• Journal of Engineering Education Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.48-53
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• 2014

Recently, the tendency for young people losing interest in science has accelerated. This tendency is remarkable for not only Japan but also some countries of Asia. It is thought that this tendency was brought from the decrease of the chance to watch the actual manufacturing activities, and the decrease of the real experience which children makes something in their childhood. In order to bring up the capable engineers on such a social background, making a product practice which promotes the understanding of the application of theory for manufacturing products is important in addition to study by the text book. In this study, some practical work materials for the lower grades in the college were developed. Integration of the developed materials and the course of study becomes an effective teaching method of the of subjects on a special field. Arranging this practical work on the learning process makes a high effect of the integrated practical work on the curriculum.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.495-503
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to analyze elementary school students' attitudes through field-experience teaming activities program for the integrated textbook on the environment issues. This study was conducted after implementing the field environmental education for fifth graders with the teaching-teaming plan applied to the field education and was based on the analysis of environment-related education for the fifth graders. A total of 64 elementary students, 32 in the experimental group and 342 in the control group, were involved in this study. The study used the instrument consisting of 36 Likert-type questions on attitudes toward environment. After going over the influences of the field environmental education program on the students, we found out the positive development in the pre-test and post-test, concerning all environmental themes, especially in the field of protection of animals, environmental pollution, and environment in general.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.143-155
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• 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 The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.208-227
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to analyze secondary science teachers' planning process for an integrated science lesson. For this study, relevant references were collected from various sources, including literatures, previous studies regarding integrated science education, and individual studies. Two teachers (one from middle school and the other from high school) participated and 'the five-step instructional design' was adopted from former studies in this subject. The teachers were asked to develop an instructional plan based on 'the design' provided. While the consultation provided a framework for an instructional plan, the teachers were asked to take a leading role in terms of selecting the chapter to be taught; analyzing the course structure; and making detailed teaching plans. In the course of consultations, discussions, records, and analysis were organized into a journal. Based on the journal, the aspects of the planning process, including difficulties and problems faced by teachers, were analyzed in-depth. From the study, it could be observed that both high school and middle school teachers face various difficulties in preparing for the integrated science lesson. Among other things, the teachers emphasized the difficulties in the stages of selecting the topic, collecting the relevant information, and restructuring and organizing the lecture contents.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.250-262
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• 1995

Investigation on the appendices was carried out to acquire teaching materials about improvement of a appendices and development of teaching-learning activities for science textbooks in Korean middle schools. We analysed the appendices for 30 kinds of science textbooks used in Korean middle schools during $1969{\sim}1994$ years. In the results there were three kinds of pattern for the appendices, such as appendix, non-appendix, and similar appendix without appendix title. The content of appendices were summarized as six categories. such as list of science and scientist history, SI unit-constants and symbols, handling methods of instruments for basic experiments, measuring methods and inquiry activity, safety and precautions, and supplementary data with figures and tables. The appendices of six categories were mostly a content of general and integrated science, and were concentrated in the first grader's textbooks. There were many appendices about the methods for basic experiments such as 'How to Use of Experimental Appliances' in the first grader's science textbooks, but there was no or lack of them in the second and the third grader's science textbooks in the middle school. By the ratio to the pages of appendices which were included according to curriculum changes. the ratio was found to be 4.47% which was the highest in middle school science textbooks at the second curriculum and to be 3.47% which was the highest in high school biology textbooks at the second curriculum. The results of this study indicated that the science textbooks should include as many appendices as possible, because teachers could utilize them in teaching activities and students should be able to be given much help in self-learning.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.141-160
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• 2017

At present, the whole world is characterized by openness, cooperation and integration as a society with information and the world, and it requires creative talents for this. The competitiveness of the nation depends on the cultivation of creative talents. It demands anthropological value by improving the competitiveness of the nation through cultivating creative talents to share and care, not to cultivate creative talents for personal desires and accomplishments. The purpose of this study is to develop a teaching - learning process to develop integrated creative talents by applying the characteristics of integrated education curriculum at the base of the 2015 revised curriculum. To do this, we first extracted the content elements of the Clothing Life area of the revised curriculum from the 1st to 2015 and the contents of the Clothing Life area of the technology and home Economics textbooks to which the 2009 revision curriculum was applied. Five topics were extracted according to content selection criteria And The Theme of 'The selection and management of clothing' was selected. Researcher developed a integrated thematic instruction Home Economics Education Clothing Life teaching - learning process (hereinafter referred to as "the process") focused on the theme of 'selection and management of clothing'. The Process was composed of 5 basic classes [basic inquiry - content 1 - content 2 - depth study - application]. The process considers integration within the curriculum and interdepartmental integration, and aims to improve the personality, creativity, and problem solving ability of consideration and sharing in the course of the integrated class. In detail, the curriculum goals of the home Economics Education curriculum and ITI goals are presented separately in the curriculum developed for each process. At the stage of the class, the element of creativity and the element of personal education were exposed and applied to the class. In Korea, new curriculum has been revised and announced from time to time, making it difficult for the teacher to carry out the class in accordance with the paradigm of change. Home curriculum is closely related to real life, so it is an appropriate subject for an integrated subject. It has the educational significance of the subject in that it allows students to integrate the creative and personal elements that are limited in other subjects. ITI process will be helpful to teachers who need to implement the 2015 revised curriculum in which the theme-centered integrated home Economics education teaching-learning process is newly introduced. It is necessary to follow - up research to verify the effectiveness of how to improve students' problem - solving ability and cultivate creativity.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.115-127
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• 2012

This is a survey research which investigated perceptions of 85 elementary and secondary school science teachers on inter-disciplinary teaching in general. It is expected that the results of this survey will help to find out the necessity, the appropriate time, the proper approach and the obstacles of inter-disciplinary education. Results indicated that 49.5% of the teachers were aware of inter-disciplinary teaching and 61.2% of the teachers agreed with the necessity of implementing inter-disciplinary strategy. However, considering difficulties in objective assessment and burdens of college entrance exam preparation, they responded that inter-disciplinary teaching could be more appropriate and feasible to be implemented for lower graders at elementary schools than secondary school students. Of the answers to the integrated approaches, 57.6% of teachers chose the theme-based approach, and 16.5% chose the problem-based approach. When they chose the theme-based approach, they stated the reason of educational readiness. On the other hand, when they chose the problem-based approach, they stated the reason of educational obligation which assumes that a problem solving needs inter-disciplinary approach. The teachers also selected 'lack of knowledge on other subjects' and 'lack of time to prepare teaching materials' as major predicaments in implementing inter-disciplinary approach. This suggests that there needs a clear and specific teaching strategy along with a guidance to teaching materials for inter-disciplinary teaching.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.322-333
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to identify the types and characteristics of the integrative thinking that learners with diverse learning backgrounds use in solving earth science problems. Four students in middle school were surveyed using questionnaires to know students' science learning background and test items with integrated content. A total of 200 items, 40 integrated items and 160 general items, were administered ten times. The students did not show a consistent relationship in terms of correct answer percentage in general items and that of in integrated items. In order to understand the type of integrative thinking of each student, after students solve an item, we analyzed the percentage of correct answers by types and interviewed them and analyzed the contents to identify the characteristics of the thinking used in solving each item. As a result, the types of integrative thinking used in problem solving were classified into three types, knowledge-based, real life-based, and integrated inquiry-based types. It is necessary to study various ways to improve the integrative thinking ability considering the characteristics of students in science teaching and learning.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.1170-1185
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• 2013

In this case study, we investigated the characteristics of secondary beginning science-gifted education teachers' reflection on their science teaching with coteaching through mentoring. We selected two beginning teachers with less than one year teaching careers in secondary science-gifted education. The teachers planned, performed, and reflected together on their science teaching for science-gifted students during twelve class hours over four times. Since the second class, pre-, during-, and post-mentorings were conducted. We observed their science classes with coteaching through mentoring, and analyzed their reflective journals in the views of productive reflection. The analyses of the results revealed that 'instructional strategies and instruction for science-gifted education' and 'science-gifted students' were most frequently included in their reflection regardless of class time. 'Curriculum for science-gifted education' were also frequently included although fewer than the two aspects. However, 'subject matter knowledge' and 'assessment in science-gifted education' were hardly included. Two to four aspects of the five were variously integrated in their reflection. The integrations among three to four aspects were especially more frequently included than those between two aspects. The integrations of 'instructional strategies and instruction for science-gifted education' or 'science-gifted students' with the other aspects were also found to be the most frequent. These results suggest that coteaching through mentoring can promote beginning science-gifted education teachers' productive reflection on their science teaching.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.137-173
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• 2021

Research and national standards, such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in the United States, promote the development and implementation of K-12 interdisciplinary curricula integrating the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science (STEM+CS). However, little research has explored how teachers provide epistemic support in interdisciplinary contexts or the factors that inform teachers' epistemic support in STEM+CS activities. The goal of this paper is to articulate how interdisciplinary instruction complicates epistemic knowledge and resources needed for teachers' instructional decision-making. Toward these ends, this paper builds upon existing models of teachers' instructional decision-making in individual STEM+CS disciplines to highlight specific challenges and opportunities of interdisciplinary approaches on classroom epistemic supports. First, we offer considerations as to how teachers can provide epistemic support for students to engage in disciplinary practices across mathematics, science, engineering, and computer science. We then support these considerations using examples from our studies in elementary classrooms using integrated STEM+CS curriculum materials. We focus on an elementary school context, as elementary teachers necessarily integrate disciplines as part of their teaching practice when enacting NGSS-aligned curricula. Further, we argue that as STEM+CS interdisciplinary curricula in the form of NGSS-aligned, project-based units become more prevalent in elementary settings, careful attention and support needs to be given to help teachers not only engage their students in disciplinary practices across STEM+CS disciplines, but also to understand why and how these disciplinary practices should be used. Implications include recommendations for the design of professional learning experiences and curriculum materials.