• The Mathematical Education
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.83-96
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• 1995

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.745-776
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• 2010

In this research, cases of classes for enhancing mathematical creativity are examined in order to explore how to improve methods of math instructions. The objective of the research is to design a creative, efficient math class of superior quality, supplementing the current educational curricula. To this end, features and elements of creative math class are classified into three categories: assignment characteristics, teacher's role, and teaching environment. Based on these, two high school teachers were selected for case study of creative instructions. By observing and analyzing their classes, the research identified main elements of creative classes and their characteristics according to the three categories. The research also explored how to revitalize creative math class by eliciting opinions of researchers and educational experts.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.201-208
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• 1998

Although cooperative learning strategies in many subject areas have been found to be effective, the effect of cooperative learning on academic achievement in science laboratory setting is not clear. Reported results on the effects of the strategies for higher achieving students are not also consistent. In this study, the cooperative learning strategies emphasizing student-centered learning which included higher order thinking activities were used in a elementary school science course. The cooperative and traditional learning groups were selected from fifth-grade classes, and taught about dissolution and solution for 16 class periods. The effects of the cooperative learning strategies upon students' academic achievement, science process skill, the attitude toward science instruction, and the perceptions of classroom environment were investigated. Two-way ANCOVA results revealed that the test scores of academic achievement and science process skill for the cooperative learning group were significantly higher than those of the traditional learning group. No interaction between the instruction and the level of previous achievement was found. The perceptions of confliction were higher in cooperative learning group. In the attitude toward science instruction and the perceptions of participation, however, no significant difference between the two groups was found. Educational implications are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.658-666
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• 2014

This study was designed to explore pre-service secondary science teachers' understanding and views of argument-based inquiry approach. Participants were 17 pre-service secondary science teachers enrolled in chemistry curricular materials and teaching methods course for majors in the college of education at a university in Seoul. Main data sources included each student responses to an open ended survey and individual interviews. Data analyses indicated that the pre-service teachers had very limited and biased understanding on scientific inquiry at the beginning of the semester. While the pre-service teachers understood that scientific inquiry should be an essential component of science teaching, a few pre-service teachers mentioned 'argumentation' or 'discussions' when they defined what scientific inquiry is. The majority of the pre-service teachers mentioned that science should be taught through scientific inquiry since science is inquiry itself. However, the pre-service teachers expressed several potential barriers and their concerns on implementing argumentation in scientific inquiry. While they concerned about students' lack of participation at the beginning of the semester, they concerned more about the teachers' ability of leading student argumentation at the end of the semester.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.68-85
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to understand science teaching experiences of elementary school teachers who taught the system thinking-based science inquiry class. The phenomenological methods were applied to analyze four elementary teachers' meaningful experiences. The four step methods of phenomenological experience research proposed by Giorgi (1985) and interview questions developed by Seidman (1998) and Schuman (1982) were used in order to collect qualitative data. The major findings of this study were as follows: First, teachers intentionally tried to ask divergent thinking questions which promoted the system thinking in classes. The teachers used divergent thinking questions to promote their students' thinking activities and to induce students' system thinking. In addition, the receptive mood created by teachers and interactive environments had a positive effect on promoting system thinking skills. Second, teachers remarked lack of teaching and learning materials and difficulties in selecting themes of their classes in order to teach the system thinking-based science inquiry class effectively. In addition, it was very difficult for teachers to evaluate the contents and processes of students' learning correctly because there were little evaluative tools and methods readily available. The findings indicated that there were some limitations in maximizing the effects of system thinking-based science inquiry instruction due to elementary students' inappropriate process skills of inquiry activities. Findings of this study revealed significant insights about elementary school teachers' experiences regarding the system thinking-based science class.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.135-145
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate elementary teachers' views on the democratic scientific inquiry and the methods for promotion of democratic citizenship in science classroom, and to conduct exploratory discussions about science classroom for promotion of democratic citizenship based on their views. Data were collected from 96 elementary teachers. AS results show, the elementary teachers in the study thought that the features of democratic scientific inquiry was 'communication and cooperation', 'autonomy and fairness', and 'contribution to the benefit of mankind and society'. In addition, the participants regarded the 'inquiry/activity focused on communication and cooperation' as the best method for promotion of democratic citizenship in science classrooms. Finally, several suggestions on the science education for promotion of democratic civic literacy and the democratic inquiry were given.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.210-226
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to understand what orientations elementary school teachers have related to their science classes, what realities they encounter in real classes, how they overcome their frustrations and failures they experience. We employed a narrative inquiry method and analyzed the experiences of two early career elementary school teachers (Miss Park and Mr. Choi). Miss Park wanted to conduct students-driven inquiry classes, in which students become active investigators, but in reality, she faced herself who conducted teacher-driven classes. Mr. Choi wanted to conduct science classes based on constructivism, but in reality, he encountered himself as a knowledge giver rather than scaffolder. However, rather than giving up their orientations, the two teachers tried to keep them in their own way. It was expected that by understanding what strategies beginner teachers take when their theoretical orientation and ideals are not well implemented in actual educational reality, we could find a clue that will lead to a more successful transition from pre-service teacher to teacher.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.299-313
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• 2018

Inquiry-centered education is important in science education, but in the actual education field, scientific research is being done in a uniform manner due to realistic difficulties. In this study, we use RS (Reverse Science) as a secondary chemistry class to provide opportunities for students to engage in inquiry learning and scientific thinking through process-oriented activities. In this study, we developed and applied it to explore the effects on the scientific inquiry abilities of middle school students and checked the students' perception of it. For the application of the program, 128 students were selected from 6 classes of the 2nd grade in D district middle school, 64 from the experimental group and 64 from the comparative group. The experimental group taught RSP-based the chemistry inquiry programs and the comparative group taught instructor-led classes and verification experiments on the same topic over the seventh hour with three themes. In addition, we analyzed the results of the pre- and post-test by using the science inquiry ability test, and discussed the effects of the program based on the students' perceptions through class observation, student activity area, questionnaire and interview. As a result, the class using the program showed statistically significant changes in the science inquiry ability of secondary school students. Specifically, the experimental group was found to be significant in its prediction among the subcomponents of basic exploration ability compared to the comparative group. The differences have also been shown to be significant in terms of data translation, hypothesis setup and variable control, which are subcomponents of integrated exploration capabilities (p <. 05). In addition, students became interested in the process of creating the theory of science, and were highly interested in collaborating with their friends. It also provided students with opportunities to experience scientific thinking through process-oriented inquiry. Finally, based on the positive impact of the RSP-based chemistry inquiry program on students, we were able to identify the potential use of the program.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.90-102
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• 2016

Flipped learning is generally designed to allow students to learn on their own in advance with the help of scaffolding material such as videos and text, and in the classroom, it is operated with the help of a teacher while the class is being learner-centered. For flipped learning, each of the teachers has to design the class, collect information, and prepare for scaffolding material, so they get to face a lot of difficulties spending much time to reorganize the curriculum and produce a video and so on. Accordingly, this researcher has developed flipped learning textbook models applicable to science class by analyzing Korean and overseas textbooks, conducting an in-depth interview to six science teachers practicing flipped learning, and also developing and applying the science textbook sample model. The elementary, middle, and high school science textbook models developed include not only the textbook-based model with no videos presented in advance but also the lecture-type model, experiment-based model, and inquiry and research-based model to realize flipped learning. This study is expected to present crucial implications to develop textbooks and science class as a class to perform learner-centered inquiry activity.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.885-899
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• 2018

As 'Science Inquiry Experiment' is newly introduced in the high school curriculum, where inquiry and experiment oriented education is insufficient, this study aims to analyze teacher's practice of 'Science Inquiry Experiment' in depth and identify contradictions during its process in the perspective of Cultural Historical Activity Theory. The research participant is teacher SHIN who is exclusively responsible for Science Inquiry Experiment. Starting with reflection on the practice of Science Inquiry Experiment class conducted in the first semester, interviews with participants, participatory observation and local materials were used during the 2nd semester's Science Inquiry Experiment class. A descriptive analysis of the teacher SHIN's practice of Science Inquiry Experiment was carried out and the contradictions in the activity system of the teacher SHIN were identified. The result reveals that in the overall practice of teaching Integrated Science and Science Inquiry Experiment, there were contradictions between teacher SHIN's recognition about cooperation(subject) and shared responsibility with other teachers(division of labor), and between teacher SHIN's recognition about the subjects(subject) and contrasting contents in teacher training courses(community). In the practice of teaching Science Inquiry Experiment, there were specific contradictions between teacher SHIN's recognition about the subject(subject) and time of job assignment(rule), between experimental activities(object) and experimental tools(tool), and between purpose of the subject(object) and directions about assessment(rule). These contradictions directly or indirectly influence the practice of teaching Science Inquiry Experiment. There needs to be support for constructing an activity system capable of supporting and promoting teachers' practice of Science Inquiry Experiment, and we made several suggestions to resolve the problems.