• The Journal of Korean Association of Computer Education
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2014

In this paper, we study inquiry tendency in informatics textbooks for middle school students. These textbooks were written in accordance with 2009 revised national curriculum, and were adopted in schools starting from 2013. Romey analysis was implemented to analyze inquiry tendency in six textbooks using four different criteria-text, data, activity, evaluation. The results showed that some textbooks displayed a low level of inquiry tendency, lacking participation from students and employing an authoritative tone. Among four factors, the 'activity' displayed the highest degree of inquiry tendency while the 'text' retained the lowest level of inquiry tendency. The Romey measures in some sections were zero, thereby indicating room for improvement.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.249-262
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• 2010

Large Midwest university faculty members proposed the Science and Technology Enhancement Program Project (STEP) to improve students' learning in the secondary mathematics classroom using modules of inquiry-based teaching. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the STEP Project on students' attitude toward mathematics. Hierarchical linear models (HLM) were used to evaluate the impact of the STEP Project. The sample group for the study was 130 ninth grade students enrolled in Integrated Algebra I in a large urban school district. The school was one of eight secondary schools that participated in the STEP Project. The classes in the treatment group were three of five classes ordered in terms of the highest, middle, and lowest mean GPA. The control group consisted of two other middle GPA classes. The classes had an average of 25 students. Teachers who previously had been involved in the STEP Project taught all treatment and control classes. The inquiry-based teaching activities provided by the project were confined to the treatment classes. The survey measuring students' attitudes toward mathematics were obtained for both groups of students. The inquiry-based teaching affected students' attitudes toward mathematics (p < 0.07, ES = 3.07). Especially, students who had preexisting low attitudes toward mathematics were significantly affected by treatment (p < 0.02, ES = 0.02), while the treatment positively affected African American students overall at p < 0.08 (ES = 0.58).

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.349-357
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to consider the implications of science experiment in class and to seek a direction for its improvement. For this purpose, Science textbooks, teachers' cognitions, and classroom activities have been analyzed to find out how many and what kind of levels of inquiry elements are included in those. In this study, 22 teachers have participated in the questionnaire to investigate their perception about experiment class, and the two instruction cases in two classes of 9th grade have also been analyzed. Results show that most of the textbooks have included questioning, evidence collecting, explanation of phenomena, and connection with existing scientific knowledge. But the elements of communication and justification have been few. Most levels of the inquiry are teacher-led. Although the teachers thought communication and justification are important, their classroom activities does not coalesce with their thoughts. The students mostly spend their time with connecting evidence, they hardly explain the phenomenon based on the proofs as the results of experiment, and the activities of connection with the existing scientific knowledge, and communication and justification.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.299-313
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• 2018

Inquiry-centered education is important in science education, but in the actual education field, scientific research is being done in a uniform manner due to realistic difficulties. In this study, we use RS (Reverse Science) as a secondary chemistry class to provide opportunities for students to engage in inquiry learning and scientific thinking through process-oriented activities. In this study, we developed and applied it to explore the effects on the scientific inquiry abilities of middle school students and checked the students' perception of it. For the application of the program, 128 students were selected from 6 classes of the 2nd grade in D district middle school, 64 from the experimental group and 64 from the comparative group. The experimental group taught RSP-based the chemistry inquiry programs and the comparative group taught instructor-led classes and verification experiments on the same topic over the seventh hour with three themes. In addition, we analyzed the results of the pre- and post-test by using the science inquiry ability test, and discussed the effects of the program based on the students' perceptions through class observation, student activity area, questionnaire and interview. As a result, the class using the program showed statistically significant changes in the science inquiry ability of secondary school students. Specifically, the experimental group was found to be significant in its prediction among the subcomponents of basic exploration ability compared to the comparative group. The differences have also been shown to be significant in terms of data translation, hypothesis setup and variable control, which are subcomponents of integrated exploration capabilities (p <. 05). In addition, students became interested in the process of creating the theory of science, and were highly interested in collaborating with their friends. It also provided students with opportunities to experience scientific thinking through process-oriented inquiry. Finally, based on the positive impact of the RSP-based chemistry inquiry program on students, we were able to identify the potential use of the program.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.405-420
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to contrive the specific teaching plans based on the frame of 2007 revised science curriculum for applying open-inquiry lesson in real education situation and to research the effects of open-inquiry lesson on the student's science-related attitude, science process skill, and to investigate instructing teachers' cognition about open-inquiry. For this study, two fifth grade classes were chosen, one class was the experimental group, who were taught by open-inquiry based lesson, and another was the comparative group, who were taught by traditional method based lesson. The findings of this study were as follows: After open-inquiry lesson, the experimental group students came to enjoy open-inquiry learning and had the positive thought about it. After open-inquiry lesson, the experimental group marked higher mean score than the comparative group in science-related attitude's field but didn't showed the meaningful difference. On the other hand, in science process skill's field, the experimental group showed the significant higher improvement than the comparative one, especially in the subordinate area of basic science process skill. Finally, teachers who instructed students open-inquiry lesson thought open-inquiry lesson is the self-directed problem solving learning which raise the student's science process skill and interest. And the teachers thought the obstacles to instruct open-inquiry lesson are the lack of the student's cognition about open-inquiry and the insufficient circumstance for open-inquiry lesson. Therefore the teachers argued that the prerequisite for settling open-inquiry lesson successfully is to develope open-inquiry lesson curricula and teaching materials.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.53-65
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• 2022

In the application and composition of learning content, the field trip learning of scientific inquiry could provide a positive effect. Also, it can arouse an experience of various inquiry activities through open thinking. In addition, it could take a positive effect by providing the diversity and specificity of wildlife experience for the living organism. The biology inquiry program of the field trip is a necessary process to acquire ecological experiences in the learning context. However, there is some problem to solve before the performance of field trip learning as professional knowledge of the outdoors inquiry. Therefore, this study developed a field trip inquiry program for the plant in a coastal dune using artificial intelligence to assist professional knowledge. The researcher carried out literature reviews and analysis related to studies and programs to investigate learning steps, content, and strategy. Also, this study investigated the effects of the program on the affective domain of gifted elementary science students. According to the results of this study, the program can provide a positive effect on motivation, task commitment, and attitude level. Consequently, the field trip learning program for plant in the coastal dune using artificial intelligence developed in this study can arouse a positive effect on the affective domain. Therefore, additional study is necessary related to inquiry programs of the field trip for various students and sites.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.860-869
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to suggest an instructional direction for improving scientific inquiry problem-finding ability of the scientifically-gifted. For this purpose, this study has made an in-depth analysis of the scientific inquiry problems generated by the scientifically-gifted in Problem-Finding Activity in Ill-structured Inquiry Situation (PFAIIS) and Problem-Finding Activity in Well-structured Inquiry Situation (PFAWIS). The results of this study turned out to be as follows: First, most of the problems generated in PFAIIS and PFAWIS could be categorized into seven types (measurement, method, cause, possibility, what, comparison, relationship) according to the inquiry objectives, while the frequency of each type shown in each inquiry objective was a little different. Second, the frequency of scientific concepts stated in inquiry problem was more in PFAWIS than in PFAIIS. But the scientific concepts were shown more diversely in PFAIIS than in PFAWIS. Therefore, results of this study have the following educational implications. First, it is necessary to offer various opportunities of problem-finding activity under ill-structured scientific Inquiry situation. Second, it is needed to emphasize that a new inquiry problem can be found out even during general scientific experiment and frequently to discuss inquiry problems generated during an experiment. Third, it is needed to encourage the scientifically-gifted to generate a scientific inquiry problem based on at least more than seven types.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.359-370
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to explore the changes caused by using smart technology in school science inquiry. For this, we investigated 12 elementary school teachers' perceptions by using an open-ended questionnaire, group discussions, classroom discussions, and participant interviews. The results of this study indicate that the introduction of technology into classroom inquiry can open up the various possibilities and can cause additional burdens as well. First, teachers explained that smart technology can expand the opportunities to observe natural phenomena such as constellations and changing phases of the moon. However, some teachers insisted that, sometimes, learning how to use new devices disrupts students' concentration on the inquiry process itself. Second, teachers introduced the way of digital measurement using smart phone sensors in inquiry activities. They said that digital measurement is useful in terms of the reduction of errors and of the simplicity to measure. However, other teachers insisted that using new devices in classroom inquiry can entail additional variables and confuse the students' focus of inquiry. Communication about inquiry process can also be improved by using digital media. However, some teachers emphasized that they always talked about both the purpose of using SNS and online etiquettes with their students before using SNS. Based on these results, we discussed the necessity of additional analysis on the various ways of using digital devices depending on teachers' perceptions, the types of digital competency required in science inquiry using smart technology, and the features of norms shaped in inquiry activities using smart technology.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.385-393
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• 2006

In this study, we analyzed the effects of science inquiry learning that applies open-ended hypothesis-testing learning model in a high school chemistry class of grade 11 in respect of science process skills, science-related attitude, and appreciation towards science class by cognitive level. Open-ended science inquiry learning activities on Metals and their applications unit in Chemistry I were developed and applied to the treatment groups while the conventional science activities were applied to the control groups. Four classes of 92 students in a high school located in Seoul were assigned into the treatment and control groups, respectively. According to the results in the test of science process skills, the students treated with the alternative experiments emphasizing open-ended hypothesis-testing obtained higher scores in experimental design, data conversion and description, and hypothesis test than those with conventional experiments but not in problem cognition and definition and hypothesis fixing'. There was negative effect on science-related attitude due to increased roles and tasks in the open-ended science inquiry learning activities.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.8 no.12
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• pp.457-464
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• 2008

This study is to design, develope, and deploy of e-learning inquiry based content in elementary science class. First, this study analyzed related literature review, case studies, and inquiry based class models for seeking better applicable design and development modes. From focus group meeting, experts discussed the inquiry content design ideas for elementary students for science class. This study finally established its own inquiry design mode for online science class with the flow of understanding of problem, sep up hypothesis, problem solving, and solution analysis. The developed content was deployed in real classroom setting to see how students received the contents and how well they processed the learning activities. We found that inquiry based online content, especially when applied to science subject, can be effective in students interests and their motivations. We also observed that there were a few managerial errors such as detailed lesson guidance and tutor support for students activities. This study concluded that inquiry based online contents should be designed considering students interests based on learning subjects and also developed in terms of students interests and strong motivation as well. We suggest that related research should be expanded toward to other subject than science and various students age groups.