• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.1219-1236
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between subject matter knowledge (SMK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for science teachers. To this end, a total of 26 secondary Earth science teachers participated in this study and a concept diagnostic questionnaire and a lesson planning task of atmospheric pressure were devised to give an indication of participating teachers' SMK and PCK, respectively. The results of this study are summarized as follows: First, participating teachers showed a variety of SMK levels about atmospheric pressure. Second, teachers at high level of SMK focused on 'supplementary' and 'fundamental' curriculum contents for in-depth conceptual understanding, but teachers at low level of SMK, on the contrary, stressed 'applicative' curriculum contents. Third, teachers at high level of SMK grasped students' misconceptions and difficulties in learning atmospheric pressure far more concretely than teachers at low level of SMK. Lastly, teachers at high level of SMK showed a tendency to use learner-centered instructional strategy by utilizing students' prior knowledge, but teachers at low level of SMK were inclined toward teacher-directed concept explanation. Based on this study, some implications for effective science teacher preparation programs were also discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.611-625
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• 2009

The purpose of this research is to investigate the characteristics of beginning science teachers' subject matter knowledge (SMK) as revealed in their classroom teaching methods. In this research, we explored six beginning teachers' classroom teaching episodes on the 'work and energy' unit. Using open-ended interviews with the teachers and group discussions taking place on a regular basis to analyze and compare the classes of six beginning teachers, we extracted the features of beginning science teachers' SMK. Using grounded theory methods, the characteristics of beginning science teachers' SMK drawn from this research are: (1) beginning teachers' positivistic epistemology on science, (2) claiming the teacher's authority based on rich subject content knowledge, and (3) beginning teachers' science elitism. These epistemological characteristics are realized such PCK as (1) representational errors caused by the teacher's own science misconception, (2) doing harm to students with too much content knowledge, (3) sporadic content presentation lacking a focus, and (4) surplus class hours with lack of effective science teaching explanations. Suggestions for alternative perspectives on science SMK are presented by experienced teachers. In conclusion, science teachers' SMK is necessary, but not sufficient, for effective teaching. Science teachers' SMK does have an effect on science teaching, mediated by other types of teacher knowledge. The beginning teachers need a systematic support to transform their SMK into a viable PCK.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.113-139
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• 2018

There is no doubt about the importance of teacher knowledge for good teaching. Many researches attempted to conceptualize elements and features of teacher knowledge for teaching in a quantitative way. Unlike existing researches, this article suggests an interpretation of preservice teacher knowledge in the field of geometry using the Shulman - Fischbein framework in a qualitative way. Seven female preservice teachers voluntarily participated in this research and they performed a series of written tasks that asked their subject matter knowledge (SMK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Their responses were analyzed according to mathematical algorithmic -, formal -, and intuitive - SMK and PCK. The interpretation revealed that preservice teachers had overally strong SMK, their deeply rooted SMK did not change, their SMK affected their PCK, they had appropriate PCK with regard to knowledge of student, and they tended to less focus on mathematical intuitive - PCK when they considered instructional strategies. The understanding of preservice teachers' knowledge throughout the analysis using Shulman-Fischbein framework will be able to help design teacher preparation programs.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.494-503
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• 2011

During the last three decades, earth science has been re-conceptualized as an interdisciplinary discipline entitled Earth System Science (ESS), which is based on knowledge of the physical earth system and human impact on the earth. While there is increasing effort to teach earth as a system in K-12 education, teachers' preparedness of to teach earth system is still in its infancy. This article focuses on reviewing the literature of teachers' knowledge of earth systems and of how teachers' knowledge of subject matter affects their teaching practice and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). First, the study investigated a literature of PCK in general as well as in science teaching. Then this study duscuss what teachers' subject matter knowledge (SMK) is and what it means to be in teaching earth system science. Third, a literature of teachers' knowledge of earth system was reviewed. Finally, a number of suggestions and implications are made as to what teacher education program should do to better prepare future teachers to teach earth systems.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.45-67
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• 2010

On the standards or elements of teaching evaluation, the Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation(KICE) has carried out several research as follows : 1) establishment of observation elements for selecting examples of good instruction between 2001 and 2002, 2) development of the standards on teaching evaluation between 2004 and 2006, and 3) investigation on the elements of Pedagogical Content Knowledge including Subject Matter Knowledge between 2007 and 2008. The purpose of development of mathematics teaching evaluation standards through those studies were to improve not only mathematics teachers' professionalism but also their own teaching methods or strategies. Especially, the standards on mathematics teaching evaluation were developed based on the standards on general teaching evaluation. In this study, the standards were revised and modified by analyzing the results of those studies (namely, evaluation standards) focused on SMK. For this purpose, four domains such as the knowledge of curriculum reconstruction, knowledge of mathematical contents, methodological knowledge, mathematical value were new established based on the theories relevant to SMK and on the base of these four domains, standards or elements on teaching evaluation focused on SMK were reconstructed.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.367-377
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• 2017

The purpose of this research is to investigate characteristics of science content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge shown in the primary school science classes. Through analysis of classroom teaching, explore the features and differences between primary and secondary school science PCK. Using open-ended interviews with the teachers and group discussions on a regular basis to analyze and compare classes of five primary school teachers, the relationship between CK and PCK. Regardless of the school level the teacher's PCK and professionalism is required with varying focus and emphasis. The features of the primary school teacher's PCK are as follows: Firstly, elementary teach secondary teach content, teachers value pedagogical knowledge (PK) content knowledge (CK). The primary school PCK requires more of understanding of students and teaching methods that to subject areas. PCK be without content knowledge, and the teacher's PCK is subject-specific In addition to the characteristics of PCK in the primary school science teaching, ways to set up professional exchange or collaboration between primary and secondary teachers, and to provide supplementary in-service training focused on content knowledge for primary school teachers.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.625-634
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• 2014

This study has investigated the factors that make a science teacher effective by analyzing students' perception of teacher knowledge required in enhancing their science learning. The basic components of teacher knowledge identified by previous researchers have been confirmed through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Based on the findings of the EFA, the questionnaire has been further analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) by means of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). In addition, the differences in students' perception on the identified factors of effectiveness have also been analyzed in terms of gender and achievement level. The findings of the EFA showed that five factors of science teacher effectiveness were identified; namely, substantive knowledge, syntactic knowledge, knowledge of students' understandings, knowledge of instructional strategies, and knowledge of assessment. These five components have been divided into two categories of teacher knowledge, SMK and PCK. What we found from the CFA was the respective high correlation between substantive and syntactic knowledge, knowledge of students' understanding and instructional strategies and the low correlation between substantive knowledge and knowledge of instructional strategies. Students perceived substantive knowledge as the most effective factor, knowledge of assessment as the least effective factor. Also, there have been considerable differences in students' perception by gender and achievement level. We proposed, based on the findings, that SMK and PCK need to be integrated into a coherent manner for the effective science teaching practice. This study provides some implications for science teacher professional development and the improvement of science teacher preparation program.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.67-88
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• 2020

This study analyzed the characteristics of prospective teachers' Horizon Content Knowledge(HCK) related to understandings of an inverse function symbol. This study aimed to deduce implications of developing HCK in terms of the means which would enhance mathematics teachers' professional development. In order to achieve the aim, this study identified features of HCK by examining the previous literature on HCK, which has conformed Ball & Bass(2009) and exploring the research in AMT, including Zazkis & Leikin(2010) which has emphasized cultivating AMT through university mathematics education. In addition, a questionnaire was developed regarding the features of HCK and taken by 57 prospective teachers. By analyzing the data obtained from the written responses the participants presented, this study delineated the specific characteristics of the teachers' HCK with regard to an inverse function symbol. Additionally, several issues in the teacher education for improving HCK were discussed, and the results of this research could inspire designing and implementing a teacher education program relevant to HCK.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.378-392
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• 2017

Teacher quality is a topic of international concern, as it impacts student learning and teacher preparation. This study compared the undergraduate secondary science teacher preparation programs from two universities in Korea with those of Oregon, USA. We examined the programs' structural curricular coherence, conceptual curricular coherence, and curricular balance. Structural curricular coherence was determined by examining the overarching goals of the institutions' programs, the organization of the programs of study in terms of meeting those goals, and outside bodies of evidence. All universities were in structural coherence for various reasons. Conceptual curricular coherence was determined by examining students' perceptions of the connection between their preparation and their clinical practice. In case of Korea, most students from both universities were not satisfied with their practical preparation. In the US, the students from both institutions felt well prepared to transition to inservice teaching. To determine curricular balance, we examined the institutions' preparation programs looking at the credit hours taken in the four main areas of the teacher knowledge base: GPK (General Pedagogical Knowledge), SMK (Subject Matter Knowledge), PCK (Pedagogical Content Knowledge), and CK (Contextual Knowledge). The total credit hours taken in each category was very similar by country but the application and field component in the USA was far greater than those of Korea where the focus was heavily on SMK and PCK. The main reason for these may be the nations' licensing and employment processes.

• East Asian mathematical journal
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.177-197
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze the understandings of elementary pre-service teachers about 'estimation' in the elementary mathematics. Together with this analysis, we identify elementary pre-service teacher's Mathematical Pedagogical Contents Knowledge(MPCK), especially focusing to Subject Matter Knowledge(SMK). In order to this goals, we investigate contents relating to 'estimation' from $1^{st}$ curriculum to 2009 revised curriculum and compare 'rounding up', 'rounding off', 'rounding' in the elementary mathematics textbooks. As results of investigations, 'estimation' has been teaching at the 'Measurement' domain from $3^{rd}$ curriculum, but contexts of measuring weaken from $7^{th}$ curriculum. 'Rounding up(off)' is defined three types in the textbooks from $1^{st}$ to 2009 revised curriculum. And we examine elementary pre-service teachers through the questions on these 'estimation' contents. On the analysis of pre-service teacher's understanding relating MPCK, four themes is summarized as followings; the understanding of '0' in the 'rounding up', the cognitive gap between 'rounding up' and 'rounding off', the difference of percentage of correct answers according to types of question in the 'rounding up', and the difference between the definition of 'rounding up' and the definition of 'rounding'.