• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2011

The purpose of this research is to investigate ways to introduce mentoring system to support beginning and experienced teachers for their professional development. As an alternative to existing teacher training programs, we planned and implemented a mentoring system to examine its effects in developing professionalism among teachers-in-need, and those who have not met the teacher's evaluation standards. Mentoring is defined as being concerned with promoting the 'development of an individual to his/her full potential,' both professionally and personally. It is linked with professional and career development, and is somewhat characterized by an 'expert-novice' relationship. The mentoring system in science features group mentoring, where 3 prot$\'{e}$g$\'{e}$-mentor teams gathered together for instructional consulting using their videotaped classroom teaching. Through video-based discussions, teachers could share reflective experiences through collaborative investigations based on evidences revealed in classroom teaching videos. Using open-ended interviews with the teachers and video-based discussions, we extracted needs and goals of mentoring, the need of mentoring system to support beginning teachers, and the requirement of mentor quality in light of mentor's expected roles. Conclusions and recommendations related to teachers' mentoring and for the government's development of mentoring system are discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1084-1096
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• 2010

In this study, class criticism by elementary school teachers was analyzed on the subject of science classes by beginner teachers. And then the viewpoints and characteristics of the class criticism were investigated. Teachers for class criticism consisted of six members, including two each of low- and high-career teachers. The viewpoints were analyzed in comparison with all the teachers. The subject of class criticism was 'Activity of leaves in plants', which is in the seventh unit of the science textbook for fifth grade elementary students of the first semester. The result of this study was as follows. Teachers criticized the science class mainly with three codes of viewpoints: motivation, inquiry focused on student, and summary of the results, where viewpoints consisted of 18 codes. They criticized the class by factors on a standard checklist and their criticism was characterized by partial situation and context. Low-career teachers criticized the class with the viewpoint in sympathy with the beginner teachers and criticized the class with the viewpoint of recollecting their teaching experience as beginners. While high-career teachers criticized the class mainly overall situations rather than specific matters. The result of this study can be used as basic data for a program of professional development and teacher education for science classes.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.179-194
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• 2024

The aim of this study was to explore how a novice science teacher's epistemological framing, characterized from her modeling instruction, evolved over time. We observed that the teachers' framing changed over time, as she collaborated with researchers to plan, facilitate, and reflect on a series of lessons to support students' small-group scientific modeling. We tried to understand how such experiences contributed to the changes in her framing. One 8th grade science teacher with two years of teaching experience participated in the study. The teacher collaborated with researchers for four months to co-plan and facilitate 18 lessons that included small-group scientific modeling. She also engaged in cogenerative reflection on the lessons for 13 times. All of her lessons and reflections were video-recorded, transcribed, and qualitatively analyzed for the purpose of the study. Our findings showed that the teacher's epistemological framing, characterized from her interactions with students during modeling lessons, evolved during the study period: transitioning from an emphasis on students merely "filling in blanks" to prioritizing "constructing personal reasoning" and ultimately to focusing on the "social construction of scientific reasoning." The teacher's perception about what students are capable of changed, as she observed students during the modeling lessons, and this led to the shifts in her framing. Furthermore, through her engagement in planning, implementing, and reflecting on modeling lessons with researchers, she came to recognize the value of student collaboration in knowledge-building processes. These results can offer implications for supporting and studying teachers' epistemological framing and modeling-based teaching by partnering with them.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.647-655
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• 2010

This study analyzed discourse types and meaning making strategies used in a secondary beginning science teacher's class. A voluntary middle school science teacher participated in this study, and her instruction was observed and videotaped. The analysis consisted of two parts. First, we categorized the types of discourses occurred in class. Second, we examined her instructional strategies used through meaning making practices at the micro-level. Results indicated that there were five episodes emerged representing different discourse types and meaning making strategies in the beginning teacher's lesson about 'the pathway and property of light'. Conclusion and implications for further study and teacher professional development were presented in the paper.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.432-444
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• 2009

In this study, we investigated the perceptions and the educational needs of pre-service primary and secondary teachers on cooperative learning in science. The survey was administered to 102 seniors at the department of science education in three universities of education and 64 seniors at the department of chemistry education in three colleges of education. The results revealed that the pre-service primary and secondary teachers learned the theories and experienced the practices on cooperative learning through various methods in the several subjects, and especially had many difficulties in appling cooperative learning to the demonstrations and/or the actual science classes. The degree of their understanding on cooperative learning was comparatively high, and the perceptions on the advantage/disadvantage of cooperative learning in science, the willingness practicing it, and the outside aids influencing on implementing it were relatively positive. They highly perceived on the necessities of diverse educations related on cooperative learning in science in pre-service teacher education processes. The willingness implementing cooperative learning in science class was significantly correlated with the necessities of diverse educations. These were also significantly correlated with the perceptions on the advantage/disadvantage of cooperative learning in science, the educational assessments on the advantage/disadvantage of it, and the educational assessments on the outside aids influencing on implementing it, respectively. Educational implications of these findings are discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.221-232
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• 2019

Despite the continuing emphasis on the importance of scientific inquiry, research studies have commented that authentic scientific inquiry is not implemented in school science classroom due to a lack of understanding of scientific inquiry by the teacher. The purpose of this study is to investigate understanding of scientific inquiry developed by beginning teachers through open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interview. They voluntarily set up the goal of inquiry-based classes, planned inquiry-based classes, shared and reflected their teaching experience in professional learning community for more than a year. It appeared that participant teachers understood scientific inquiry as 'what scientists do', 'process how students do science' and 'science teaching methods.' All teacher participants described scientific inquiry as 'what scientists do', and understood 'the process of doing scientific investigation to solve problems related to natural phenomenon' and 'the process of constructing scientific knowledge using scientific practice.' Two participant teachers seemed to understand scientific inquiry as a 'teaching method' based on the understanding of the process how scientists or students do science. Participant teachers had a limited understanding of scientific inquiry that it is the same as laboratory works or hands-on activities prior to engaging the professional learning community, but they developed an understanding of scientific inquiry that there are various ways to conduct scientific inquiry after engaging in professional learning community.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.360-375
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate beginning science teachers' perceptions of inquiry-based science instruction using open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interview. Participants of this study voluntarily set up a goal of inquiry-based science instruction, planned inquiry-based science lessons, and shared and reflected their teaching experiences in their professional learning community for more than a year. Participant teachers recognized students' construction of core scientific concepts through performing scientific inquiry as a goal of science inquiry instruction. Participant teachers indicated that goals of science education such as 'learning scientific core concepts', 'improving students' interest of science', 'improving scientific thinking', and 'understanding the nature of science' can be achieved through students' active engagement in scientific inquiry. Participant teachers recognized not only the importance of teachers' role, but also what roles science teachers should play in order to enable students to perform scientific inquiry. Participant teachers emphasized teachers' roles such as 'identifying core concepts', 'reorganizing science curriculum', 'considering student ability', 'asking questions and providing feedbacks to students', 'explaining scientific concepts', and 'leading students' argumentation.'

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.59-69
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• 2007

The aim of this study was to investigate teachers' perceptions on MBL (microcomputer-based laboratory) experiment training program for teachers, the expecting effects of MBL experiment and application of MBL experiment after conducting MBL experiment training for science classes in schools. This study showed that most of the teachers who participated in the training program thought that the MBL experiment training program was very useful and instructive. Many teachers considered that MBL experiments using a computer could decrease time spent in the experiment by accurate and fast data collection and analysis. They also thought that the reduced time could be used more effectively in the analysis of experimental data and discussion activities leading to correct concept formation as well as in the development of graphical analysis and science process skills. However, they thought that MBL experiments were ineffective in learning how to operate experiment apparatus. This study also revealed that most teachers intended to apply MBL experiments in real classrooms context right after the training course and they pointed out many obstacles in introducing MBL experiments into their classrooms such as a budget to purchase equipment, poor laboratory conditions, and few MBL experiment training opportunities. In order to apply MBL experiment into the real classrooms, further changes were suggested as follows; development of technologies to reduce unit cost of equipment for MBL experiments, production and supply of many kinds of sensors, development of MBL experiment materials, and expansion of the training program for teachers.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.354-368
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to explore the direction of application and quality management plan of science curriculum of elementary and middle school according to the 2009 revised curriculum. In order to do this, nationwide survey was administered. The subject was 126 elementary school teachers and 88 middle school science teachers. It was founded that teachers had negative opinion on the introduction of the grade cluster system. They considered that it was appropriate to link the contents of Science subject with Practical Arts(Technology Home Economics) subject by similar topic. Science classes were implemented without changing the number of class hours in most schools. They recognized the necessity of differentiated instruction in science classes, but they seldom applied the differentiated instruction. And they suggested that the teaching-learning materials, evaluation materials and contents be provided to apply the STEAM. This study designates the following strategic supports for the effective implementation of 2009 revised science curriculum; 1) the science teachers training program to provide useful information for understanding and teaching the 2009 revised science curriculum, 2) the teachers' community in the school, 3) the development and provision of the feasible STEAM plans.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.94-113
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the change in the classes of beginning science teachers through the collaborative mentoring program that induce reflective thinking practice. Participants in this study were three mentor-teachers, two teachers in doctor's or master's course, one university professor, and three mentee-teachers who have less than four years of teaching experience. We collected data such as video recordings of the mentee-teachers' classroom teaching and transcription, lesson plans, recording of one-on-one mentoring and transcription, mentor and mentee's journals, and RTOP classroom teaching observation reports. RTOP was used for the analysis of classroom teaching and mentee-teachers' recognition and changes in their classes were found out through journals and one-on-one mentoring interview materials. According to mentee-teachers' recognition and changes in their classes during the mentoring program, they themselves recognized their teacher-centered teaching style, misconception, and lack of content knowledge. Furthermore, there were changes in the mentee-teachers' classroom teaching through their reflective practice and improvement. As a result of this study, the interactions with mentor-teachers through collaborative mentoring program stimulated mentee-teacher's reflections on their teaching. Therefore, these reflections led to their reflective practice that showed progressive changes in their teaching behavioral activities. The extent of these changes varied according to the mentee-teachers' individual disposition toward reflection and the issue of whether mentee-teachers' reflective practice was in accordance with priorities in motivational ZDP or not. Also based on the results of this study, the teachers' reflection was not all accompanied by reflective practice even if the beginning science teachers made some partial changes in reflective practice through reflection. It means that it is hard to lead reflective practice for mentee-teachers through mentoring in a short period of time. Therefore, we consider that a systematic and long-term mentoring program is necessary for beginning science teachers.