• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.771-781
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• 2011

The objective of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of food security measures, which was developed based on the US household food security survey module (US HFSSM) with content validity in the Korean population. The reliability and validity were assessed by internal consistency, construct validity and criterion-related validity. The study included 446 households. Among those, 46.2% were households with children. The proportion of food insecure households was 33.3%. Among those, 35.4% and 64.6% households were food insecure with hunger and without hunger, respectively. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.84 and the infit value by the Rasch model analysis ranged from 0.68 to 1.43. The scale item response curves by food insecurity severity explained well the nature and characteristics of food security, indicating the highest proportion of "yes" for the items on diet quality, followed by those with diet quantity. The result of criterion-related validity showed that food insecurity status was significantly related in a dose-response manner with the household income level, food expenditure, subjective health state, subjects' educational level. Household food security status was also related to dietary diversity regarding protein foods, fruits and fruit juice, and milk and dairy product. These findings suggest that the food security instrument is reliable and valid and would be used to assess food security status in the Korean population.

• Journal of Engineering Education Research
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.30-39
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• 2021

The present study aims to demonstrate that it is possible to objectively evaluate the competency (referred to as graduate attributes or program outcomes) of graduates of engineering education programs. To strengthen the link between engineering education accreditation and the qualification/certification system of engineering professionals, referred to as K-Engineering Professional (K-EP), individually assuring the quality of accredited graduates using multiple-choice test as main assessment tool is proposed. Test questions related to the basic vocational skills of NCS are developed for seven of the 10 program outcomes of the ABEEK KEC2015. The three program outcomes, PO1, PO3, and PO5, which need to fully accommodate the characteristics of each disciplinary field, are excluded. A pilot test involving graduates of eight accredited programs is conducted. Applying on Rasch model based on Item Response Theory (IRT), the item difficulty, fit and discrimination of multiple choice test are demonstrated. The pilot study strongly suggests that individual competency evaluation is possible at a certain level for seven program outcomes tested. For PO1, PO3, and PO5, however, questions that address the characteristics of each disciplinary field need to be devised. If a suitable pool of questions is built, it can be used as a program outcomes assessment tool by the accredited programs.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.39
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• pp.161-183
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• 2014

The job burnout of the private security guards who provide services through contact with customers can affect the overall the private security industry. So the managers need to make efforts to diagnose and evaluate the job burnout and provide continuous provision for the repatriation effect. However, up to the present, the job burnout measure for the private security guards has not been provided, so the objectivity of the information is questionable. For this reason, in order to establish the goodness of fit of the job burnout scale for private security guards based on the contents of the job burnout scale that was being provided to other service employees, this research aims to provide the scale to provide objective information compared with that of the past by applying the Rasch model of the item response theory. To achieve this purpose, the data on 379 private security guards working for the private security guard companies in the Gyeonggi region were collected, and the data were processed to suit the research purpose using SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 18.0, Winsteps programs. Through these research procedures, the following conclusion was obtained. With regard to the private security guards' measure of job burnout, as a result of factor analysis through the collected data, 4 questions were deleted, and as a result of the analysis of the goodness of the fit based on 18 questions, 4 questions were found to be inappropriate questions that did not satisfy the standard value, and the scope of the difficulty level of the questions from - 98 to 1.30 and the response reaction of a 5-point scale were found to suit the final private security guards' job burnout scale. In other words, the conclusion that it is appropriate to measure the private security guards job burnout scale with 3 factors and 13 questions was obtained. So if private security guards companies collect systematic data using the scale established in this research, and practice refresher training accordingly, they can reduce the private security guards' job burnout.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.75-86
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• 2016

The purpose of the present study is to develop and validate an instrument to assess STEM career motivation. We developed 32 items for 7 constructs (i.e. education experience, career value, academic self-efficacy, career self-efficacy, career interest, parents' support, and career motivation) on STEM career motivation based on Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Lent et al.,1994). 767 first year high school students participated in this study. The items were validated by Messick's framework (1995). In this study, we examined the validity of items in four aspects (i.e. content, substantive, structural and generalizability of validity). Methodologically, we used Rasch analysis, Exploratory factor analysis, confirmative factor analysis based on structural equation modelling. We confirmed that our instrument with 32 items as valid and reliable for measuring the STEM career motivation. In addition, we tested the STEM career motivation model based on SCCT. Our model explained the data well, suggesting that external factors (education experience and parents' support) and cognitive factors (perception of value, self-efficacy and interest) were significantly related to STEM career motivation.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.467-483
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• 2014

This study aimed to investigate the classification ability with naked eyes according to the understanding level about rocks of pre-service science teachers. We developed a questionnaire concerning misconception about minerals and rocks. The participants were 132 pre-service science teachers. Data were analyzed using Rasch model. Participants were divided into a master group and a novice group according to their understanding level. Seventeen rocks samples (6 igneous, 5 sedimentary, and 6 metamorphic rocks) were presented to pre-service science teachers to examine their classification ability, and they classified the rocks according to the criteria we provided. The study revealed three major findings. First, the pre-service science teachers mainly classified rocks according to textures, color, and grain size. Second, while they relatively easily classified igneous rocks, participants were confused when distinguishing sedimentary and metamorphic rocks from one another by using the same classification criteria. On the other hand, the understanding level of rocks has shown a statistically significant correlation with the classification ability in terms of the formation mechanism of rocks, whereas there was no statistically significant relationship found with determination of correct name of rocks. However, this study found that there was a statistically significant relationship between the classification ability with regard to formation mechanism of rocks and the determination of correct name of rocks.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.161-180
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• 2013

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the current studies and research methods about Learning Progressions disseminated to several countries including the U.S. since 2006. It also provides a methodological base to investigate learning progressions in science by introducing a case study of learning progression conducted in Korea. For this study, we described several features of current studies on learning progressions in the U.S., and reported the common ways and sequences employed in examining learning progressions especially with respect to assessment for learning. Learning progressions are descriptions of developmental pathways of learning a topic, in which science knowledge is used in students' engaging in science practices. Each learning progression consists of upper anchor, lower anchor, and intermediate steps that connect both anchors. In investigating a learning progression, researchers usually utilize Wilson's four building blocks of assessment system based on the assessment triangle. This kind of method was also applied in investigating the learning progression for water cycle in this study. We discussed implication and consideration for the future research on learning progressions in science in Korea.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.729-737
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• 2016

Natural selection is the core idea of evolution that pre-service biology teachers need to understand to solve diverse biological problem. This study aims to investigate the level of Korean pre-service biology teachers' understanding of natural selection by comparing their knowledge with their Chinese, American, and German biology major undergraduate counterparts. In particular, this study focuses on two conceptual components of natural selection (i.e., ecology and genetics). This study used a total 1226 pre-service biology teachers and biology majors' data. The instrument measuring the understanding of natural selection concepts was Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection, which consists of ten ecology concept items and ten genetics concept items. The Rasch model analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, and univariate analysis of variance were used for the statistical tests. The result reveals that the level of Korean pre-service biology teachers' understanding of natural selection were similar with Chinese undergraduates' understanding and significantly lower than American and German undergraduates.' In the first year student data, the level of genetics concept of Korean pre-service biology teachers were significantly lower than Chinese and German students. In the fourth year student data, the level of ecology concept of Korean pre-service biology teachers were significantly lower than American and German students. Based on these results, the ecology concept education and balanced natural selection concept education are discussed.