• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.571-587
• /
• 1998

This paper reviews and analyzes the conceptions of science achievement in the United States and Korean reform documents, including those on science content standards(NSES, Porject 2061, and Korean 7th science curriculum), performance standards(New Standards, and Survey of Ecucational Achievement in Korean Elementary and Secondary Schools), and large-scale assessment framworks(1996 NAEP, TIMSS, The National Assessment of Science Inqury Abilities, The National Assessment of Science Knowledge, and The National Assessment of Affective Characteristics related to Science). The analysis of these documents indicates that there is an overall agreement on the conceptions of science achievement. The documents consistently emphasize high achievement in terms of knowledge and abilities in scientific, technological, social, and environmental perspectives. In addition, these documents define science achievement at different developmental levels and at certain depths of knowledge and abilities for all students. Despite the overall agreement, there are also noticeable variations among the documents because of different contexts and purposes. There is a difference in the balance of representations or emphases among content and process standards in the documents. The conceptions of science achievement in the Korean documents are not as comprehensive or inclusive as those in the United States documents. There is no representation of the mathematical world, the nature of science, historical perspectives, unifying concepts, or scientific communication. From these results, two conclusions are drawn. First, more coherent conceptions of science achievement are needed for common understanding among educators and the public. Second, efforts are needed for developing more comprehensive and inclusive conceptions of science achievement in Korea.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.179-189
• /
• 1997

In this study, a conceptual change model for effective laboratories was developed and its instructional effect on students' achievement, the acquisition of scientific conceptions, and the attitudes toward science was investigated. Considering several conceptual change models in literature and Korean educational situations, the conceptual change model was developed. The model consists of 5 stages; preliminary, prediction, exploration, consolidation and reconstruction, and application. The treatment and control groups (2 classes) were selected from a middle school in Seoul, and taught about the changes of states, density, and dissolution for three weeks. Prior to instruction, the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking and the Learning Approach Questionnaire were administered, and their scores were used as covariate and / or blocking variable. To examine students' alternative conceptions before the instructions, a pre-conceptions test was also administered. After the instructions, students' achievement, the acquisition of scientific conceptions, and the attitudes toward science were measured with a researcher-made achievement test, a post-conceptions test, and the subtests of the Test of Science-Related Attitudes, respectively. The results indicated that the score of the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group in the post-conceptions test. The students in the treatment group had also less alternative conceptions than those in the control group. However, there were no significant differences for the achievement and the attitudes toward science. Educational implications are discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.344-352
• /
• 2000

In this study, high school students' environmental conceptions and attitudes, and their relationships with affective variables (self-esteem, enjoyment of science lesson, and leisure interest in science) were investigated. Students' environmental conceptions were found to be low, and male students' environmental conceptions were higher than female students. However, the environmental attitudes of female students were more positive than those of male students. There were no differences between male and female students in the ecocentric attitudes, but male students had more egocentric attitudes than female students. Students of higher prior science achievement level possessed higher level of environmental conceptions than their counterparts. Among the affective variables studied, leisure interest in science was significantly correlated with environmental attitudes.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.491-504
• /
• 2011

We investigated science-gifted students' conceptions on science learning. The inventory instruments used for our study were a questionnaire on the conceptions of learning science (COLS) and a questionnaire on the approaches to learning science (ALS). Our analysis of the questionnaires showed that there are differences in the conceptions of science learning between the science-gifted and ordinary students. Science-gifted students perceive science learning as storing up of scientific knowledge, expansion of knowledge structure and achievement of a new view. There are no differences in the conceptions of science learning between male and female science-gifted students. There are also no differences in the conceptions of science learning in terms of subject preference such as physics, chemistry, biology and earth science. Our analysis offer assistance to teaching material and teaching method for science courses.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.266-274
• /
• 1999

This study investigated the effects of cooperative and individual computer-assisted instructions upon middle school students' science conceptions, achievement, perception of learning environment, and motivation. The cooperative, individual, and traditional learning groups were selected from a middle school, and taught about the motion of molecule for 5 class hours. Data analyses indicated that the students with cooperative computer-assisted instruction scored significantly higher than those with traditional instruction in the tests of conceptual understanding, perception of learning environment and motivation. Better understanding of the cooperative learning group was also found in a retention test of conceptions. In addition, there were significant interactions between the instruction and the level of prior achievement in the tests of retention of conceptions and motivation. Educational implications are discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.609-616
• /
• 2003

This study investigated the effects of 3-level systematic drawing upon students' achievement, conceptions, learning motivation, perceptions of involvement and attitudes toward science instruction. Two classes of 7th grade at a coed middle school were assigned to the control and the treatment groups. They were taught about change of states and motion of molecules for 8 class periods. Two-way ANCOVA results revealed that the scores of achievement test, a conceptions test, motivation and attitudes toward science instruction tests for the treatment group were significantly higher than those for the control group. But there was no difference in the scores of the perceptions of involvement test.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.1-19
• /
• 1999

Based on the analysis of commonalities and differences in the views of science achievement in major reform documents in the United States and Korea, an aggregated view of science achievement is presented in this paper Science achievement is conceived of in terms of science content and science process. The components of science content include: (a) concepts and theories I n physical, life, and earth and space science;(b) science, mathematics, and technology;(c) science in personal and social perspectives;(d)history and nature of science;and (e) unifying themes. The components of science process include: (a) scientific understanding;(b) scientific investigation;(c) scientific communication; and (d) scientific habits of mind. The components of science process.cut across and intersect with the components of science content. The components of science achievement overlap and are related to one another. Despite such an overlap, understanding the rot e that each component plays provides insight into its unique contributions as well as its interactions with other components. A definition of science achievement and identification of its components based on major reform documents provides a guideline for science assessment as well a s science teaching and learning.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.128-136
• /
• 1999

The effects of computer-assisted instruction (CAl) using molecular-level animation and worksheet upon students' achievement, conceptual understanding, and learning motivation were investigated. Treatment and control groups (2 classes) were selected from a girls' high school in Seoul, and taught about dissolution for 3 class hours. Before the instructions, the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Survey (PALS) was administered, and the grade for a previous science course was obtained. The PALS score was used as a covariate, and the other as a blocking variable. After the instructions, the achievement test, the conceptions test, and the Instructional Materials Motivation Scale (lMMS) were administered. Two-way ANCOVA results revealed that the scores of the CAl group in the achievement and the conceptions tests were significantly higher than those of the control group. The CAl group also performed better in all subtests of the IMMS except the subtest of relevance.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.66 no.2
• /
• pp.136-149
• /
• 2022

Chemistry focuses on explaining macroscopic phenomena at the microscopic level with particles, such as atoms or molecules. Explanation using particles are bound to be considered as abstract by students, because it was dealing with invisible objects. For that reason, the science national curriculum presented to middle school students the explanation of the units related to the composition of matter. Therefore, understanding about the composition of matter in middle school students becomes an important basis for learning of chemistry, and it is necessary to investigate their understanding about composition of matter. In this study, students' understanding about 'composition of matter' region, which is first presented to middle school students, was confirmed at an overall level. In this line, this study analyzed the results of the items in the composition of matter region, and analyzed items were used in the National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA) from 2015 to 2019. We analyzed the 9 items presented in the NAEA according to the response rate of options and response rate distribution curve, and explained the characteristics of understanding derived by each achievement level were examined. According to the analyzed results by dividing the conceptions about elements, atoms, and ions, students above the proficient achievement-level had scientific conceptions overall, but students below the basic achievement-level had inconsistent or naive conceptions. Based on the results for each item, this study discussed some implications to be considered or to be improved on teaching-learning for 'composition of matter'.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.325-331
• /
• 2015

In this study, we investigated the effects of individualized learning adapted to students' conceptions using smart devices in science instruction upon students' conceptual understanding, the retention of conception, achievement, learning motivation, enjoyment of science lessons, and perception about individualized learning using smart devices. Four seventh-grade classes at a coed middle school in Seoul were assigned to a control group and a treatment group. Students were taught about molecular motions for seven class periods. Two-way ANCOVA results revealed that the scores of a conception test, the retention of the conception test, a learning motivation test, and an enjoyment of science lessons test for the treatment group were significantly higher than those for the control group. Although the score of the treatment group was higher than that of the control group in the achievement test, the difference was not statistically significant. Students' perceptions about individualized learning using smart devices were also found to be positive.