• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.353-366
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• 2011

An alternative vision for science inquiry that appears to be important and challenging is model-based inquiry in which students generate, evaluate and revise their explanatory model. Pre-service teachers should be given opportunities to develop and use their mechanistic explanatory models in order to participate in the practice of science and to have a sound understanding of science. With this view, this study described a case of pre-service elementary teachers' scientific modeling in magnetism. The aims of this study were to explore difficulties preservice elementary teachers encountered while they engaged in a model-based inquiry, and to examine how their understandings of the nature of scientific models changed after the model-based inquiry. The data analysis revealed that the pre-service teachers had difficulties in drawing and writing their own thinking because they had little experience of expressing their own science ideas. When asked to predict what would happen, they could not understand what it meant to make a prediction "based on their model". They did not know how to use or consider their model in making a prediction. At the end of the model-based inquiry they reached a final consensus of a best model. However, they were very anxious about whether the model was the "correct" answer. With respect to the nature of scientific models, almost all of the pre-service teachers initially viewed models only as a communication tool among scientists or students and teachers to help understand others' ideas. After the model-based inquiry, however, many of them understood that they could create, test, and revise their "own" models "by themselves". They also realized the key aspects of scientific models that a model can be changed as evidence is accumulated and a model is a knowledge production tool as well as a communication tool. The results indicated that pre-service elementary teachers' understandings of the nature of scientific models and their previous school science experiences could affect their performance on a model-based inquiry, and their experience of scientific modeling could help them enhance their understandings of the nature of scientific models.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.255-270
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to consider pre-service and in-service elementary school teachers' beliefs about STS (Science-Technology-Society), by investigating their opinions on STS interactions. 222 of the seniors in Jinju National University of Education, namely pre-service elementary school teachers, and 185 of the active teachers in Kyung-Nam Province were selected as the objects for researching these matters. Their beliefs about STS interactions were examined. The results were analyzed with a percentage as an examining tool of TBA-STS(Teachers' Beliefs about Science-Technology-Society). The results were as follows; First, on the nature of science, most of them showed simple opinions. On the nature of technology, most of them also showed simple opinions. most of them recognized the interactions among science, technology, and society affirmatively. They showed simple opinions on the interactions between science and technology. In fact, they didn't recognize the interactions between science and society, but they knew the influence of technology on society relatively concretely. Second, if one consider the cognitive situation or the distributing route of STS, he can easily find that most teachers never or little know it. At present, pre-service teachers learn STS from the lectures in their universities, and in-service teachers get information about it from science magazines/newspapers and training.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.524-534
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• 2011

This study is to ascertain pre-service teachers' conceptions for the causes of season change, to verify their conceptional mistakes, and to analyze how their conceptions are changed while presenting Disproof-Experiment Model where they cannot explain it with their current conceptions. 32 junior students of Education universities, pre-service elementary teachers, located at the middle of Korea participated in this research including two interviews and one experiment activity. As a result of analyzing of the data, the pre-service teachers held diverse conceptions for the causes of season change such as to mistake the phenomena, the distance between the earth and the sun, the tilting of the rotation axis and the revolving around the sun while changing the tilting direction of the rotation axis as the cause. After applying Disproof-Experiment Model designed by the researchers in order to change the current conception above, the conception changes of the pre-service teachers were investigated. Diverse Disproof-Experiment Models were used differently depending on the pre-service teachers' conceptions. As a result of the application of Disproof-Experiment Model, 26 out of 28 pre-service teachers were changed to scientific conceptions. It was determined that in order to modify pre-service teachers' conceptions, designing and presenting the Disproof-Experiment Model appropriate to their conceptions are effective after analyzing their conceptions. In case of conceptions that pre-service teachers feel difficult, it was established that unraveling experiment models prescribed after investigating the preconceptions and identifying the misconceptions are important.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.189-202
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• 2016

This study aimed to investigate pre-service science teachers' perceptions of significance and usefulness of evolution and genetics. To this end, 82 pre-service biology teachers and 159 non-biology science teachers answered the items to measure the perceptions of significance and usefulness of evolution and genetics. The validity and reliability were examined using Cronbach alpha, two-dimensional rating scale model Rasch analysis, and factor analysis. The finding illustrated that the test items met the benchmark to be valid and reliable test items. Second, pre-service teachers' perception of significance and usefulness of evolution was independent to that of genetics. The level of pre-service teachers' perception of significance and usefulness of evolution was lower than the level of genetics. Lastly, the levels of pre-service teachers' perceptions of significance and usefulness of evolution and genetics were not significantly different across academic years and majors (biology and non-biology). The findings of this study stressed the importance of teaching significance and usefulness of evolution and genetics in pre-service science teacher education program.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 2013

The study aims to figure out pre-service elementary teachers' knowledge understanding on 'stratum and rock' as well as teaching-learning types on the same topic. A total of 65 seniors in an advanced science education course at B University of Education joined the research to fulfill the purpose above. With PCK classification framework, the study examined pre-service teachers' knowledge understanding on 'stratum and rock' while it analyzed how the teachers would teach the given topic to students. The results of the study are presented as follows. First, it was observed that the pre-service elementary teachers have a great understanding on 'stratum and rock' that would be taught via a science textbook for elementary fourth graders. However, regarding terms in 'shale and limestone', they appeared to have a relatively short understanding. Second, PCK elements of the pre-service teachers related to 'stratum and rock' were analyzed and according to the results, the teachers would be interested in teaching model selecting in the teaching-learning strategy field while they would be well aware of how important it is for them to perform an experiment in a teaching process. The teachers also appeared to understand that the teacher question can be mutual complementary during class. However, it turned out that the teachers would have a very much low understanding on learners' prior knowledge as they particularly believe that learning could be significantly affected by the learners' perception level as well as their learning interest and motive. Third, the pre-service elementary teachers were told to design teaching plans on 'stratum and rock' so that the study could find out what learning-teaching methods the teachers would adopt to teach the topic. It was learned that the teachers would proceed with the class basically by giving the learners a descriptive explanation on the topic and also by using pictures and drawings to enhance the learners' understanding during the class.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.86-92
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• 2010

Although constructivist assessment has been emphasized by many science educators, most elementary school teachers are still not familiar with this. In order to investigate the causes of this problem, we examined the perceptions of pre-service elementary school teachers toward constructivist science assessment and the relationships among the perceptions toward constructivist science assessment, the views on science teaching and learning, science teaching efficacy beliefs, and the perceptions toward constructivist science learning environment. Analyses of the results revealed that the perceptions of pre-service elementary school teachers toward constructivist science assessment were higher than those of the elementary school teachers reported previously. The results of a stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that the views on constructivist science teaching and learning and personal science teaching efficacy beliefs were the significant predictors of the perceptions toward constructivist science assessment.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.98-110
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to identify pre-service elementary school teachers' difficulties and needs in the science class utilizing smart technologies. The participants were nine pre-service elementary teachers who had practical training at an elementary school and took classes related to technology, pedagogy, and science knowledge. The data was collected through semi-constructed and in-depth interviews. The documents such as participants' guidance plans, daily records produced in teaching practice was collected and analyzed. The results of the research are as follow: Pre-service teachers have usually used the technology as a secondary transfer media to convey the knowledge. We found that the pre-service elementary teachers had 15 difficulties in the science class utilizing smart technologies. In addition, they needed a class to focus more on teaching them by integrating technology knowledge, pedagogy knowledge, and science knowledge, and by sharing a real case of science class utilizing smart technologies.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.1087-1102
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to find out the influence of reflective thinking facilitation program on reflection areas and its levels that pre-service science teachers present in the class teaching practice during the student-teaching period. Seven pre-service science teachers participated in this study and only four pre-service science teachers among them were additionally trained with the reflective program. Reflections of pre-service science teachers were mostly shown on class management, including attention and motivation, reflection and improvement for teaching activities, and interactions. However, the understanding of the science curricula and their reconstruction, and advance notice about the next class were not mentioned in their reflections. Pre-service science teachers who participated in the additional reflective program have shown more frequent reflections than those who only participated in the traditional student-teaching program. Pre-service science teachers, not trained with the reflective program, mostly showed descriptive reflection. However, those who participated in the reflective program have shown higher levels of reflections such as dialogic as well as the descriptive reflection. Therefore, pre-education program, reflective journal-writings, and science teachers' assessments on class and their feedback seem to improve the frequency and level of reflection for the pre-service science teachers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.303-312
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• 2014

In order to foster 'creative convergence talents' teachers and pre-service teachers who possess a certain degree of creativity must learn about this new approach as part of their teacher training. In this study, we attempted to identify the implications on the curriculum of the teacher education-training college in question by analysing secondary school teachers' and pre-service teachers' creativity and by collecting sufficient data to develop a positive feedback model for selecting, cultivating, and appointing pre-service teachers who fulfil the requirements of said college of education. Such teachers will display the commitment and professionalism to fulfil their teaching duties in the best possible manner and will consistently produce valuable contributions to their chosen subject matter and integrate these into their daily teaching. These teachers will complete all their tasks in a creative way, including student guidance, administrative duties, and academic lessons. The factors that distinguished creative teachers from others included originality and fluency. Our test group comprised 216 pre-service teachers as well as 137 fully qualified teachers. Teachers' understanding of the factors required in order to qualify as a 'creative and committed teacher' was very low. We provided data to the college of education to increase creativity when selecting teachers and curricula based on an analysis of perceptions of creativity provided by teachers and pre-service teachers.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.322-334
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• 2014

In this study, the researcher aimed to increase productive reflection of pre-service elementary teachers through meta-analysis of their own reflective journals. The meta-analysis activities are expected to enhance their learning effectively as a kind of self-assesment. During 8 week simulation teaching, 26 pre-service teachers kept individual journal writing and the meta-analysis activities were implemented twice (after the 3rd and 8th week). Right after the first meta-analysis, the pre-service teachers' productive reflection increased clearly. However this would not guarantee the effect would last long time period. By analyzing 8 week reflective journals, reports on meta-analysis activities and small group interview, this study shed light on practical ways of enhancing reflective teacher education.