• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.50-58
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• 2007

In this study, students' thoughts were searched according to the types of experiments related to the "law of definite proportions" in 9th grade science textbooks. The most common four types of experiments in textbooks were selected and analyzed for this study. It was found that the experiments needed various preconceptions and complex inferring process by students. But most of the students could not catch the concept understanding desired from the experiments. They just perceived simple observation from their senses. These phenomena were common regardless of types of experiments. These means that the level of preconceptions and inferring process for the interpretation of the experimental data did not match with students' level of thoughts. The goals of the experiments in science textbooks are to increase students' inquiry ability, and to acquire science concepts by themselves from the experiment results. But if the contents of experiments are not suitable to students' understanding level, the educational effects of the performance of these experiments were not positive. Therefore, these experiments need contents revisions for students to acquire the concept related to the "law of definite proportions" by themselves.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.253-264
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to examine the practice of scientists from the perspective of Ian Hacking's 'creation of phenomena'. Scientific phenomena, according to Hacking, are regular and do not exist in nature without the intervention of scientists or experimental tools. This study tries to derive scientific educational meaning by analyzing the thoughts and episodes of the 'Sontanda (inter-individual variability)' phenomenon experienced by four life scientists. The Sontanda phenomenon is a common term used by scientists to describe phenomena in which findings do not appear consistently even when studies are carried out using the same experimental procedure and materials. The following four educational implications were discovered as a result of the research. First, we confirmed the importance of embodied knowledge, or non-verbal knowledge, which solves issues by making appropriate judgments and reactions at all times, rather than simply becoming accustomed to the experimental method. This argues that propositional knowledge and non-verbal knowledge should be handled equally in order to provide students with a practical scientific inquiry. Second, we tried to reconsider the picture of the experiment. The phenomenon revealed in the interviews of scientists is rare, and it takes a long time to stabilize the phenomenon. On the other hand, the image of school experiments is always positive and consistent, necessitating a shift in perspective. Third, the precise meaning of scientific practice could be confirmed. This study confirms that scientists use their knowledge effectively in line with the circumstances, and we examined strategies to apply scientific practice to school instruction based on this. Finally, by provoking uncertainty, the Sontanda phenomena may give students with an opportunity to engage in meaningful scientific involvement. By breaking away from the cookbook experiment, this study expects school experimental education to help in efforts to experience scientific practice.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.260-267
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between high school students' observation ability quotient and changes in their stress hormones while observing fruits. This experimental study was performed with 29 first-year female high school students in a metropolitan city. In order to measure the observation ability quotient, an appropriate scientific observation program was developed. In observation program, the subjects carried out observations in an open and autonomous environment and recorded their observations. Their saliva samples were extracted before and after the task so as to analyze the amount of the secreted hormone. Also, their observation ability was measured using the quotient equation of observation ability. And then, in order to investigate the relationship between the observation ability and the cortisol hormone, a correlation analysis was performed. The main results are as follows: First, the amount of learner's hormone secreted during the experiment decreased in overall after the free observation. And the observation ability quotient turned out to be significantly correlated to the cortisol hormone.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.337-346
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• 2020

In this study, we investigated the characteristics of students participating in Science Core high schools classes and their relevance to Positive Experiences on Science (hereinafter, PES), and factors causing PES, presented by the students of Science Core high schools. A total of 20 students and five teachers in four regions across the country participated in the in-depth interview, which were conducted with the focus group of students first, and then in-depth interviews with teachers. Based on the interview results, we explored teaching and learning experiences helpful to the PES, assessment experiences resulting in the PES, and ways to support Science Core high schools to enhance their PES. Students and teachers of Science Core high schools argued that students' participation will increase only if they engage in classes while drawing attention within the range that students can understand, students' PES such as scientific interest can be improved through experiments in which students choose topics or design their own exploration process, science competencies such as science problem solving ability and scientific thinking ability should be developed through exploratory experiment activities that fit the nature of science, etc. In addition, regarding ways to improve and support Science Core high schools to enhance PES, securing science class hours, restructuring the contents of science elective courses, and necessity of maintaining Science Core high schools are suggested. Based on the research results of science high school students' PES, ways to improve the PES of general high school students are discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.785-798
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• 2010

The purposes of this study are to investigate Korean science teachers' perception of the current science teacher preparation courses in Korea, especially focused on subjects of science education, and to induce implications for improvement of in-service program for science teachers. To do this, a questionnaire was developed by the authors and administered to the 215 science teachers sampled nationwide. The study concluded that science teachers perceived that the two compulsory subjects, 'science education theories' and 'science teaching-learning materials and teaching methods' were not enough for a professional science teacher. Particularly, they consisently insisted that more practices under the relationship with teaching science in schools were necessary when learning subjects of science education. Based on science teachers' response, we recommended that the following 4 subjects should be added in the course of pre-service program for science teachers: 'Development of experiment/demonstration devices', 'Teaching creativity and education for the gifted in science', 'Development of science teaching materials', and 'Science inquiry learning and teaching'.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.651-658
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyze the invention-related content of foreign science curricula and investigate the perception of science educators about the degree of relevance between science curriculum and invention. For the analysis of foreign science curricula, we investigated the programs of 10 nations, including the US, Canada, UK, Japan, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, France, Finland and China. To analyze the relevance between Korean science curriculum and invention, we examined common topics such as science, integrated science, and science inquiry experiment, and investigated that the elements related to invention education were included in each 'achievement standard' and 'teaching and evaluation methods'. Science educators including science teachers were asked to evaluate the degree of relevance of invention education. The results were as follows. First, science curricula in many countries contained invention-related content. Second, science educators recognized that invention education was related to science curriculum, but the systematic connection was insufficient. Third, because it is mainly limited to the results of designing and device design, they recognized that the relevance of invention education, which focuses on various processes such as problem design, inventive techniques and intellectual property, was not revealed. Therefore, it is necessary to be process-oriented when developing invention education teaching-learning methods and related materials in science education for the future.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1580-1598
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• 2012

The Study aimed to observe Science Experience's Type in parent school out of school institution and Meaning of Middle School- Science Gifted Students in Korea. Twelve middle school gifted education institution and science high school students participated in this study. Data source was retrospective and in-depth interviews with individuals. Results were as follows. First, science experience with parents influenced interest and inquiring mind in science, choice of career in field of science. Second, science experience in school curriculum recognized that gifted students have talents of themselves in science and changed in Attitude toward science from science teacher. Third, science experience with education institution for out of school curriculum changed interest in science from Experiment for identified scientific knowledge and obtained new product through creative inquiry process. Furthermore, It was gained self-confidence, feel a sense of accomplishment and a challenging, the spirit of team work including of taking lead the team.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.799-807
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• 2019

The study was conducted to identify if the first-year program of science-focused school improved students' scientific core competency and science learning motivation. The first-year program of the science-focused school consisted of basic education in scientific inquiry, investigation, advanced experiment, and basic education in small research. There were a total of 262 participants in the program, and 169 students took three survey tests. Through the analysis of a group-based trajectory modeling, students were differentiated based on similarity of score changes. This study showed that the first-year program of the science-focused school significantly improved students' scientific core competency and science learning motivation. A group-based trajectory modeling found that about 40~60% of students saw the effects of the program. The students who chose the humanity track showed effects, while some students who chose the science-focused track did not show effects. A group-based trajectory modeling showed the methodological effects of identifying the change process of individual students. This study identified the positive effects of science-focused school policy statistically and is a meaningful example for analyzing the effectiveness of science-focused school programs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.99-108
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• 2010

This study lays its purpose on examining the effects of lessons with the application of drawing tasks on changes in conception among gifted science students. The lesson with the application of drawing tasks means the lesson where students express key concepts regarding lesson subjects in drawings which are then applied to the lessons to develop conception among the learners. This study analyzed the effectiveness of lessons by comparing conception scores before and after experiments between an experiment group with the application of drawing tasks and a control group with normal lessons for the gifted in general for 8 months from March to October, 2008. In addition, the researcher examined how the effectiveness of the developed lessons show differently according to levels of meta-cognition, creative problem-solving abilities, and scientific inquiry skills among the gifted students. The results from this study are as the following. First, lessons with the application of drawing tasks were effective in changing conception among the gifted science students. It is possibly because in the process where one student compare his/her own drawings with the others' ones and discuss them, changes in conception occurred effectively among the learners. Second, it was revealed that lessons utilizing drawing tasks have equal effects on changes in conception among both student groups irrespective of their levels of meta-cognition. Accordingly the lesson for changing perceptions utilizing drawing tasks developed in this study is a program which can be applied to all gifted science students in order to change conception among them. Third, lessons utilizing drawing tasks have the greatest effects on the gifted science students at a 'middle' level of creative problem solving abilities. Fourth, lessons utilizing drawing tasks have the greatest effects on the gifted science students at a 'middle' level of scientific inquiry skills. Putting these results together, it is thought that if lessons utilizing drawing tasks are applied to gifted science students, not only their concepts would be changed effectively but also their attitudes toward science would be changed positively.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.55-68
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• 2021

The modern society is rapidly changing, and accordingly, the required teacher image is changing as well. Middle school students are immature, when they undergo major changes both physically and mentally, and teachers have a great influence. How students perceive the teacher determines the relationship between teachers and students. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze what kind of teacher image middle school students want. The purpose of this study is to analyze the image of a science teacher who prefers and avoids each class situation perceived by middle school students. To this end, 502 middle school students were divided into five classes: class type, class material presentation method, subject instruction method, subject content explanation method, and class atmosphere, and the image of science teacher who prefers and avoids is described in an open format. Concepts presented by middle school students were analyzed through semantic network analysis (SNA). The conclusions of this study are as follows: first, in order to make middle school students interested in science, an inquiry-centered experiment class should be conducted. Second, the change of class by science teacher can change it into preferred science class. Third, student-centered classes should be conducted according to the level so that students can understand. Finally, science teachers continue to strive through communication between science teachers and students, and students and students, and look forward to changes in science classes through this.