• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.269-275
• /
• 2016

This study is conducted to search about changing earth science contents influenced by the scientific literacy from the 7th curriculum to the 2015 revised curriculum. Earth science area is divided into astronomy, geology, meteorology and oceanography contents. Among the elements of scientific literacy, the contents were analyzed focusing on STS elements. In the astronomical and meteorological content areas, there were aspects of scientific literacy in all periods from the 7th to the 2015 revised curriculum. Except for the 2007 revised curriculum in the geological area and the 7th curriculum in the oceanographic content area, the aspects of scientific literacy appeared at all times. It is emphasized the usefulness of science and technology in the astronomical content area and the use of science in everyday life in geological and meteorological content area. In the oceanographic content area, it is emphasized that content of science related social issue such as resource shortage and environmental pollution. This study can be extended to the fields of physics, chemistry and life science, we suggest to inquire the scientific literacy as a integrated science.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.183-192
• /
• 2021

As part of the second-year monitoring study on the implementation of the 2015 revised science curriculum, this study investigated high school science teachers' perception and realization of instruction and assessment of elective courses to derive measures to settle and improve the science curriculum. A total of 244 high school science teachers responded to the survey questionnaire, and 9 teachers participated in interviews. In survey results, science teachers are contemplating ways to increase students' science competencies and their participation in classes, but still, lecture-oriented classes are most often used in their teaching. Regarding assessment, teachers responded that there were positive changes in all of the questions related to process-based assessment (PBA). Regarding the difficulty of managing science elective courses, teachers most often selected increased numbers of subjects being covered, overload of work, and the burden of restructuring classes considering various ways of teaching and assessment. Through in-depth interviews, teachers argued the difficulty for Science I courses to emphasize student participatory classes compared to integrated science, and the difficulty to implement student participatory classes for Science II courses, which are mainly placed in the third grade. Teachers also argue that it is necessary to secure time to implement PBA in science elective courses, and that there is no need to implement PBA for the science experiment since there are no tests on the SAT. Based on the results of the study, discussed in the conclusion are support plans for the settlement of PBA in elective courses, and the need for in-depth analysis of the direction and cause of student participatory classes and PBA at the school.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.166-181
• /
• 2023

The purpose of this study is to examine the change and appropriateness of inquiry tendency in elementary science textbooks by national curriculum period by comparing previous researches that reported Romey's Involvement Index in the science textbook and other subject textbooks. The results of the study are as follows: First, for the text index (T), the value of science textbooks by curriculum tends to continue to decline overall. The value of science textbook based on the 3rd curriculum is judged to be extremely inquiry oriented and the value of the textbooks based on the 2007 and 2015 revised curriculum are the values judged as somewhat authoritative textbook and as a textbook at the appropriate level of inquiry, respectively. There is no significant difference compared to the T values of other subject textbooks since the 2007 revised curriculum; Second, the index of figures and diagrams in the text (FD) of science textbooks also continues to decline by curriculum periods. In particular, the FD value of science textbook of the 2015 revised period is judged to be a authoritative textbook, which is lower than the value of other subject textbooks; Third, in the case of the activity index (A), it gradually decreases from the third curriculum to the 2015 revised curriculum, but it is judged as textbooks suitable for inquiry. However, after the 7th curriculum, the value of A is generally lower than those of other subject textbooks; Fourth, for the index of the questions at the ends of chapters (Q), the value of Q is reported to be extremely limited compared to the aforementioned three indices(T, FD and A), which may be mainly due to differences in the composition of science textbooks by curriculum period.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2020

This study analyzed the illustrations presented in the elementary science paper textbooks and digital textbooks under the 2015 revised curriculum in terms of gender role stereotypes. The frequency of pupils and adults on illustrations was counted by gender, and the types of activities and behavior of characters were analyzed. For pupils, paper textbooks showed a higher frequency of girls than boys, and digital textbooks showed similar gender rates. In the aspect of the activity, paper textbooks showed similar gender rates in non-learning activities, but more girls in learning activities. In digital textbooks, the learning activity was balanced by gender, but the non-learning activities presented boys more frequently. For both paper and digital textbooks, most pupils were described to be active regardless of gender. For adults, paper textbooks were balanced in the frequency by gender, but digital textbooks had a higher proportion of men. Paper textbooks showed similar gender rates in out-of-home activities, but more men in housework activities. In digital textbooks, housework activities were balanced by gender, but out-of-home activities presented men more frequently. For both paper and digital textbooks, men appeared in a broader range of occupations than women. Female scientists appeared more than male scientists in paper textbooks, and opposite tendency appeared in digital textbooks. As a result of analyzing the characteristics of adults, both paper and digital textbooks showed gender stereotypes in specific behavioral characteristics.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.39 no.5
• /
• pp.669-679
• /
• 2019

In this study, we investigated how 'Scientific Inquiry Experiment,' a newly introduced subject under the 2015 revised curriculum, was implemented to identify the difficulties that science teachers face in the process of teaching the subject and to explore how to support them through online survey and interview methods. A questionnaire of the survey, which consisted of environmental factors of class, preparation and execution of class, teacher self-evaluation of class, and direction for the subject, was developed, and the online survey was requested with a response from one teacher per school from 1674 high schools nationwide. We analyzed the results from 814 teachers who answered all required questions, and we also conducted interviews and online advisory discussions to ensure the validity of our analysis. In the results of the study, teachers complained of lack of time for preparation and execution of the subject, and they demanded laboratory assistants and quality teaching materials. In addition, in order to achieve the goal of the subject, they agreed the necessity of using the 'block scheduling' though they also agreed the difficulties of its implementation. Meanwhile, the alteration of guidelines for evaluation, which was changed from 9-grade system to 3-grade system, was positively recognized by teachers. As a result of this change, the percentage of performance assessment increased in 2019 compared to 2018, but there were no significant changes in the number of 'hands-on activity.' Finally, we proposed ways to support 'scientific inquiry experiment'.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.194-202
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyze how optics concepts and activities have changed according to the revision of the national science curriculum. For this purpose, the optics achievement standards presented in the middle-school science curriculum of the 7th curriculum, 2007 revised curriculum, 2009 revised curriculum, and 2015 revised curriculum, and the optics content presented in the textbooks developed for each curriculum, were compared and analyzed. The optics content is classified into four concepts: the process of viewing an object; light and color; reflection and refraction; and the image from a mirror and a lens. The main results are as follows: First, according to the revision of curriculum, some optics concepts have been added or removed. In particular, big changes have appeared in the concepts of "process of viewing the object", "dispersion", "reflection and refraction" and so on. Second, the content for 'image formation by a mirror and a lens' was gradually reduced, according to the revision of curriculum, and the level of activity was also adjusted. Third, attempts to present the content of textbooks in conjunction with the phenomena and tools that students can experience in everyday life have increased gradually. In addition, based on the analysis of the content of curriculum and textbooks, the implications for optics education have been discussed.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.217-235
• /
• 2022

This study aimed to analyze the changes in the physics curriculum of elementary schools over the past years and to discuss the issues faced by the science curriculum for elementary education prior to the next curriculum revision. We analyzed changes in the elements of the contents from the 7th curriculum to the 2015 revised curriculum and reviewed studies conducted after the revision in 2015. Additionally, three professors majoring in physics education discussed the results of the curriculum analysis. The result indicates that content of the physics curriculum for elementary education was generally reduced after the 7th curriculum. Specifically, difficult concepts were omitted or designated to a higher school level. Concerns related to the science curriculum pertain to the content adequacy and difficulty of the current curriculum, its relationship with mathematics, connection between the Nuri curriculum and the integrated curriculum for the 1st and 2nd grades, and the achievement standard predicate problem.

• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.143-155
• /
• 2021

The goal of this study is to examine the Integrated Science and Science Laboratory Experiments of the 2015 revised curriculum applied since 2018, and to explore ways to improve these two subjects in preparation for the 2022 revised curriculum. A survey was conducted by randomly sampling high schools across the country, with a total of 192 science teachers participating. In addition, 12 high school science teachers were selected as focus group, and in-depth interviews were conducted to investigate ways to restructure common science courses for the next curriculum. Main research results include that most schools were operated in 6~8 units for Integrated Science, and the teachers in charge of Integrated Science per class averaged 2~3 over the three years. For Science Laboratory Experiments, it has operated for a total of two semesters, one unit per semester, and it was found that several science teachers are in charge of Science Laboratory Experiments to fill the insufficient number of hours regardless of major. In the in-depth interview, science teachers argued that Integrated Science should be reduced and restructured by strengthening key competencies in preparation for the high school credit system. Based on the research results, ways to reorganize Integrated Science focused on big ideas, ways to construct common science courses based on fundamental science concepts that can guide elective courses, the necessity of career guidance through common science courses, and the necessity of strengthening teacher professionalism for teaching interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary subjects were suggested.

• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.239-254
• /
• 2015

The aims of this research were to analyze and compare verbs in the contents of the 7th, 2007, and 2009 revised national curriculum for elementary and middle school science. After the investigation of 1383 verbs in description of achievement standards and inquiry, we found that 'to know'(15.0 %) in elementary school and 'to understand'(24.2 %) in middle school were the most frequently used ones, totally in these three curriculums. In the 7th national curriculum, frequently used verbs in elementary school were ones related with inquiry such as observation, investigation and so on though 'to understand' had the most common verbs. Secondly, 'to explain' ranked top among verbs in the 2007 revised national curriculum. It showed some possibility of influences of the discussion-oriented situation at that time. Finally, however, in 2009 revised national curriculum, 'to know' and 'to understand' occupied the first and second portion of the verb distribution. In addition, 'to understand' and 'to observe' were used evenly through three curriculums but the portions of 'to know' increased through curriculum revisions. Some implications and discussions were also added with suggestions for further researches.

• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.300-317
• /
• 2020

The purpose of this study is to suggest improvements in the science concepts and inquiry activities presented in the earth science section in the 2015 revised curriculum elementary science textbooks. For this study, two science educator and three elementary school teachers developed a survey questionnaire to investigate science concepts, inquiry activities, and suggest improvements. The survey was conducted two times, and 30 elementary school teachers and three earth science professors (geology, meteorology, astronomy) participated in the survey. As a result, it was investigated that eight concepts in the solid section, three concepts in the fluid section, and one concept in universe and integration section contained misconceptions. It was investigated that the content of inquiry activity needs to be supplemented, with seven elements in solid section, three elements in fluid section, and one in the universe and integration section. According to the research results, if the textbook is revised, it is necessary to accurately confirm the science concepts or content of inquiry activities. Also in the case of science concepts presented in textbooks, it will be necessary to consider not only the scope and sequence of contents but also the process of learning progression.