• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.277-291
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• 2010

In this study, we investigated the effects of explicit instruction about nature of science by elementary school students' cognitive level. Participants were six classes, 187 sixth graders at elementary schools in Daegu. Three classes were assigned to control groups and the other classes to treatment groups. Control groups were provided normal instructions and treatment groups were provided instructions integrated with nature of science about chapter 'electromagnet' for 9 class periods. The results of this study were as follow. Both low-cognitive level students and high-cognitive level students in the treatment groups are improved in understanding about nature of science by the explicit instructions about nature of science. Especially, the high-cognitive level students had more improvement than the low-cognitive level students in understanding about nature of science by the explicit instructions about nature of science. There were no significant differences between the test scores of the two groups in the science interest sub-domain of the science-related affective domain. But, there were significant differences between the test scores of the two groups in curiosity and open-mindedness of the scientific attitudes sub-domain of the science-related affective domain.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.961-970
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• 2015

This study aims to develop the NABI program, which can be applied to science education in school, to realize 'Science Education through Nature' for today's students. The first NABI program was developed based on the viewpoints of education and teaching methods of Nature-Study, and it was revised as the second NABI program through experts' workshop. The second NABI program was applied to 24 third-grade students of an elementary school. The possibility of applying the program to school science education was explored through the analysis of students' qualitative data, along with surveys that were completed by 24 students and 79 current teachers. As a result of applying the program, students were curious about and communed with nature. The program could also realize the learner-centered education and integration of subjects, science with literature and art. The students were interested and wanted to continually participate in the NABI program. The teachers' evaluation of the program deduced that the relationship between the program presenting Nature-Study ideologies could be applied to science education in school. In conclusion, it was found that the NABI program was well reflected in the scope of the Nature-Study, and it can be applied to science education in school. The NABI program proceeds in nine steps: 'Accepting - Choosing - Selecting the common subject - Ice Breaking - Making relationship - Observing - Scaffolding - Expressing - Sharing'. The NABI program is a good way to realize the essence of science education, 'Science Education through Nature', for today's students.

• 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 Science Education
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.396-404
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• 2010

This study aimed to investigate a perception of teachers engaged in special education for scientifically gifted regarding nature of science and identify attitudes toward teaching nature of science. The sample of this study consists of 122 science teachers who are teaching or taught students attending gifted classes of any primary school in Korea and any gifted education center of every District Office of Education. We made a partial amendment of a VOSE that was developed by Chen(2006) and then used. We tested their perception and attitudes in regard to nature of science. In terms of nature of science, we devide it into 7 sub-areas to analyse. For attitudes toward teaching nature of science, we investigate and analyse following 5 sub-areas; tentativeness of scientific knowledge, nature of observation, scientific methods, theories and laws and subjectivity and objectivity. The result showed that the generally teachers have a desirable recognitions about a nature of science. For attitudes toward teaching nature of science, the teachers showed that they have positive attitudes. However between degrees of teachers' recognition about a nature of science and attitudes toward teaching nature of science showed a low correlation. To increase their understanding of nature of science and develop attitudes toward teaching nature of science, there should be more training time for the teachers and training contents also should be changed. In addition, we hope that this study contribute to develop contents and direction of training for the teachers as a basic reference.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 1997

In the last few years, there has been a significant growth of interest in how the philosophy of science can be related to science education. Adequate understanding of the philosophy and history of science can promote understanding of the nature of science in teacher and student. The 6th curriculum in Korea has also placed emphasis upon understanding of the nature of science. From this point of view, to ensure effective school science education it is necessary to investigate how teachers and students are understanding the nature of science. To do this 45 secondary science teachers and 191 students of 7 schools in Seoul are administered Nott and Wellington's questionaire(1993). This questionaire is consisted of 24 Likert Scale statements and asks questions on 5 subscales of philosophy of science :Relativism-Positivism, Inductivism-Deductivism, Contextualism-Decontextualism, Instrumentalism-Realism, Thinking science education as a Process or a Content. The results of this study are as follows : 1. Teachers' view of the nature of science was relativism, deductivism, decontextualism and instrumentalism. And they thought process is more important than content in science education. 2. There was no difference in teachers' conceptions on the nature of science according to experience and gender. 3. Students' view of the nature of science was relativism, deductivism, decontextualism and instrumentalism. And they thought process is more important than content in science education. 4. There was no difference in students' conceptions on the nature of science according to schools level(middle vs high) and gender. But, female students exhibited higher score than male students on deductivism(p<.05). 5. Teachers' and students' conception of the nature of science was in agreement with each other.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.121-133
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• 1996

This study investigates the effect of instructional program using Nott & Wellington's" your nature of science profile" to facilitate the understanding about the nature of science for elementary preservice teachers. To do this. this study used posttest only control group design. The students in control group studied the topic by instructional program using textbook and reference book. Experimental group studied by instructional program: (1)evaluating personally one's understanding of the nature of science using Nott and Wellington's "your nature of science profile"; (2)studying the way of understanding the nature of science focusing five dimensions presented in it; (3)knowing other's understanding the nature of science; (4)discussing and evaluating reflectively the various aspect about it. Because the true understanding about the nature of science is not only to know about the method of science but also to know the target of science. We planned to evaluate the effect of instruction by such dichotomous way as evaluating simultaneously the understanding about the method of science and the target of science. Therefore the Questionnaire to evaluate the effect of instruction consisted two pairs of open-ended Questions: first pair is consisted of questions for the representation and judgement of scientific theory, second pair is consisted of questions for components and sources of scientific manipulation of the structure of science. The results of questionnaires by experimental group(n=75) and control group(n=77) are as follows: (1) Analysing responses about first pair of questions in dichotomous way, we identified four different patterns in students' understanding about scientific theory. And the instructional program using Nott & Wellington's "your nature of science profile" is not significantly effective in the distribution of patterns of understanding about scientific theory, but effective in driving out scientifically valid understanding, naturalistic realism, about scientific theory from the students having realistic aspect in representation of scientific theory; (2) Analysing responses about second pair of questions in dichotomous way, we identified five different patterns in students's understanding about structure of science. And the instructional program using Nott & Wellington's "your nature of science profile" is significantly effective in the distribution of patterns of understanding about structure of science, and effective in driving out scientifically valid understanding, dualistic-circular view or dualistic-circular view, about structure of science from the students having dualistic or dualistic aspect in components of structure of science.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of students about pseudo-science in consideration to their personality traits, cognitive style, and awareness of the nature of science, which might all have a great impact on their behavior and thinking. The subjects of this study were 129 sixth-grade school children in a small urban community in Gyeonggi province. The way they looked at pseudo-science was investigated after three kinds of traits were selected as variables, including personality traits, cognitive style, and awareness of the nature of science. Four different instruments were utilized, which respectively covered personality traits, cognitive style, awareness of the nature of science and perception of pseudo-science. The results of the study were as follows: First, the children with higher emotional stability and liveliness showed higher permeability towards pseudo-science, while made no significant difference on their view of pseudo-science. Second, their cognitive style made no significant difference to their outlook on pseudo-science. Third, as for link between awareness of the nature of science and pseudo-science, the students with a poor understanding of the nature of science were significantly different from those who had a better understanding of it in perception of pseudo-science(p<.05).

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.399-416
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between science teaching practices and beliefs about the nature of science. Defining teachers' beliefs as a broad construct, the researcher tried to examine not only the teachers' understanding about the nature of science, but also the effect and reflection in science teaching practices with regards to the nature of science. Guiding research questions were how the teachers' science teaching practices reflected their beliefs about the nature of science. The methodology of this study was qualitative approach that included interviews, classroom observations, and instructional materials. At an urban area of Korea, five beginning elementary teacher was chosen. The cross-case and grounded theory study design were adopted as data analysis process. The results of data analysis were checked by teachers for internal validity. This study identified the teachers' beliefs about the nature of science suggested by many researchers and revealed that these teachers' beliefs reflected a little in science teaching practices. On the occasion it was reflected, restricted merely within the narrow limits the way to teach the concepts and contents presented in science curriculum. In addition, some of the obstacles that these teachers' beliefs did not reflect the science teaching practices with regards to the nature of science were investigated in this study.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.66 no.4
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• pp.265-268
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• 2022

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.30-42
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the science journals written by pre-service elementary school teachers, and to categorize the view on the nature of science and the process of their change. For this purpose, 112 science journals written by 13 pre-service elementary school teachers were analyzed. The frequency of each area was analyzed using the research framework of the four areas of the nature of science, and the pattern of change in perspective on the nature of science was inductively derived and classified using the VNOS-C test analysis framework. As a result, The nature of scientific thinking, nature of scientific knowledge, nature of STS, and nature of scientific inquiry were described in relatively similar proportions, but among them, The nature of scientific thinking appeared in the largest percentage, and the nature of scientific inquiry was described in the smallest percentage. The variability of scientific knowledge, the importance of empirical evidence, and the positive and negative effects of science were especially intensively addressed. In addition, the changing aspects of pre-service elementary school teachers' perspectives on the nature of science could be categorized into 'naive view maintenance type', 'informed view maintenance type', 'regression type', 'development type', and 'mixed type'. The element of 'the empirical nature of scientific knowledge' showed various patterns of change depending on the students, and most of the students maintained a informed view on the tentativeness of scientific knowledge for several sessions.