• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.525-534
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences of Science Core schools on students' positive experiences about science (PES) through in-depth interviews with teachers in charge of science core schools. In-depth interviews with teachers were conducted to explore the factors that led to the effectiveness of science core schools in improving the student's PES in light of operational characteristics of science core schools as leading schools, characteristic factors of science core schools on students PES, and improvement plans and requirements of science core schools as leading schools, as well as implications for general high schools. In the case of science core schools, the teacher's enthusiasm for science teaching encouraged students' participation in science classes, promoted students' interest in science other than science-core classes, improved students' inquiry and research skills, increased students' competencies such as communications and collaboration by improving science instructions, and affected career search and exploration based on interests in science experiences. Based on the results, ways to spread the characteristics of science core schools to general schools' curriculum implementation are suggested including providing opportunities to experience the value of science study, to experience science and engineering careers through senior students, to participate in team projects and self-regulated science inquires, and so on.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.112-122
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• 2021

The goal of this study is to explore ways to restructure Convergence Elective Courses in science in preparation for the high school credit system, ahead of the 2022 revised science curriculum. This study started from the problem that the 2015 revised science curriculum has not guaranteed science subject choice for students with non-science/engineering career aptitudes. To this end, a survey was conducted by randomly sampling high schools across the country. A total of 1,738 students responded to the questionnaire of 3 science elective courses such as Science History, Life & Science, Convergence Science. In addition, in-depth interviews with 12 science teachers were conducted to examine the field operation of these three courses, which will be classified and revised as Convergence Elective subjects in the 2022 revised curriculum. According to the results of the study, high school students perceive these three courses as science literacy courses, and find these difficult to learn due to lack of personal interest, and difficulties in content itself. The reason students choose these three courses is mainly because they have aptitude for science, or these courses have connection with their desired career path. Teachers explained that students mainly choose Life & Science, and both teachers and students avoid Science History because the course content is difficult. Based on the research results, we suggested ways to restructure Convergence Electives for the 2022 revised curriculum including developing convergence electives composed of interdisciplinary convergence core concepts with high content accessibility, developing convergence electives with core concepts related to AI or advanced science, developing module-based courses, and supporting professional development of teachers who will teach interdisciplinary convergence electives.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.123-135
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• 2021

In this study, we apply a lesson design process using an argumentation structure to preservice earth science teachers and analyzed argumentation levels displayed in the lesson plans written by preservice teachers in the process. As a result of the study, the preservice teachers designed a logically structured lesson by reflecting more argumentation components in the final lesson plan than the first one. In addition, in the case of lesson topics in which all argumentation elements were not explicitly presented in textbooks or curriculum, preservice teachers could not clearly reflect some argumentation components in the lesson plan. The conclusions and implications based on the results are as follows: First, it is necessary to use the argumentation structure as a tool to design logical science lessons, considering that argumentation levels of lesson plans written by preservice science teachers were improved by using argumentation structures in instructional design. Next, it is necessary to cultivate the preservice science teacher's ability to reconstruct the curriculum for science lesson design using the argumentation structure since argumentation levels of lesson plans written by preservice science teachers were limited to the argumentation components presented in the textbook and curriculum. Additionally, it is necessary to develop and apply a preservice teacher education program that uses the argumentation structure in the context of actual teaching activities so that preservice science teachers can not only understand argumentation but also improve their class expertise.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.143-155
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• 2021

The goal of this study is to examine the Integrated Science and Science Laboratory Experiments of the 2015 revised curriculum applied since 2018, and to explore ways to improve these two subjects in preparation for the 2022 revised curriculum. A survey was conducted by randomly sampling high schools across the country, with a total of 192 science teachers participating. In addition, 12 high school science teachers were selected as focus group, and in-depth interviews were conducted to investigate ways to restructure common science courses for the next curriculum. Main research results include that most schools were operated in 6~8 units for Integrated Science, and the teachers in charge of Integrated Science per class averaged 2~3 over the three years. For Science Laboratory Experiments, it has operated for a total of two semesters, one unit per semester, and it was found that several science teachers are in charge of Science Laboratory Experiments to fill the insufficient number of hours regardless of major. In the in-depth interview, science teachers argued that Integrated Science should be reduced and restructured by strengthening key competencies in preparation for the high school credit system. Based on the research results, ways to reorganize Integrated Science focused on big ideas, ways to construct common science courses based on fundamental science concepts that can guide elective courses, the necessity of career guidance through common science courses, and the necessity of strengthening teacher professionalism for teaching interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary subjects were suggested.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.379-388
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to derive implications for support plans for the settlement of the Integrated Science subject based on observations and analyses of integrated science lessons implemented in schools since 2018. For this purpose, we observed and analyzed the lessons for the same achievement standard [10 Integrated Science 07-01] implemented by four science teachers with different science majors. The features of integrated science classes were analyzed in light of curriculum reconstruction, science competency development, learner-centered participatory instruction, and process-centered evaluation aspects. For example, in terms of curriculum reconstruction, science teachers have been reorganizing achievement standards into three/four lessons, optimizing learning contents based on core concepts, and helping students' understanding of cross-cutting concepts between science areas. Regarding science competency development, teachers focused their instruction on students' cultivation of diverse science competencies closely related to the achievement standard and development of the epistemology of science. In addition, teachers emphasized student activities and teachers' role as facilitator of learning to create learner-centered participatory classes, as well as assessment during lessons with feedbacks, etc. Based on the results, we suggested and discussed ways to support the settlement of the integrated science curriculum including the need for a teacher learning community, support for process-centered assessment, and the need to develop an authentic integrated science curriculum.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.119-130
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• 2019

The TIMSS assessment is conducted every four years, and Korean fourth grade cohort in TIMSS 2011 participated in TIMSS 2015 again as eighth graders, which produced the first achievement data of the cohort group of elementary and middle schools. In this study, in order to investigate the causes of the decline in Korean students' science achievement with grade changes from the fourth to the eighth grade, we analyzed educational context variables such as characteristics of students, teachers, and classroom instructions of the top 5 achievement countries participated in both TIMSS 2011 and TIMSS 2015. According to the results, students' sense of school belonging increased, whereas students' positive attitudes toward science teaching decreased with the grade change from the fourth to the eighth. As for the teacher characteristics, the teacher's professional development activity increased, and the teacher's confidence in science teaching showed similar tendency to the international average. Regarding classroom instruction characteristics, the frequency of inquiry-related science activities was highest at the fourth grade, and lower than the international average at the eighth grade. Based the results, we suggested implications for science teaching and learning as well as further studies including development of differentiated strategy by the school level to improve students' achievement, the necessity of converting into more student-engaging science classes, and the necessity of in-depth study on the teacher related educational contextual variables.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.64-78
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to investigate how Integrated Science, a new subject introduced under the 2015 revised curriculum, was implemented in 2018 when it was first enacted at the school level. Through a survey of 258 high school science teachers, we explored how Integrated Science was organized and implemented at the school level, how teaching & learning and assessment were conducted in Integrated Science courses, how teachers' learning communities were operated, what kinds of support are required for the settlement of Integrated Science, etc. Major results are as follows: A similar ratio is found between schools with eight units and schools with six units of integrated science, and in about 2/3 of surveyed schools, multiple teachers are in charge of Integrated Science lessons per classroom. In addition, lecture-type teaching methods are still dominant in the majority of the classes, and science teachers have difficulties with lack of understanding of non-major areas or burden of designing integrated teaching depending on their teaching experiences, and so on. Discussed and suggested in the conclusion are ways to raise awareness of curriculum integration, ways to support for activation of teacher learning communities, ways to support the settlement of Integrated Science, and reexamining the system of science teacher certification.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.279-293
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• 2019

This study investigated the effects of national science leading school programs on students' positive experiences about science (PES) and teachers' perceptions of curriculum implementation factors affecting students' PES. For this study, Test for Indicators of Positive Experiences about Science (TIPES) was administered to a total of 11,488 students from 117 national science leading schools and 1,315 students from 50 normal counterpart schools. In addition, a total of 105 teachers were given a survey asking their curriculum implementation levels and perceptions on importance and performance levels of each identified factor that was known to influence students' PES. Students' total PES scores and scores in five sub-components of PES were widely varied across science leading school program types. In general, participating teachers reported common curriculum implementation factors that most positively affected students' PES including 'science-related activities out of school,' 'student-centered research projects,' 'ICT-related materials' and 'performance assessment.' Based on these results, implications for science education were discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.197-205
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to derive ways to support Integrated Science curriculum implementation by evaluating the results of Integrated Science teacher training programs conducted by the Ministry of Education to support the settlement of 2015 revised Integrated Science curriculum. Teachers' output from the teacher training programs and interviews with training instructors in the 2017 Integrated Science Leading Teacher Training program were analyzed to derive the features of the Integrated Science curriculum and support plans for the implementation of Integrated Science in schools. Teachers who participated in the 2017 Integrated Science Leading Teacher Training program developed teaching, & learning and evaluation plans through participatory training sessions, where the achievement standards most selected by teachers were [10IS08-03] and [10IS09-04]. Through the text mining analysis of these achievement standards, we explored the implementation realities such as reconstruction of achievement standards, teaching and learning methods, learning materials, evaluation methods, and subject competencies. In addition, we analyzed exemplary reconstruction models of achievement standards in light of best integrated instruction, student-participatory instruction, and developing science competencies. Based on the results, we propose teacher training support plans and further studies for the implementation and settlement of the Integrated Science curriculum.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.183-192
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• 2021

As part of the second-year monitoring study on the implementation of the 2015 revised science curriculum, this study investigated high school science teachers' perception and realization of instruction and assessment of elective courses to derive measures to settle and improve the science curriculum. A total of 244 high school science teachers responded to the survey questionnaire, and 9 teachers participated in interviews. In survey results, science teachers are contemplating ways to increase students' science competencies and their participation in classes, but still, lecture-oriented classes are most often used in their teaching. Regarding assessment, teachers responded that there were positive changes in all of the questions related to process-based assessment (PBA). Regarding the difficulty of managing science elective courses, teachers most often selected increased numbers of subjects being covered, overload of work, and the burden of restructuring classes considering various ways of teaching and assessment. Through in-depth interviews, teachers argued the difficulty for Science I courses to emphasize student participatory classes compared to integrated science, and the difficulty to implement student participatory classes for Science II courses, which are mainly placed in the third grade. Teachers also argue that it is necessary to secure time to implement PBA in science elective courses, and that there is no need to implement PBA for the science experiment since there are no tests on the SAT. Based on the results of the study, discussed in the conclusion are support plans for the settlement of PBA in elective courses, and the need for in-depth analysis of the direction and cause of student participatory classes and PBA at the school.