• School Mathematics
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.55-75
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• 2005

Mathematical symbolizing is an important part of mathematics learning. But many students have difficulties m symbolizing mathematical ideas formally. If students had experiences inventing their own mathematical symbols and developing them to conventional ones natural way, i.e. learning mathematical symbols via expressive approaches, they could understand and use formal mathematical symbols meaningfully. These experiences are especially valuable for students who meet mathematical symbols for the first time. Hence, there are needs to investigate how early elementary school students can and should experience meaningful mathematical symbolizing. The purpose of this study was to analyze students' mathematical symbolizing processes and characteristics of theses. We carried out teaching experiments that promoted meaningful mathematical symbolizing among eight first graders. And then we analyzed students' symbolizing processes and characteristics of expressive approaches to mathematical symbols in early elementary students. As a result, we could places mathematical symbolizing processes developed in the teaching experiments under five categories. And we extracted and discussed several characteristics of early elementary students' meaningful mathematical symbolizing processes.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.292-303
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• 2009

In this study, we investigated the characteristics of the analogies, the mapping understanding, and the mapping errors on saturated solution of scientifically-gifted and general elementary students. Fifth graders (n=60) at four scientifically-gifted education institutes in Seoul and/or Gyeonggi province and fifth graders (n=91) at three elementary schools in Seoul were selected and assigned to the scientifically-gifted group and the general group respectively. After the students of each group performed the experiment and were taught about the target concept in the first class, they administered the test on the self-generating analogies on the target concept in the second class. The results revealed that the students in the scientifically-gifted group made more analogies, especially verbal/pictorial, structural/functional, enriched, and higher systematic ones, and had deeper understanding of the analogy than those in the general group. The numbers of the shared attributes included in the student-generated analogies and the scores of the mapping understanding of the students in the scientifically-gifted group were significantly higher than those in the general group. The students in the scientifically-gifted group had fewer mapping errors than those in the general group. However, not a few students in the scientifically-gifted group had at least one mapping error. Educational implications of these findings are discussed.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.117-134
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• 2020

Based on the current curriculum, students learn the concept of fraction in the 3rd grade for the first time. At that time, fraction is introduced as whole-part relationship. But as the idea of fraction expands to improper fraction and so on, fraction as measurement would be naturally appeared. In that situation where fraction as whole-part relationship and fraction as measurement are dealt together, it is necessary for students to get experiences of understanding and exploring unit and whole adequately in order to fully understand the concept of fractions. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze how to deal with unit fractions, how to implement activities to find the standard of reference from the part, and what visual representations were used to help students to understand the concept of fractions in elementary mathematics textbooks from the 7th to the 2015 revised curriculum. And we analyzed 60 3rd graders' understanding of finding and drawing the whole by looking at the part. Several didactical implications for teaching the concept of fractions were derived from the discussion according to the analysis results.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to analyze epistemological beliefs in science as perceived by elementary school students and to examine the purpose of science, the nature of scientific knowledge, the source of scientific knowledge, and the role of experimentation. The subjects of this study were 99 elementary school students. As a tool for examining epistemological beliefs in science, we used adapted questionnaires comprising elements constituting epistemological beliefs, as proposed by Elder (1999). The results of the analysis are as follows: First, in terms of the purpose of science, sixth graders had the most modern beliefs compared to other grades. Second, a statistical significance was found between fourth graders and students in other grades based on the analysis of the nature of scientific knowledge. Third, there was no significant difference in each grade's beliefs concerning the source of scientific knowledge or the role of the experiment.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.335-346
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• 2017

In this study, we developed and examined the validity and reliability of the Test for Indicators of Positive Experiences about Science (TIPES) that measures students' positive experiences about science. We have developed TIPES through literature reviews, development of the preliminary version of TIPES, a pilot test and revisions of the preliminary version, and the test of the final version. Through literature reviews and Delpi methods, we developed the preliminary version of TIPES, which consists of five categories such as science academic emotion, science-related self-concept, science learning motivation, science-related career aspiration, and science-related attitude. Using the preliminary version, we conducted a pilot test with 198 students consisting of 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th graders, and modified the first version based on the results from the pilot test and expert meetings. We then conducted a main test with the revised version of TIPES with 1,841 students consisting of 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th graders. According to a confirmatory factor analysis, a reliability test and descriptive statistics analyses, TIPES found to have a good validity as well as reliability. In addition, there are statistically significant differences in the norm distribution and scores of TIPES by student's grade, gender, school location, and level of participation in science-related activities. Discussed in the conclusion are the implications of this research for science education research and science teaching and learning practices in the school.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.254-266
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• 2018

The aim of this study is to analyze STEAM lessons focused on the learner's learning. This study was conducted on 4th-graders in Y city, Kyung-gi province. The lessons were based on a joint teaching plan for students through the teacher learning community (TLC) with three teachers from the same school. Each of the three classes that conducted the class was selected and analyzed as the main center of observation by three students. The conclusions from this study are as follows: First, we identified that different levels of learners are learning in STEAM lessons through a learner-centered class analysis. Some students arrived on their own by taking the initiative in class, others by consulting with a group of friends, and others needed active teacher guidance to learn. Second, Depending on the level and characteristics of the students, some learning criteria were not reached. Some students need guidance at a glance level, and others need individually instructed or guided activities. Teachers need to keep an eye out for students and give them an appropriate level of guidance during class. In STEAM lessons, it appears that students of different levels and characteristics can immerse themselves in their own way, as well as the clear guidance of activity for their students.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.680-693
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• 2011

In conceptual ecology, a concept does not exist independently but occupies an ecological niche in ecological environment. Among many biological concepts, genetic concepts are connected to several units including the genetics unit, and within the genetics unit the concepts of sub-areas are highly dependent on one another. For this reason, we analyzed conceptual diversity and conceptual proximity of genetic concepts through the ecological niche approach. For this purpose, we surveyed 995 9th graders. The areas covered in the survey were four genetic concepts: gene, chromosome, mitosis, and meiosis. The questionnaire presented biological concepts or terms related to each area, and the respondent marked the relevance between the presented biological concepts or terms and each area on a scale of 1~30 points. With 9th grade students, we analyzed the change of genetic concepts through class by the ecological niche approach. Through class, the total number of concepts increased in all of the areas, and the increase was smallest in the area of meiosis followed by mitosis, chromosome and gene. Relative density decreased with increases in the number of concepts. The conceptual diversity index also increased through class in all of the areas, and the increase was smallest in the area of meiosis followed by mitosis, chromosome and gene. In addition, difference in the relative density of concepts was reduced after class, and difference in the score of relevance was also reduced and consequently similarity among concepts increased. From these results were drawn conclusions as follows: First, through class, the conceptual diversity of genetic concepts increased. Second, through class, the conceptual proximity of genetic concepts increased.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.465-474
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the experience-based ecology-environmental STEAM education on ecological sensitivity of elementary students. The research subjects were 62 third graders of S elementary school located in Incheon. They were divided into the experimental group of 33 students and the comparative group of 29 students. The experimental group was provided the educational program with the experience-based ecology-environmental STEAM education. The comparative group was provided the theoretical and ecological self activity program based on the textbook. The results of this study can be summarized as follows; First, the experience-based ecology-environmental STEAM education had a meaningful effect on improvement of ecological sensitivity. Second, we found that access to the ecological environment education is important in all subjects, not in education that is biased toward. Third, in ecological environment education, experience-oriented education methods are more meaningful than indirect experiences trapped in textbooks. Fourth, ecological environment education can contribute to the improvement of ecological sensitivity as well as the intellectual aspect of ecology and environmental science. In conclusion, it was found that the ecological environment program should be conducted with activities of experience.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.217-230
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• 2014

This study explores the features of sociocultural context of experiment classes taught by a science subject teacher. Two experiment classes on electric circuit for fifth graders were observed and video recorded. The data was also collected through student interviews and teacher interviews. Using the cultural historical activity theory, we extracted the six sociocultural factors and analyzed their interactions. This study could identify that four features of the sociocultural context of the cases. First, the rules of science classes were not decided by the teacher, but formed and modified through the negotiation between the teacher and students or between the students. Second, elementary students played a game, i.e. 'Countdown game', during their electricity experiments, which had both positive and negative influences on science learning. Third, the science teacher feels a limit on life guidance because of the position as a subject teacher in an elementary school. Lastly, although the science teacher had enough time to prepare science classes, there was no guarantee of the improvement of teaching quality. Based on the results of this study, educational implications are discussed in terms of teaching science experiments and of the science subject teacher system.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.79-88
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction effects of children's academic self-efficacy and to test their anxiety coping style in terms of their test anxiety. We conducted a questionnaire survey with 193 sixth-graders in an elementary school. The results of this study are summarized as follows. First, the children were more worried about emotionality to test anxiety, and used problem-focused coping significantly more frequently than emotion-focused coping. In addition, female children demonstrated more emotionality and worry about test anxiety and used emotion-focused coping for test anxiety more frequently. Second, emotionality was higher when emotion-focused coping was used. In the case where the level of problem-focused coping was high, emotionality was higher when academic self-efficacy was high. Children's worry was lower when the level of problem-focused coping was high and when the level of emotion-focused coping was low. In female children, however, worry increased when the level of problem-focused coping was low and the level of emotion-focused coping was high.