• Journal of Science Education
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.17-29
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to look qualitatively into how efficiently and reasonably a computer can learn themes related to the Nature of Science (NOS). In this regard, a corpus has been constructed focusing on literature (920 abstracts) related to NOS, and factors of the optimized Word2Vec (CBOW, Skip-gram) were confirmed. According to the four dimensions (Inquiry, Thinking, Knowledge and STS) of NOS, the comparative evaluation on the word-level word embedding was conducted. As a result of the study, according to the previous studies and the pre-evaluation on performance, the CBOW model was determined to be 200 for the dimension, five for the number of threads, ten for the minimum frequency, 100 for the number of repetition and one for the context range. And the Skip-gram model was determined to be 200 for the number of dimension, five for the number of threads, ten for the minimum frequency, 200 for the number of repetition and three for the context range. The Skip-gram had better performance in the dimension of Inquiry in terms of types of words with high similarity by model, which was checked by applying it to the four dimensions of NOS. In the dimensions of Thinking and Knowledge, there was no difference in the embedding performance of both models, but in case of words with high similarity for each model, they are sharing the name of a reciprocal domain so it seems that it is required to apply other models additionally in order to learn properly. It was evaluated that the dimension of STS also had the embedding performance that was not sufficient to look into comprehensive STS elements, while listing words related to solution of problems excessively. It is expected that overall implications on models available for science education and utilization of artificial intelligence could be given by making a computer learn themes related to NOS through this study.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.147-158
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• 2016

This study examined the changes of preservice biology teachers' NOS pedagogical content knowledge through two consecutive science methods courses: NOS understandings; attitudes toward teaching science; difficulties of NOS teaching; NOS teaching strategies; and views of orientation of NOS teaching. During the science methods course I, the preservice teachers engaged in discussions and reflections on what science is and how scientific knowledge has produced, drawing NOS aspects from episodes of history of science, and planning the lessons cooperating NOS instructional objectives. Then the next semester, through the science methods course II, the preservice teachers had a chance of the simulated teaching by adopting NOS teaching and learning activities in the context of the secondary biology context. The preservice teachers, further, reflected on their NOS teaching. The results showed that the preservice teachers constructed the NOS pedagogical content knowledge. They significantly improved their views of NOS and its teaching(p<.05) after the science methods course I, and retained their understanding after the science methods course II(p>.05). The preservice teachers mentioned the difficulties of teaching NOS in the secondary biology context, and further suggested effective NOS teaching methods in their reflective journals.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.791-797
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• 2019

In this study, we investigated the influences of Integrated Science and Science Inquiry Experiment developed under 2015 Revised National Science Curriculum on students' interest in science, scientific attitude, views on STS, and the nature of science (NOS). 223 tenth graders in Seoul metropolitan area participated in this study. We conducted the survey prior to and after the Integrated Science and Science Inquiry Experiment course using same instruments and compared the results of the pre-test and post-test. The analyses of the results reveal that there were significant improvements in the scores of the pre- and post-test on the interest in science and scientific attitude. In the case of views on STS, there were significant improvements in items related to science research ethics, however there were no significant differences in the remaining items. Also, there were no significant differences in the scores of the pre- and post-test on views on NOS. On the bases of the results, we discuss educational implications and suggest further studies.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.114-127
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• 2015

The nature of science has been recognized in a great deal in the field of science education. However, Most of the papers were going to study of teachers and students. to improve their recognition of the nature of science. The current study describes and analyzes Weather-Forecaster's understandings of the nature of science (NOS). Data used in this study were collected from 3 Weather-Forecasters using an semi-structured interview. The results of this study were as follows. First, the participants recognized that science has explored the phenomenon of unknown facts or observations and they were careful inductive perspective. Second, participants felt that science and society are associated with each other. Also, all participants were judged science verification process is required. Third, they are showed that science and technology interact closely with social relationships.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.895-905
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• 2015

Citizens should be sensitive to the complex and controversial SSIs (Socioscientific Issues), be able to make a responsible decision with evidence and empathy, and furthermore take political action for the larger welfare. The premise of this research is that understanding the nature of science (NOS) takes an important role when students and adults participate in the discourse on SSIs because SSI reasoning requires individuals to examine information and counter-information with skepticism. We therefore designed SSI programs that were incorporated with NOS by adapting a contextualized-reflective approach. The leading research question was to what extent SSI contexts contributed to promoting students' understanding of NOS. A total of 71 11th grade students participated in this program. The school was located in an urban city near the capital city of Seoul, South Korea. We designed SSI programs to cover the issues of genetically modified organisms, climate change, and nuclear energy. Each issue required four to six class periods to complete. We conducted pre- and post-program tests using the revised VNOS-C, recorded group discussions or debates and collected student worksheets to observe the increase of student NOS understanding. As a result of this program, students showed moderate improvement in their understanding of NOS.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.454-469
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• 2014

Teachers' presuppositions of nature of science, scientific causality, and nature are unconsciously constructed through interactions with his or her physical and social environment everyday and it began even before they were in any formal education. It directly influences their teaching later. Thus, this study examined what comprehensive presuppositions in nature of science, scientific causality, and nature are held by in-service secondary science teachers. For the study, Q-methodology was used. Q-sorting was done on 81 statements from three instruments: Nature statements, the Test of Preferred Explanations, and the Nature of Science Scale with twelve in-service science teachers. Teachers sorted the statements along a presented agreement scale of their viewpoint and the collected data was analyzed using recommended procedures for Q-sorts in order to group teachers with similar views. As a result, ten participants were placed in five factors based on their presuppositions of science, scientific causality, and nature and distinctive features of each factor were discovered. In addition, the study confirmed that presuppositions of science, scientific causality, and nature are interrelated. This study method will be helpful to discover more relationships regarding teachers' various viewpoints further.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to explore the variables of knowledge, acceptance of theory of evolution and epistemology that could be keys for teaching and learning the theory of evolution within school contexts, and to suggest instructional tips for teaching evolution in relation to the grade levels of education. This cross-sectional study examined the grade level differences (8th, 11th, and preservice teachers) of four variables: evolutionary knowledge; acceptance of theory of evolution; and both domain-specific epistemology (nature of science in relation to evolution) and context-specific epistemology (scientific epistemological views) and their relationships. This study, then, built conceptual models of each grade level students' acceptance of theory of evolution among the factors of evolutionary knowledge and epistemology (both domain-specific and context-specific). The results showed that the scores of evolutionary knowledge, evolution in relation to NOS, and scientific epistemology increased as the grade levels of education go up(p<.05) except the scores of acceptance of theory of evolution(p>.05). In addition, the 8th graders' and the 11th graders' acceptance of evolutionary theory was most explained by 'evolution in relation to NOS', while the preservice teachers' acceptance of evolutionary theory was most explained by evolutionary knowledge. Interestingly, 'scientific epistemological views' were only included for the 8th graders, while evolutionary knowledge and 'evolution in relation to NOS' (context-specific epistemology) were included in explaining all the level of students' acceptance of evolutionary theory. This study implicated that when teaching and learning of the theory of evolution in school contexts, knowledge, acceptance of evolutionary theory and epistemology could be considered appropriately for the different grade levels of students.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.539-556
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine preservice secondary science teachers' understanding of the nature of science, by using nature of science (NOS) questionnaire on the basis of atomic model, and compare this to pre-studies. 'Understanding of nature of scientific model,' 'Tentativeness of scientific knowledge,' 'Subjectivity in science,' 'Use of inference and imagination,' 'Myths of the scientific method,' and 'Comparison between science and art.' were examined. Preservice teachers showed great comprehension of the tentativeness of scientific knowledge (the orbital model) and the subjectivity in science (the different interpretation about the experiment of particle scattering), but displayed the lowest comprehension of the scientific method. For understanding of nature of scientific model (the atomic model) and the comparison between science (Bohr's atomic model) and art (Picasso's work), preservice teachers brought out a combination of ontological and constructivist perspective and showed the contradictory thought about imagination in science research. In the result of comparison to pre-studies using the NOS instruments contains general terms, represented high levels of agreement about the tentativeness of scientific knowledge by using concrete examples of 'atomic model'. When concrete scientists such as Thomson, Rutherford, Bohr were presented, respondents revealed more informed views about the scientists' research method.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.629-648
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• 2015

This study is a case study examining how research-based 'authentic' science education program contextually facilitates students' learning on NOS as a process. We developed 'Becoming a Scientist' mentor-mentee program and applied it to six Korean 7th graders for 8 months. A mentor, who is also a researcher, provided scaffolding and coaching, and her mentees were to perform the whole process of science research, including selecting the research subject and questions, planning research design, doing experiments, collecting and analysing data, writing research paper, and experiencing poster presentation at an academic conference. The research questions are 1) What would the students experience at every step of their research process?, and 2) Which perceptions would they construct NOS as a process? Data include classroom observations, interview, mentor's journal, and students' learning products. The results show that the mentees have experienced their views of NOS as a process in various ways such as role of research question and purpose, validity of measured value, researcher's subjectivity in interpreting data, experience of making public and peer review, and significance of academic conference. This study has shown that students' actual experience in scientific research enhanced their views about NOS as process without explicit and reflective approaches. We defined 'authenticity' associated with not only with its similarity to what scientists do but to learner's identity as scientific researcher. Based on the situated learning theory, this study sheds light on the necessity of reconsideration about the meaning of authenticity and embodying authentic context in science education for better NOS learning.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.169-179
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• 2007

We investigated the effects of hypothetical deductive experiment on students' views about the nature of science (NOS). Participants were 212 eighth graders from a middle school and they were assigned to a control group and an experimental group. Students of the control group did guided experiment in small group and students of the experimental group did hypothetical deductive experiment in small group. The results revealed that both students of the control group and the experimental group possessed similar views about NOS in a pretest. But the experimental group exhibited more sophisticated views about the theory of dependance of observation, scientific reasoning and hypothesis in the posttest. Students who used mainly surface learning strategy within the experimental group exhibited more sophisticated views about hypothesis in the posttest. On the other hand, students who used mainly deep learning strategy within the experimental group exhibited more sophisticated views about the theory of dependance of observation, scientific reasoning and hypothesis in the posttest.