• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.411-431
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• 2022

In this paper, implications for future curriculum compilation were sought by analyzing the process and results of compiling books for elementary school mathematics textbooks government published according to the 2015 revised curriculum. The 2015 revised elementary mathematics textbooks government published was operated with a systematic compilation system so that academia and school field experts across the country could demonstrate their expertise. As improvements in content, the unit and time to strengthen basic computational skills were increased, and the mathematical concept and principle introduction method and algorithm presentation method were improved, and the internal connection between contents was strengthened. The learning period was adjusted, such as moving and arranging contents that are difficult for students to understand to the upper semester or the upper grade. In the 1st and 2nd graders, the amount of reading was drastically reduced to suit the students' level of Korean, and sentences and vocabulary were improved, and instructions were briefly revised. As for editing and design improvements, illustrations of each unit's introduction and contextual pictures were presented in detail, and the characters in the textbook were consistently presented across all grades, giving children characters a role to actively participate in learning in the textbook. In the process of compiling, the media, the National Assembly, and civic groups raised opinions that sentences and vocabulary in first-year textbooks are more difficult than students' level of Hangeul education, that reducing textbooks makes it difficult for students to understand. Accordingly, efforts to improve textbook compilation and the results were viewed. Through the overall analysis as above, for future compilation of state-authored textbooks and certified textbooks, a plan to improve textbook compilation for students and teachers and a plan to operate compilation was proposed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.473-483
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of students' academic achievement of middle school science curriculum achievement standards in the 2009 revised national curriculum and to generate implications for curriculum improvement. Based on the results of the 2015-2018 National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA), we analyzed middle school students' mastery of 84 curriculum achievement standards. In the analysis, we used representative item information by achievement level and correct answer rate and checked the validity of the determination of mastery. According to the results of the analysis, 15 of the 84 achievement standards could not determine the degree of achievement. In science, many achievement standards could be mastered only by above-average group students. By achievement level, there were six achievement standards that advanced achievement-level students did not achieve, 38 achievement standards judged to represent mastery by advanced achievement-level students, 23 achievement standards judged to represent mastery by proficient achievement-level students, and two achievement standards judged to represent mastery by basic achievement-level students. By content area, the number of achievement standards corresponding to advanced and proficient levels was similar in the areas of motion and energy and earth and space domains. In the material and life domains, there were more achievement standards corresponding to advanced levels. Accordingly, it is necessary to reinforce customized teaching and learning activities in relation to achievement standards that were under-achieved.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.203-219
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• 2016

The purpose of this paper was analyzing the contents of life science area in elementary science textbooks according to Korean science curricula change to get suggestions for the advancement of science curriculum. The framework of content analysis was developed by revising TIMSS 2015 life science evaluation framework. The results of this research were as follows: 'The differences of living things and non-living things appearing in the first grade mostly were not included in the 1st, the 6th and the 2009 revised curricula. Contents emphasizing rural life were appeared from 'Teaching themes period' to the 2nd curriculum period, disappeared from the 3rd curriculum period until the 2009 revised curriculum. Contagious disease was emphasized in all elementary grades in the 1st curriculum period, which reflected a social phenomena emphasizing health and hygiene after the Korean War. Mostly fungus was included until the 7th curriculum period and bacteria and virus were added from the 2007 revised curriculum period. The way of improving health was emphasized continuously.' The differences of living things and non-living things should be included in elementary science curriculum for the correct 'life' concept formation of elementary students. 'Strategies for helping the living of descendants' and 'the heredity of animal and plant' which were appeared in the lower grades, should be included at the higher grades with greater depth. The incoming elementary science textbooks also need to include science contents about evolution in greater depth, along with human health.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.93-108
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• 2023

This study aims to analyze the types and roles of visualization materials presented in the third- and fourth-grade national and authorized science textbooks based on the 2015 revised curriculum. Using the type and role framework, 17 chapters were analyzed. The analysis revealed, first, that the national and authorized textbooks had different total amounts of visualization data and total amounts of simple illustrations. However, no difference in the amounts of simple illustrations and infographics used in the units was evident. The units that used the most infographics were Life, Earth and Universe, in that order, in both the national and the authorized textbooks. Second, simple illustrations were observed to have role differences according to the type of visualization data, but infographics had no such differences. Specifically, the motivational role in a simple illustration increased in all the authorized textbooks. Third, looking at the frequencies of the infographic subtypes, the Process, Structure, Comparative Analysis, and Timeline types accounted for 86% of the total, but the proportions of those subtypes varied in the national and authorized textbooks. Based on the results of this study, I suggest that to achieve differentiation in the types or roles of visualization materials, changes in the types, processes, and skills of inquiry must first occur, as must changes in the structure of chapters or lessons. Continuous research and discussion on the standards and methods for authorized textbooks are also needed.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.343-357
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• 2015

The present study aims to analyze the extent of the use of STS contents in the areas of 'Evolution of Life' and 'Health of Humanity and Scientific Technology' in 'Science' textbooks and to determine whether they meet the goals of the curriculum revised in 2009. The analysis of the 7 types of textbooks according to the STS topics areas indicated big differences between textbooks as little as 16.67% and as much as 58.33%. Also, among the topics associated with STS, 'Space Development and National Defense' and 'Environmental Problems' were not included. In the STS activity areas, the areas of 'Structured Debate,' 'Interpretation of Data,' 'Research and Investigation' showed great frequency. On the other hand, the STS activity areas of 'Field Activities,' 'Problem-solving and Decision-making,' 'Role Playing,' 'Simulation,' 'Case Study,' and 'Research Design' showed small frequency. Analysis of the STS contents for each area indicated 67.57% for the contents relevant to 'the applicability of science' accounting for the largest part whereas 'Understanding of Occupations related to Science' accounted for 1.63%, showing a great difference in their frequency. Seven standards except 'the applicability of science' were included each contents beyond 10% or less than 10% proportion. The STS contents included in the life science area of the 7 types of convergence-style 'Science' textbooks for the high-school accounted for an average of 20.75%, from as little as 12.35% to as much as 26.90%, depending on the publishes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.34-48
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• 2024

With the global rise in interest in competency-based education, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea outlined six core competencies in the 2015 revised curriculum, essential for future society's 'creative and convergent talent'. This study introduces an HTE-STEAM constellation education program designed to develop the core competencies outlined in the 2015 revised curriculum and address the limitations of hands-on astronomy education. The program's effectiveness was assessed through a pilot test. The program was implemented at G Library, an out-of-school education site in Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, targeting students from 3rd to 6th grade. The study's results include: First, the HTE-STEAM program significantly impacted all aspects of the STEAM attitude test except for 'self-concept', particularly influencing 'science and engineering career choice', 'consideration', and 'communication'. Thus, it has led to positive outcomes in the cultivation of future society's core competencies, including 'creative thinking skills', 'communication skills', and 'community skills'. Secondly, the HTE-STEAM constellation education program, despite covering the challenging concept of spacetime, was deemed easy by many students. Observations of students applying the spatial concepts they learned by using teaching aids suggest that the program was effective in enhancing students' understanding of the spatial structure of the sky and the universe. Additionally, this program aligns with the 2022 curriculum's updated standards for understanding the sky's spatial structure. Consequently, the HTE-STEAM constellation education program positively cultivates future society's core competencies and serves as a valuable complement to night observation practices in schools.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.253-269
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• 2020

This study aims to develop items to diagnose pre-service physics teachers' understanding of the conceptual knowledge of modern physics, based on the achievement criteria presented in the 2015 revised national science curriculum, and to identify the validity and reliability of the newly developed items. Data were collected from 467 pre-service physics teachers in the Physical Education Department or Science Education Department (Physics Education Major) of 15 universities across the nation. In this study the content validity, substantive validity, the internal structure validity, generalization validity, and the external validity proposed by Messick (1995) were examined by various statistical tests. The results of the MNSQ analysis showed that there was no nonconformity in the 23 items. The internal structure validity was confirmed by the standardized residual variance analysis, which shows that the 22 items was unidimensional. The generalization validity was confirmed by differential item functioning (DIF) analysis about groups lectured or not modern physics/quantum mechanics. In addition, item analysis and test analysis based on classical test theory were performed. The mean item difficulty is 0.66, mean item discrimination is 0.47 and mean point biserial coefficient obtained was 0.41. These results for item parameters satisfied the criteria respectively. The reliability of the internal consistency of the KR-20 is 0.77 and the Ferguson's delta obtained was δ = 0.972. By Rasch model analysis, the item difficulty (item measures) was discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.379-388
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to derive implications for support plans for the settlement of the Integrated Science subject based on observations and analyses of integrated science lessons implemented in schools since 2018. For this purpose, we observed and analyzed the lessons for the same achievement standard [10 Integrated Science 07-01] implemented by four science teachers with different science majors. The features of integrated science classes were analyzed in light of curriculum reconstruction, science competency development, learner-centered participatory instruction, and process-centered evaluation aspects. For example, in terms of curriculum reconstruction, science teachers have been reorganizing achievement standards into three/four lessons, optimizing learning contents based on core concepts, and helping students' understanding of cross-cutting concepts between science areas. Regarding science competency development, teachers focused their instruction on students' cultivation of diverse science competencies closely related to the achievement standard and development of the epistemology of science. In addition, teachers emphasized student activities and teachers' role as facilitator of learning to create learner-centered participatory classes, as well as assessment during lessons with feedbacks, etc. Based on the results, we suggested and discussed ways to support the settlement of the integrated science curriculum including the need for a teacher learning community, support for process-centered assessment, and the need to develop an authentic integrated science curriculum.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.426-441
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was getting the information for successful application to the national curriculum and students' core competencies enhancement, through investigation about competencies discussed in 2015 revised national curriculum development process and analysis about perception of 150 elementary school teachers in study. The results were as follows : Communication skill is considered to be the most important. Thinking ability what has been important traditionally is the middle of the rankings. Elementary school teachers think that a competency is specific to a subject. From this point of view, Creative/Scientific Problem-Solving Ability is the most important in science. They think that the enhancing of the ability of inquiry performance is highlighted in current science class. On elementary school teachers' awareness, inquiry model is the most effective in enhancing of scientific thinking and the ability of inquiry performance. And STS instruction model is in the other. PBL learning model and experimental inquiry model is the most effective in enhancing a competency has the highest feasibility like scientific thinking or the ability of inquiry performance.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.799-812
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• 2017

Energy as a powerful and unifying concept to understand natural world has been regarded as one of the key concepts of the science curricula in many countries. However, concerning learning and teaching of energy, various difficulties have been reported widely. This study aimed at analyzing and comparing science curricula of Korea, the U.S., England, and Singapore regarding energy to identify the potential issues for energy curriculum in the future. 2015 revised Korean science curriculum, Next Generation Science Standards of the U.S., Science programmes of study of England, and the Science syllabus of Singapore were compared based on six basic elements of the concept of energy: energy form, energy resource, energy transfer, energy transformation, energy conservation, and energy dissipation. Achievement criteria that include energy were extracted from all curricula and categorized into the six elements. The frequency and distribution of the six elements in the four curricula were compared in terms of school levels and disciplinary areas. Contents of six energy elements were also compared. Though all curricula emphasized energy as a key science concept, we found many differences in the degree of emphasis of basic ideas and specific contents and approaches. Korean curriculum is characterized by 1) high frequency concerning energy form among the elements of the concept of energy, 2) introducing energy forms of unclear meaning, which are not linked with other physical quantities, 3) emphasis on energy conversion in comparison of energy transfer, 4) focusing on mechanical energy conservation instead of more general energy conservation, and 5) absence of the concept of 'system' concerning energy. Issues for energy curriculum development were discussed.