• Journal of Science Education
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.69-89
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to examine personal characteristics of two elementary students who developed individual interest in science. 201 students of two elementary schools in Seoul participated in questionnaire survey engaged in to investigate students' interest in science, engagements and preference in science-related-activities three times a year. This case study was conducted with seven students who showed typical types of interest in science. Students wrote a photo-journal for 12 weeks. They were interviewed every other week by a researcher. We analyzed two students who developed individual interest. It turns out that RF participated in doing experiments at home, and disassembling and assembling things. Participation of activities was a process of solving curiosity. When he was unable to solve problems, he searches the internet or books. Sometimes he would ask for help from his teacher. JW engaged in activities: drawing, doing experiments at home, and going to informal education center. She communicated with others by using online-offline media. Curious questions were solved by herself. The two students have a tendency to solve problems by themselves. Also, positive science-related activities were going on at home and in school. This study not only give insights and understanding of students who developed individual interest in science but also provide implication for educators to examine personal characteristics of students.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.97-111
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• 2020

In the 2015 revised curriculum, 'Integrated Science' was established to increase convergent thinking and designated as a common subject for all students to learn, regardless of career. In addition, the 2015 revised curriculum introduced 'competence' as a distinctive feature from the previous curriculum. In the 2015 revised curriculum, competencies are divided into core competencies of cross-curricular character and subject competencies based on academic knowledge and skills of the subject. The science curriculum contains five subject competencies: scientific thinking, scientific inquiry, scientific problem solving, scientific communication, scientific participation and life-long learning. However, the description of competencies in curriculum documents is insufficient, and experts' perceptions of competencies are not uniform. Therefore, this study examines the perceptions of science subjects in science high school teachers by deciding that comprehension of competencies should be preceded in order for competency-based education to be properly applied to school sites. First, we analyzed the relationship between achievement standards and subject competencies of integrated science through the operation of an expert working group with a high understanding of the integrated science achievement standards. Next, 31 high school science teachers examined the perception of the five subject competencies through a descriptive questionnaire. The semantic network analysis has been utilized to analyze the teachers' responses. The results of the analysis showed that the three curriculum competencies of scientific inquiry, scientific communication, scientific participation and life-long learning ability are similar to the definitions of teachers and curriculum documents, but in the case of scientific thinking and scientific problem solving, there are some gaps in perception and definition in curriculum documents. In addition, the results of the comprehensive analysis of teachers' perceptions on the five competencies show that the five curriculum competencies are more relevant than mutually exclusive or independent.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.297-317
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of Science Social and Emotional Learning(SSEL). The factors of SSEL were suggested, and by utilizing them, the contents of middle school's science and Chemistry 1 textbook were analyzed. The factors are as follow: numeracy, information and communication technology, critical thinking, creative thinking, personal and social capability, ethical understanding, and intercultural understanding. The results showed that the 60~70% of textbooks put emphasis on numeracy, information and communication technology, critical thinking, creative thinking while some factors were limited in th contents, which were personal and social capability, ethical understanding, and intercultural understanding. Therefore, teacher should try to reconstruct the teaching and learning materials and fill in the deficiencies of SSEL factors through class activities. In addition, it is suggested to study specific application methods such as science activities or experiment activities in detail to meet social and emotional learning.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.30-42
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the science journals written by pre-service elementary school teachers, and to categorize the view on the nature of science and the process of their change. For this purpose, 112 science journals written by 13 pre-service elementary school teachers were analyzed. The frequency of each area was analyzed using the research framework of the four areas of the nature of science, and the pattern of change in perspective on the nature of science was inductively derived and classified using the VNOS-C test analysis framework. As a result, The nature of scientific thinking, nature of scientific knowledge, nature of STS, and nature of scientific inquiry were described in relatively similar proportions, but among them, The nature of scientific thinking appeared in the largest percentage, and the nature of scientific inquiry was described in the smallest percentage. The variability of scientific knowledge, the importance of empirical evidence, and the positive and negative effects of science were especially intensively addressed. In addition, the changing aspects of pre-service elementary school teachers' perspectives on the nature of science could be categorized into 'naive view maintenance type', 'informed view maintenance type', 'regression type', 'development type', and 'mixed type'. The element of 'the empirical nature of scientific knowledge' showed various patterns of change depending on the students, and most of the students maintained a informed view on the tentativeness of scientific knowledge for several sessions.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.509-521
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• 2020

This study began with the discovery of the concept of frequency density in Singapore textbooks and in a set of subject contents of the UK's General Certificate of Secondary Education. To understand the mathematical meaning of frequency density, the mathematical connection of frequency density was considered in terms of mathematics internal connections and mathematics external connections. In addition, the teaching method of frequency density was introduced. In terms of mathematical internal connections, the connections among the probability density function, relative frequency density, and frequency density in high school statistics were examined. Regarding mathematical external connections, the connection with the density concept in middle school science was analyzed. Based on the mathematical connection, the study suggested the need to introduce the frequency density concept. For the teaching method of frequency density, the Singapore secondary mathematics textbook was introduced. The Singapore textbook introduces frequency density to correctly represent and accurately interpret data in histograms with unequal class intervals. Therefore, by introducing frequency density, Korea can consistently teach probability density function, relative frequency density, and frequency density, emphasizing the mathematical internal connections among them and considering the external connections with the science subject. Furthermore, as a teaching method of frequency density, we can consider the method provided in the Singapore textbook.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.399-408
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• 2023

This study developed and applied a maker education program for an elementary school's science unit on 'Animal Life'. It examined the program's impact on students' academic achievement and creative problem-solving ability. The theme of the maker education program was 'creating a robot virtual reality (VR) exhibition hall mimicking animal characteristics'. It explored scientific concepts and creatively created a robot VR exhibition hall in accordance with the TMI maker education model. Findings revealed that the program significantly improved students' academic achievement and creative problem-solving ability (p<.05). This study provides evidence for the effectiveness of maker education in elementary school science classes and suggests that using maker education can increase students' interest in and engagement with science learning. To implement maker education more actively in elementary school science classes, stakeholders should develop various topics and programs. Additional research investigating the effectiveness of maker education in different age groups and various other areas of elementary science education is required to generalize the results of this study. Moreover, educational and teacher capacity building is required for educators to utilize maker education effectively.

• 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.38 no.3
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• pp.670-690
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to analyze paper and pencil test items of life science I in high school to diagnose problems of the test items developed by teachers, and to provide some implication for better assessment. 690 selection-type items and 162 supply-type items in life science I were collected from 10 general high schools. In the analysis of test items, the ratio of the selection-type item and the supply-type item was 81:19 in the number of items based on item type, while the ratio was 74.4:25.6 in the distribution of marks, indicating that the distribution of marks compared to the number of items was higher in the supply-type items. In the analysis by the Bloom's revised taxonomy of educational objectives, the items of 'conceptual knowledge' in the knowledge and those of 'understanding' in the cognition process were shown most in both the selection-type item and the supply-type item. In the analysis by the science assessment frameworks of NAEA, the items of 'knowledge' were shown 9 times more than those of 'inquiry'. When compared to the level of difficulty presented in the two-way specification table and the percentage of correct answers in the selection-type item, the concurrence was 41.5%. When compared to the ratio of number of items based on the item type of the supply-type items, the short-answer items were 34.0%, the descriptive items were 61.1%, and the drawing items were 4.9%. The drawing items were mainly developed in the unit of 'Cells and Continuity of Life'. When the descriptive items were classified by the acceptance of response, all the items were 'response restricted' type, and the items of 'restricted in content range' type among them were highest. When the items were classified by presentation of data, the items of 'presentation of data' type were highest(65.4%), and when classified by type of question, the items of 'knowledge description' type were highest(80.4%). In conclusion, it is needed to develop items belonging to 'inquiry' area more in the school, and to increase the ratio of the descriptive items, presenting various types of items.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.288-296
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• 2015

This study aimed to analysis of concepts and inquiry activities related to the 'Earth Science' area in the South Korean elementary school textbooks to the current and to seek the improvement of future textbook. For the study, we were collected South Korean elementary school textbooks to the current. After the collection had been made, we were analyzed related to the 'Earth' area in the South Korean elementary school textbooks and were extracted central concepts and inquiry activities. The result of this study: First, there were 'A change in the land', 'Strata and Fossil', 'Volcanoes and Earthquakes', 'Earth and Moon', 'The weather', 'The Solar system and the Star', and 'Seasonal Change' in the central concepts related to the 'Earth' area in the South Korean elementary school textbooks to the current. Second, central concepts were almost the same but the curriculum was changed. Third, inquiry activities also were confirmed to be maintained with little change. This result was believed that it can provide a variety of suggestions at this point in changing the curriculum.

• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.207-218
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• 2016

This paper have been knowing about policy background about Computer Science Education in UK. Every schools in UK have been teaching Computing as a subject matter from september, 2014. Department of Education in UK had replacement ICT to Computing subject. The institute have accepted that problems about ICT subject which school teacher recognised and the needs of academic sector, and the entrepreneur's needs for talented person of 21st century. We have known that Computing at School(CAS) had started grass root organization, which had been trying to changing the computer science curriculum. In the processes, it was corporation very closely among organizations, such as government, universities, entrepreneurs, awarding bodies for evaluation, and non-profit initiatives. Through this research, we have get some lessons for advancing of software education in South Korea.