• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.13-33
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to clarify the possibility of the character education and the concrete implementation process in the field of science education in accordance with the social demand for character education. Based on this purpose, the researchers tried to understand the specific character elements appearing in various science learning situations and to understand the qualities of each specific character elements that can be emphasized through science learning and the aspect of expression process in related learning situations. The researchers selected 11 students from the 7th and 8th graders in Seoul and developed and applied the 'Become a Science Teacher' mentor program in 2014 and 2015. Data collection was conducted through class recordings, mentor teachers' and assistant teacher's journal, artifacts, student journals, student portfolios, class listeners' essays for science class and analyzed qualitative data collected through constant comparison method. According to the result, we extracted 11 character elements and reorganized them into 16 specific character elements revealed in various learning situations based on the relationship between each character elements. The results of the study are eight specific character elements that can be emphasized through science learning and related learning situations. The eight specific character elements are 'responsibility for teaching behavior due to hierarchy of scientific knowledge structure, communication for forming scientific concept, empathic concern based on science learning experience, cooperation for promoting rationality of inquiry method, positive perception of scientific endeavor, respect for scientists' attitudes toward research, confidence in future scientific research, persistence in trial and error'. Based on the results of this study, we proposed the research methods of character in the field of science education in the future.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.305-317
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• 2018

In this study, we investigated the characteristics of participant students' modeling with the blackbox simulation program and epistemic criteria. For this research, we developed a blackbox simulation program, which is an ill-structured problem situation reflecting the scientific practice. This simulation program is applied in the activities. 23 groups, 89 second year students of an education college participated in this activity. They visualized, modeled, modified, and evaluated their thoughts on internal structure in the blackbox. All of students' activities were recorded and analyzed. As a result, the students' models in blackbox activities were categorized into four types considering their form and function. Model evaluation occurred in group model selection. Epistemic criteria such as empirical coherence, comprehensiveness, analogy, simplicity, and implementation were adapted in model evaluation. The educational implications discussed above are as follows: First, the blackbox simulation activities in which the students participated in this study have educational implications in that they provide a context in which the nature of scientific practice can be experienced explicitly and implicitly by constructing and testing models. Second, from the beginning of the activity, epistemic criteria such as empirical coherence, comprehensiveness, analogy, simplicity, and implementation were not strictly adapted and dynamically flexibly adapted according to the context. Third, the study of epistemic criteria in various contexts as well as in the context of this study will broaden the horizon of understanding the nature of scientific practice. Simulation activity, which is the context of this study, can lead to research related to computational thinking that will be more important in future society. We expect to be able to lead more discussions by furthering this study by elaborating and systematizing its context and method.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.139-152
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to provide some suggestions for future improvement of scientific inquiry activities in Korean elementary science textbook. The modified framework of Lee(2005) and Millar et al.(1998) was used to compare inquiry activities in the Korean and Singaporean science textbooks. The results of this study are as follows: Korean text books have more activities than Singapore's, but both countries have similar time allotment for science classes. In the area of 'inquiry process skill', Singapore is more balanced in 'Basic inquiry process skills' and 'Integrated inquiry process skills' than Korea. Singapore's integrated inquiry rate is also higher than Korea's. Next the results of comparing leaning objectives to scientific inquiry activities shows that Korean text books tend to focus on 'contents objectives', while Singapore's text books focus on balancing 'contents objectives' and 'process objectives'. Korean science textbooks encourage students to communicate the results of experiments but in most case these communication activities are actually not performed. Lastly Korea and Singapore have low degree of openness in inquiry activities. Remarkably 'Suggest questions' are totally conducted by teachers. This study implies that Korean science textbooks should have lower amounts of inquiry activities to accomodate enough time for communication about results. Next we need to make balance not only 'Basic inquiry process skills' and 'Integrated inquiry process skills' but also 'Content objectives' and 'Process objectives'. Lastly we need to make student to be the leader in science classes through encouraging them to plan procedures for experiments and to discover results by themselves.