• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.88-100
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• 2000

This study was to investigate high school students' philosophical views on science and positions of constructivists; Popper, Lakatos, Toulmin, and Kuhn. The results of this study were as follows: First, most students had the eclectic position(69%): similar percentages in sex(male 67%, female 75%), stream(liberal art 72%, science 74%), and of having experience on reading books or magazines related to the philosophy of science(ever 78%, never 64%). Second, in analysis of ANDVA of science philosphical perspectives by experience of reading books, magazines, and matters related to the philosophy of science, significant difference was revealed(p<.01). Students who had ever heard of or read about the philosophy of science were tend to have Empiricism. Third, ANDVA analysis of constructivist philosphical perspectives showed that male students were nearer to Kuhn's position than female(p<.05) and students in science stream were closer to Popper than in liberal art(p<.05). And male students in science party showed a great tendency to consent Popper's perspective(p<.01). This result seems to suggest that male students tended to think social aspects more deeply than female and held Kuhn's position.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.500-520
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• 2010

The purposes of this case study were (1) to explore one experienced teacher's views on Earth Systems Education and (2) to describe and document the characteristics of the Earth Systems Education (ESE) curriculum provided by an exemplary middle school science teacher, Dr. J. All the essential pieces of evidence were collected from observations, interviews with the experienced teacher and his eighth grade students, informal conversations, document analysis, and field notes. The $NUD^*IST$ for MS Windows was used for an initial data reduction process and to narrow down the focus of an analysis. All transcriptions and written documents were reviewed carefully and repeatedly to find rich evidence through inductive and content analysis. The findings revealed that ESE provided a conceptual focus and theme for organizing his school curriculum. The curriculum offered opportunities for students to learn relevant local topics and to connect the classroom learning to the real world. The curriculum also played an important role in developing students' value and appreciation of Earth systems and concern for the local environment. His instructional strategies were very compatible with recommendations from a constructivist theory. His major teaching methodology and strategies were hands-on learning, authentic activities-based learning, cooperative learning, project-based learning (e.g., mini-projects), and science field trips. With respect to his views about benefits and difficulties associated with ESE, the most important benefit was that the curriculum provided authentic-based, hands-on activities and made connections between students and everyday life experiences. In addition, he believed that it was not difficult to teach using ESE. However, the lack of time devoted to field trips and a lack of suitable resource materials were obstacles to the implementation of the curriculum. Implications for science education and future research are suggested.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.685-695
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• 2008

An analysis on the Inquiry unit of Science 10 textbooks was conducted in terms of nature of science (NOS). The subject of the analysis was instructional objectives, activities and sentences in the unit of ten Science 10 textbooks. Contents of the instructional objectives could be grouped into nature of science, nature of scientists, scientific methods, and Science-Technology-Society. The concrete nature of scientific knowledge (SK) and constructing scientific theory or model, however, were not found in the objectives. The total number of activities in the Inquiry unit was 38. Seventeen out of them were presented without any supplemental or introductory materials, and 21 activities were provided with information followed by questions, discussions or investigations. For the most activities, any clear statements about NOS elements and desired/informed views of NOS were not made. The sentences of the Inquiry units were mixed up with constructivist and inductive views on NOS. The definition of science tended to be described based on the inductive view. And the generation of SK tended to be described as discovering regularities in natural phenomena rather than constructing theories. For science teachers who want to teach NOS effectively, stating clear learning objectives and elements of NOS and presenting reading materials with relevant views on nature of science were necessary.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.854-869
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• 2007

In this study, we investigated secondary science teachers' internalization of constructivistic science teaching who participated in a collaborative program between teachers and researchers designed by researchers according to constructivist views. The program consisted of lecture, workshop, and small group activities. New trends in science education and framework for science teaching were introduced during lectures, and understanding about the framework were deepened by analyzing school science classes recorded during workshops. In small group activities, participating teachers and researchers cooperated to design science lesson plans using science teaching frameworks. Five secondary science teachers participated in collaborative workshops. Collaborative programs were video-taped. Semi-structured interviews were conducted before and after workshops. All data recorded were transcribed and analyzed. In the process of internalization, participating teachers attended on different parts. Various and discernable factors such as there own background, beliefs, values, and school context produced tensions with or facilitated internalization of constructivistic science teaching. Teaching experiences and student understanding affected teachers' lesson planning activities. Teachers also showed different understandings on inquiry, application, and model from the framework, and they interpret those concepts in the framework based on their prior understanding. They perceived that too much content should be dealt within relatively limited time. Therefore, they tended to separate science class into two parts when developing science lessons: explaining science content by lecture and science laboratory as a constructivistic activity. The results of the study provide meaningful implications to the constructivist teacher education and professional development.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.221-233
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• 2002

This study investigated preservice science teachers' understandings of philosophical foundations(i.e., ontological and epistemological beliefs) underlying constructivist notions of learning. The teacher education program these subjects participated in explicitly addressed philosophical notions consistent with different views of constructivism. For these preservice science teachers, the program provided them with the opportunity to reflect upon the implications that their ontological and epistemological commitments had for their role as a science teacher. Data from four in-depth interviews were used to explore changes in each preservice science teacher's ontological beliefs, epistemological commitments, and pedagogical preferences. Results indicated that ontological beliefs and epistemological commitments were not necessarily consistent with conceptions of science teaching and learning for these preservice teachers. While some students internalized idealist and relativist perspectives, they did not integrate these relativist epistemological views into their preferred instructional practices. Also, regarding the fallible and tentative nature of knowledge, data in this study indicated that participants' epistemological beliefs about scientific Knowledge did influence how they were thinking about their roles as science teachers. Implications for teacher education programs and research on preservice science teacher's philosophical beliefs are discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.665-676
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• 2015

In this case study, we analyzed the processes of STEAM lessons conducted by preservice secondary science teachers. Three preservice science teachers at a college of education in Seoul participated in this study. After the workshop for STEAM education, they planned and practiced STEAM lessons. All of the teaching-learning materials were collected before lessons, and their lessons were observed and videotaped. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted before and after their lessons. The processes of STEAM lessons were analyzed while focusing on PCK and PDC. Their difficulties, needs, and views on STEAM education were also studied. It was found that they have taken much efforts to reflect the objectives and characteristics of STEAM education, and prepared teaching-learning materials by searching on the internet and arranging creative contents. Their great difficulty was to determine topics for STEAM lessons. While one preservice teacher satisfied with her lesson perceived STEAM education positively, the others perceived that it would be very difficult to practice STEAM lessons in school. For their STEAM lessons to be successful, the workshop needs to include some specific information on grades, proper topics for each grade, ways of making materials, and tips for effective STEAM lessons. In addition, it will be effective if the workshop is carried out after their study on constructivist learning theory and if they experience successful STEAM lessons.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.539-556
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine preservice secondary science teachers' understanding of the nature of science, by using nature of science (NOS) questionnaire on the basis of atomic model, and compare this to pre-studies. 'Understanding of nature of scientific model,' 'Tentativeness of scientific knowledge,' 'Subjectivity in science,' 'Use of inference and imagination,' 'Myths of the scientific method,' and 'Comparison between science and art.' were examined. Preservice teachers showed great comprehension of the tentativeness of scientific knowledge (the orbital model) and the subjectivity in science (the different interpretation about the experiment of particle scattering), but displayed the lowest comprehension of the scientific method. For understanding of nature of scientific model (the atomic model) and the comparison between science (Bohr's atomic model) and art (Picasso's work), preservice teachers brought out a combination of ontological and constructivist perspective and showed the contradictory thought about imagination in science research. In the result of comparison to pre-studies using the NOS instruments contains general terms, represented high levels of agreement about the tentativeness of scientific knowledge by using concrete examples of 'atomic model'. When concrete scientists such as Thomson, Rutherford, Bohr were presented, respondents revealed more informed views about the scientists' research method.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.266-283
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• 2013

The goal of this study is to explore the characteristics of perceptual change among students majoring in arts on the nature of science and apply the results to science education. According to the study, it is important to consider the results of interaction between learners' aptitude and teaching method. Teaching the nature of science to first grade students explicitly, experimental inquiry strategy was applied to fine arts students, and teaching strategy of scientific history to music students. To find out which elements of the nature of science have come into view on modern philosophy of science, pre and post tests on the nature of science (VNOS-C) were conducted on the students. To find out specifically why views on the nature of science have changed, a case study was conducted focusing on students who showed changes in their views on the elements of the nature of science. In conclusion, this study suggests that by using experimental inquiry strategy and strategy of scientific history properly, it is possible to change students' viewpoints on the elements of the nature of science and on modern philosophy of science. Through explicit instruction, we were able to find some positive conceptual changes on the nature of science and the modern philosophy of science in terms of both quantity and quality. This shows that the students studying arts are experiencing a constructivist conceptual change on the nature of science, and that conceptual ecology and learning strategy are involved in this process. Therefore, it is thought that this study offers an important implication in organizing science education on the nature of science.