• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.303-319
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to investigate theoretically the meaning and features of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) based on the views of Peirce and Dewey, and to explore the implications of CoI in science education. The meaning and features of CoI are: (a) inquiry in CoI is initiated with faithful doubt; (b) inquiry in CoI finishes with faithful belief; (c) inquiry in CoI attempts to find out the best explanation and solution regarding the practical effects of objects; (d) as an ideal community, CoI is required to be one that inquires continuously without definite limits; (e) as an actual community, CoI requires its members' open communication to find the best explanation and solution. Based on these features of CoI, the Community of Inquiry in Science Classroom (CoI-SC), "the classroom community for the purpose of transforming the state of faithful doubt into the state of faithful belief, in relation to natural phenomena or objects, and where the members share objectives as participants continuously attempt to find out the best explanation and solution by open communication, considering fallibility and the practical effects of objects", was suggested. The condition for implementation of the CoI-SC, "'interest', 'openness', 'rigor', 'fallibilism', 'participation', 'inquiry without definite limits'", were also suggested. Finally, several suggestions for the science curriculum were given.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.273-290
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• 2017

The purposes of this study are to develop a measuring instrument for perception of science classes based on the view of 'Community of Inquiry in Science Classroom' and to investigate elementary school students' perceptions with the instrument developed in the study. A total of 417 6th grade students participated in this study. As a result, first, we developed two set of questionnaire: (a) the questionnaire for the 'process of inquiry' consisted of six factors: 'problem recognition I: recognition of inconsistency,' 'problem recognition II: interests,' 'problem explanation I: hypothesis generation and examination,' 'problem explanation II: cooperative review,' 'problem solving I: reflection on the change of relationship with objects/conceptions,' and 'problem solving II: reflection on the change of relationship with community/ inquirer,' comprising a total of 42 items; (b) the questionnaire for the 'basis of inquiry' consisted of three factors:'will of conducting inquiry,' 'attitudes of conducting inquiry,' and 'structure of communication,' comprising a total of 17 items. Second, we found that elementary school students had positive recognition generally on their science classes in terms of the 'community of inquiry in science classroom,' but they had relatively negative recognition on the factors of problem recognition based on recognition of inconsistency, problem solving accompanied with reflection on the change of relationship with objects/conceptions, and attitudes of conducting inquiry based on severity and fallibilism, Finally, several suggestions for the science education were given.