• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.85-108
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• 2008

In this study, we created, implemented, and evaluated the impact of proportional reasoning authentic investigative activities on the mathematical content and pedagogical knowledge and attitudes of pre-service elementary and middle school mathematics teachers. For this purpose, a special teaching model was developed, implemented, and tested as part of the pre-service mathematics teacher training programs conducted in Israeli teacher colleges. The model was developed following pilot studies investigating the change in mathematical and pedagogical knowledge of pre- and in-service mathematics teachers, due to experience in authentic proportional reasoning activities. The conclusion of the study is that application of the model, through which the pre-service teachers gain experience and are exposed to authentic proportional reasoning activities with incorporation of theory (reading and analyzing relevant research reports) and practice, leads to a significant positive change in the pre-service teachers' mathematical content and pedagogical knowledge. In addition, improvement occurred in their attitudes and beliefs towards learning and teaching mathematics in general, and ratio and proportion in particular.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.734-751
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to prepare basic data to reflect polar literacy education in the school curriculum. The perception about the polar regions, teaching experience, and polar-related cognitive and affective characteristics of teachers were investigated. The survey was conducted among 56 elementary, middle, and high school teachers from schools from 10 major cities and surrounding regions, based on their perceptions of the polar region, current teaching status, polar knowledge, and beliefs and attitudes toward polar region and climate change. Results showed that although teachers' polar information efficacy was low, they positively evaluated the status of educators in resolving polar and climate change problems, and prioritized global citizenship values over practical purposes. The experience of teaching polar region and climate change issues at schools varied across subjects and non-subjects, but showed a passive aspect in teaching development, such as wanting to be provided with consolidated learning materials. On the cognitive aspect, teachers revealed an ambiguous understanding of the mechanisms and processes by which polar change and climate influence each other. On the affective aspect, most teachers showed strong beliefs and attitudes for polar-related issues beyond the school level, but their behavior choices were relatively lower. Based on the results, we propose the following as recommendations: providing opportunities and materials to promote polar knowledge, discovering educational materials in various contexts to form values and attitudes, developing educational materials from polar research materials, identifying misconceptions about polar knowledge among students and teachers, strengthening elementary school teachers' polar literacy, and cultivating positive attitudes and values toward polar issues.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.784-794
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• 2014

In this study, we operated science teacher learning community to enhance professionality of elementary science teachers. 8 participants with various background, which include their science content knowledge, teaching experience and beliefs about teaching, were involved in this study. Bales(1950)'s social interaction process framework was mainly used to understand the members' interaction, focusing particularly on process aspects not on contents aspects. The data analysis shows that the members in the science teacher learning community tried their best to maintain the positive reaction to other members in most occasions in the community meetings. On the other hand, there were also negative reaction process due to their different ideas and views, causing their emotional conflicts in some social relations and dialogical situations. Nevertheless, the results also imply that the dual reaction processes, which are positive and negative processes, are equally important to facilitate science teachers' professional knowledge and experience. The educational meanings are discussed in the aspects of science teacher education.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.328-344
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• 2013

This study investigated the types of elementary science-gifted students' coping strategies and teachers' desired teaching strategies in anomalous situations. Their epistemological beliefs about science were then analyzed on the bases of the types. To do this, 5th and 6th year science-gifted students (N=72) were asked to respond to an open-ended question with some of them being interviewed deeply. The analyses of the results indicated seven types of coping strategies in anomalous situations and were identified as follows: Abandoning, asking a teacher for help, trying the experiment again with same methods, trying the experiments again with different methods, trying the experiment again after actively analyzing the causes, recognizing the experimental results, and explaining the experimental results. Seven types of teachers' desired teaching strategies emerged and were also identified as follows: Encouraging, providing successful experimental results, explaining, providing the opportunity for trying the experiment again with same methods, providing the opportunity for trying the experiments again with different methods, providing the opportunity and help for trying the experiment again after actively analyzing the causes, and providing the opportunity and help for explaining the experimental results. The fourteen types were grouped again into four categories such as 'transferring facts', 'constructing facts', 'transferring meanings', and 'constructing meanings' on the bases of the epistemological beliefs toward knowledge and the epistemological beliefs toward relation. Educational implications of these findings are discussed.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.44-57
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to analyze the teachers' Innovation Configuration(IC) on STEAM of the 2009 elementary science curriculum and to implicate the assessment of STEAM. Therefore, this study was conducted by the IC component checklist of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model(CBAM). The total number of 126 teachers participated in this study. The results of the study were as follows: First, time management(33.3%) was the most ideal IC. On the other hand, curriculum planning(34.1%) was the most unacceptable IC. Second, the results of the chi-square test showed that the IC were significantly different according to their positions, career in education and training experiences(p<.05). Third, to explore the teacher's epistemic beliefs on STEAM, one in-service elementary teacher who studied in a doctoral course of a graduate school of education participated in the study. Based on these results, we suggested that the support of application and the revolution of the science curriculum and assessment should be implemented according to the teachers' IC.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.389-403
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• 2019

This study aims to analyze criteria and characteristics for preservice elementary teachers' critiques of their peers' inquiry-based instruction. This study reviews critiques written by 31 preservice elementary teachers enrolled in an elementary school science inquiry methods course wherein the teachers designed and implemented inquiry-based instruction. These preservice teachers participated in inquiry-based instruction as if they were elementary students and then evaluated their peers' instruction. Analysis of the critiques reveals that preservice teachers evaluated their peers' instruction on the following criteria: instruction context, science content, teaching strategies, students, instructional goals, non-verbal attitude, and assessment. Their beliefs about teaching science inquiry were reflected in the critiques. Additionally, it was found that four orientation for teaching inquiry-didactic, academic rigor, activity-driven, inquiry orientation-reflected in critiques; some of critiques held more than one of these orientations. And they did not merely criticize but suggested alternatives to general teaching strategies; furthermore, of inquiry-instruction specific teaching strategies. They showed higher epistemic understanding of inquiry-based instruction after mid-term demonstrations. The evidence demonstrated that the proportion of critiques specifically about inquiry-based instruction increased after the mid-term demonstrations. Moreover, the post mid-term critiques emphasized interaction between students as well as understanding of the nature of science. These findings could provide implication for teaching inquiry and criticizing others' instruction as part of elementary school science courses in preservice elementary teacher education.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.19-33
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• 2019

While the field of mathematics education strives to promote equitable mathematics learning and identifies it as a core instructional practice, less is known about its effective enactment. As teachers' teaching practices are dependent on their views and beliefs, this study investigated 133 elementary pre-service teachers' (PSTs') interpretations of diverse learners' learning experiences and proposed accommodations for them as reflected in their lesson planning process. Findings showed that PSTs came up with some strategies that are often suggested in teacher education literature, such as using multiple modes of representation and various grouping strategies. However, their responses were generic in nature rather than specific to diverse learners. Also, it was noted that many PSTs' interchangeably referred to the English Language Learners (ELLs), struggling learners, and culturally diverse learners, inferring that they thought that culturally diverse students must have been ELLs and that ELLs or culturally diverse students must have been weaker students in math. We found that the PSTs used their own frames while filtering and discarding information about diverse student populations to develop instructional plans, rather than based on the results of assessments of learning. We suggest that it is the critical first step to unwrap PSTs' unproven assumptions to better equip them for working with all of their future students.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.347-357
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• 2005

Since 1998, an elementary teacher education institute in Korea has hosted the center for the gifted education. The institute hired undergraduate students to escort and liaison each class of the gifted student participants with assisting classroom activities. These liaison teachers observed the gifted classroom activities and evaluated them by using a given checklist and filling out pre-made evaluation forms. Currently this system is being transferred from part-time jobs for students to earn allowance into well organized pre-service teacher program focusing on the gifted education. In other words, the purpose of system is being shifted from how liaison teachers facilitate the gifted program to how the system helps the liaison teachers to be quality teachers for the gifted who can understand what the gifted are and how to facilitate them. Analyzed were the self reports of the liaison teachers regarding their perceptions and beliefs of the gifted and their education program. It was found participant liaison teachers purposed to have more live experiences with getting along with students as well. Liaison teachers’ perceptions on establishing a gifted teacher professional education sequence were reported in this study. The potential scaffolding of the pre-service teacher education program model of the gifted education was provided as a consequence of this study.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.55-74
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• 2014

This study examined the potential teaching strategies of prospective elementary teachers and their perceptions of the procedural/conceptual nature of examples. Fifty-four prospective teachers participated in this study, engaging in two-phase tasks. Analysis of data indicated that: (a) Overall, the participants' perceptions were geared toward putting emphasis on conceptual understanding rather than procedural understanding; but (b) Generally, procedure-oriented strategies were more frequently incorporated in participants' potential teaching plans. This implied that participants' preconceived ideas regarding math examples were not always reliable indicators of their potential teaching strategies. Implications and suggestions for mathematics teacher preparation are discussed.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.10 no.4 s.28
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• pp.239-258
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• 2006

This study sought to examine preservice teachers' beliefs about their intent to use computers and Internet resources in mathematics classrooms. Also, web-based instruction on topics in elementary school mathematics was used to foster teachers' confidence and competence in using instructional technology, thereby promoting positive attitudes toward use of computers and Internet resources in the mathematics classroom. The results indicated that students who participated in the web-based instructions exhibited a significantly (p < 0.05) better attitude toward using computers and web-based resources in teaching mathematics than did students in the control group.