• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.323-336
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to evaluate students' written arguments embedded in scientific inquiry investigations using the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach. Argument components defined in this study are questions, claims, questions-claims relationship, evidence, claims-evidence relationship, multiple modal representations, and reflection. A set of criteria for evaluating each argument component was developed to evaluate writing samples of students from college freshman general chemistry laboratory classes. Results indicate that students produced, on average, moderate to powerful questions, claims, and evidence. They also constructed reasonable questions-claims relationship and claims-evidence relationship. Compared to other component scores, the average score for reflection was relatively low. Overall, the average Total Argument score was 21.4 out of a possible 36, that is, the quality of the written arguments using the SWH approach during a series of inquiry-based chemistry laboratory investigations was moderate to powerful. The findings of this study suggest that students, on average, developed reasonable scientific arguments generated as part of scientific inquiry. In other words, students are capable of putting together reasonable arguments as they participate in inquiry-based laboratory classrooms.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.583-592
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of argument-based modeling strategy using scientific writing on student's modeling ability. For this study, 66 students (three classes) from the 7th grade were selected and of these, 43 students (two classes) were assigned to two experimental groups while the other 23 students (one class) were assigned to comparative group. In the experimental groups, one group (22 students) was Argument-based multimodal Representation and Modeling (AbRM), and the other group (21 students) was Argument-based Modeling (AbM). Modeling ability consisted of identifying the problem, structuring of scientific concepts, adequacy of claim and evidence and index of multimodal representation. As for the modeling ability, AbRM group scored significantly higher than the other groups, AbM group was significantly higher than comparative group. The four sub-elements of modeling ability in the AbRM group was significantly higher than the other groups statistically and AbM group scored significantly higher than comparative group. From these results, the argument-based modeling strategy using scientific writing was effective on students' modeling ability. Students organized or expressed the model and evaluated or modified it through the process of argument-based modeling using scientific writing and the exchange of opinions with others by scientific language as argument and writing.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.195-205
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of scientific argumentation on argument tasks with incorrect alternative ideas in elementary science classes. The subjects were 41 fourth graders of 2 classes in an elementary school. In the experimental group, argument tasks with pictures including incorrect alternative ideas were suggested in order to facilitate argumentation. Students were asked to perform argumentation with the component of claim, evidence, and reasoning. In the control group, textbook-based traditional instruction was used. The results showed that scientific argumentation activities on argument tasks with incorrect alternative ideas had positive effects on students' science achievement and science-related affective domains. The analyses of students' argumentation revealed that argument tasks with incorrect alternative ideas could facilitate students' participation and exposure of their preconceptions. It also led students to find and connect evidence to support their claims. In some cases, students had difficulty in making appropriate argumentation because of unclear experimental data and/or invalid reasoning. Educational implications were discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.107-122
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to investigate trends in research studies on scientific argument and writing in Korea. 118 research studies published from 2004 to 2013 have been collected and analyzed. Many of the research studies focused on developing teaching strategies, analyzing contents of scientific argument and writing, and effects on student learning. More than half of the studies were conducted with elementary and middle school students while studies with pre-service, in-service teachers or high school students were relatively rare. Most research studies were conducted within regular school hour context and participants were given relevant information/education prior to argument and writing activities. Many research have analyzed student growth in scientific attitudes and we would suggest that further studies should investigate student growth in scientific concepts, scientific inquiry, and critical thinking. The structure and process of argument or the content and form of writing have been analyzed. The quality of argument and scientific concepts embedded in argument and writing should be investigated more in future researches.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.183-191
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to examine the efffcts of science instruction using argumentation, with Tolumin's structure of argument, on students' learning motivation and scientific attitude. In the instruction, well-structured problems selected to be argument, in which interactions among students are stressed. The subjects were classified into two groups: One group is composed of sixty-seven students (experimental group) who were participated in solving processes of the scientific argument tasks, and the other is composed of sixty-nine students (comparative group) who were participated in the traditional teaching method. The results of this study implied that experimental group has a positive effect on students' learning motivation and scientific attitude.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.199-208
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• 2015

An enhanced understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge-what counts as a scientific argument and how scientists justify their claims with evidence-has been central in Korean science instruction. However, despite its importance, scholars are generally concerned about the difficulty of both addressing and improving students' epistemic understanding, especially for students of a young age. This study investigated Korean middle school students' epistemic ideas about claim, data, evidence, and argument when they engage in reading both text-based and data-inscription arguments. Compared to previous studies, Korean middle school students show a sophisticated understanding of the role of claim and evidence. Yet, these students think that there is only a single way of interpreting data. When comparing students' ideas from text-based and data-inscription arguments, the majority of Korean students barely perceive text description as evidence and recognize only measured data as evidence.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.249-257
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to analyze the knowledge and ability levels of middle school students in four areas: conceptual understanding, argument construction, justification schemes, and use of scientific knowledge in a causal explanation for a genetic phenomenon. A group of 162 middle school students who have taken a class titled Genetics and Evolution participated in the study. Each student answered-and justified the answer to-one question pertaining to genetics. Ability levels were rated from level 0 to level 4, with 4 being the top rating. Students were required to choose one of two competing arguments to explain whether green seed pimps and red seed pimps of the same size and shape were the same species or not. Analyzing conceptual understanding: 47% of the respondents provided the correct answer. Analyzing their abilities for constructing an argument: 75% of the students with the correct answer and 42% of the students with the incorrect answer were evaluated to be at ability level 3 or 4 for argument construction. Analyzing the students' justification schemes: "Scientific idea" and "Analogy" were the most frequently used schemes. Analyzing their use of scientific knowledge: of the students who selected the scientific idea justification scheme, 36% used the correct scientific knowledge, but the remainder used inaccurate or nonspecific scientific knowledge. These findings provide implication for encouraging argumentative writing explaining scientific phenomena regarding epistemic practice.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.95-104
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to examine what effects the experiment class to stress discussion of small groups in scientific experiment class of the elementary school has on scientific achievement and attitude on the science of the students comparing to the usual scientific experiment class. For that purpose, this study has divided 49 students at the 6th grade of the M elementary school in P City into test groups of 24 students and control groups of 25 students. Classes have been progressed by giving sufficient time to the test groups for discussion by each small groups after experiment while by allowing the control groups to finish the experiment with arrangement of the experiment results. Conclusions of this study include: First, the more familiar the experiment materials are and the easier the experiment procedures are to be operated by the students, the more actively the small group discussion activities have been deployed. It shows that the students need a certain level of background knowledge before experiment for vital discussing activities. Second, it is appeared that the test groups given the scientific experiment class stressing small group discussing activity have significantly high scores comparing to the control groups given the existing scientific experiment class. It shows that the small group discussing activities have effects on promoting understanding of the students on the scientific achievement for the scientific experiment class. Third, it is appeared that the test groups given the scientific experiment class stressing small group discussing activity significantly high scores on attitude about the science comparing to the control groups given the existing scientific experiment class. It is considered that the students could have opportunities to compare their own thoughts with others and to have reflective thought to change their thoughts through the small group discussing activity. As shown above, it shows that the experiment class to stress discussing activities is more effective to increase scientific achievement and attitude about the science than the scientific experiment class to get and arrange the experiment results from the existing experiment classes.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.658-666
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• 2014

This study was designed to explore pre-service secondary science teachers' understanding and views of argument-based inquiry approach. Participants were 17 pre-service secondary science teachers enrolled in chemistry curricular materials and teaching methods course for majors in the college of education at a university in Seoul. Main data sources included each student responses to an open ended survey and individual interviews. Data analyses indicated that the pre-service teachers had very limited and biased understanding on scientific inquiry at the beginning of the semester. While the pre-service teachers understood that scientific inquiry should be an essential component of science teaching, a few pre-service teachers mentioned 'argumentation' or 'discussions' when they defined what scientific inquiry is. The majority of the pre-service teachers mentioned that science should be taught through scientific inquiry since science is inquiry itself. However, the pre-service teachers expressed several potential barriers and their concerns on implementing argumentation in scientific inquiry. While they concerned about students' lack of participation at the beginning of the semester, they concerned more about the teachers' ability of leading student argumentation at the end of the semester.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.694-708
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• 2011

In this study, we developed tasks including cognitive scaffolding for students to explain scientific phenomena using valid evidences in science classroom and sought to investigate how tasks influence the development of small group scientific argumentation. Heterogeneous small groups in gender and achievement were organized in one classroom and the tasks were applied to the class. Students were asked to write down their own ideas, share individual ideas, and then choose the most plausible opinion in a group. One group was chosen for investigating the effect of tasks on the development of small group argumentation through the analysis of discourse transcripts of the group in 10 lessons, students' semi-structured interview, field note, and students' pre- and post argument tests. The discrepant argument examples were included in the tasks for students to refute an argument presenting evidences. Moreover, comparing opinion within the group and persuading others were included in the tasks to prompt small group argumentation. As a result, students' post-argument test grades were increased than pre-test grades, and they argued involving evidences and reasoning. The high level of arguments has appeared with high ratio of advanced utterances and lengthening of reasoning chain as lessons went on. Students had elaborate claims involving valid evidences and reasoning by reflective and critical thinking while discussing about the tasks. In addition, tasks which could have various warrants based on the data led to students' spontaneous participation. Therefore, this study has significance in understanding the context of developing small group argumentation, providing information about teaching and learning context prompting students to construct arguments in science inquiry lessons in middle school.