• Human Ecology Research
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.105-120
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• 2020

This study helps infant teachers practice a constructivism-based teacher education program that supports infant mathematical inquiry activities and examines improvements in mathematical teaching knowledge, mathematical teaching initiatives, mathematical interaction, constructivism belief and mathematical teaching efficacy. Twenty two experiment group infant teachers and twenty two comparison group infant teachers were chosen at two workforce educare centers. The experiment group infant teachers participated in 18 sessions of a constructivism teacher training program for 8 weeks, but the comparison group infant teachers did not take part in the program. Pretest and post-tests were implemented for the mathematical teaching knowledge, mathematical teaching initiatives, mathematical interactions, constructivism belief and mathematical teaching efficacy in the experiment group. Independent sample t-test and ANCOVA were tested using Windows SPSS statistics 21.0. The homogeneity test for the experiment and comparison group revealed significant differences. ANCOVA was carried out after the pretest score was controlled as a co-variance. Significant differences were indicated in mathematical teaching knowledge, mathematical teaching initiative, mathematical interaction, constructivism belief and mathematical teaching efficacy. The results indicated that a constructivism-based teacher education program to support infant mathematical inquiry activities influenced improvements in mathematical teaching knowledge, mathematical teaching initiative, mathematical interaction, constructivism belief and mathematical teaching efficacy. This study proved the effects of the program based on constructivism theory content for the knowledge, skills and attitude about infant teaching of mathematical initiatives and practiced a program of exploration, investigation, application and assessment for infant teachers. The results can help infant teachers teach mathematical exploration activities and help activate infant mathematical exploration activities.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.269-287
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to survey collaborate learning in early childhood settings in Korea. Specifically, the study examined whether the realities of and the teachers' perception on collaborative learning would differ in terms of the teachers' belief on constructivism. To achieve this purpose, 210 teachers of kindergartens and daycare centers in Busan completed a questionnaire developed by the authors. The teachers' belief on constructivism was rated as high, medium, and low. The ${\chi}^2$-test, one-way analysis of variance, and the Scheffe test were used to analyze the teachers' interest on and practice level of collaborate learning. As a result of this analysis, the authors observed several significant differences in the realities of and the teachers' perception on collaborative learning in terms of the teachers' belief on constructivism. We discussed the results and provided practical implications for teacher training.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.1157-1168
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• 2012

This study examined the effect of simulated instruction activities based on a constructivist teaching approach on epistemological belief, science teaching efficacy belief, and teaching motivation. The RTOP (Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol) played a role to guide preservice biology teachers to obtain insights on current reformed teaching and to further practice teaching based on constructivism. The results indicated that preservice teachers changed their epistemological beliefs toward more sophisticated views, especially for 'simple knowledge'. They also improved their science teaching efficacy beliefs, both personal science teaching efficacy belief (PSTEB) and science teaching outcome expectancy (STOE). In addition, these perservice teachers decreased their scores of extrinsic teaching motivation. The Pearson correlation represented the negative relationship between personal science teaching efficacy belief (PSTEB) and extrinsic teaching motivation. After intervention, the preservice teachers mentioned inquiry, active participation and discussion as ideal science teaching methods and qualifications for science teachers.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.795-821
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• 2001

This Qualitative study investigated a preservice teacher's developing views of learning with the influence of constructivist epistemology taught in the Math, Science, and Technology Education (MSAT) Master of Education (M. Ed.) preservice teacher education program. The MSAT teacher education program employs constructivist aspects of teacher education and generates applications of constructivism to the practice of teaching, as revealed by faculty interview data. It is important at this point to emphasize that there are significant epistemological and ontological differences between different versions of educational constructivism (i.e., individual, radical, and social constructivism) and that these differences imply different pedagogical practices. For the 16 preservice teachers included in a larger study, the epistemological and ontological characteristics for each teacher's developing views of learning were identified through four in-depth interviews. Data from interviews were used to construct a constructivist profile for each preservice teacher's views of learning (i.e., a profile containing ontological beliefs, epistemological commitments, and pedagogical beliefs). Of the sixteen participants in the larger study, five significantly changed ontological and epistemological beliefs and eleven did not. Profile changes for the five who did change also resulted in changes in their conceptions of science teaching and learning (CSTL). In this article, one of the five teachers case was presented with rich quotes. This case study documents how a preservice teacher transferred his ontological and epistemological beliefs to his pedagogical beliefs and maintained the consistency between his philosophical beliefs and CSTL. It also demonstrated implications that changes in components for an educational constructivist profile have for a preservice teacher's view of himself as teacher. Data indicated the possibility that a constructivist-oriented preservice teacher education program can influence students' conceptions of science teaching and learning by explicitly introducing constructivism as an epistemology rather than as a specific method of instruction. Implications for both instructional practices of teacher education programmes and research are discussed.

• 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%.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.373-389
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• 2015

This study was to investigate the practice of the teachers who changed their teaching subject to Mathematics from other subjects. Teacher, A who had traditional belief and Teacher, B, non-traditional belief were chosen for the study through the questionnaire in Sep. 2014. The result indicated that Teacher, A in traditional belief showed teacher-centered teaching but Teacher, B in nontraditional belief showed inconsistent way of teaching in comparison to the original perspective. The later said she could not teach students as she wanted to teach because of the lack of knowledge of teaching as a math teacher. The difficulties Teacher, A encountered were: to handle too many works beyond teaching and to teach too many contents to cover without having enough time to prepare. Teacher, B didn't know how to teach students math in a constructivism way. They asked to offer them more in-service training program to develop their expertise for teaching mathematics.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.43-55
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• 2022

It is critical to examine changes in teachers' beliefs on how to teach and learn mathematics through teacher education programs. This study aims to develop an instrument measuring elementary pre-service teachers' beliefs on student- and teacher-centered instruction. After developing questionnaires with mathematics education experts, the structural validity of the instrument was evaluated by collecting and analyzing data from 166 pre-service teachers. Parallel analysis and exploratory factor analysis were applied sequentially to collect validity and reliability evidence. The results showed that this instrument can be used to examine changes in pre-service teachers' two different types of belief: student- and teacher-centered instruction. We also suggested how to interpret scores appropriately.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.240-249
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• 2011

The purposes of this study is to compare the beliefs in the nature of science, science teaching and learning of the elementary teachers in charge of the gifted and the general teachers. For this study, a survey on beliefs of the nature of science, science teaching and learning was conducted to 88 elementary teachers for the gifted and 90 elementary general teachers. Data was analyzed by their academic career and major. The results of this study were as follows: There were no significant differences in beliefs in the nature of science and science teaching between the elementary science teachers in charge of the gifted and the general elementary teachers, but the former has a more constructivism in science learning than the latter. In the some sub-domains of the beliefs of the nature of science, science teaching and learning, there were statistically significant differences according to their academic career and major. Implications from findings of this study were suggested, such as recruiting and in-service training system for teachers in charge of the gifted.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.107-144
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• 2012

Recently concerns on the energy future are rising in Korea after nuclear disaster of Fukushima in Japan last year. However, even after Fukushima disaster Korean government keeps on insisting nuclear oriented energy policy. Contrary to it, some of civil society's organizations(CSOs) including environment groups and progressive political parties are making strong voices for phase-out nuclear. As a way of phase-out nuclear activity researcher groups based on CSOs have presented several alternative energy scenarios against the official government scenario so that contest between the two senarios seems not to be avoided. This article aims to analyse the politics of expertise around energy scenarios in Korea by highlighting differences between two scenarios of government and CSOs in terms of epistemological and methodological base, value orientation, institutional foundation, and the socio-political contexts of scenarios. Our research shows that government's energy scenario is based on scientific-positivist epistemology, firm belief in value neutrality and forecasting method, and is built by neo-classical economists at government-sponsored research institutes in accordance with the 'Business As Usual' approach. In contrast, alternative scenarios of CSOs can be said to be based on epistemological constructivism, value oriented attitudes and backcasting method, and be built by collaboration of researchers and activists with different academic and social backgrounds after Fukushima nuclear disaster.