• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.549-558
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• 2014

This study aims to provide suggestions for software education in an afterschool program, deriving from the analysis of student experiences of working on Scratch team projects. This study reports on the implementation of the 12 week afterschool software education program in an elementary school, where students worked in pairs to learn Scratch programming from ideation to design and presentation. For an in-depth study of student-generated artifacts, we selected three groups' Scratch projects and conducted artifact-based interviews to unpack student experiences working on Scratch projects as a group. Adopting the computational thinking framework as an overarching analytical lens, we focused on examining student experiences from three dimensions of computational thinking (CT), namely, CT concepts, CT practices, and CT perspectives. The present study provides both theoretical and practical implications. Firstly, we demonstrate the feasibility of applying the CT framework for assessing student-generated artifacts in design-oriented software education. We also believe that this study provides important suggestions to future software education programs adopting CT as an overarching design and assessment framework.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.409-429
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• 2021

This study investigated instructional methods for fractional division emphasizing algebraic thinking with sixth graders. Specifically, instructional elements for fractional division emphasizing algebraic thinking were derived from literature reviews, and the fractional division instruction was reorganized on the basis of key elements. The instructional elements were as follows: (a) exploring the relationship between a dividend and a divisor; (b) generalizing and representing solution methods; and (c) justifying solution methods. The instruction was analyzed in terms of how the key elements were implemented in the classroom. This paper focused on the fractional division instruction with problem contexts to calculate the quantity of a dividend corresponding to the divisor 1. The students in the study could explore the relationship between the two quantities that make the divisor 1 with different problem contexts: partitive division, determination of a unit rate, and inverse of multiplication. They also could generalize, represent, and justify the solution methods of dividing the dividend by the numerator of the divisor and multiplying it by the denominator. However, some students who did not explore the relationship between the two quantities and used only the algorithm of fraction division had difficulties in generalizing, representing, and justifying the solution methods. This study would provide detailed and substantive understandings in implementing the fractional division instruction emphasizing algebraic thinking and help promote the follow-up studies related to the instruction of fractional operations emphasizing algebraic thinking.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.47-70
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• 2004

We analyzed the validity of Science Highschool's selection process for the students from Science Gifted Education Center in order to suggest the direction of improvement. First of all, we invested the students' achievement in Mathematics and Science. As a result, we found that the students are not so good at mathematics and science through the selection process for the students from Science Gifted Education Center. However the difference is not statistically meaningful. On the contrary, The achievement of the students from Science Gifted Education Center is above average who were selected through the other course, e. g. the students who acquired the recommendation of principal, winner of prize in Olympiad of Mathematics or Science. We didn't find any meaningful result in the investigation of Affective Domain in Science. And then we found that the students prefer the generous environment through the selection process for the students from Science Gifted Education Center. As a whole, the selection process for the students from Science Gifted Education Center was not so satisfying. It should be reformed; we should examine the students' portfolio on the activities in the Science Gifted Education Center, and the entrance examination should include both divergent and convergent problems to find out the students' creativity. And the 3 dimensional process is also essential through the multiple steps.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.565-578
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to search for the factors that influence students' understanding of the nature of science through the experience of the cognitive processes of authentic open inquiries. The freshmen of a science high school practiced authentic open inquiries reflecting epistemological characteristics of authentic science. The case study was conducted with four focus students who were successful or unsuccessful at learning the nature of science during the authentic open inquiry activity. Questions that the focus students asked during the inquiries as well as students' answers to pre- and post-VNOS (C type) were analysed, and then elaborated in the semi-structured interview. The findings suggest that open inquiry activities provide the inquiry contexts that help science high school students to understand the nature of science, and that the characteristics of students' cognition influence the understanding of the nature of science. For instance, designing experiments with their own research questions had an influence on the students' understanding about the scientific methods and the diversity of research types, and drawing conclusions from their own data made students experience scientific reasoning. In addition, the experience of collecting anomalous data helped students to understand the role of inferences in generating scientific knowledge and the creative nature of scientific knowledge. In this inquiry context, the reflective thinking that came from proactive discussion among students, made students think about the validity of the designing experiments and interpreting data, and helped them to understand the uncertain nature of reasoning and the diverse nature of scientific methods. Moreover, divergent thinking linked to analogical thinking helped students to understand the creative nature of science.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.137-145
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• 2023

Accidents involving deaths of children and pedestrians continue to occur in child protection zones, also known as school zones. Over the three years from 2019 to 2021, 11 child deaths occurred in school zones in Korea. In December 2022, a fatal accident occurred among an elementary school student in a school zone near an elementary school in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. In April 2023, an accident occurred in which an elementary school student died in a school zone near Seo-gu Middle School in Daejeon and an elementary school in Yeongdo-gu, Busan. Until recently, child deaths continued to occur on sidewalks in child protection zones. It is time to closely review the status of safety facilities installed in school zones and related regulations. We investigated and analyzed the current status of safety facilities and related regulations installed on sidewalks in child protection zones in Korea, and identified matters necessary for institutional improvement regarding safety facilities for sidewalks in child protection zones.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.461-483
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• 2017

The ability to think mathematically and to reason inductively are basics of logical reasoning and the most important skill which students need to acquire through their Math curriculum in elementary school. For these reasons, we need to conduct an analysis in their procedure in inductive reasoning and find difficulties thereof. Therefore, through this study, I found parts which covered inductive reasoning in their Math curriculum and analyzed the abilities and characteristics of students in solving a problem through inductive reasoning.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.81-98
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• 2009

This study analyzed the types of quantitative reasoning and the characteristics of representation in order to figure out the characteristics of quantitative reasoning of the sixth graders. Three students who used quantitative reasoning in solving problems were interviewed in depth. Results showed that the three students used two types of quantitative reasoning, that is difference reasoning and multiplicative reasoning. They used qualitatively different quantitative reasoning, which had a great impact on their problem-solving strategy. Students used symbolic, linguistic and visual representations. Particularly, they used visual representations to represent quantities and relations between quantities included in the problem situation, and to deduce a new relation between quantities. This result implies that visual representation plays a prominent role in quantitative reasoning. This paper included several implications on quantitative reasoning and quantitative approach related to early algebra education.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.397-415
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• 2022

As the global warming problem becomes serious, the need for carbon cycle education in school is increasing. Adopting systems thinking ability is needed to understand the carbon cycle systematically. Furthermore, under the rapid change of environment, society, and economy, systems thinking ability is being emphasized as it can strengthen the competencies of students who will be leading the future society. The purposes of this study are as follows: first, is developing the systems thinking instrument for the carbon cycle and the rubric for analysis of systems thinking instrument. The second is analyzing the systems thinking ability of students using the developed instrument and rubric. In order to perform this study, previous studies related to the carbon cycle and systems thinking education were analyzed. Based on the analysis results, the systems thinking instrument for the carbon cycle and rubric were developed. The systems thinking ability was analyzed by implementing the developed instrument and rubric to 172 high school and university students. The results of this study are as follows: first, the systems thinking instrument for the carbon cycle was developed, and a rubric utilization guide was constructed. The instrument and rubric were modified through pilot study for middle school students producing expert opinion in relation to systems thinking and carbon cycle. Second, the systems thinking ability of students was analyzed. Consequently, students had systems thinking ability fully at a low level, such as identifying the variables related to the carbon cycle. However, it was shown that they lacked the systems thinking ability at a high level, such as time delay and feedback processes. The importance of the carbon cycle has been increasing since the global warming is the most pressing issue and significant environmental problem facing us today. Application of the systems thinking ability can contribute to understanding these complex problems and finding fundamental solutions.

• School Mathematics
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-28
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• 2012

The purpose of the study are to identify factors of mathematical visualization through the thirty students of highschool 2nd year and to investigate how each visualization factor is used in mathematics problem solving process. Specially, this study performed the qualitative case study in terms of the five of thirty students to obtain the high grade in visuality assessment. As a result of the analysis, visualization factors were categorized into mental images, external representation, transformation or operation of images, and spacial visualization abilities. Also, external representation, transformation or operation of images, and spacial visualization abilities were subdivided more specifically.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.359-374
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• 2014

Students' difficulties and errors in relation to mathematical proofs are worth while to say one of the dilemmas in mathematics education. The potential elements of their difficulty are scattered over the process of proving in geometry as well as algebra. This study aims to investigate whether middle school students understand the context of algebraic proof including literal expressions. We applied 24 third-grade middle school students a test item which shows a proof including a literal expression and missing the conclusion. Over the half of them responded wrong answers based on only the literal expression without considering its context. Three of them were interviewed individually to show their thinking. As a result, we could find some characteristics of their thinking including the perspective on proof as checking the validity of algebraic expression and the gap between proving and understanding of proof etc. From these, we also discussed about several didactical implications.