and 'Teaching difficulty'.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.484-495
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in geological contents knowledge and self-confidence before and after the geological field trips. Fifty seven undergraduate students at a national university of education participated in this study. The questionnaires were developed by the researcher to serve the purpose. Findings were as follows. First, before and after the geological field trip, there was no significant difference in changes of geological content knowledge (p<.05). However, participants' self-confidence about the geological field trip changed significantly (p<.01). Second, there were no significant differences in changes of both variables in terms of gender (p<.05). And in this study, participants were grouped into two: science track that selected science areas and non-science track with social study selected in the college scholastic ability test. There were also no significant differences in changes of geological contents knowledge and self-confidence in terms of science or non-science track (p<.05). Third, in terms of the geological content knowledge, 24 pre-service teachers showed an increase, 12 students unchanged, and the 21 participants decreased. In contrast, per participants' self-confidence about the geological field trip, fifty three students indicated an increase with only one participant unchanged, and three preservice teachers decreased on the score. Finally, after the geological field trip, participants' comments indicated that they could feel the mystery of nature with the mind of a great experience. As a result, data showed that pre-service teachers became interested in geology, and motivated more in learning geological area than ever.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.524-534
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• 2011

This study is to ascertain pre-service teachers' conceptions for the causes of season change, to verify their conceptional mistakes, and to analyze how their conceptions are changed while presenting Disproof-Experiment Model where they cannot explain it with their current conceptions. 32 junior students of Education universities, pre-service elementary teachers, located at the middle of Korea participated in this research including two interviews and one experiment activity. As a result of analyzing of the data, the pre-service teachers held diverse conceptions for the causes of season change such as to mistake the phenomena, the distance between the earth and the sun, the tilting of the rotation axis and the revolving around the sun while changing the tilting direction of the rotation axis as the cause. After applying Disproof-Experiment Model designed by the researchers in order to change the current conception above, the conception changes of the pre-service teachers were investigated. Diverse Disproof-Experiment Models were used differently depending on the pre-service teachers' conceptions. As a result of the application of Disproof-Experiment Model, 26 out of 28 pre-service teachers were changed to scientific conceptions. It was determined that in order to modify pre-service teachers' conceptions, designing and presenting the Disproof-Experiment Model appropriate to their conceptions are effective after analyzing their conceptions. In case of conceptions that pre-service teachers feel difficult, it was established that unraveling experiment models prescribed after investigating the preconceptions and identifying the misconceptions are important.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.206-224
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to investigate the elementary pre-service teachers' conceptions on 'the freezing point depression' focusing on the survey from a National University of Education. Eighteen pre-service teachers who had completed high school Chemistry II coursework were selected to participate in the study. Participants answered a four question survey to measure their scientific knowledge and conceptions of this phenomenon. Each answer was qualitatively analyzed to determine whether they have 'scientific conceptions' or 'quasi-scientific conceptions' or 'misconceptions'. The results from the study are as follows: First, it was showed that none of the eighteen participants had 'scientific conceptions', six had 'quasi-scientific conceptions' and eight had 'misconceptions' about the caused effect when $CaCl_2$ is scattered on the ice. Second, it was found that three participants had 'scientific conceptions', eight had 'quasi-scientific conceptions' and two had 'misconceptions' for the second survey question. Third, ten out of eighteen participants demonstrated 'scientific conceptions' about the phenomenon of salt water freezing. Fourth, only three of eighteen participants illustrated appropriate 'scientific conceptions' for the fourth survey question. Fifth, of all participants, none answered more than three questions correctly, and only three participants answered any combination of two questions correctly. Based on the findings of this study, five explanatory models were developed. And the models were proposed for pre-service teachers to enhance their understanding of the freezing point depression phenomenon.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.109-120
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to observe, to analyze of the preservice teachers' naive theories about the change of season. And it is to find a instruction strategy which can solve problem about this. The general idea about the change of season is observed by the 3 methods which are simply explaining with words, explaining with pictures and models. The author is to find the similarity. difference and relationship which the preservice teachers have about the general idea about the change of season. The important changable primary factors, which can effect to the general Idea formation, are naturally dragged out through the observation of preservice teachers participation. For this study, 4 first year preservice teachers of one of national university of education are used. Before the interview. the author tries to form rapport with the preservice teachers. Experiment materials, pencil. paper, camcorder, digital recorder and interview note were used for the study with reflection of them just way they are. As the result of the interview. all of 4 preservice teachers had not being understand the concept about the change of season and the three ways of explanation methods were not matched each other, so it is revealed that the general Idea of the change of season, which the preservice teachers have, is not strongly formed. In spite of the repeated study of the change of season from elementary school to university, it has many problem about recognition of the general idea about the change of season which pre-elementary teachers have. Therefore it is needed to improve the experiment in elementary science text book and naive theories by the activity which is explaining the change of season in three dimension space. to prevent the naive theories which the preservice teachers may have.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.130-137
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• 2005

Elementary preservice teachers' understanding about the insect molt and metamorphosis was examined. Data were collected through the paper-pencil test of 448 junior students at a National University of Education. The instrument used was developed by Son(2003) and modified for the test. The results are as follows: First, Only 3.1$\%$ of students had a scientific concept on the molt periods in the insect life cycle. Students had an alternative conception that molt occurs either only in the larval period (29.9$\%$) or only in the period from pupa to adult (22.3$\%$). The percentage of the students thinking that molt occurs in the period from larva to pupa was low. Second, 98$\%$ of students stated that molt has to do with the larval growth, but 39.1$\%$ of students had an alternative conception that molt occurs after the larval growth at each instar. 25.1$\%$ had a conception that molt is related with the larval growth, but did not show any further understanding. Third, most students understood the correct meaning of metamorphosis. 34..2$\%$ of students had an alternative conception that metamorphosis occurs only in the period changing from pupa to adult, and only a few thought that it occurs in the period from larva to pupa. 24.8$\%$ of students had a scientific concept on the periods in which metamorphosis occurs. Fourth, some students understood the hatching process as molt in the sense that the egg shell is taken off (21.0$\%$), and as metamorphosis in terms of the appearance change from egg to larva (25.0$\%$). Fifth, 35.5$\%$ of students selected bees as an insect of incomplete metamorphosis, and 35.3$\%$ responded 'I have no idea', showing that they had poor understanding about the insect life cycle.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2004

This paper aims to examine how well university students, who are going to be primary school teachers, understand the International System of Units (SI), focusing on seven basic units such as 'm', '㎏', '㏖', 'A', 'K', 's', 'cd'. This study specifically investigates whether the students know the seven units and understand their uses and how they read and learn them. The subjects were 1030 students from the University of Education in Jinju, Geongsangnamdo. Data was collected through a questionnaire which was designed by this researcher and checked by an authority, and the frequency and percentage of reponses to each question were obtained and analysed. Findings show all the students knew very well that 'm' and '㎏' are included in the seven units, compared to the others which low percentage of the students considered as the elements. In terms of understanding of use, the units of the length 'm', the mass '㎏', and the time 's' are well understood, presumably, because they are often used in ordinary life and school, while the amount of substance '㏖', the electric current 'A', the thermodynamic temperature 'K', and the luminous intensity 'cd' are not as well understood. It is probably because 'A', 'cd', and 'K' are hardly used in everyday life. With respect to reading the units, the subjects read 'm', '㎏', '㏖', and's' much better than the others. As for the source of learning them, most students answered they learned them in schools, which implies school education is very important. From these results it is concluded that school education should be accompanied with use in everyday life for understanding and using the units. SI Base Units understanding was investigated by an academic year. According to this investigation, generally the right answer rate differed 4<2<3<1 by an academic year in order. For the Senior, Sophomore appeared the right answer rate more high. because, they learned before in deepening or elementary course on chemistry and physics related with SI Base Units. On the other hand, for the junior answered low rate by this reason that they couldn't remember about SI Base Units that learned before. For the Freshman appeared low rate by this reason that they were not learned or graduated from the department of liberal art in high school.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.351-359
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• 2005

The aims of this research are to analyze elementary preservice teacher's conception and causes of their misconceptions on biological reproduction and inheritance. In future, it would be also to provide useful data for the effective teaching-teaming method in the elementary school as well as opportunities to correct their misconceptions, which help elementary preservice teachers have the appropriate scientific conceptions. Thirty kinds of test questions were designed in science curriculum for elementary students and biology textbook for university students in order to develop reproduction and inheritance's concepts. The questionnaire was given to 166 junior students of university of education in a local city. All statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 10.0 program. The major results are as follows: Among 30 test questions, 2 questions in plants, 5 questions in animals and 2 questions in gene were appeared as misconceptions over $50\%$. The major reason to hold the misconceptions was influenced by 'learning up to now' category. The selection reasons of response were significantly different between scientific conceptions and misconceptions in 10 questions by analysis of variance. The gender also showed statistically significant differences between scientific conception and misconception in 3 questions by $\chi^2$ test. The selection reasons according to gender were significantly different between male and female students in 5 questions. For the reasons in forming misconceptions, they may cause by stereotype, conscious priority, differences of experiences, interest or attention, lack of professional Knowledge, and so on. Therefore, it was concluded that this research may help elementary preservice teachers to reconsider their conception for reproduction and inheritance and to be successful in science instructions fur elementary students.