• 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 Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.103-121
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• 2010

The University of Education trains the teachers who are experts in the education and expects them to achieve the purpose of the education in the field. The goal of this study is to apprehend the characteristics of the belief and the faith of the elementary teacher and of the university student who are preliminary elementary teachers, about the mathematics and the mathematical teaching and learning and also to figure out what differences those belief and faith shows as the year goes by. In order to find the characteristics of the belief and faith, we have set up three research-problems and have found the answers of that by analyzing the replies of several multiple choice questions and essay questions we have invested for. We also have collected several information through the interviews and inspection. As a result, we have analyzed and charted the outcome of the statistical analysis of the answers about each questions and have discussed the remarkable features of those results which showed significant changes in the belief of elementary teachers about the mathematics and mathematical teaching & learning after taking the courses of "Life & Mathematics".

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.167-178
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to explore characteristics of sixth grade students' opistemological beliefs in science and the relationship to learner's characteristics: learning motivation, learning strategies, and logical thinking. The subjects were 265 sixth graders and data was collected through two types of questionnaires, translated and modified by researchers: opistemological beliefs regarding science, learning motivation & strategies. The results of this study were as follows. The students believed that the goals of science were related to activations such as 'Science is experiment', or 'Science is invention: These beliefs were connected with the emphasis of science classes or the focus of the science curriculum. However, the students' beliefs related to the changeability of science knowledge, the source of science knowledge, and the role of experiments in developing knowledge were oriented to modern opistemological views. Moreover, the beliefs were meaningfully related to students' characteristics: learning motivation, learning strategies, and logical thinking. Among the students' characteristics, logical thinking was especially related to all of the factors of students' beliefs: the changeability of science knowledge, the source of science knowledge, and the role of experiments in developing knowledge. However, the students who believed that scientific knowledge came from scientists, science teachers, or science textbooks had high levels of self-efficacy. Therefore, the belief that scientific knowledge is formed by self-discovery, in order to generate high self-efficacy, needs to be encouraged. From the results, it is possible to check the orientation of current science education based on the students' opistemological beliefs. In addition, the resources can be accumulated for persevering in our efforts to achieve a positive orientation for science education.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.119-130
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• 1999

The purposes of this research were as follows : (1) to investigate the effectiveness of the program for elementary preservice teachers, which was designed to develop postmodern views of science and constructivist views of teaming and teaching and (2) to find out the relation between students' learning approaches and their beliefs about science and school science. One hundred and forty three students enrolled in Science Education 11 in the University of Education participaled in the study. Students' beliefs of science and school science was not changed after treatment of the program. But they showed postmodern views of science and school science in comparison with the science teacher. Additionally the results showed that meaningful learners showed the constructivist view about school science as compared with the rote learners.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.43-55
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• 2022

It is critical to examine changes in teachers' beliefs on how to teach and learn mathematics through teacher education programs. This study aims to develop an instrument measuring elementary pre-service teachers' beliefs on student- and teacher-centered instruction. After developing questionnaires with mathematics education experts, the structural validity of the instrument was evaluated by collecting and analyzing data from 166 pre-service teachers. Parallel analysis and exploratory factor analysis were applied sequentially to collect validity and reliability evidence. The results showed that this instrument can be used to examine changes in pre-service teachers' two different types of belief: student- and teacher-centered instruction. We also suggested how to interpret scores appropriately.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.305-316
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and identify patterns from the phenomenon of the role adaptation process in elementary school health teachers and finally, suggest a model to describe the process. Methods: Grounded theory methodology and focus group interviews were used. Data were collected from 24 participants of four focus groups. The questions used were about their experience of role adaptation including situational contexts and interactional coping strategies. Transcribed data and field notes were analyzed with continuous comparative analysis. Results: The core category was 'establishing their own positions', an interactional coping strategy. The phenomenon identified by participants was confusion and wandering in their role performance. Influencing contexts were unclear beliefs for their role as health teachers and non-supportive job environments. The result of the adaptation process was consolidation of their positions. Pride as health teachers and social recognition and supports intervened to produce that result. The process had three stages; entry, growth, and maturity. Conclusion: The role adaptation process of elementary school health teachers can be explained as establishing, strengthening and consolidating their own positions. Results of this study can be used as fundamental information for developing programs to support the role adaptation of health teachers.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.449-458
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the 'Chemistry and Experiment' course employing the Small-Scale Chemistry(SSC) experiment on the 30 pre-service elementary teachers' attitude toward laboratory work and their science teaching efficacy. This study also examined the perception of the pre-service elementary teachers about the SSC experiment. In the result, there were found significant interactions between the treatment and prior level in attitude toward laboratory work. The attitude toward laboratory work of low-level pre-service teachers was improved while that of high-level pre-service teachers remained unchanged. However, there was no significant change in their beliefs regarding science teaching efficacy. Through the analysis of questionnaire, it was also found that they had positive perceptions about the SSC experiment, and most of them as pre-service teachers found the SSC experiment helpful to teach chemistry experiments.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.359-374
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• 2020

This study is a complex type consisting of survey study and self-study. The former investigated elementary teachers' epistemological beliefs on convergence knowledge and teaching. As a representative of the result of survey study I, as a teacher as well as a researcher, was the participant of the self-study, which investigated my epistemological belief on convergence knowledge and teaching and my execution of convergent science teaching based on family resemblance of mathematics, science, and physical education. A set of open-ended written questionnaires was administered to 28 elementary teachers. Participating teachers considered convergent teaching as discipline-using or multi-disciplinary teaching. They also have epistemological beliefs in which they conceived convergence knowledge as aggregation of diverse disciplinary knowledge and students could get it through their own problem solving processes. As a teacher and researcher I have similar epistemological belief as the other teachers. During the self-study, I tried to apply convergence knowledge system based on the family resemblance analysis among math, science, and PE to my teaching. Inter-disciplinary approach to convergence teaching was not easy for me to conduct. Mathematical units, ratio and rate were linked to science concept of velocity so that it was effective to converge two disciplines. Moreover PE offered specific context where the concepts of math and science were connected convergently so that PE facilitated inter-disciplinary convergent teaching. The gaps between my epistemological belief and inter-disciplinary convergence knowledge based on family resemblance and the cases of how to bridge the gap by my experience were discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for the Gifted Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.71-73
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• 2004

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.221-237
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• 2022

This study investigated teachers' decision-making and related factors in the elementary textbook adoption process. Our participants include 296 elementary teachers who took part in the mathematics textbook (grades 3 and 4) adoption committees in his/her schools. Our study used the decision-making model of Shavelson and Stern (1981) for analyzing teacher beliefs and attitudes concerning choices and priorities, judgments, evaluation methods, and key factors to reviewing and selecting a mathematics textbook. Our discussion includes teacher beliefs and intentions and the way they come into conflict with determinant factors that influence the decision-making of textbook adoption. Findings also reveal the unique nature of elementary school teaching as generalists in contrast with secondary teachers as specialists, playing a significant role in the adoption process. Lastly, the study discusses the entanglements of textbook reform and explains the discrepancy between textbook authorization/approval policies versus the plight of little change (and innovation) in mathematics textbooks.