• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.767-778
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• 2014

Many biologists and various educational associations define evolution as a unifying theme as well as a central idea in biology. In this study, teacher education programs were developed as 18-hour courses on understanding the unified role and significance of evolution in biology, and their effectiveness was tested. As factors for the program content, enhancement of the acceptance of evolution, reinforcement of the conception of evolutionary theory, and recognizing and practicing evolution as the unifying nature of evolution were considered. Hands-on activities, self- and peer-evaluation, and projects based on the small teams including frequent questioning and feedback by instructors were considered methodological factors. Six in-service biology teachers and seven pre-service teachers took part in the programs of the graduate school of H university to testing their effectiveness. They were effective in improving the acceptance of evolution, the understanding of evolutionary mechanism, the perception on the unified role of evolution. The programs also induced a positive change in self-evaluation for knowledge of evolution and perception on importance of evolution in biology. Subsequent studies on whether the changed perceptions of the teachers who participated in the programs reflect on their biology classes in secondary schools after finishing the graduate program are required.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.691-707
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• 2015

This study aims to develop biology teachers' education program based on argumentation activity about core concepts of evolution and to analyze the characteristics of core concepts of evolution learned during the program. The eight core concepts of evolution in this study were variation, heritability of variation, competition, natural selection, adaptation, differential reproductive rate of individuals, changes in genetic pool within a population, and macroevolution. The performances of teachers participating in the program were compared before and after argumentation activities; consisting of seven sessions on the eight core concepts of evolution. The process of the program was specially designed by learning cycle model for teacher education, consisting of seven phases: identification of the task, production of a tentative argument, small group's written argument, share arguments with the other groups, reflective discussion, final written argument, and organization by an instructor. Participants in the study were two pre-service biology teachers and four in-service biology teachers. The results suggest that biology teachers reduced the teleological explanation for biological evolution and improve its adequacy after the intervention. Teachers lacked the opportunity to discuss variation, heritability of variation, competition, and macroevolution because science textbooks lack information on the concepts of biological evolution. The results of this study suggest that because the argumentation program developed for teachers helps to improve understanding the concepts of evolution and to reduce inadequate conceptions in biology, teacher education programs using argumentation activity and eight core concepts of evolution will play a role for efficient evolution education for biology teachers.

• Journal of Practical Engineering Education
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.513-520
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• 2024

This study investigates the changes in teachers' roles as the impact of AI on school education expands. Traditionally, teachers have been responsible for core aspects of classroom instruction, curriculum development, assessment, and feedback. AI can automate these processes, particularly enhancing efficiency through personalized learning. AI also supports complex classroom management tasks such as student tracking, behavior detection, and group activity analysis using integrated camera and microphone systems. However, AI struggles to automate aspects of counseling and interpersonal communication, which are crucial in student life guidance. While direct conversational replacement by AI is challenging, AI can assist teachers by providing data-driven insights and pre-conversation resources. Key competencies required for teachers in the AI era include expertise in advanced instructional methods, dataset analysis, personalized learning facilitation, student and parent counseling, and AI digital literacy. Teachers should collaborate with AI to emphasize creativity, adjust personalized learning paths based on AI-generated datasets, and focus on areas less amenable to AI automation, such as individualized learning and counseling. Essential skills include AI digital literacy and proficiency in understanding and managing student data.