• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.683-699
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of teacher learning and changes in teachers' epistemic beliefs within a learning community of elementary science teachers. Three in-service elementary teachers who majored in elementary science education in a doctoral course of a graduate school of education participated in the study, and learning activities in the teachers' beginning learning community provided a context for the study. Data sources included field notes produced by the researcher who engaged jointly in the teacher learning community as a coach, audio-recordings of the teachers' narratives, and artifacts generated by the teachers during the process of teacher learning. Complementary analyses of these multiple sources of data revealed that epistemic beliefs of the three elementary teachers were different and that each teacher made a different plan of science instruction based on his own epistemic belief even after the learning experiences within the teacher community. It was therefore suggested that science teacher education programs should be organized in consideration of the nature of teachers as constructivist learners and their practical resources.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.66 no.1
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• pp.15-30
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to examine interactions among components of pedagogical content knowledge of middle school science teachers in a teacher learning community targeting science practice-based instruction. Data collection consisted of pre and post questionnaire and interview with each of five science teachers, audio-recording of teacher discussion in a teacher learning community, lesson plans, teacher written reflection, and video-recording of teaching practice. Qualitative data analysis revealed that there were two types of interactions, i.e., one-way interaction and two-ways interaction among components of pedagogical content knowledge of science teachers in a teacher learning community. There were also consecutive interactions as well as one-shot interaction. For two-ways interaction there were synchronous two-ways interaction in a teacher learning community meeting as well as consecutive two-ways interaction along with several meetings. This study provides implications that collaborative learning context in a teacher learning community should stimulate various types interactions among components of pedagogical content knowledge.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.784-794
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• 2014

In this study, we operated science teacher learning community to enhance professionality of elementary science teachers. 8 participants with various background, which include their science content knowledge, teaching experience and beliefs about teaching, were involved in this study. Bales(1950)'s social interaction process framework was mainly used to understand the members' interaction, focusing particularly on process aspects not on contents aspects. The data analysis shows that the members in the science teacher learning community tried their best to maintain the positive reaction to other members in most occasions in the community meetings. On the other hand, there were also negative reaction process due to their different ideas and views, causing their emotional conflicts in some social relations and dialogical situations. Nevertheless, the results also imply that the dual reaction processes, which are positive and negative processes, are equally important to facilitate science teachers' professional knowledge and experience. The educational meanings are discussed in the aspects of science teacher education.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.115-130
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• 2017

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between pre-service early childhood teacher's motivations of choosing a teaching profession, educational belief, and self-directed learning readiness. The sample included 308 early childhood education major students, and the data were collected using the Modified Orientation to Teach Survey (MOTS), Teaching-belief type scale, and self-directed learning readiness scale. A statistical analysis included correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis. The results were as follows: 1) analysis of the relationship between pre-service early childhood teacher's motivations of choosing a teaching profession, educational belief, and self-directed learning readiness conveys that intellectual stimulation and self-directed learning had the strongest relationships while nature of work had the weakest. For educational belief and self-directed learning readiness, maturationism and interactionism showed significantly positive correlations while behaviorism displayed a negative correlation. Behaviorism had a significantly negative correlation with openness for challenge, a sub-factor of self-directed learning. 2) Analysis of the effect of pre-service early childhood teacher's motivations of choosing a teaching profession and educational belief on self-directed learning readiness indicates that pre-service early childhood teacher's motivations of choosing a teaching profession had a stronger effect on self-directed learning. These results suggest the following: successful performance as an early childhood teacher not only requires receiving institutionalized education but also self-directed learning while working as an early childhood teacher.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.29-40
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to explore how a high school science teacher (Teacher E) shifted her understanding and facilitation of scientific modeling through participation in a professional learning community (PLC) for over a year. Based on socially situated theory of learning, I focused on examining Teacher E's frames about scientific modeling from her social interactions. Teacher E participated in her school-based PLC over a year and collaborated with other science teachers, coaches, and researchers to improve science instruction. I qualitatively explored her participation in 6 full-day professional learning opportunities-studios-where the PLC members collectively planned, implemented, and debriefed modeling-based lessons. Especially, I focused on two Studios (Studio 2, 6) where Teacher E became the host teacher and implemented the lessons. I also examined her classroom teaching in those Studios. To understand how the PLC inquiry affected the shifts observed in Teacher E's understanding and practice, I explored how the inquiry evolved over the 6 Studios. Findings suggest that in Studio 2, Teacher E viewed students' role in scientific modeling as to fill out the worksheet with "correct" answers. Meanwhile, in Studio 6, she focused on helping students collaborate to construct explanatory models of phenomena using evidence. The PLC inquiry, focused on supporting students' construction of evidence-based explanations and collaboration in scientific modeling, seemed to promote the shifts observed in Teacher E's understanding and facilitation of scientific modeling. These findings can inform educational researchers and practitioners who aim to promote teachers' professional learning to support students' epistemic practices.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.679-688
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• 2011

Using data from an ongoing study of 170 children aged 4-6 years in low-income families, this study tests how mothers' parenting behaviors and teacher-child relationship influences the adjustment to child-care centers of young children. The mothers' parenting behaviors were measured by the mothers of surveyed children, while the teacher-child relationship and children's adjustment were rated by teachers. Measurements were recorded from using the Iowa Parent Behavior Inventory(Crase et al. 1987), Student-Teacher Relationship Scale(Pianta et al. 1995) and the Adjustment to Child-care Centers Scale(Lee 2004). The collected data was analyzed by hierarchical regression using the SPSS Program. Results indicate that mothers' parenting behaviors in the low-income families controlled characteristics of children and are positively associated with one area of early school adjustment, learning readiness. In other words, mothers who are more involved and demonstrate supportive parenting, have children with better learning readiness. The teacher-child relationship is strongly related to all areas of children's adjustment. The interaction effect of parenting behaviors and the teacher-child relationship on children's learning readiness is observed. These results highlight the importance of the teacher-child closeness as well as the quality of parenting behaviors during the preschool period for the low-income family in improving early school adjustment.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.565-582
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate middle school science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge for science practice-based instruction developed by five middle school science teachers in a teacher learning community. Science teachers in this study collaborated to examine lesson plans and reflect on teaching practice and collaboratively analyzed science curriculum, discussed video-recordings of teaching practice, and discussed to design detailed and elaborated lesson plans. Data collection consisted of pre and post questionnaire and interview, audio-recording of teacher discussion in a teacher learning community for one year, lesson plans, teacher written reflection, and video-recording of teaching practice. Data analysis reveals that science teachers developed pedagogical content knowledge for science practice-based instruction that consists of eleven sub-components of knowledge of science curriculum for science practice, knowledge of science practice-based instructional strategy, knowledge of students' science practice-based learning, and knowledge of science practice-based learning assessment. Science teachers in this study developed highly structured pedagogical content knowledge for science practice-based instruction.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.165-186
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to indicate a case that applied forming a instructional community-establishing instructional strategies-developing learning and assessment toolkits as a connective strategy between information literacy and curricula to foster the Library-Assisted instruction(LAI). In this case a new instructional community consisted of a teacher librarian, a korean language teacher, a korean history teacher and a korean geography teacher of the 10th grade. The community developed integrated learning topics connected with subject-specific classes and designed LAI's instructional strategy. Finally learning and assessment toolkits containing information problem solving and resources using model were designed by this community. This method can provide students with enough time in using resources and teach information literacy systematically. Also it will help teacher librarians improve leadership and partnership in the school community.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.390-404
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• 2013

The premise of the study is that teacher communities or teacher interest groups are one of the representative examples of Communities of Practice (CoP) formed by teachers who engage in the process of collective learning regarding science teaching. Based on the theory of CoP, we investigated and interpreted the process of identity development of six science teachers who have been actively involved in teacher communities. We conducted 2-3 individual interviews with the teachers in order to explore their narratives and personal experiences of being involved in the communities over the years. Results indicated that a teacher community is a place where the teachers not only generated and shared repertories of ideas, documents on teaching and learning, or routines (i.e. practices), but also formulated a set of relationships through social participation. Teacher communities actively provide the teachers a sense of joint enterprise and identity, and where the teachers have an opportunity to develop themselves personally and professionally as science teachers playing major roles in their communities.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.297-310
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• 2021

This study explores the characteristics of within-school and across-school science teacher professional learning communities (hereafter, PLC) qualitatively. In-depth focus group interviews were conducted with science teachers belonging to seven PLCs within the science core school and three PLCs across schools. Interview questions include identity and motivation, major activities, and outcomes of PLC, as well as shortcomings and support plans for PLC. The results include both within-school and across-school science teacher PLCs formed for professional development related to science teaching and learning. Both science PLCs participated in the study showed the characteristics of a 'practice community' that developed a cooperative relationship through reciprocal participation, focusing on shared issues among members. Regarding issues, within-school PLCs focused on microscopic problems such as curriculum reconstruction of subject-matter, while across-school PLCs focused on macro problems such as teacher professional development. Regarding activities and roles as PLC, within-school and across-school science PLCs shared such features as collaborative professional development, and interpersonal education such as mentoring for novice teachers. In terms of PLC's influence and outcomes, science teacher PLCs has a positive effect not only on the teachers themselves, but also on the students and the teacher culture in the school. In addition, science teacher PLCs need improvement of the physical conditions for community operation, and software support such as protocol provision for PLC operation and joint research or re-education with universities. In particular, joint research between universities and science teacher PLCs shows the future orientation of the PLC as an 'inquiry community'. Based on the results, the necessity of active support for science PLC, the necessity of developing a cooperative system between science teacher PLC and universities, and ways to spread the PLC of science core schools to that of general schools were proposed.