• 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 the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.213-222
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• 2007

In this study, science history program was developed to enhance student's concepts toward the particulate nature of matter and the understanding about the nature of science. And the effects of its application was investigated in the lesson of ‘Composition of Matter' in middle school science class. This science history program was based on genetic approach and included the contents from the old Greek natural philosophers to Avogadro. Before instruction, the test of understanding about nature of science was administered, and the science scores of the previous course were obtained, which were used as covariates. During 24 class hours, this study was conducted with two classes(experimental and comparison group) in a middle school in Seoul. The experimental group was received lessons by science history programs and the comparison group was received traditional lessons. After instruction, the scientific concept test, the test of understanding about nature of science were administered. The result of this study indicates that the scientific concept scores of experimental group were significantly higher than comparison group at p <.01 level of significance. It means that the students in experimental group has more sound conceptions about the particulate nature of matter and less mis conceptions about matter than the students in comparison group. However, there was no significant difference between two groups in the score of understanding about the nature of science.

• 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.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 Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.553-568
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• 2013

Although many researchers and science educators agree that understanding of the nature of science is essential in order for students to be a scientific literate person, it is not easy to compromise exactly what kind of understanding of the nature of science is required to achieve this goal (Smith & Scharmann, 1999). This study discusses a theoretical background about the nature of science (NOS) including some consensus views of the NOS that several important U.S. educational reform documents and science researchers have presented over the past several decades. Finally, this study proposes an inclusive framework of the nature of science based on the four categories of scientific literacy, which are (1) science as a body of knowledge, (2) science as a way of investigating, (3) science as a way of thinking, and (4) the interaction of science, technology, and society. Each category of the framework includes several statements about the nature of science to describe each theme of the NOS. This framework is comprehensive and inclusive because it is suggested by examining several major U.S. national-level documents and in the publications of science education researchers presented about the nature of science. Significantly, many of the key ideas were added into category (4) and category (3), which indicates that the current literature stresses the relationship among science, technology, and society as well as the work of scientists.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.111-122
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to examine high school second graders' understanding of the basic nature of logarithm, the major type of error they made about logarithmic function and the cause of such an error, and to seek ways to instruct it better. For that purpose, three research questions were posed: 1. Investigate how much high school students in their second year comprehend the nature of logarithm. 2. Analyze what type of error they make about logarithmic function. 3. Analyze the cause of their error according to the selected error models and how it could be taught more efficiently. The findings of this study were as below: First, the natural science students had a better understanding of the basic nature of logarithm than the academic students. What produced the widest gap between the two groups' understanding was applying the nature of logarithm to the given problems, and what caused the smallest gap was the definition of logarithm and the condition of base. Second, the academic students had a poorer understanding of the basic nature of logarithmic function graph and of applying the nature of logarithm to the given problems. Third, the natural science students didn't comprehend well the basic nature of logarithmic function graph, the nature of characteristics and mantissa. Fourth, for all the students from academic and natural science courses, the most common errors were caused by the poor understanding of theorem or nature of the ［E4] model. Fifth, the academic students made more frequent errors due to the unfamiliar signs of the ［El］ model, the imperfect understanding of theorem or nature of the ［E4］ model, and the technical part of the ［E6］ model. Sixth, the natural science students made more frequent errors because of the improper problem interpretation of the ［E2］ model and the logically improper inference of the ［E3］ model.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.100-107
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to assess gifted students' conceptions about nature of science (NOS). Scientifically gifted students who are expected to be professionals in the future should possess an adequate understanding of NOS that if firm foundation for scientific career. 47 volunteers from the 8th grade gifted science program in Seoul National University Gifted Education Center participated to answer questions inquiring NOS conceptions. Their answers were analyzed and compared to different groups such as non-gifted students and younger gifted students. As a result, gifted students' understanding of NOS appeared to surpass that of non-gifted students in many aspects and it seemed that gifted students formed their NOS view in early ages. The relative weakness in their NOS conceptions was found in understanding of scientific enterprise. Their strong misunderstanding about obstacles that minority people would face in scientific enterprise was noticed, too. They admitted that there has been discrimination in scientific enterprise, but they wrongly believed that outstanding scientists cannot be affected by it. Further studies will be required to probe more.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.159-171
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• 2004

Understanding the nature of science is being emphasized recently among the major goals of science education. The nature of science is concerned with aims of scientific work, the status and nature of scientific knowledge, and science as societal institution. This is a review on how to investigate the pupils' ideas about the nature of science, which was suggested by Driver et al. in their book 'Young people's images of science (1996)'. The purpose of this review is to consider the methodological problems of investigating the pupils' ideas about the nature of science, and to get the implications of developing the instruments about it. The instruments, developed by Driver et al., are described as a model and their suggestions are surveyed. Several hints are given this article to develop the similar instruments.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.563-570
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• 2005

This study investigated the relationships among middle school students' understanding about the nature of scientific knowledge, conceptual understanding, and learning strategies. Grade 7 students (N=162) in Incheon completed the nature of scientific knowledge scales (NSKS) and a learning strategy questionnaire. After learning density by way of a CAl program, a conception test was administered. Results indicated that students' conceptual understanding and both deep and surface learning strategies were significantly correlated to their understanding about the nature of scientific knowledge. A cluster analysis was used to classify students on the basis of their deep and surface learning strategies. Three clusters of students with distinctive learning strategy patterns were found; high deep-low surface strategy (cluster 1), low deep-high surface strategy (cluster 2), and high deep-high surface strategy (cluster 3). One-way ANOVA results revealed that the scores of cluster 3 were significantly higher than those of the others in the NSKS and the conception test. Additionally, cluster 1 also performed better than cluster 2 in the conception test. Lastly, educational implications were discussed.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.91-101
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• 1998

The purpose of this study was to find out how to be pursued elementary teachers' science instruction according to their understanding toward science. Sixty elementary teachers were involved in the questionnaire, investigating understanding on the nature of science and the science teaching. Two elementary teachers' science classes are observed. Their instructional objectives were analyzed. And their understanding toward science was measured. Teacher A had consistent modern philosophical views of science on the nature of science and science teaching, and teacher B had not consistency Klopfer's science educational objectives category was used to analyse instructional objective. The ideal proportions of the instructional objectives of the observed classes were established from science education specialist group. You ideality index was calculated. You ideality index indicate how far from the ideal proportions of the instructional objectives the observed instruction is. Relative proportions of instructional objectives appeared in science classes were compared with ideal instructional objectives. Instructional objectives containing the modem views appearing classes observed were compared according to teachers' understanding toward science. As results, teachers' understanding toward science showed lack of consistency, which is consisted of modern philosophical view of science on science teaching: modem and classical philosophical view of science on nature of science. Teacher A's instruction was approached more closely to the ideal proportions of the instructional objectives, showing fewer You ideality index. Instructional objectives containing the modern views are more appeared and closer to ideal proportions in teacher A's classes than in teacher B's. A teacher having modern understanding on nature of science would instruct science with modern scientific philosophical perspectives. Therefore teacher preparation programs should include more contents about modern philosophical understanding on the nature of science.