• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.40-52
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to explore ways to change high school earth science elective courses with the introduction of the high school credit system in 2025, and ways to restructure them in preparation for the next curriculum revision. For this purpose, Delphi surveys with earth science education experts, a survey with in-service earth science teachers, and in-depth interviews with experts were conducted. According to the results, we need to consider four keywords such as cultivation of earth science literacy, connection with student career paths, emphasis on the fun of earth science itself, and student selection rate and college entrance exam in restructuring Earth science electives. Based on this direction, we composed four subjects: Earth System Science emphasizing earth science literacy, and three such subjects reinforcing career connection as Solid Earth Science, Atmospheric and Ocean Science, and Space Science. To resolve concerns about falling selection rate of earth science courses with the introduction of the high school credit system, it is necessary to re-establish the status of the earth science subjects including enhancing the career connection of the earth science electives. Follow-up studies are necessary to elaborate and publicize the titles and core concepts of Earth science electives.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.557-566
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to examine the status of the field application of the Science II career electives with the application of the 2015 revised curriculum up to the 3rd year of high school. This study focused on examining high school science teachers' perceptions of the student-participatory class and process-centered assessment in Science II subjects, which are career-intensive high school science electives. A total of 192 science teachers responded to the survey questionnaire, and 12 teachers participated in interviews. In the in-depth interviews conducted to supplement the survey results, questions were asked about changes in the overall class, the status of student-participatory classes, and changes in the assessment of Science II subjects due to the emphasis on process-centered assessment. The main research results included teachers' perceptions of changes in teaching and assessment methods with the application of the revised curriculum, the degree to which the eight skills used in Science II classes develop the key competencies of science, and the teaching and assessment methods commonly used in Science II classes. Science teachers generally agreed with the purpose and necessity of introducing student-participatory classes and process-centered assessment, which are the core purpose of the 2015 revised curriculum. However, they had difficulties in practice due to the excessive content of Science II subjects. Problems were also encountered with securing objectivity and fairness during assessments and the operation of online science classes due to COVID-19.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.112-122
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• 2021

The goal of this study is to explore ways to restructure Convergence Elective Courses in science in preparation for the high school credit system, ahead of the 2022 revised science curriculum. This study started from the problem that the 2015 revised science curriculum has not guaranteed science subject choice for students with non-science/engineering career aptitudes. To this end, a survey was conducted by randomly sampling high schools across the country. A total of 1,738 students responded to the questionnaire of 3 science elective courses such as Science History, Life & Science, Convergence Science. In addition, in-depth interviews with 12 science teachers were conducted to examine the field operation of these three courses, which will be classified and revised as Convergence Elective subjects in the 2022 revised curriculum. According to the results of the study, high school students perceive these three courses as science literacy courses, and find these difficult to learn due to lack of personal interest, and difficulties in content itself. The reason students choose these three courses is mainly because they have aptitude for science, or these courses have connection with their desired career path. Teachers explained that students mainly choose Life & Science, and both teachers and students avoid Science History because the course content is difficult. Based on the research results, we suggested ways to restructure Convergence Electives for the 2022 revised curriculum including developing convergence electives composed of interdisciplinary convergence core concepts with high content accessibility, developing convergence electives with core concepts related to AI or advanced science, developing module-based courses, and supporting professional development of teachers who will teach interdisciplinary convergence electives.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.80-92
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• 2022

We fitted latent growth models of attitude towards science using the Korea Education & Employment Panel 2004-2007 data with 343 high school students. The growth model show better fit indices compared to the no growth model. The intercept and slope showed significant variances, and thus, we added control variables of the number, ratio of advanced courses, and variety in science elective subjects, and the achievement percentile for middle school. In the conditional growth model, the previous achievement has significant positive effects on the intercept and the ratio of the advanced courses and variety of science subjects show significantly positive effects on the slope. Based on the results, it supports the 2022 Revised Science Curricular that high school credit system should provide students with basic 'Physics,' 'Chemistry,' 'Biology,' and 'Earth Science,' credits in 'general electives', various integrated subjects in 'converged electives', and highly advanced subjects in 'career electives.'

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 2024

In this study, we investigated the philosophical background and progress of the 2022 revised curriculum development in the high school earth science field. Research that was not covered in the research report includes the relevance of the transformative competency of OECD Education 2030, and that core ideas and achievement standards are organized around knowledge understanding, process functions, and value attitudes that constitute the learning compass needle. In addition, the composition of core ideas and Earth science electives in light of the understanding-centered curriculum, and IB type inquiry-based teaching and learning. Main research results include that the 2022 revised Earth science curriculum emphasized the student agency to foster the transformative competency and scientific literacy, and the curriculum document system in the field of earth science uses a learning compass needle. In addition, based on the understanding-centered curriculum, core ideas of Earth science were derived, and elective courses were organized to help students reach these core ideas. Also, IB-type inquiry-based teaching and learning was emphasized to foster student agency with knowledge construction competency. Based on the research results, slimming of the national and general level curriculum, the need to develop process-centered assessment methods for value and attitudes, the need for curriculum backward design, and ways to develop student agency through inquiry-based teaching and learning were suggested.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.96-106
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to identify the actual conditions of operation in school and investigate the perceptions of science teachers and students regarding the 7th elective-centered curriculum of high school science subjects. For this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted for the selected subjects including 127 high school science teachers and 763 high school students in their third year who had experienced the 7th elective-centered curriculum. As a result of the study, concerning the way to present the elective subjects of science, many cases were the alternative way and the group-elective way in humanity courses while natural science courses had the alternative way and the free-elective way in most cases. In other words, in many cases, the right of elective was given within a limited range. The result of the investigation on science teachers' perceptions on the elective-centered curriculum was that negative views dominated as a whole. Especially, earth science teachers showed the most negative attitudes. The number of biology and chemistry teachers who supported students' right to opt subjects were lower than that of physics teachers and earth science teachers who were against it. To help students make a right choice, many viewed that the system of the college Scholastic Ability Test should be complemented in order to prevent any disadvantage to each elective subject or that it was necessary to have systematic and realistic career education. As the result of investigating the perception of high school students in their third year regarding the elective-centered curriculum, they were usually not very satisfied with it. As the reason for it, many said the selection right was limited. Many others also expressed that there were lack of public relations and education on subjects and careers. Based on these results, limits still exist in accepting all demands although there are a lot of efforts made to smoothly adjust supply and demand of science teachers as well as students' electives in the field of school. It is considered necessary to come up with counterplan and complements to prevent basic science from being neglected or lower academic achievement in the subject of science from happening, and at the same time to harmoniously deal with supply and demand of science teachers as well as the issues of students' demands given the actual conditions of school.