• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.89-101
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• 2011

Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology (STEM) integrated education has been spotlighted as a new approach for promoting students' conceptual understanding and supporting their future career in STEM field. There is increasing evidence of the positive impact of using a whole design process that can be an example of STEM integrated activities to improve students' conceptual understanding and problem solving skills. However, there is a lack of information on how teachers should accomplish science and engineering integration activities in their classroom and what process they should pay attention. To answer this question, we research the relationship between an design process and students' conceptual understanding using an engineering design activity, called 'Save the Penguins', and study on how each step in an engineering design process in this activity enhance students' conceptual knowledge in science. We found that testing their prototypes and discussing with their peers were the most important process for students to understand and apply science concept for their design, even though the whole engineering design process (demonstration about radiation, discussion about examples in our lives, and testing and reviewing their prototypes, and making final design) helps the students understand the scientific concepts.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.213-223
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• 2012

This study explored practicing elementary school teacher's beliefs of scientific inquiry and scientific inquiry teaching methods. Defining teacher's beliefs as a broad construct, we tried to examine the teachers' understandings about the scientific inquiry and scientific inquiry teaching method. This study drew on interview data from 10 elementary teachers in busan and changwon area of korea. Conclusions of this study include; First, we found that elementary teacher's beliefs of inquiry were represented variously. And they considered that inquiry is the important goal of science education. They though that the goal of science education is development of Scientific inquiry skills, Scientific thinking skills, development of Creativity and problem solving ability, increasing interest about science, understanding of the basic concepts of science and apply of real-life. second, most of the teachers though that Scientific inquiry is scientists activities, they defined 'the process of creation of new knowledge', 'the process of deriving theory', 'solving process of intellectual curiosity', 'Problem-solving process'. third, they considered that teaching method of scientific inquiry is open inquiry activities. however, they thought that there are many difficulties to actually apply. Understanding teachers' beliefs has implications for both the enactment of inquiry teaching in the classroom as well as the uptake of new teaching behaviors during professional development, with enhanced outcomes for engaging students in Science.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.275-291
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze the level and characteristics of system thinking of middle and high school students on cycle of matter in the Earth system considering the impact of human activities on the cycle. For this purpose, we developed items for assessment and assessment rubric through the analysis of 2015 revised curriculum and applying systems thinking, respectively. Middle and high school students who participated in the Korea Earth Science Olympiad were the subjects of this study. The level of system thinking was determined using the assessment rubric for student responses collected using items for assessment. The characteristics of system thinking were identified using word analysis. Based on these, the improvement of the curriculum considering the impact of human activities was discussed. The results of the study are as follows: first, the system thinking level of most secondary school students was low in identifying or classifying system elements for matter cycle, and high levels, such as system relationship or generalization of patterns, were found to be relatively small. It was found that students had a higher level of system thinking in the carbon cycle than in the water cycle. Second, in terms of the characteristics of system thinking about water cycle, water was recognized as a major system element and mainly related with evaporation between atmosphere and other system elements. Whereas, in the carbon cycle, carbon dioxide was regarded as a major system element, and photosynthesis and respiration were represented in relation with the biosphere. Third, for education considering the impact of human activities on the matter cycle in the Earth system, it is proposed improving the curriculum considering the socio-ecological system by extending the existing earth system.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.673-685
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate Earth Systems Understandings (Mayer, 1991) and Earth Systems meaning generation reported by science-talented students who participated in a geological field trip. The eight (4 female and 4 male students) field trip reports were randomly selected among all the reports written by twenty eighth-grade students who joined Shiwha-Lake field trip in Korea. The three-step program, including preparation, field trip, and summary, was provided to the students in order to facilitate meaningful learning through outdoor teaming activities. Seven Earth Systems Understandings and thematic types (Keys, 1999) were used to analyze the reports. The results of this study indicated thai aesthetic views and stewardship toward the Earth, which were the most distinguishing characteristics in Earth Systems Education, were reflected on most of the reports. The results also showed that the students tried to represent their understandings in such a type as meaning extension, meaning enhancement, or meaning elaboration. Overall, many students used 'knowledge-telling' process with a long list of observations and facts, whereas a few students used higher-order 'knowledge-transforming' process by coordinating their findings with interpretations and reasoning in their writings.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.610-623
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• 2005

This was a theoretical study of which the goal was to provide a foundation for developing and implementing earth science inquiry activities based on abduction as a scientific inquiry method. Through a review of relevant literature, the study examined the nature of earth science in terms of the goals of earth science inquiry and the characteristics of what is investigated in earth science. It also explored the forms and meanings of abduction, thinking strategies used in the abductive inference, and the abductive inquiry model. Abduction is the process of inferring certain rules (e.g., scientific facts, principles, laws) and providing explanatory statements or hypotheses in order to explain some phenomena. This method was found to be well-suited to the earth science inquiry which studies the causes and processes of natural phenomena in the earth and space environment. Abduction has the nature of ampliative, selective, evaluative, and creative inference, and several thinking strategies, including reconstruction of data, heuristic generalization, analogy, existential, conceptual combination, and elimination strategies, are employed for inferring rules and suggesting hypotheses. This study found the abductive inquiry model to be adaptable to earth science classrooms, and it is therefore suggested that earth science instructions should be based on the abductive method and that research work concerning the abductive inquiry in the classroom should follow.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.459-469
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• 2021

In this study, we investigated the difference in the affective characteristics between science-gifted students and general students through the positive experiences about science (PES) index. We also explored ways to apply the characteristics of gifted classes suggeseted by the teachers of this study, which had a positive effect on science-gifted students, to general science classes. For this study, a PES survey was carried on middle school science-gifted students enrolled in the gifted education center in the central region and general middle school students in the same area who had no experience in gifted education. Based on the survey result, we conducted in-depth interviews with teachers, having teaching experience with both science-gifted and general students. The results revealed that science-gifted students showed a significantly higher PES index than general students in all five areas of PES. The area with the largest difference between the two groups was science-related self-concept and the smallest was science academic emotion. Teachers suggested ways to apply the characteristics of science-gifted classes to general science classes, such as organizing general science classes around inquiry activities, supporting class materials such as MBL or tablets, reconstructing the classes using materials reflecting students' needs, and changing the textbook content and narrative style, to induce students' interest and curiosity. Based on the study results, ways to enhance the PES through science classes for general students were proposed.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.300-317
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to suggest improvements in the science concepts and inquiry activities presented in the earth science section in the 2015 revised curriculum elementary science textbooks. For this study, two science educator and three elementary school teachers developed a survey questionnaire to investigate science concepts, inquiry activities, and suggest improvements. The survey was conducted two times, and 30 elementary school teachers and three earth science professors (geology, meteorology, astronomy) participated in the survey. As a result, it was investigated that eight concepts in the solid section, three concepts in the fluid section, and one concept in universe and integration section contained misconceptions. It was investigated that the content of inquiry activity needs to be supplemented, with seven elements in solid section, three elements in fluid section, and one in the universe and integration section. According to the research results, if the textbook is revised, it is necessary to accurately confirm the science concepts or content of inquiry activities. Also in the case of science concepts presented in textbooks, it will be necessary to consider not only the scope and sequence of contents but also the process of learning progression.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.82-92
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• 2003

This qualitative research describes unique features of seven exemplary science teachers' professional development activities. Description of excellence in effective teachers' professional development efforts will provide some insights into required inservice initiatives and support systems for teachers' professional learning. Exemplary science teachers' professional development activities can be classified into four types: (1) practicing classroom supervision, (2) participating in voluntary communities of teachers, (3) playing instructional leader roles in teacher training programs, and (4) continuing one's studies at a graduate school. One of the common features of these exemplary teachers was that they can both articulate what makes teachers professionals and practice in accordance with their perspectives. These exemplary teachers not only improved their own classroom practices, but also participated actively in various professional communities to share their practical knowledge with their colleagues. The teachers have formed special-interest groups to investigate better ways of science teaching. They also took an active role in teachers' in-service education. Teachers' quality practices lie at the heart of classroom change. However, it's important to remember that there must be a support system that sustains and encourages teachers' initiatives. The implications for the support system to encourage teachers' professional development efforts are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.159-168
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• 2007

This study developed earth science learning materials based on paleolithic remains in the Youngsan River basin to provide students with curiosity and interest of science. These materials consist of four activities such as orientation, tour of museum, field trip to paleolithic sites, and making of remains. More than 60% of the teachers said that these materials are likely to improve the scientific process skills of students and also suggested that these could be applied to club activity, field trip, and homework. In addition, materials seemed to help students to understand the properties of the mineral and rock. We suggested that these materials could broaden teachers' subject of teaching in science.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.69-80
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• 2010

Today's fundamental purpose of environmental education is to fulfill people's desire of living in a pleasant environment and at the same time promoting individualistic and collective environmentally friendly behaviors. In order to achieve these purposes, it is very important that each person holds an environmentally friendly mind that constantly tries to preserve and protect the environment which should be acquired through experiencing the importance of the environment. In order to increases the sense of attachment of people and the natural environment, the direction of environmental education should carry out education on environment related knowledge and the condition of environment damage side by side. The direction of environmental education should consider the cultivating student's awareness for active participation on matters related to the environment and to change their behaviors towards the environment. This study has tested the effect of reflective writing activities about the environment on the environmental sensitivity and willingness to act of 5th grade primary school students. For the sole purpose of this study, 70 students out of 141 5th graders of M Primary School were divided as the experimental group, and another 71 students were divided as the control group. The experimental group participated in 10 activities in where they were asked to express their thoughts and feelings in writing regarding 10 environmental problems occurring near the M Primary School. The control group participated in 10 environmental education lectures focusing on the lecturer. The results were as following. First, the reflective writing activities about the environment were effective in the environmental sensitivity of primary school students. Second, the reflective writing activities about the environment can affect the environmental willingness to act of primary school students. Third, there was a statistically significant correlation between environmental sensitivity and environmental willingness to act.