• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.59-76
• /
• 2015

The study aimed to investigate elementary school gifted students' hypothesis-generating ability and characteristics of hypotheses and to analyze the correlation between hypothesis-generating ability and meta-cognition. Nineteen students enrolled in a science gifted education center affiliated with a university in 2013 were selected as research subjects. An instrument of open ended items about hypothesis generating was developed and administered to students, and their meta-cognition as well as their preferred science teaching method were examined. Hypotheses generated by students were classified into two categories: scientific and non-scientific hypotheses, and then a closer analysis was conducted on characteristics of non-scientific hypotheses. It was found that 47% (18 out of 38 hypotheses) was scientific ones showing that elementary school gifted students in science in this study presented low level of ability in generating hypothesis. It was also found that non-scientific hypotheses frequently showed characteristics of uncertain in causality or impossible to verify relationships. Furthermore, differences in hypothesis-generating ability and characteristics of hypotheses were appeared in conditions whether inquiry questions and variable identification process were given or not. Students showed high abilities in hypothesis generating and variable identifying when inquiry questions and variable identification process were given. Compared to previous research results, students in the study showed high level of meta-cognition and tendency of utilizing monitoring strategy more than planning and regulating. In ill-structured conditions that students themselves find inquiry questions and identify variables, a significant (p<.05) correlation appeared between hypothesis generating ability and meta-cognition and a high level of correlation between planning and regulating strategies. It was also found that differences existed in hypothesis-generating ability and preferred science teaching methods between students with high level and those with low level of meta-cognition; and students with low level of meta cognition showed difficulties in generating hypothesis and identifying variables.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.509-541
• /
• 2014

There was a great need to consider a core competency-based approach as a new direction of the science education for gifted students according to the value and vision of the 21st century knowledge-based societies. Therefore we developed a core competency model of scientist and examined its validity as a prerequisite for a core competency-based education of science gifted students. In order to this, the survey was conducted after developing questionnaire through the theoretical review of the various resources such as paper, book, and newspaper articles and the qualitative analysis of the behavioral event interview, and then an exploratory factor analysis was performed to validate the factor structure based on the results of the survey. The results revealed that the core competency model with the 5 cluster units of competency and the 15 core competencies was potentially constituted. And the reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the core competency model were verified through the confirmatory factor analysis. The cognitive cluster consisted of 5 competencies and they were as follows: creative, comprehensive, exploratory, analytical, and conceptual thinking competency. The achievement-orientation cluster consisted of 3 competencies and they were as follows: initiative, preparation & problem solving, and strategic influence competency. The scientific attitude cluster consisted of 3 competencies and they were as follows: flexible thinking & attitude, passion for research, and views about science competency. The personal effectiveness cluster consisted of 2 competencies and they were as follows: diverse experiences and global attitude competency. Finally, the networking cluster consisted of 2 competencies and they were as follows: personal understanding and communication competency. Findings were expected to provide the basic data for developing programs and establishing strategies based on the core competency as well as introducing the core competency model of scientist to science education for gifted students effectively.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.1001-1024
• /
• 2014

The purpose of the study is to explore the experiences and meaning of the AP (Advanced Placement) at the specialized school for the highly gifted through the in-depth interview with 39 college students who had graduated from the specialized schools with the AP experiences. It is expected that the AP will be expanded to the students at the Science High Schools from the year of 2015, however, there has been no study to examine the realities of the AP in-depth especially through the voices of the AP participants. Students have taken 8 required and/or selective courses as AP in average. Students usually start to take AP from the second year of the specialized school for the highly gifted, but some start from the first year through the placement test. Numbers of available AP courses vary by subjects, but relatively more courses open in the areas of math and physics. Students' opinions regarding the AP were quite positive. Specifically, the high quality of the AP class and energetic interaction between student and teacher compared to the college classes were preferred by the students. However, it was controversial whether C+ is enough for the pass condition of the AP. Students were using the shortened time by AP in diverse ways, such as early graduation, double majors, exchange students, individual researches, and so on. Most of all, they tried to search for their career interests through the AP experiences. In closing, the present study provides some advices and future directions for the better AP management, including the improvement of administrative system between schools for the gifted and the universities, and the expansion of the number of university which approves the AP system.

• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.1-16
• /
• 2019

This exploratory study is aimed at exploring the validity of the Science Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ) developed for university students, to measure the science motivation of middle school students and analyze the differences on gender and country factors of SMQ. A total of 371 students participated in this study: 171 middle school students from the USA and 200 secondary students from Korea. All participants were enrolled in the STEM program and activities in Utah, USA (for US students) and at a Korean university institute for gifted and talented students (for Korean students). In this study, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and latent mean analysis were used to analyze the gender and country differences. The results indicated that the 25 items of SMQ scale were theoretically meaningful and valid for middle school students. The latent mean difference by gender indicated that male students have higher intrinsic motivation, career motivation, grade motivation, and self-determination than female students. Moreover, a significant difference exists in these factors between the two countries. Further findings reveal that Korean students scored higher than US students in terms of the aforementioned factors. This study will provide significant insights in and contribution to science motivation issues in STEM education and the development of design-based engineering programs.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.620-636
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study was to analyze one science teacher's understanding of student argumentation and his explicit teaching strategies for implementing it in the classroom. One middle school science teacher, Mr. Field, and his students of 54 participated in this study. Data were collected through three semi-structured interviews, 60 hours of classroom observations, and two times of students' lab reports for eight weeks. Coding categories were developed describing the teacher's understanding of scientific argumentation and a description of the main teaching strategy, the Claim-Evidence Approach, was introduced. Toulmin's approach was employed to analyze student discourse as responses to see how much of this discourse was argumentative. The results indicated that Mr. Field defined scientific inquiry as the abilities of procedural skills through experimentation and of reasoning skills through argumentation. The Claim-Evidence Approach provided students with opportunities to develop their own claims based on their readings, design the investigation for evidence, and differentiate pieces of evidence from data to support their claims and refute others. During this approach, the teacher's role of scaffolding was critical to shift students' less extensive argumentation to more extensive argumentation through his prompts and questions. The different level of teacher's involvement, his explicit teaching strategy, and the students' scientific knowledge influenced the students' ability to develop and improve argumentation.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.97-111
• /
• 2008

A total of 31 mothers of 5-month-old infants(18 boys and 13 girls) were observed and interviewed at home via a questionnaire format. Results revealed that perceived maternal parenting style had an effect on general infant general development. As mother exhibited more didactic and limit setting behaviors, the infants showed more receptive, expressive, and language development characteristics. Furthermore, the effects of maternal sensitivity on infant general development and language skills were also ascertained. The infants who showed more positive general development had mothers who interacted sensitively with them. Maternal sensitivity was the only factor that had a major effect on infant general development. The overall findings of this study indicate that perceived maternal parenting style and observed maternal sensitivity were found to have positive effects on general infant general development and language skills.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.1-30
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this study was to develop the inspection model of cognitive ability to identify visual artistic giftedness of the elementary school children with considering the relation between visual artistic giftedness and cognitive ability based on literature and preceding research. The research method applied literature research and quantitative research. Through literature review on the relation between art education and cognitive thinking and visual artistic of giftedness, it was suggested to prescribe the validity of cognitive ability as an element for identification of visual artistic giftedness identification, and then prescribed the elements of cognitive ability, and developed the inspection model of cognitive ability by measuring specific variables. Based on the results of literature research through the quantitative research, verified significance of developed inspection instrument on cognitive ability, validity and reliability of the inspection model of cognitive ability according to visual artistic giftedness identification of the elementary school children. As a result of reviewing related literature and preceding research, it could be referred that visual thinking ability, spatial perception power and critical thinking ability coincided with a characteristic of an art field can show excellent ability in various art activities and be valid criteria of visual artistic giftedness as cognitive ability of the visual artistic gifted with potential possibilities. In conclusion, as the elements of cognitive ability for the visual artistic giftedness identification of the elementary school children, visual thinking ability, spatial perception power and critical thinking ability were verified to be valid in terms of logical and experimental. Therefore, the result of the research will be able to provide a new approach in education program development of visual artistic giftedness of the elementary school children and a various developmental possibility in identification of visual artistic giftedness.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.141-162
• /
• 2009

The purpose of this study was to find out the learner's characteristics of students of Korea Science Academy by comparing general high school students and science high school students to Korea Science Academy students in terms of scientific attitude, learning styles, preferred teaching style, and learning environment, and to find out the differences of the learner's characteristics by gnender and school number, and to establish teaching strategies based on the findings. First, scientific attitude level of Korea Science Academy students was similar with science high school students and was high level comparing with general high students. Second, for learning style, the students of Korea Science Academy had many independent, collaborative and participatory types, Third, for the prefered science teaching style, the students of Korea Science Academy had high demands for diversification and thinking at higher levels girl students had open-mindedness and cooperation and voluntariness of higher level in scientific attitude, had more independent types in leraning style, and had higher preference of teacher's support, subject convergence and permissive atmosphere than boy students. there were no difference of student's characteristics and preferences by school number. Based on the findings, we proposed 4 teaching strategies.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.117-134
• /
• 2003

In Japan accumulating intellectual assets by enhancing science and technology is the only way to survive the global competition. To enhance science and technology, it is important to improve science literacy the public and to foster human resources for science and technology, Therefore, MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) is now working with various projects. One of the projects for attaining the purpose is Science Literacy Enhancement Initiative. This initiative is a brand-new package of several projects to enhance math and science education in high and middle schools including (1) Super Science High school (SSHs) and (2) Science Partnership Program. The purpose of this study was to investigate concretely about the situation of promotion of SSHs paying attention to three high schools (TAKASAKI high school, HORIOKA high school and RITUMEIKAN high school) specified as SSHs. Furthermore, some suggestions about gifted education were discussed.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.463-477
• /
• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the conceptions toward ICT in students who are currently enrolled in giftedness in invention classes. A total of 147 students at the junior and high school level responded to a 33 item questionnaire. Results show that these students consider ICT as very important and that it will become more important in the future. They also indicated that they frequently use ICT in their studies and also in their work. But a majority of the students considered their level of expertise in the ICT area as 'moderate', and their application of the programs as 'elementary'. Thus it can be assumed that these students did not have enough opportunity to learn ICT related skills. These students also expressed the desire to receive systematic instructions in the ICT area beginning from simple application to program development. The students thought that ICT skills need to be incorporated into the invention education to lead to better inventions. Considering the fact that the ICT area is becoming increasingly important and that Korea is considered a representative country in ICT, the reality of ICT education does not stand up to expectations, and the creative software development capacity is relatively low. Therefore, there is a need to incorporate ICT contents into the education for the giftedness in invention classes, and also to form connections with software development and invention education.