• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.146-156
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• 2024

Background: Children who use playground facilities are exposed to potential risks due to the high concentration of heavy metals contained in the finishing materials of facilities in children's playgrounds. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the concentration of heavy metals in the finishing materials of outdoor children's playgrounds where harmful heavy metals exist in Gwangju and to conduct human risk assessment for children and adults by age to find the risks and limitations. Methods: The bottom and top layers of double-painted paint were peeled off and collected together from the finishing materials of children's play facilities such as slides, swings, and seesaws in 147 children's parks in Gwangju. Heavy metals were analyzed using ICP-OES, etc., and human risk assessment was performed using the concentrations of heavy metals. Results: Based on 1.0E-04, which requires legal regulation, CTE was found to pose a carcinogenic risk for preschool children and no carcinogenic risk for the rest of the age groups. However, RME showed that both men and women of all ages had a carcinogenic risk. For reference, when the carcinogenic risk was based on 1.0E-06, CTE was found to pose a carcinogenic risk from infants to elementary school students, and RME was found to have a carcinogenic risk in all age groups. It was judged that there is a non-carcinogenic risk if the non-carcinogenic risk exceeds 1 based on the hazard index (HI) 1. In CTE, there was no non-carcinogenic risk, and RME for preschooler males (1.49E+00) and females (1.56E+00) were found to have non-carcinogenic risk. Conclusions: This study was meaningful in that it examines the differences in the current management of heavy metals concentration standards and potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks to the human body and discusses the relationship between heavy metals and human health effects.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2008

Objective : The purpose of this study is to provide reference to functional level of sensory integration of in the low-grads school age, based on the Clinical Observation of Motor and Postural Skills (COMPS) and to examine correlation between the function of sensory integration and academic achievement. Method : Two schools ("J" and "S") have been selected indiscriminately among 56 elementary schools located in Gimhae-si, GyeongNam and then one class from each school was voluntarily chosen among all second-grade classes of the schools. The total number of students in those two classes was 69 (34 boys and 35 girls). Subjects had no developmental problem and no history of referral regarding neurological conditions. Three skilled researchers administrated the COMPS together, and each researcher executed two sub-items of the COMPS. As result of the academic achievement, score data of midterm- and final-exam in the spring semester were collected. The scores of 'Korean language' and 'Math', common examination subjects in both schools, were utilized for data analysis in this study. Results : Statically, there was no significant correlation between the COMPS Weighted Scores and any academic achievements. In a dispersion graphic analysis, however, the total achievement showed significant negative-correlation with the area of 'Rapid Forearm Rotation' and significant positive-correlation with the area of 'Supine Flexion'. In terms of the Math achievement, there are significant negative-correlation with rapid forearm rotation and asymmetrical tonic neck reflex, and significant positive-correlation with the area of 'Supine Flexion'. Students with higher score of the Korean language showed a tendency to get higher Weighted Score and Minus Adjustment Score, and those with lower score of the Math showed a tendency to get higher COMPS scores in all area except the area of 'Supine Flexion'. There was a statically significant difference in the COMPS scores depend on the age among general characteristics. As student older, all COMPS scores, except those in the area of 'Slow Motion' and 'Supine Flexion, were higher. Conclusions : There is somehow reliable correlation between sensory integration function and academic achievement although no statistical significance found in this study. The information from this study may contribute to initiate developing a normative-reference to screen earlier and more alertly sensory integration dysfunctions for school-age children. Further study is recommended trying to find out more reliable matter regarding low grade- schooler's academic achievement.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.499-510
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• 2014

The purpose of this research is to understand interactive learning during docent-led tours in a science museum focusing on scaffolding. We developed a scaffolding framework by collating the work of other researchers in related fields. The results show that scaffolding included three dimensions: purpose, interaction, and domain. The purpose dimension, divided into six categories, is related to the intention of the scaffolder and what the scaffolding are for: strategic, social, procedural, conceptual, verbal, and metacognitive. The interaction dimension reflects students' interaction with the scaffolder in two ways: dynamic (situation specific) and static (planned in advance). The domain dimension is related to two contents: domain-general and domain-specific (such as science). The scaffolding framework was applied to dynamic interactions between docents and visitors. The data was collected from elementary school students' family visits with the guidance of two docents at the Seodaemun Museum of Natural History. The data collected consisted of surveys, interviews, video-recordings, and transcripts. The analysis shows that five guiding contexts and scaffolding phases were recognized; 1) strategic scaffolding in a poorly illustrated exhibit; 2) conceptual scaffolding in a thoroughly explanative exhibit; 3) verbal scaffolding in misleading interpretation; 4) procedural scaffolding in a manipulative exhibit; and 5) metacognitive scaffolding with inaccurate content. In addition, the results show that the docents used the dynamic and static scaffolding synthetically so that the docent-led tour was effective. In conclusion, this study presents the usefulness of understanding visitors' science learning through the scaffolding framework, as well as the how docents can scaffold actively.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.779-786
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• 2014

Elementary children, hoping for jobs in science/engineering(Sci/Eng) or medicine(Med), were surveyed on the reasons for jobs, science/math preferences, interests in science, and science aspirations. For 3rd grade boys, twice more students picked Sci/Eng than Med choices. However, for 6th grade boys, the numbers of Sci/Eng and Med became close. The ratios of girls with Sci/Eng in 3rd and 6th grade did not differ much. The 6th graders chosing Med was 1.4 times bigger than 3rd graders for both boys and girls. For students with Sci/Eng, the most important reason for a job was that he/she liked it. For Med, helping others was as much important as doing what he/she liked. Science preference were the highest in the Sci/Eng group. The Med group came next with the non-science group being last. Math preferences were lower than the science preferences. Therefore, children need to be guided to increase the preferences for math as well as for science to keep the Sci/Eng and Med career choices. The interests in science and the science aspirations show similar patterns. The 3rd graders showed higher value than the 6th graders, the boys higher than girls, and the Sci/Eng group highest, the Med the second and non-science group the last. Science aspirations were higher than the interests only for the Sci/Eng group, while it was lower than the interests in all other groups. This implies that science aspirations might have bigger influence on getting a career in Sci/Eng than interest does.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.573-584
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• 2019

It is necessary to look at the essence of STEAM education from the viewpoint of the teacher who is the subject of education execution. We carry out questionnaires and telephone interviews for the purpose, definition, change, etc. of STEAM education from eight elementary, middle, and high teachers who are rich in policy and field application experience. As a result of the analysis, the purpose of the STEAM education that the specialists mentioned includes the active participation of the students. Most experts pointed out that the definition of STEAM education is ambiguous. So, it is necessary to express a clear goal of STEAM education. The category and level meaning "fields" from "a convergence of two or more fields" are not indicative definitions, but can be different depending on the situation, considering the context of activities and the level of students. The perception of the experts on framework may be a guide for STEAM education and stumbling block. It is necessary for "Context" to shift away from the emphasis on the real life connection and to the emphasis on the interest of the student and the guidance of the class. "Creative design" must be based on trial and error in the process of solving problems. "Emotional touch" needs to correct elements that cannot be observed, evaluated, and applied to lessons that are elements of emotional experience. As for the expansion of STEAM education, most expert teachers have recognized that STEAM education is becoming increasingly stable and that policy change has continued to slow the pace of stabilization.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.327-344
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• 2011

This study is the first step for us toward improving high school students' capability of statistical inferences, such as obtaining and interpreting the confidence interval on the population mean that is currently learned in high school. We suggest 5 underlying concepts of 'discretion of contingency and inevitability', 'discretion of induction and deduction', 'likelihood principle', 'variability of a statistic' and 'statistical model', those are necessary to appreciate statistical inferences as a reliable arguing tools in spite of its occasional erroneous conclusions. We assume those 5 concepts above are to be gradually developing in their school periods and Korean mathematics textbooks of grades 1-12 were analyzed. Followings were found. For the right choice of solving methodology of the given problem, no elementary textbook but a few high school textbooks describe its difference between the contingent circumstance and the inevitable one. Formal definitions of population and sample are not introduced until high school grades, so that the developments of critical thoughts on the reliability of inductive reasoning could not be observed. On the contrary of it, strong emphasis lies on the calculation stuff of the sample data without any inference on the population prospective based upon the sample. Instead of the representative properties of a random sample, more emphasis lies on how to get a random sample. As a result of it, the fact that 'the random variability of the value of a statistic which is calculated from the sample ought to be inherited from the randomness of the sample' could neither be noticed nor be explained as well. No comparative descriptions on the statistical inferences against the mathematical(deductive) reasoning were found. Few explanations on the likelihood principle and its probabilistic applications in accordance with students' cognitive developmental growth were found. It was hard to find the explanation of a random variability of statistics and on the existence of its sampling distribution. It is worthwhile to explain it because, nevertheless obtaining the sampling distribution of a particular statistic, like a sample mean, is a very difficult job, mere noticing its existence may cause a drastic change of understanding in a statistical inference.

• (The) Korean Journal of Educational Psychology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.99-130
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal relationship between resilience and social support of school violence exposure types including school bullying, victimization, and dual experience. The study used data obtained from the third year (2012) of the Seoul Education Longitudinal Study of 1,137 elementary school students in grade 6 who reported experiencing school violence. The results of the autoregressive cross-lagged model are as follows. First, as a result of measuring the self-regression coefficients of resilience and social support of the youth exposed to school violence at 3 time points (2012, 2014, and 2016), it was found for all types of violence that resilience and social support at the previous time point showed a signigicant positive effect on the same variable at the next time point. Second, in the case of the cross-lagged effects of resilience and social support, the effect of previous social support on resilience at the next time point was statistically significant for the victimization group, but not for the bullying or dual experience groups. Third, considering the opposite path from resilience to social support, resilience at the previous time point had a significant influence on the social support at the next time point for both the bullying and victimization groups. This result is new and can be complementary to the cross-sectional studies so far using a longitudinal view. The results of this study suggest that the bullying and victimized students who are relatively more resilient are less likely to perceive social support than those who are not resilient. Finally, we discuss the longitudinal relationship between resilience and social support, the limitations of this study, and implications for future research.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.417-428
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• 2022

This study analyzed the frequency and level of scientific practices presented in secondary science textbooks. A total of 1,378 student activities presented in 14 middle school science textbooks and 5 high school integrated science textbooks were analyzed, using the definition and level of scientific practice suggested in the NGSS. Findings show that most student activities focus on three practices. Compared to the textbooks for the previous science curriculum, the practice of 'obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information' was more emphasized, reflecting societal changes due to ICT development. However, the practice of 'asking a question', which can be an important element of student-led science learning, was still rarely found in textbooks, and 'developing and using models', 'using math and computational thinking' and 'arguing based on evidence' were not addressed much. The practices were mostly elementary school level except for the practice of 'constructing explanations'. Such repeated exposures to a few and low level of practices mean that many future citizens would be led to a naïve understanding of science. The findings imply that it is necessary to emphasize various practices tailored to the level of students. In the upcoming revision of the science curriculum, it is necessary to provide the definition of practices that are not currently specified and the expected level of each practice so that the curriculum can provide sufficient guidance for textbook writing. These efforts should be supported by benchmarking of overseas science curriculum and research that explore students' ability and teachers' understanding of scientific practices.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.69-76
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• 2000

Purpose: The Pathogenesis of primary noctllrnal enuresis(PNE) is still controversial. Genetic factor and maturational delay of micturition reflex including arousal disorder, lack of nocturnal Arginine Vasopressin(AVP) release and functional bladder capacity have been suggested. We analyzed the risk factors of PNE. Methods: Fifty five children with PNE (20 enuretics diagnosed at school physical examination of the first grade students at Mok-Dong Elementary School and 35 enuretics (Age 6-7 year) diagnosed at Ewha Womans University Mok Dong Hospital) and 221 control students without PNE at school physical examination were included. Genetic, stress and developmental factors, arousability, water intake, urine volume, maximun voiding volume and daytime voiding dysfunction were compared. Results: 1) There was no significant difference between PNE and control group in sex ratio, birth order, percentage of working mothers, parental and child personality, age to start walking, school record and duration of sleep. 2) Family history in the PNE group was significantly higher than control group ($20.0\%\;vs\;2.7\%$)(P<0.05). 3) The difficulty in arousal in the PNE group was significantly more common than the control group ($70.9\%\;vs\;54.3\%$)(P<0.05). 4) Nocturnal water intake in the PNE group was significantly greater than the control group ($330{\pm}158.2\;mL\;vs\;235{\pm}129.5\;mL$). Nocturnal urine volume in the PNE group was significantly greater than the control group ( $390{\pm}61.5\;mL\;vs\;140{\pm}43.2\;mL$)(P<0.05). Daily water intake and daily urine volume did not significantly differ between the two groups. 5) Maximum urine volume per void in the PNE group was significantly lower than the control group ($107{\pm}35.9\;mL\;vs\;236{\pm}41.3\;mL$). Daytime voiding dysfunction in the PNE group was significantly more common than the control group ($80.0\%\;vs\;57.9\%$). The voiding frequency in the PNE group was significantly greater than the control group ($7.0{\pm}3.6\;vs\;5.4{\pm}1.6$)(P<0.05). Conclusion: In addition to genetic factors and maturational delay of micturition reflex (difficulty in arousal, nocturnal polyuria and decreased functional bladder capacity) nocturnal polydypsia was found to be the important risk factors fur PNE. So nocturnal fluid restriction should be encouraged as the first-line management of PNE.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.327-332
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• 2005

The purpose of this Study was to investigate the prevalence rate of idiopathic scoliosis to the students from the elementary to the university in S city of Chung-Nam using 100 mm Mirror Camera radiation indirect examination units, with on age range of between eight and thirteen (1.526 subjects), fourteen and sixteen (462 subjects), seventeen and eighteen (291 subjects), nineteen and twenty four(508 subjects) and total of 2,787 participants with the 590 male subjects and 2,197 female subjects. The results of this study can be summarized and compared the primary examination with the secondary test of greater than $10^{\circ}$of Cobb's Angle were obtained as follows; 1. Indirect Examination were conducted to find idiopathic scoliosis amomg total 2.787 subjects, 257 subjects (9.2%) who showed positive sign greater than $10^{\circ}$in the Cobb's Angle ; below age of thirteen (132 subjects), between fourteen and sixteen (52 subjects), seventeen and eighteen (35 subjects), nineteen and twenty four (38 subjects). The $x^2-test$ analysis of Indirect Examination showed no statistical significant difference association between the age range and $10^{\circ}$Cobb's Angle of spinal curve(P>0.059). 2. The numbers of idiopathic scoliosis of greater than $10^{\circ}$Cobb's Angle of spinal curve in the primary examination were observed in 147 subjects (57.2%) at the Thoracolumbar region, 81subjects (31.5%) at the Thoracic region, 20 subjects (7.8%) at the Cervicothoracic region, 7 subjects (2.7%) at the Lumbar region, 2 subjects (0.8%) at the Cervical region. So, the large numbers were Thoracolumbar region, 183 participants (71.2%) showed the right side curve of scoliosis and 74 participant (28.8%) showed the left side curve of scoliosis. 3. The main region of the pain in one's own self more than $10^{\circ}$ Cobb's angle of spinal curve were no pain 219 subjects (85.2%), 18 subjects (7.0%) at the Lumbar region, 9 subjects (3.5%) at the Cervical region, 7 subjects (2.7%) at the Thoracic region, 2 subjects (0.7%) at the shoulder girdle region, 1 subjects (0.39%) at the pelvis and whole body region. There was statistical significant difference association between the Cobb's Angle of spinal curve and the main pain region of one's (P<0.006). This study may be significant to an early stage investigate of the prevalence rate of idiopathic scoliosis in the juveniles using 100 mm Mirror Camera radiation indirect examination units. The results of this study help that the students in a stage on growth the basis of data early discovery and therapy of idiopathic scoliosis.