• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.711-726
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate how congruently the learning objectives of Earth Science I textbooks match the 2009 revised Earth Science curriculum. For this purpose, we classified the learning objectives of curriculum and textbooks were into three factors including ability, cross-cutting concepts, and behavioral verbs. The text data were analyzed using the semantic network analysis method. The results are as follows. The learning objectives of textbooks with regard to ability factors mainly emphasized the cognitive and affective domain. In addition, the ability of inquiry performance was emphasized in the learning objective of the curriculum. The textbooks used various sub-frame of cross-cutting concepts in comparison with the curriculum. Both textbooks and curriculum used the term 'comprehension' the most as behavioral verbs. However, most behavioral verbs just remained at the level of cognitive system.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.356-370
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• 2008

The study aims to explore sequence of earth science content in elementary school science curriculum in Korea and the U.S.. The analysis is focused on a) general content structure of earth science part; b) concept relationship between grades in the specific field of 'geology'; c) longitudinal connection of concepts and content in 'geology.' The findings are as follows. First, earth science curriculum content in Korea is structured according to sub-scientific disciplines centering on not science concepts but topics or inquiry activities whereas the U.S. curricular content is organized through integrative earth science topics with basic concepts and sub-concepts. Second, it is a common feature that basic concepts are interrelated to sub-concepts in all grades in both countries. However, basic concepts are scattered all over the grades, presented in a linear pattern in Korea while those are provided together in 3rd grade and repeated with extended concepts in a spiral structure in the U.S.. Last, it is not clear how concepts and content are longitudinally connected between grades in Korean curriculum. On the contrary, concepts and content in the U.S. curriculum have a strong longitudinal connection between grades with conceptual hierarchy. Such results indicate that Korean elementary school science curriculum would limit students' comprehensive understanding of science concepts through grades. The study suggests Korean science content should strengthen interrelationship among concepts as well as longitudinal connection between grades, in order to achieve the ultimate goal of science education, 'scientific literacy'.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.481-498
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to compare and analyse the subject organization and teaching units of middle school science curriculums and science textbooks, by studying the organization of subject matter and content scope and level of middle school science subject in South and North Korea. As a result of this study, the composition, scope, and level of content between middle school science textbooks in South and North Korea were similar. However, the study found that science education objectives, separated science curriculum subject organization, economical efficiency weighted format and organization of science subject matter, result-centered experiments, the enlightenment of Kim Ilsung and his son in North Korea science education were very far from the desirable direction of science education. Therefore, the view on level-based curriculum and organization of the science curriculum should be integrated, and preparation of student-centered organization of textbooks and expansion of science-technology-society content is needed before unification. And also, the united Korea science curriculum shouldn't simply compromise or neutralize between middle school science curriculum in South and North Korea. They should make a future-oriented plan for information and globalism society.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.213-226
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• 2002

The purpose of this research is to direct the 7th national primary science curriculum to be performed properly. The research is based on the questionnaire to investigate the primary teachers' appreciation of the curriculum. The questions are about the general aspect of the 7th curriculum and special treatises on science curriculum. Questionnaires were distributed to 1000 teachers, and 822 teachers answered them. According to the survey results the teachers' thoughts were as following: First, there must be enough time to develop a new curriculum. It is not desirable to change the old curriculum totally. There should be some continuity between the old and the new curriculum. Second, teachers appreciated that the learning resources and supplements were helpful, and interested students. Teachers thought that If equipment at class or school was not enough. Third, according to them the hierarchical structure of science curriculum was appropriate, but the contents need to be improved. Fourth, most teachers restructured the 7th science curriculum to adapt it to the class and school. They cooperated with one another in teaching science, and applied diverse teaching-learning methods according to the curricular contents and the grade levels. Teachers tried to evaluate all aspects of the students with various methods, but they felt it was hard. They were not active in developing evaluation tools as a team, and in objectifying the information about students. Fifth, teachers felt it was hard to implement the science curriculum according to different levels of the students. Based on the survey of teachers' thoughts, the following can be suggested for successful implementation and reorientation of the curriculum. First, teachers need learning opportunities to appreciate and adapt the 7th curriculum creatively. Second, they need guidances in implementing the different levels of the curriculum, and the information about the appropriate resources for it. Third, we need to control the relative difficulty of the curricular contents, and reduce the hours and quantity of the study. Fourth, we need to improve the school equipment and facilities. Networking and cooperation among education-related institutions are essential for better education. Fifth, it is desirable to develop concrete and diverse teaming models.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.64-73
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• 1984

This study aimed at identifying the characteristics of current science curriculum in several countries in terms of its format, aims and objectives, contents and guidelines and discussed about therm. The curricula were collected from 9 countries- The United States of America(5 states), Canada(4 Provinces), England, West Germany, France, Australia, Newzealand, Japan and the republic of China. Each country had her own characteristics of science curriculum, but there also common characteristics among several countries. First, the format of science curricula in eastern countries were very different from those of western countries. The western countries had the curriculum format which included characteristics and needs of science education, philosophy and background, aims and objectives, contents, characteristics of learners, teaching and learning strategy, teaching materials, guide of experiments, evaluation methods, and other concrete informations while eastern countries had the curriculum format which included only objectives, contents and guidelines. I think that the format of science curriculum in western countries is more recommendable than that of eastern countries. Second, the aims and objectives of science curricula in eastern countries focused on scientific knowledges and concepts, while those of countries emphasized scientific methods and attitudes. Third, the contents of science curricula were very similar regardless of eastern countries or western countries. In other words, all the countries in this study emphasized life science and earth science at lower grade level and physical science at upper grade level. Especially the observation and concrete learning activities were suggested at lower grade level and logical reasoning was emphasized at upper grade level. I think that the integrated (topic-centered) science curriculum is more recommendable than our current non-integrated science curriculum in lower grade levels. Finally, the guidelines of science curriculum in eastern countries did not suggest specific information about teaching contents, experimental methods, teaching-learning activities, evaluation methods, teaching and learning meterals, while those of western countries provided more specific information which teachers could utilize very effectively.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.867-892
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• 2001

In both Korea and the U.S., science education leaders and specialists insist that there is a shortage of curricula to address the new national science education guidelines in support of reform. This paper addresses development of new curricula for science education reform in the hopes of facilitating further development of guideline-based curricula. We examine Korean and U.S. thematic-based (Korean Science Field Trip at Cultural Sites Program and U.S. Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education) and project-centered (Korean Teachers for Exciting Science and U.S. Foundational Approaches in Science Teaching Program) programs. Using the criteria of rationale for curriculum, content and scope, processes of implementation, and assessment strategies, we identify the curricular components that are common across four successful secondary science programs and determine which of these components address the national guidelines. Our findings indicate that common components of these four programs meet the expectations of the science guidelines being used to revamp science education in both countries. Therefore, these programs not only engage secondary students and teachers in practicing successful science education, but also lead to successful science education practices that can be incorporated in the future development of curriculum to support secondary science reform.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.140-156
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• 2010

This study aimed to investigate how science teachers perceived major features of the 2007 revised science curriculum and implementing them in classes. The 2007 revised science curriculum included critical features such as creativity, open inquiry, science writing, discussion and STS. In terms of necessity, clarity and complexity of those features for curriculum implementation, teacher perceptions were examined. Particularly with regard to open inquiry assigned 6 class periods per semester as one of the critical features of 2007 revised science curriculum, we asked teachers how they would prepare and implement the technique in their teaching. In results of this study, science teachers agreed on the necessity and importance of those major features of the 2007 revised science curriculum, including creativity, open inquiry, science writing, discussion, and STS. However, they were not clear on how those would work in their classrooms and expected various impediments. Open inquiry was specifically perceived as most negative in its implementation with the mention of various complex reasons. Based on findings in this study, we proposed the 'Dual Action Research Model' for curriculum implementation. It tries to explain how curriculum is implemented in classrooms and diminish the gaps between curriculum developers and teacher users by means of leading teachers to understand the curriculum meaningfully and implement their teaching based on this understanding.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.667-675
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• 2014

It is important to know science terminology when learning science. In terms of linguistic and psychological perspectives, the context of encountering a terminology for the first time is critical. If a student has not learned the terminology properly the first time, it might cause misconceptions or be a barrier in following learning. This study aims to identify how careful science terminology are used in science textbooks, and the relationship of using science terminology between science curriculum and middle school science textbooks in the 2009 National Curriculum. In addition, the educational need, the importance of science learning, proper time for teaching, & difficulty of the terminologies have been surveyed among teachers and students. As results of study show, only 25% of terminologies in science textbooks have appeared in the curriculum, and about 10% have been used in middle school science textbooks prior to science curriculum. The survey results suggested that many of those terminologies could cause problems in teaching and learning situation. The solution for them have been divided into the following: avoiding usage in textbook prior to curriculum, using earlier in textbooks, using earlier in curriculum, and reflecting curriculum precisely in the textbook. In general, the curriculum needs to state performing objectives concretely. And it is needed to examine science terminology advertently when writing textbooks.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.377-387
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• 2016

Whether textbooks faithfully reflect the curriculum contents is an important educational issue. The previous studies on the textbooks did not analyze the relationship described in the textbooks or the structure. In this regard, this study aims to analyze how the concept of life science area in the elementary school science textbooks developed on the basis of the 2009 revised curriculum is linked. In addition, it seeks to analyze how the concept presented in the learning content achievement standards of the curriculum is connected to other concepts. Towards this end, the conceptual linkage of eight units in the life science domain of elementary school science textbooks based on the 2009 revised curriculum was analyzed. The contents of the life science domain in the science textbooks were analyzed through a semantic network analysis, and the semantic network on the concept linked to the one described in curriculum's learning objectives was also analyzed. The results are as follows: 1) It will be difficult for students to understand the concept due to the complexity of the semantic network resulting from a number of concepts. 2) The curriculum's learning objectives presented in the curriculum are not faithfully reflected in the textbooks. 3) The textbooks are described on the basis of specific curriculum's learning objectives. Based on the findings of this study, the number of concepts described in the elementary school science textbooks needs to be significantly reduced so that the concepts can be meaningfully linked to each other.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.1312-1328
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• 2013

In this study, we investigated preservice secondary science teachers' uses of curriculum materials in curriculum design through a case study. Two preservice science teachers at a college of education in Seoul participated in this study. We interviewed them about their beliefs on teaching and learning prior to their teaching students. We then observed their teaching and collected all of the teaching/learning materials. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted before and after the instructions. Their uses of curriculum materials were systematically analyzed in the aspects of reading, evaluating and adapting curriculum materials. The analyses of the results revealed that their uses of curriculum materials had a significant difference in curriculum design. There was a difference in the way of reading curriculum materials that derived from different perspectives of curriculum reconstruction. The perspectives of curriculum reconstruction also affected the way of adapting curriculum materials. While the 'adding' was an important adaptation in curriculum design with active perspectives, the 'changing' was an important one with passive perspectives. In addition, the degrees of evaluating curriculum materials from the learners' views depended on their beliefs on teaching and learning. It was also connected to qualitative differences of adaptation in 'increasing student control over an activity' and 'increasing teacher control over an activity'. Educational implications of these findings are discussed.