• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.143-152
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study is to investigate the contents of open inquiry activities of the newly revised 2007 National curriculum for each grade level and to teach open inquiry activities and selection of rational inquiry activities. For this study, 470 elementary students in Seoul, ranging from 3rd to 6th grades were surveyed. The experiment plans written by students were analyzed based on the analysis criteria. These criteria consisted of the reason for the selection, type, and suitability of open inquiry activities. The reason for selecting open inquiry activities were analyzed according to the reason why they want to conduct the activity, degree of getting help and the object of getting help. The types of the open inquiry activities were analyzed according to the field of inquiry, the inquiry method and the period of inquiry. Suitability of the open inquiry activities were analyzed according to the reason of suitability or unsuitability.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.31 no.8
• /
• pp.1199-1213
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the difficulties in engaging in open-inquiry activities - especially finding inquiry topics for student themselves. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with 11 middle school students and their open-inquiry worksheets from 4 months of activities. The investigation tools were composed of three domains for topic choice: selecting subjects, making 10 questions, and choosing a topic with the 10 questions. The study revealed that middle school students have difficulties in the domain of 'object selection' and 'finding inquiry topic.' Under the object selection domain, they showed burden of selection of unlimited subject, lack of knowledge on the science object, and lack of interest in object. Under the domain of finding inquiry topic, they have difficulties from their selected topics that were non-scientific, focus only on interest, lack of background information or those that could be resolved by short answers. Each student has difficulty in doing open-inquiry with relatively different seriousness. The findings suggested that an open inquiry program should be provided along with a systematic guide program on finding inquiry topic for open-inquiry activities to be a successful and continual performance gauge.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.56 no.3
• /
• pp.371-377
• /
• 2012

In this study, open inquiry reports of 165 eighth graders in Daegu were analyzed in terms of content area, the types of inquiry hypothesis, and the types of inquiry variables. Before summer vacation, students learned about inquiry process and explored their own inquiry topic for two class hours. During summer vacation, students performed open inquiry including problem selection, designing and performing experiment, data collection, data analysis, and writing report. After the vacation, students submitted their reports, and answered to additional survey regarding the source of inquiry idea, the definition of hypothesis, and the most difficult step of inquiry process. As a result, chemistry was the most dominant content area of the reports and biology and life science were the next. 130 out of 165 reports included inquiry hypotheses, and most of them were predictive hypotheses. In many reports, dependent and independent variables could not be identified because of their ambiguity. However, inquiry variables described in experimental design, which were mostly categorical variables, were clearer than those described in inquiry subject and inquiry hypothesis. The most difficult step of inquiry process for students was to generate an idea for open inquiry.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.38 no.6
• /
• pp.865-874
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study is to explore the process of inquiry problem finding in high school students' small group free-inquiry. For this purpose, 91 second grade high school students took part in small group free-inquiry. We conducted interviews with students (48 students in 15 groups) who were relatively successful in the inquiry performed for one semester (about 4 months). Based on the results of the interviews, we analyzed the characteristics of the inquiry problem finding through the steps and strategies in the inquiry problem finding process. The main results are as follows: First, in the inquiry problem finding process, steps such as selecting keyword, presenting an inconvenience, presenting a question, and finding an inquiry problem were found, and in particular, the process of selecting the keyword that correspond to the subject of inquiry, such as the material and situation of inquiry, is very important step in inquiry problem finding. Second, the strategies that students used in the process of finding inquiry problem included searching information, review of prior research, sharing of knowledge and experience, linking and extension of knowledge and experience, environmental awareness, expert consultation, discussion of suitability, elaboration, etc. Third, finding an inquiry problem was relatively easy in the inquiry for finding out problems (i.e. inconvenience) in everyday life and investigating ways to solve them. Fourth, the review of prior researches through the internet was useful in the process of selecting keyword and elaboration. Fifth, the factors that students consider when selecting one of several candidate inquiry problems are feasibility, real-life applicability, and economic condition. Sixth, the current affairs had a positive impact on the inquiry problem finding. Based on the above results, we discussed some ways to increase students' inquiry problem finding ability.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.533-543
• /
• 2010

This paper analyzed the improvement of cognitive level of the students and interactions which occurred in each step of free-topic scientific inquiry to help science teachers understand free-topic scientific inquiry better. Free-topic scientific inquiry is helpful to students with a deep strategic learning goal orientation type or a deep strategic ability goal orientation type in their transition (2B/3A) of cognitive levels. Most students have difficulties in the phase of establishing topics and hypotheses. The result says that the discussion techniques are improved through free-topic scientific inquiry, but the quality of interaction is not easily improved. The deep strategic learning goal orientation type concretizes opinion through interaction in free-topic scientific inquiry. The deep strategic ability goal orientation type are actively involve in the interaction, but they pay no attention to the process because they stick to the result. The surface strategic ability goal orientation type can not deepen a discussion due to high frequency of low level inquiry. However, the frequency of high level inquiry increases through free topic scientific inquiry operation. As a result, the characteristics of free-topic scientific inquiry were discussed and the educational implications of the progress of free-topic scientific inquiry and the organization of grouping were drawn.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.289-310
• /
• 2013

The purpose of the study is to investigate science process skills and suggest several considerations about developing scientific inquiries for secondary science gifted students. To do this, we analyzed scientific inquiries of science gifted programs and evaluated them on the quantity of problem perception, problem finding and inquiry planning that are regarded as high level science process skills, then revised each inquiry to include those high level skills. The result was that the first, there were differences in frequencies and types of science process skills among those inquiries. The second, there were very few problem perception and problem finding and were not many inquiry planning. The third, some of the revised inquiries showed those high level skills. From this, we would like to suggest we should construct scientific inquiries of science gifted program out of many and various themes. And there should be more high level science process skills such as problem perception, problem finding, and inquiry planning. For this, scientific inquiry developers should have intentions to involve such science process skills which is appropriate for science gifted student.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.51-69
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study is to derive educational meaning by analyzing 5-year-olds' activities process in soil-themed activities about 'soil' theme which was investigated by examination and teachers' reflective journals. For this, data of 20 children in 5-year-old class were collected and analyzed. As a result, firstly the value of children's pre-concept evaluation on soil theme was identified. Secondly, 'soil' theme was found to have a positive influence on children's feeling of wonder about nature and their ecological perspective taking ability. Thirdly, children could comprehensively investigate science education fields such as biology, ecology, and earth science in the process of investigating soil theme. Fourth, children came into interest in the process of understanding the relationship between soil and human through media. Lastly, children were found to compose scientific knowledge while investigating soil, through naturally using the method of inference.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.61 no.4
• /
• pp.197-203
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyse the characteristics of domestic scientific inquiry related research topics and consequently provide fundamental data and suggestions from a teaching method point of view. The study subjects was collected from the initial issue to the february 2016 issue of academic journals and using the keyword that 'inquiry', 'scientific inquiry'. The framework of Professional factors of teaching practice was developed and used for selecting subjects of study. The selected study subjects were analyzed according to the framework. And Topics of study were categorized and analyzed. The topic was thoroughly debated between 2 science education experts and 4 doctorate candidates within a specialist workshop. Results show that scientific education environments, scientific inquiry evaluation and teaching ability was studied less than education process and textbook analysis, scientific inquiry designing and application. And The research on the topics indicated that most research is concentrated in specific areas. It is postulated that additional research into scientific education environments, scientific inquiry evaluation and teaching ability would further develop the teachers' teaching abilities and enable a more successful science lesson in the classroom.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.337-348
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine epistemic thinking in middle school students in an argument-based inquiry science class. Participants of the study were 93 9th grade students from four classes of a middle school in a metropolitan city. Observations were made over one semester during which argument-based inquiry lessons on five subjects were conducted. Data was collected from argument-based inquiry activity worksheets and student questionnaires. After analysis of epistemic thinking in the written reflections, students were found to have the highest frequency of epistemic metacognitive skills, followed by epistemic cognition, epistemic metacognitive experience, and epistemic metacognitive knowledge. While investigating the effects of an argument-based inquiry science class on student epistemic thinking and after analysis of the reflections written for the first ABI activity and the fifth ABI activity, we found that all of the sub-elements of epistemic thinking have increased. The rate of growth for epistemic cognition is greatest, followed by epistemic metacognitive knowledge and epistemic metacognitive skills. Assessed for epistemic thinking, the level of epistemic thinking improved over the course of the argument-based inquiry science class. The results of the survey show that students actively participating and being recognized for their active participation in the argument-based inquiry science class are helpful in understanding scientific knowledge. Therefore, an argument-based inquiry science class is a teaching and learning program that allows students to understand and experience the epistemic nature of scientific knowledge and its construction through collaboration and agreement.

• Korean Educational Research Journal
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.167-188
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study is to suggest safety education on life science inquiry activity, which subjects on the exploration and autonomous research to the relevant topics, mainly done by the science high school students. Investigation was made on subjects of research activity proposed from Life science and autonomous research from science high school students by examine thoroughly 2009 revised education curriculum. To prevent school laboratory accidents, education of basic safety regulations and general precautions should be repeatedly notified by clear statements and expression to each topic. Expressing the safety factors considering the themes of autonomous inquiry and activities presented in the course of education should be done, so that students should not experience laboratory accidents by reason of ignorance. From the beginning of organization to performing research, safety rules about disposing chemicals and tools wastes occurring during research should be noticed and expressed in precautions following waste disposal system should be adopted. It is necessary to level up the accessibility of information about the laboratory safety rules to confirm to the every student, and also ensure the takeover of the clean-up and use of utilities at the time of search end in order to prevent the incidence of laboratory accidents during the thorough stages of biological inquiry activities.