• Journal of Science Education
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.135-151
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• 2017

This study set out to investigate the challenges to science teacher's teaching practices in the Anglophone sub-system of education in Cameroon secondary schools. A sample of 331 of these teachers was selected using the purposive sampling method. Data was collected by use of a questionnaire and was subjected to inferential analysis. The major findings from the multiple regression were challenges associated with the size and management of a science class have an effect on the teaching practices of a science teacher. However, challenges with availability of instructional resources did not have an effect on science teaching practices. Recommendations to solve the identified drawbacks include the provision of more classrooms to accommodate the ever growing population of students and the organization of many seminars through which teachers could be educated on how to handle classroom problems and improvise when necessary.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.199-210
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• 2004

This study investigates 55 preservice secondary mathematics teachers' situational understanding of functional relationship. Functional thinking is fundamental and useful because it develops students' quantitative thinking about the world and analytical thinking about complex situations through examination of the relations between interdependent factors. Functional thinking is indispensable for understanding natural phenomena, for investigation by science, and for the technological inventions in engineering and navigation. Therefore, it goes without saying that teachers should be able to represent and communicate about various functional situations in the course of teaching and learning functional relationships to develop students' functional thinking. The result of this study illustrates that many preservice teachers were not able to appropriately represent and communicate about various functional situations. Additionally, it shows that most preservice teachers have limited understanding of the value of teaching function.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.454-469
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• 2014

Teachers' presuppositions of nature of science, scientific causality, and nature are unconsciously constructed through interactions with his or her physical and social environment everyday and it began even before they were in any formal education. It directly influences their teaching later. Thus, this study examined what comprehensive presuppositions in nature of science, scientific causality, and nature are held by in-service secondary science teachers. For the study, Q-methodology was used. Q-sorting was done on 81 statements from three instruments: Nature statements, the Test of Preferred Explanations, and the Nature of Science Scale with twelve in-service science teachers. Teachers sorted the statements along a presented agreement scale of their viewpoint and the collected data was analyzed using recommended procedures for Q-sorts in order to group teachers with similar views. As a result, ten participants were placed in five factors based on their presuppositions of science, scientific causality, and nature and distinctive features of each factor were discovered. In addition, the study confirmed that presuppositions of science, scientific causality, and nature are interrelated. This study method will be helpful to discover more relationships regarding teachers' various viewpoints further.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.314-328
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine Korean preservice science teachers' understanding of the nature of science (NOS). Thirty-one Korean preservice teachers were given an open-ended questionnaire about their understanding of NOS. The Korean preservice teachers' responses were categorized according to pattern and theme. These findings will provide information to aid in the development of curriculum and instruction to improve preservice teachers' understanding of NOS. Compared to in previous studies, Korean preservice teachers demonstrated various philosophical stances that have been suggested by philosophers of science. In addition, they were more likely to connect science to human endeavors and social needs. These results were interpreted in relation to the influence of the science methods course, secondary science curriculum, and the traditional cultural view.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.127-135
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to explore pre-physical education teachers' subjective perception on the athletics practical skill test of examination system for appointment secondary physical education teachers using Q-methodology. This study found three types of pre-teachers' subjective perception on the system. Type I is named 'the type of specialized facility support demand', Type II is named 'the type of professional technical guidance demand'. Type III is named 'the type of evaluation method improvement demand' In conclusion, the pre-physical education teachers hoped for the support of specialized facilities, the opportunity to receive professional skills, and the detailed preliminary guidance on evaluation methods and procedures.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.402-408
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to investigate various conceptions of secondary school earth science teachers on some concepts in secondary school earth science courses; wind in cyclone, western intensification of ocean current, westerly wave, greenhouse effect, ozone layer and atmospheric pressure. The subject is 26 in-service teachers of earth science teachers. The results were analyzed on the view of teaching sources for earth science teachers. The results show that earth science teachers have also various misconceptions on some concepts selected in this study. A number of partial understandings were found that were not enough to apply to teaching concepts. Those misconceptions were related to gradient wind on wind in cyclone and frictional force, related to earth rotation on western intensification of ocean current, related to angular momentum conservation and related to the roles of westerly wave. And misconceptions on greenhouse effect are related to main role of greenhouse effect gases, related to sources of ozone gas and phenomenons by atmospheric pressure. The various understanding types found in this study could be apply to teach the selected concepts in secondary school earth science course.

• 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.30 no.4
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• pp.412-428
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to identify the teaching professionalism of the two teachers for secondary science-gifted students in perspective of teaching orientations. Both teachers have been taught biology to secondary science-gifted students for more than six years and they have received in-service training in gifted education. Teachers' orientations were investigated through in-depth interviews and observing lessons. For the data collection, videotapes were recorded during two lessons and two in-depth interviews for each participant were conducted. All recorded data were carefully transcribed and analyzed. Some unique characteristics of teaching were identified from the class instruction of each participant. Both teachers revealed 'Open Inquiry' orientation. This was reflected by their educational goals and beliefs that they should help science-gifted students to grow themselves as scientists by enhancing their inquisitiveness and creative problem solving ability. However, each teacher had shown different teaching orientations such as 'Academic Rigor' and 'Discovery' that seemed to have influence on the level or the range of subject matter covered in the classes. Teachers' science teaching orientations have been changed by their subject of teaching and their experiences in teaching the gifted. In the process, teachers' educational philosophy about gifted education plays an important role in teaching orientation. Based on the ongoing teachers' efforts for enhancing his/her professionalism, the teachers seemed to critically review theoretical knowledge of the science teachers in gifted education through self-reflection on their own teaching methods. When teacher's educational philosophy about gifted education was established and internalized, science teaching orientations in teaching practice seemed to be consistent with his/her goal of teaching.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1060-1074
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• 2010

In this study, we investigated teachers' experiences in teaching with the science museum as well as their confidence, their perceptions, educational needs, and their willingness to practice the instructions using science museum. A survey was administered to 225 elementary and secondary school teachers. The analyses of the results revealed that few teachers had training for the instructions using the science museum and not many teachers had experience in teaching with the science museum. Many teachers were also found to have low confidence in teaching with the science museum. Although the teachers had a relatively good understanding of the educational effects, nature and teaching strategies for the instructions using the science museum, they tended to apply the formal views on science teaching/learning to learning with the science museum. The levels of willingness to use the science museum in their instructions and educational needs of the instructions using the science museum were high. They wanted the information about practical aspects to use in the instructions using science museum most. Educational implications of these findings are discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.970-985
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• 2011

In this study, we analyzed secondary science teachers' needs for mentoring programs improving their professionalism in science-gifted education. A survey was administered to 111 teachers who had experience in teaching science-gifted secondary students in Seoul. Analyses of the results indicated that most teachers needed the mentors' support in science content knowledge, knowledge of beliefs about science-gifted education, knowledge of science-gifted students, knowledge of instructional strategies for science-gifted education, knowledge of curriculum for science-gifted education, knowledge of assessment in science-gifted education, and knowledge of external factors influencing in implementing science-gifted education. Most teachers, especially having the perceptions of lower levels of professionalism, relatively needed more mentors' support in the knowledge of the instructional strategies for science-gifted education and the knowledge of assessment in science-gifted education. Most teachers wanted the mentors' supports for all subcategories of professionalism at the planning stage of the classes, and some did the support for some subcategories at the performance stage and the reflection-evaluation stage of the classes. They also relatively wanted more mentors' support for all subcategories of professionalism through lectures and/or group discussions, some did the support through face-to-face interviews and/or real-time or non real-time online interviews. They variously responded in the suitable ratio of mentors and mentees, and perceived positively the qualities required to mentor as well as the necessary factors for the effective use of mentoring.