• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.229-242
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to analyze the elementary teachers' conceptions on the inquiry activity about 'make a fossil model' focusing the 6th, 7th, 2007 revised, and 2009 revised elementary science textbook. This study is intended to find causes of teachers' conceptions and to derive educational implications. We have analyzed questionnaires which were collected from 77 elementary school teachers. It was carried out about comparisons actual fossil with fossil model in each step of the inquiry activity, the lesson goal, the thought for changes of the inquiry activity, the improvement of the inquiry and conception related fossil. Teachers have a general understanding about the contents of the inquiry activity but some of them have partially incorrect understanding. And they emphasize the understanding of the concept on lesson goal. It is necessary to improve inquiry activity reflecting teachers' thinking about the merit and weaknesses. There was not statistically difference in understanding of fossil related concepts according to teachers' career, teaching or training experience. Through this research, there is a need to improve a textbook, a guide book, a teachers' training. So, teachers who have professionalism about science textbook be able to teach students.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.177-199
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• 2008

In the Netherlands, Streefland(Elbers, 2003) gave a solution on how teachers can help students to participate in the process of knowledge construction by investigating constructions and activities of a community of inquiry for a primary school students(between 11 and 13 years of age). In Australia, Goos(2004) analyzed the teacher's role in creating a classroom culture of inquiry, which appeared to be taken for granted by the Grade 12 group, for the Grade 11 students by classroom observation and interviews. In Korea, because of diverse obstacles with a university entrance examination, a study about teacher's role in inquiry-oriented instruction for high school mathematics schooling has rarely appeared in the literature. The purpose of this study is to investigate teacher's role for promoting and managing inquiry-oriented mathematics instruction effectively by a case study. To fulfill this purpose, we develop inquiry-oriented instruction model by investigating teacher's role as an assistant for helping students to do mathematical activity.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.669-677
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to estimate the direct and indirect effects of relevant variables on students' science achievements. Path analysis was conducted with data from middle school to examine the effects of perceived positive parenting attitudes, attitudes toward science, science inquiry skills on the science achievements of middle school students. A total of 502 middle school students from the metropolitan area participated in this study. Results suggest that students' perceptions of positive parenting attitudes had no direct influence on their science inquiry skills. However, the students' attitudes toward science and science inquiry skills were found to have meaningful direct effects on their achievements. Students' perception of positive parenting attitudes also presented a significant direct effect on their attitude toward science. In addition, the students' perceived positive parenting attitude revealed an indirect effect on science achievement, through their own attitudes toward science and science inquiry skills. Research findings called for more educational programs and teaching methods considering students' attitudes toward science and science inquiry skills to improve their science achievements. At home, parents need to have positive parenting attitudes to influence their children's attitudes regarding science.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.404-414
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• 2009

The revised curriculum in 2007 includes open inquiry approach to increase students' interest in science and to build up creativity. So teachers and pre-service teachers should be equipped with the ability of open inquiry performance. In order to investigate pre-service teachers' readiness to perform open inquiry tasks, we analyzed reports written as homework by a group of 71 juniors in a national university of education. The investigation tool was composed of four domains: topic selection, the inquiry process, the conclusion, and reporting. Each domain had three or four sub-domains. By using the framework, four raters scored the students' inquiry reports. The findings reveal that the pre-service elementary school teachers have difficulty in the domain of 'topic selection' and the 'conclusion' compared with the other domains. Under the topic selection domain, they showed weaknesses in 'creativity' and 'scientific topic' and under the conclusion domain, they had difficulty in 'recognizing limits' and 'value of conclusion'. The finding suggests that pre-service teaching program should provide with opportunities to perform open inquiry continually.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.88-106
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• 2023

This study aims to investigate the disparity between the teacher's perception of student-centered inquiry classes and the actual implementation of such practices. Specifically, we compared an elementary science teacher's self-perception of her science lessons with the observers' evaluation using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) of the "Temperature and Heat" unit. Research data were collected through classroom teaching survey, interview, and science lessons video which were analyzed using the RTOP. As a result of the study, the teacher recognized that she was practicing inquiry-oriented/student-centered classes, but the results judged by the RTOP score were found to be transitional/student-affected classes by a slight difference. Teacher H planned and practiced classes based on a high understanding and content knowledge of the curriculum and created a science classroom culture that promotes active interaction among students as well as students and teachers. However, teacher-led aspects were still emphasized in teaching design and implementation, and the project theme and content were inappropriate to improve the quality of students' science inquiry experience. In the end, the slight difference between teacher's perception of inquiry-oriented/student-centered classes and actual implementation is related to how student-centered "lesson design" is and how to plan and implement classes supported by "procedural knowledge" for students' experience in the science inquiry process. These results indicate that the teacher's self-evaluation alone is not enough to determine whether the teacher's intentions and efforts are actually being implemented, and that it is necessary to conduct objective analysis, evaluation, and discuss the results of science classes by the external observers.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 1990

For the purpose of diagnosing the problems in inquiry instruction and evaluation in secondary schools of Korea, an inquiry achievement test and a questionnaire were administered to a sample of 127 science teachers and 610 junior high school students. The analysis of the results served to the clarification of broo:J. range of problems concerning inquiry teaching. Based on the data gathered and analyzed in this study, the major suggestions are as follows. 1. The content of science textbooks must be diminished, and be written for easier understanding. 2. Science instruction and entrance exams must be changed from content-oriented to inquiry-oriented. 3. Effective teacher education program regarding inquiry teaching and evaluating method must be developed and performed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.865-874
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to explore the process of inquiry problem finding in high school students' small group free-inquiry. For this purpose, 91 second grade high school students took part in small group free-inquiry. We conducted interviews with students (48 students in 15 groups) who were relatively successful in the inquiry performed for one semester (about 4 months). Based on the results of the interviews, we analyzed the characteristics of the inquiry problem finding through the steps and strategies in the inquiry problem finding process. The main results are as follows: First, in the inquiry problem finding process, steps such as selecting keyword, presenting an inconvenience, presenting a question, and finding an inquiry problem were found, and in particular, the process of selecting the keyword that correspond to the subject of inquiry, such as the material and situation of inquiry, is very important step in inquiry problem finding. Second, the strategies that students used in the process of finding inquiry problem included searching information, review of prior research, sharing of knowledge and experience, linking and extension of knowledge and experience, environmental awareness, expert consultation, discussion of suitability, elaboration, etc. Third, finding an inquiry problem was relatively easy in the inquiry for finding out problems (i.e. inconvenience) in everyday life and investigating ways to solve them. Fourth, the review of prior researches through the internet was useful in the process of selecting keyword and elaboration. Fifth, the factors that students consider when selecting one of several candidate inquiry problems are feasibility, real-life applicability, and economic condition. Sixth, the current affairs had a positive impact on the inquiry problem finding. Based on the above results, we discussed some ways to increase students' inquiry problem finding ability.

• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.41-55
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• 2017

The physical computing education, as the emerging field, is a form of education that helps learners to develop the attitude of scientific inquiry by developing meaningful and creative output through the integration of hardware and software elements. Based on the literature, the authors of the study used science experience, school support and learning flow as the variables that predict the outcome variable which is the attitude of scientific inquiry. The authors collected data from 64 fourth and sixth graders who studied physical computing at an institution for the gifted and talented in Korea and then analyzed them using descriptive statistics, correlation, multiple regression and simple mediation analysis methods. As a result, science experience and learning flow significantly predicted the attitude of scientific inquiry. In addition, learning flow mediated the relationship between science experience and the attitude of scientific inquiry, and the relationship between school support and the attitude of scientific inquiry. Based on these results, the authors propose that to promote the attitude of scientific inquiry in physical computing education, strategies must be implemented for improving science experience, school support and learning flow in instructional design.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 2002

Reasonable and reliable assessment method is one of the most important issues in science education, Partial credits method is an effective tool for assessing students' science inquiry problem solving. The purposes of this study were to classify the Problem solving types based on the analysis of the thinking Process, and how much the related science concept and the science process skills were used in solving science inquiry problems, and to describe the possibility and rationality of the assessment method that gives partial credit 128 high school seniors were selected and their answers were analyzed to identify science concepts they used to solve each problem, and the result was used as the criterion in the scientific concept test development. Also, to study the science inquiry problem solving type, 152 high school seniors were selected, and protocols were made from audio-taped data of their problem solving process through a think-aloud method and retrospective interviews. In order to get a raw data needed in statistical comparison of reliability, discrimination and the difficulty of the test and the production of the regression equation that determines the ratio of partial credit, 640 students were selected and they were given a science inquiry problem test, a science process skills test, and a scientific concept test. Research result suggested it is more reasonable and reliable to switch to the assessment method that applies partial credit to different problem solving types based on the analysis of the thinking process in problem solving process, instead of the dichotomous credit method.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.573-584
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• 2015

Inquiry has been consistently emphasized in science education as a crucial element for learning. Although many researchers came to agree on the importance of scientific inquiry, authentic inquiry activities are hard to be actualized in an educational context. Therefore it is required to critically examine what teachers have difficulty in teaching inquiry. In this article, we looked into inquiry-based science activities in a small group setting where pre-service science teachers faced dilemmas between cognition and practice of inquiry. A case study was conducted on eight undergraduate students who are majoring in science education. The participants attended a weekly science program for middle school students in low SES as teaching assistants and mentors, and took full care of his/her mentees during open-inquiry activities. The results were drawn by analyzing participants' personal and group interviews, participant observations, self-reports, and others. The pre-service teachers viewed the knowledge and procedure of science as an essential factor in inquiry activities along with student's spontaneous attitude. However, in the process of performing inquiry, they faced several dilemmas between ideal cognition and real activities. The aspects of dilemmas could be summarized in three pairs of opposing concepts: 'diverging inquiry or converging science', 'interest-centered inquiry or learning-centered inquiry', and 'student as the subject or student with the insufficient expertise.' We discussed ways of resolving dilemmas and alternative perspectives on scientific inquiry.