• 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 Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.372-385
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• 2012

For decades, reflection has been recognised as a meaningful tool to bring forth teachers' ownership as well as knowledge and action empowerment in teacher education. Yet there have been few studies on elementary teachers' reflection on their science teaching in Korea. In this study, 71 reflective journals of 24 elementary teachers on their science teaching were analyzed. The characteristics of reflective journals were analyzed in terms of 'productive reflection', a concept suggested by Davis (2006). Unproductive reflection is mainly descriptive without analysis, whereas productive reflection can promote teachers' learning by integrating four aspects of teaching (learner/learning, subject matter knowledge, instruction and assessment). The result showed what elementary teachers consider and emphasize and how they integrate their ideas. Most of reflective journals included aspects of 'instruction', 'learner/learning', and 'subject matter knowledge'. However 'instruction' was emphasized most frequently (69.0%) than 'subject matter knowledge' (33.8%) and 'learner/learning' (26.8%). 'Assessment' was hardly included nor emphasized. More than half of the journals (56.3%) showed no integrations, which were unproductive reflection. A third of the journals (32.4%) integrated only two aspects among four. Average score of integrations was 1.6 on a scale of 4 points. The integrations were not affected by the length of reflective journals and the teaching experience. These findings suggest that productive reflection would not increase naturally with teaching experience and there needs more tactful guidance to develop elementary teachers' productive reflection on their science teaching.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.339-351
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to analyze the processes of observation teaching and the types of observation in elementary life science class. For the purposes of this study, 40 teachers majoring in elementary science education participated in surveys on the processes of observation teaching. In addition, after videotaping the observation classes conducted by three teachers, each teaching in the 3rd to 5th grade, and their one hundred and eight students, we analyzed the processes of observation teaching. As a result, the processes of observation leaching in elementary science class were categorized into 12 stages (motivation, stating the objective, recognizing objects to observe, free and subjective observation, introducing ways to observe, observing by the simple way, introducing additional ways, observing by the manipulative way, making a note of observation, looking over the contents of observation, finding regularities, consolidation). In the types of observation, teachers and students performed mostly simple observing by the visual way. Teachers introduced time-independent/non-compared/whole observing; students concentrated on time-independent/non-compared/particular observing as targets. Thus, students carried out observing in the types of observation that teachers had presented. Consequently, the analysis about the processes of observation teaching can establish an effective teaching program for observing in scientific activities by reconstructing its observing target and suitable topic. The analysis about the types of observation can be applied to set up strategies for improving observation skills.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.102-116
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• 2008

In their teaching practice, teachers encounter multi-dimensions of pedagogical challenges. The recognition and reflection on these challenges is crucial to advance our science teaching. This study looked into science teachers' dilemmas of their teaching practical work through their written cases. Dilemma cases are teachers' narratives organized around important events of teaching and learning. It can reveal teachers' situated cognition and be used as lens to investigate complex realities of science teaching and learning. 26 pre- and in-service elementary teachers' dilemma cases of science practical work were carefully collected and analysed to interpret what constitute tensions in elementary science practical works. They were largely grouped into three: Curriculum and Institutional Relevance, Students Relevance, Nature of School Experiments Relevance and divided into 7 subheadings: 'Authority of Curriculum(textbook)', 'Disappointment at external support', 'Students' interests and safety', 'Students' unscientific and inert attitude', 'Difficulty of showing expected results', 'Generalization through experiment', 'Knowledge acquisition and authentic inquiry'. Each dilemma was interpreted in terms of the tensions which constitute contradictory beliefs, values, expectation and realities. These dilemmas enabled to expose actual conditions of elementary science practical work and teachers' challenges otherwise can not be seen easily. Science teacher educators also can get some implications to overcome the gap between theory and practice in their teacher education.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.245-255
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• 2012

The purposes of this research are to analyze preservice elementary teachers' degree of difficulty in classes of seasonal variation and suggest the measures of classes so that preservice elementary teachers can progress classes of seasonal variation effectively. To achieve them, the research was conducted for 90 first graders completing teaching method of elementary science in P university of education from Sep. to Dec. 2012. This research was conducted, based on the results of in-depth interview for 9 preservice elementary teachers who performed classes of seasonal variation, survey on the degree of class difficulty and evaluation of classes on 8 classes theme of Earth sector in elementary science. The results of this research are as follows. The first, preservice elementary teachers had relatively high class difficulty for teaching seasonal variation among the sector of the earth in elementary science. The second, in the evaluation of preservice elementary teachers' classes, the more the subject showed high class difficulty, the more the score of class evaluation was low. The reason is analyzed that high class difficulty reduces teacher's confidence. The third, preservice elementary teachers had insufficient knowledges and concepts which are basically necessary for the classes of seasonal variation. Especially, it was more serious for preservice elementary teachers who didn't learn Earth-science during their high school time. The fourth, it is necessery that concrete and systematical teaching method should be developed so as to improving preservice elementary teachers' teaching method for the classes of seasonal variation.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.487-494
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• 2005

The purpose of study was to introduce and propagate the children's verses as the teaching/learning strategies in science education far elementary students and teachers. 238 pre-service teachers, 140 in-service teachers and 602 elementary students wrote the own verses and read colleague's verses with respect to science. In this situation, the writing was considered as creation and the reading was reception and appreciation for the verses. When they wrote the verses, the themes were not restricted except that they were related to science. Mostly, the subjects were something about science concepts, scientific phenomena or experimental instruments, etc. In addition, this study investigated the merits and demerits of the reading/writing activities of children's verses as the teaching/learning strategies in science classroom.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.535-544
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to analyze the elementary teachers' professional performance about science teaching practice according to their personal variables. For this study, professional performance test was modified based on Woo's 'framework for progression and learning in the professional development of elementary teachers' science teaching practice', which included 6 elements such as 'lesson plans', 'creating the learning environment', 'inquiry', 'conceptual understanding', 'practical application', and 'assessment'. And then it conducted to 79 elementary teachers. The collected data were analyzed by the statistical package SPSS. The results of this study were as follows: There was statistically significant difference in the sub-domains of professional performance according to teachers' career, experience of training program, deciding method of exclusive subject. But there was almost no significant difference in other personal variables, such as gender, major, etc. Findings suggest that there are needs of further study about interaction effects of personal variables affecting teachers' professional performance of science teaching practice in detail.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.219-227
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• 2004

This study aims to investigate science teaching and learning for the gifted in comparison with regular classrooms in elementary schools. A questionnaire was developed to survey gifted and general students＇ perceptions to elementary science teaching and teaming with employing a teaching and learning model for the gifted by Maker and Neilson (1995, 1996). The 28 item questionnaire consisted of four categories of content, teaching and teaming process, student product, and learning environment, and each category included six to nine items. Randomly selected 114 students from gifted classes and 99 students for regular classes responded to the questionnaire through the use of five-point Likert scale. It was found that there are significant differences between gifted and regular classes of science at all four categories of the teaching and learning model for the gifted. Therefore, science teaching and teaming for the gifted seemed to be differentiated from regular classes and emphasized students＇ creativity. However, no differences were appeared in a few items: study of gifted people and research methods (gifted=3.0; regular=.21 F=2.54), students＇ freedom of choice for topics of lessons, tasks, etc., (gifted=3.1; regular=3.0, F=0.31), student product addressed to real audience (gifted=2.8, regular=2.6, F=0.96), and students＇ high mobility to seek for data in library, etc. during class periods (gifted=2.3, regular= 2.3, F=0.01). It was concluded that science education for the gifted in Korea calls for quality improvement in terms of teaching and teaming in various aspects.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.562-573
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of teaching-learning programs from the perspective of brain-based learning science. Four units in 5th grade elementary science programs of the Revised 2007 National Curriculum were selected as contents to study. As the brain-based learning science analysis method, equations of the brain compatibleness index (BCI) and contribution degree on the brain compatibleness index (BCICRE) were applied to them. This study showed that there were qualitative and quantitative differences among the analyzed teaching-learning programs through the unit and curriculum. The results showed that hands-on activities like experiments or open inquiry activities improved their evaluation of the teaching-learning programs. From the analyzing, teachers can judge whether each teaching-learning program made considered the brain of the learners. Furthermore, this study can provide useful information to consult of various science teaching-learning programs brain-based learning.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.75-89
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to get the more qualified elementary science teacher's guide as a major curriculum material for teachers and to find more improvement suggestions by analyzing of the teachers' perception and using status of it. To examine the problems of this study, 183 teachers from the elementary schools were surveyed by the questionnaire that was developed by researcher, and statistical technique for data analysis was frequency, using SPSS win(version 7.5). Teachers generally thought that the general remarks of the elementary science teacher's guide were helpful to understand elementary science education and the detailed subjects were useful, but teachers less satisfied about 'practice of teaching' of the detailed subjects. The most interested sector of the teachers' was the sector of the teaching methods. The results of this study were that the sector' the methods and evaluation of the elementary science education' of the general remarks and the sector' practice of teaching' of the detailed subjects were mostly interested. So it is necessary to be more detailedly guided when the development of the elementary science teacher's guide are considered.