• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.361-373
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• 2001

This study identified significant variables that influence the science teaching self-efficacy beliefs of Kindergarten teachers. Data was obtained from 317 kindergarten teachers who responded to the questionnaire, the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (Riggs & Enochs). Results indicated that science teaching experience, teachers' attitudes about science and teaching science, and children's interest in science influenced science teaching self-efficacy. Science related experiences of childhood and schooling negatively affected science teaching outcome expectancy.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.713-723
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• 2008

Science teaching-anxiety and science teaching-efficacy are influential factors in teachers' teaching practices and behaviors. In order to encourage elementary teachers to do better teaching practice, this study identified factors that have caused teachers' science teaching-anxiety, developed an instrument measuring science teaching-anxiety, and investigated the relationship between science teaching-anxiety and science teaching-efficacy. In addition, we attempted to suggest practical implications to enhance teachers' confidence in science teaching. The guiding research questions were 1) which factors affect science teaching-anxiety level of the preservice elementary teachers, and 2) how each factor of science teaching-anxiety is related to science teaching-efficacy. The subjects were 133 Korean preservice elementary teachers (57.1% were female) in a large city. The data sources included teachers' responses to three paper and pencil questionnaires: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Science Teaching-Anxiety Questionnaire (STAQ), and Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B). To clarify the science teaching-anxiety, we specified it into six factors: trait anxiety about nature of science and science teaching, state anxiety about instruction, science activities, student assessment, and professional responsibilities. The results indicated three significant aspects of science teaching anxiety and efficacy. First, their level of anxiety about professional responsibility and science teaching was relatively high among six factors. Second, there was a negative correlation between science teaching-anxiety and science teaching-efficacy. Third, trait anxiety about science teaching is the most influential factor for science teaching-efficacy while state anxiety about instruction and professional responsibilities were followed.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.40-51
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• 2013

This study examined Korean pre-service science teachers' belief on science teaching and learning and its evolution over years in their teacher preparation programs. Juniors and seniors from two major universities, enrolled in college of education located in major cities in Korea, participated in this study. They completed BARSTL(Belief About Refrmed Science Teaching and Learning) which consisted of 32 Likert scale items. In order to investigate the evolution of their belief on science teaching and learning, the juniors responded to BARSTL again after 1 year. Results indicated that the pre-service science teachers had to some extent positive beliefs on science teaching and learning, but their beliefs were not much developed over a year.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 2015

This study examined pre-service secondary physics teachers' epistemological beliefs about scientific knowledge, science learning, and science teaching in two different science content topics, Lamarckism and the impetus theory. Two sets of open-ended questionnaires, for each of the topics respectively, were developed in the same format. The pre-service teachers completed the questionnaires at one month intervals. The beliefs were analyzed in two dimensions, knowledge justification and knowledge change for each belief area. The findings show that the majority of pre-service teachers held sophisticated epistemological beliefs about scientific knowledge regardless of content topics. On the other hand, more pre-service teachers exhibited sophisticated beliefs about science learning in the context impetus theory than Lamarckism. In the area of science teaching, the majority of pre-service teachers demonstrated a sophisticated view in knowledge justification but a naive view in knowledge change. When consistency across science topics and belief areas were examined, few pre-service teachers held consistent epistemological beliefs across all topics and areas. The difference in the levels of sophistication in belief areas showed that the pre-service teachers did not connect their epistemological beliefs about science knowledge to their ideas about science teaching and learning. This disconnection seems to make the consistency across topics and areas complicated. The difference in epistemological beliefs about science learning and teaching between two science topics need further inquiry. Implications for teacher education are offered.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.389-404
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• 2013

This study aimed to explore elementary teachers' beliefs about science teaching, science learning and the nature of science and consistency among these beliefs. Data was collected by using an open questionnaire and semi-structured individual interview. Teachers' beliefs were classified as traditional beliefs and constructivist beliefs. Traditional beliefs were further divided into content knowledge-centered beliefs and procedural knowledge-centered beliefs. The result showed that a relatively large number of teachers among the total 30 teachers had traditional beliefs about science teaching, science learning, and the nature of science(respectively 60.0%, 66.7%, 83.3%). Most of traditional beliefs were identified as content knowledge-centered beliefs. The proportion of teachers with consistent beliefs for all three aspects was 40.0%, the proportion of those with consistent beliefs for two of them (those with related beliefs) was 53.3%, the proportion of those with different beliefs for them (those with divergent belief) was 6.7%. Most of the teachers with the consistent beliefs had the content knowledge-centered beliefs of traditional beliefs. Although constructivism has been widely emphasized in science education from the 1980's, the rate of the teachers with the consistent beliefs in constructivism was as low as 6.7%.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between moral sensitivity for topics related to science and preference for science, and belief about learning science. 129 middle school students were involved in this study and completed questionnaires to measure moral sensitivity for topics related to science, preference for science, and belief about learning science. Students' responses were analysed to show the distribution of variables and the correlation between variables by gender and grade. As a result, moral sensitivity was not affected by respondents' grades and genders, but was affected by different topics. Preference for science was not affected by respondents' grades and genders, while belief about learning science was not affected by respondents' genders but affected by lower grade. There were correlations between students' moral sensitivity and preference in case of female students and higher grades, as well as relationship between moral sensitivity and belief about learning science. This result infers that students who have higher moral sensitivity can prefer science and show more positive belief about learning science. Also, it can implicate that affective domain including interest or belief can play an important role in the context of science education focusing on moral aspect or ethics, and that teachers should be aware of personal differences in case of teaching moral aspect of science.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.333-342
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• 2015

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of physics learning through the teaching-learning strategy of phased context in introductory physics classes. The participants in the study included 35 university freshmen. The teaching-learning strategy of phased context were developed by idealizing, extending and comparing contexts which were then applied in introductory physics classes : six hour classes about straight line motion, two-dimensional motion and Newton's laws of motion. The effects of the physics learning were then analyzed by the FCI (Force Concept Inventory) and MPEX (Maryland Survey on Physics Expectation) questionnaires. The results showed that the teaching-learning strategy of phased context helped change the force concept and did not change the belief about physics learning. Finally, based on the results of the study, we discuss possible educational implications for phased context in introductory physics classes.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.209-219
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• 2024

We studied the effects of science high school students on the change of epistemological beliefs in chemistry and the academic achievement of chemistry by completing 'advanced chemistry'. For seven months from July 2023 to January 2024, 80 first-year students at G Science High School in Gyeongnam were surveyed and analyzed for epistemological beliefs about chemistry before and after classes in advanced chemistry. Chemistry academic achievement was classified by 'upper' and 'lower' levels based on the end-of-semester grades of 'advanced chemistry' in the second semester of the first year and analyzed with the SPSS 28 program. After completing advanced chemistry, the epistemological belief in chemistry increased in the proportion of favorable responses. After completing advanced chemistry, the proportion of favorable responses increased in detailed factors such as 'effort', 'math link', 'outcome', 'reality link', and 'concepts', while the 'visualization' factor decreased. Although completing 'advanced chemistry' positively changed students' epistemological beliefs about chemistry, visual expression showed little contribution to understanding chemical concepts. Based on the above results, we will have to focus on the design of instructors' teaching-learning, such as learner-centered inquiry experiments, creative visual expressions, etc., for successful chemistry teaching-learning.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.514-525
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• 2005

The most important factor in providing education to gifted students as well as to students in general are the teachers themselves. However, at present in Korea, most of the teachers in charge of education for the gifted are educated by in-service training programs only for a short period of time. It is doubtful whether the teachers, who have taught ordinary students in general, can teach gifted students effectively only after completing such a short course. This research investigated the relationship between the teachers' beliefs about educating the gifted and the teachers' classroom practices in a Science Academy through case studies. The guiding questions for this study are as follows: First, what beliefs do the participating teachers have about education for the gifted? Second, how are the participants' beliefs reflected in their classroom practices? Of the five participants, two are physics teachers, two are biology teachers, and one is an earth science teacher. I observed and videotaped four classroom practices for each participant and conducted an in-depth interview with each participant. Further data were collected through e-mails with the participants. All data were carefully transcribed and analyzed. The results are as follows: Beliefs about education for the gifted do not exist independently, and form a belief system connecting with beliefs about teaching and learning, and subject matter. And the belief systems of participants can be divided into "student-centered," "teacher-centered," and "conflict chaos." In the classes of the participants who have "student-centered" belief system, students' questions or opinions played an important role and the participation structure in the classroom was determined by the students. On the contrary, participants who have "teacher-centered" belief system focused on teaching contents as much as possible in their classes. These teachers played a heavy role and formed a participation structure where students depended on their teacher's intellectual authority and therefore participated in their class passively. A participant who have "conflict chaos" belief did not form a firm belief system yet, and traditional beliefs about teaching and learning were reflected a lot in her classes. The research results imply teachers' beliefs play an important role in classroom practices and beliefs about teaching and learning and subject matter as well as beliefs about education for the gifted are important factors for teachers who guide gifted students. Additionally, I make some suggestions for the improvement of teacher education for the gifted.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.489-498
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• 2007

This study focuses on surveying and examining the beliefs of elementary pre-service and in-service teachers about science and science education. The instrument consisted of 21 items about science and science education on a 5-Likert scale(score range from 1 to 5). The one contained science knowledge and scientific invention, and the other contained science teacher, learning science and science learning and teaching. Data were collected from 76 pre-service and 96 in-service elementary teachers(24 male and 148 female). The elementary pre-service and in-service teachers had higher level belief about that science knowledge should be acquired by sequential scientific process, the beliefs of in-service teachers was more explicit than those of pre-service teachers. They had beliefs to educate learners by providing scientific joyfulness and sequential scientific process. But, in-service teachers had difficulties to perform scientific process-based activities. It is necessary to provide scientific experiences to understand the nature of science in pre-service and in-service programs.