• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.841-854
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate the teaching methods of prediction, inference, and hypothesis. The major data source was gathered by in-depth interview of science teachers (about 50-80 minutes for each interview). The interviews were conducted using semi-structured interview protocol, which consisted of three major parts: (1) Teacher's definition of prediction, inferences, hypothesis, (2) Teaching methods of prediction, inferences, and hypothesis and (3)Reasons of teacher's inaccurate perceptions of prediction, inference, and hypothesis. All the interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. Topics in the questions were categorized. The results were as follows: Teachers recognized the importance of prediction, inferences, and hypothesis. But they didn't have an accurate conception and they have great difficulty in classifying and explaining the prediction, inferences, and hypothesis. To find out the teaching methods, researcher investigated the inquiry activities, teaching times, usage of terms, teachers' questions, and teaching difficulties. Reasons for having difficulty were lack of teaching competency, difficulties from the students, and problems in the present curriculum. Finally, we discovered that the reasons for teacher's inaccurate perceptions of prediction, inference, and hypothesis were two factors. One is internal factors, which include the lack of scientific inquiry process skills, burdens of science subject and lack of science education knowledge. The other is external factors, which include education system for evaluations and lack of teacher education. In conclusion, this study suggested establishing more elementary teacher education programs that include strengthened concepts of inquiry process skills and teaching methods.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2023

This study investigated the level of academic passion for pre-service elementary teachers' science pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and the factors that influence the passion. To this end, 182 first to fourth grade students in advanced non-science majors who were taking science-related courses in the second semester were selected, and two tests were then administered to evaluate their academic passions for science subject matter knowledge and science pedagogical knowledge. Individual in-depth interviews were also conducted with some of the participants. It was found that the factors such as "importance" and "harmonious passion" for learning science subject matter knowledge and science pedagogical knowledge were found at a high level. On the other hand, the factors such as "like" and "investment of time and energy" were slightly higher than normal, and the factor such as "obsessive passion" was slightly lower than normal. The differences in academic passion for science subject matter knowledge and science pedagogical knowledge were greater according to the high school track than the grade. The pre-service elementary teachers selected more often the factors such as "individual interests", "high school track", "contents of science-related courses at the university of education", "characteristics of professor in charge of science-related courses at the university of education", and "experience in teaching practicum" as the factors that influenced their academic passion for science subject matter knowledge and science pedagogical knowledge. However, there was a slight difference in the selection ratio depending on the high school track.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.412-428
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to identify the teaching professionalism of the two teachers for secondary science-gifted students in perspective of teaching orientations. Both teachers have been taught biology to secondary science-gifted students for more than six years and they have received in-service training in gifted education. Teachers' orientations were investigated through in-depth interviews and observing lessons. For the data collection, videotapes were recorded during two lessons and two in-depth interviews for each participant were conducted. All recorded data were carefully transcribed and analyzed. Some unique characteristics of teaching were identified from the class instruction of each participant. Both teachers revealed 'Open Inquiry' orientation. This was reflected by their educational goals and beliefs that they should help science-gifted students to grow themselves as scientists by enhancing their inquisitiveness and creative problem solving ability. However, each teacher had shown different teaching orientations such as 'Academic Rigor' and 'Discovery' that seemed to have influence on the level or the range of subject matter covered in the classes. Teachers' science teaching orientations have been changed by their subject of teaching and their experiences in teaching the gifted. In the process, teachers' educational philosophy about gifted education plays an important role in teaching orientation. Based on the ongoing teachers' efforts for enhancing his/her professionalism, the teachers seemed to critically review theoretical knowledge of the science teachers in gifted education through self-reflection on their own teaching methods. When teacher's educational philosophy about gifted education was established and internalized, science teaching orientations in teaching practice seemed to be consistent with his/her goal of teaching.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.95-112
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• 2017

The competence of teachers, comes out through their lesson, is one of the key factors of school education. The purpose of this study is comparing the viewpoints on the science lessons in the elementary classrooms between pre-service teachers and highly experienced teachers in order to draw implications on pre-service teacher educating system. The participants of the study are 14 junior students in a university of education and 9 elementary school teachers who are highly educated and have much career experience. Each student participant observed one video clip with science lesson of their classmate. The total number of the video subject to observation is 4. Meanwhile experienced teachers observed 1 or 2 videos which are the same to those the students watched. The participants made a class criticism according to the General Standards for Class Critique made by KICE. The in-depth analysis of the criticism yielded the following conclusions; First, pre-service teachers had narrow views on the science class mainly limited in the practical part of class, but experienced teachers had wide views covered to class-knowledge, plan, and practice. Second, most experienced teachers thought that learning is the process by which students acquire knowledge or concepts by themselves, and the main purpose of the class is to help students' learning. Meanwhile, there were many pre-service teachers who thought that conveying knowledge or concepts to students was the main purpose of the class. Third, experienced teachers thought that a good science class should maintain consistency around the learning goals from the planning, implementation, and evaluation. However, many pre-service teachers did not take the learning objectives so seriously.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.278-296
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to examine the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) elements and the changes in the science lesson planning and implementation difficulties experienced by high-career elementary school teachers with over 20 years of educational experience through the instructional consulting case of the Seoul City Office of Education Scholarship Support Group in order to find implications on effective instructional consulting support plan for improving the science teaching professionalism of high-career elementary school teachers. The result of this study is as follows : First, the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) elements on the science lesson planning and implementation difficulties experienced by high-career elementary school teachers with over 20 years of educational experience were related to teaching strategy and they experienced difficulties in lesson content organization using lesson model and experiment facilitation and questioning, as well as in the area of interest and motive management that are definitional characteristic of learner in the learner element. Second, as for the changes in the PCK through science instructional consulting, they recognized the importance of the designing and experimenting process as students become the subject in the experiment facilitation in lesson, and they ended up attempting the postscript for promoting the thinking power of students. In addition, it was found that not only the cognitive characteristic but also the definitional characteristic of learner is important in science lesson and that students' motive is also an element that needs to be continuously managed. Third, as for effective instructional consulting plan for enhancing the science teaching professionalism of high-career elementary school teachers, it was revealed that it is necessary to first develop lesson expertise improvement consulting program that takes into account of teaching profession advancement phase of high-career teachers, and establish instructional consulting system and human resource pool of high-quality consultants based on the administrative and financial support from the Office of Education. The academic significance of this study is in the fact that it examined and searched for support plan on science teaching professionalism of high-career elementary school teacher, but a more extensive and in-depth study is needed since there is a limitation in this study on the object of study and the period.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.693-718
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• 2010

This study investigated secondary school science teachers' experiences to explore the influencing factors in science teachers efficiency (STE). The participants, thirty three secondary school science teachers who have more than four years of teaching experience, were interviewed about describing each teacher's experience throughout one's years of teaching. The grounded theory introduced by Strauss and Corbin (1998) was used to analyze the data in this study. The results of paradigm analysis revealed that STE is influenced by 125 concepts, 38 sub-categories, and 16 categories. In a paradigm model, the central phenomenon was 'constructing STE', and the causal condition was 'want to be a teacher' as career choice motivation. The contextual conditions that have an affect on the central phenomenon were 'self awareness of the teacher' and 'social awareness of the teacher.' The mediate conditions, which facilitated or restrained the action/interaction strategies, were 'societal tendency', 'school climate', and 'personal context.' The action/interaction strategies to control the phenomenon were 'following the line,' 'identifying effective teaching strategies,' 'taking teacher education programs,' and 'contributing to school improvement.' The consequences were 'teacher's self awareness', 'challenge,' and 'stagnating in teaching.' The overall conclusion drawn from this research is that, the definition of STE is beliefs in science teachers' capabilities to set up objects in some school teaching context and, organize and execute the course of action required to attain these. Additionally, STE has three dimensions of teacher's behaviors: science instructional efficiency, efficiency in engaging students, and efficiency in managing school conditions. This study offers insight into the nature of STE and theoretical framework. These findings may give science teachers and teacher educators the practical knowledge necessary to build effective training programs and interventions that would help increase STE and facilitate effective teaching.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.183-203
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factor for improving elementary and secondary students' positive experiences about science (PES). In-depth interviews with 32 students and 8 teachers from 8 elementary and secondary Science Core schools were conducted to explore the factors for improving the student's PES. The analysis of the results reveal that the eight key factors which had a decisive impact on a student's PES were 'practice-centered exploratory activities', 'student-led class', 'positive and professional feedback', 'construction of knowledge through exploration', 'class considering student's interest and aptitude', 'use of materials related to real life', 'smooth communication and collaboration in group activities', and 'appropriate difficulty in learning content'. There were also five environmental factors that affected these key factors: 'teacher's professionalism for science classes', 'science class environment', 'teacher community in unit schools', 'change in curriculum', and 'scientific activities other than regular classes'. Based on these results, the practical implications for improving the student's PES are suggested.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.267-275
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate relations between middle school science teachers' perception of students' learning styles and their teaching style. Data were collected by in-depth individual interviews with 20 experienced science teachers (14 years of teaching experience in average). Results indicated four categories of the relations: i.e. teachers implemented their teaching style (1) matching students' learning styles, (2) supplementing students' insufficient learning styles, (3) teacher-centered, but matching the diverse students' learning styles, and (4) based on their values and convictions. In general, teaching styles of the teachers did not match with their perceptions of students' learning styles. Instead, their teaching styles seemed to be more affected by their personal values and convictions.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.1021-1040
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• 2013

In order to explore the influences of coteaching through mentoring upon the teaching professionalism of beginning science-gifted education teachers, this case study deeply investigated the change processes in the aspects of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Two beginning teachers planned, performed and reflected together their science instructions for science-gifted students in secondary school during four 3-hour classes. Since the second instruction, pre-, during-, and post-mentoring were conducted, we collected various data related to teachers' planning processes, videotaped all coteaching science classes, and wrote field notes. We also recorded in-depth interviews with the teachers and the whole process of mentoring. All the data were analyzed by using the constant comparative method. The results of the analyses indicated that coteaching through mentoring positively changed the teachers' PCK. Above all, we found that coteaching and mentoring strategies generated a significant synergy effect through a mutually complementary relationship. The teachers developed deep practical knowledge about the enrichment curriculum, which placed more emphasis on developing cognitive and/or affective characteristics of science-gifted students. The teachers also improved their knowledge about the characteristics of science-gifted students and the instructional strategies appropriate for developing them. Moreover, practical knowledge about assessment domains and methods used in science-gifted education were improved. Knowledge on science content necessary for effective inquiry instruction was also improved.

• Journal of Digital Contents Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.659-669
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to develop a copyright education program for the directors and teachers in kindergartens and day care centers. In this study, these programs were developed based on the actual situation of knowledge, copyright education requirements, and professional opinions. In this way, a copyright education programs were designed. Through the program, the directors and teachers were trained on the subject. Then, the overall evaluation was carried out through an open questionnaire and in-depth interview. Through this evaluation, the program was modified. These programs were made up of education purposes, education objectives, education contents, education methods, operating methods, and education evaluation. Education content was intended to be educated through examples from kindergartens and day care centers.