• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.549-557
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• 2014

In this study, the readability of the texts in the third and the sixth grade science textbooks developed under the 2007 revised science curriculum were analyzed in terms of word and sentence units. In the word unit analyses, the levels of the words in the texts were classified into four categories, 1st to 4th levels. In the sentence unit analyses, the sentences in the texts were classified either a simple sentence or compound/complex sentences, and the average length of the sentences was also calculated. The results indicated that more than 90 percents of the words in the 2007 revised science textbooks were classified as the 1st to the 3rd levels. However, both the kinds and the frequencies of the words in the 2007 revised science textbooks were increased in comparison of those in the 7th science textbooks. In particular, it was found that the increasement in the 3rd grade science textbook was noticeable. The ratio of the compound/complex sentences in the 2007 revised science textbooks were increased in comparison of those in the 7th science textbooks. The average length of the sentences in the 2007 revised science textbooks was also increased.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.599-617
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• 2011

This study is aimed at finding some drawbacks of current elementary mathematics textbooks and to give suggestions for ongoing new textbooks according to 2009 revised curriculums, by comparing and analyzing Korean textbooks and chinese textbooks of People's Education Press. The areas are confined to number concepts, addition and subtraction for comparative analyzing. The results are followings: Korea textbooks have more verbal expressions, designated instructive activities for students to do, similar algorithm applied for enlarging mathematical concepts, bigger number concepts and number usage of operations, and monotonous number sense activities. Therefore Korean textbooks, compared to China's, is more weaker in areas such as encouraging student's interest, in challenging mathematics, and in forming fundamental mathematical concept.

• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.427-437
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to examine elementary school teachers' perceptions of digital textbooks to gain insight into the development of digital textbooks. To this end, first, eight functions of the digital textbook were set, and two to six detailed functions were set for each function. Afterwards, based on this function, 372 elementary school teachers across the country were asked to ask about their perception of digital competence, their experience of using digital textbooks after COVIE-19 and their perception of digital textbooks. A simple regression analysis was used to examine the perception of digital textbooks according to the perception of digital competence and a one-way distribution analysis method was used to analyze the perception of digital textbooks according to the experience of using digital textbooks. The analysis found that elementary school teachers' confidence in their digital competence had a positive effect on all components of digital textbooks. In particular, the teachers' higher confidence in digital competence led to the increased need for 'operation and management' functions. In addition, the teachers who frequently use digital textbooks perceived a higher need for digital textbook components except for 'searching' and 'Authoring Tools Support' than teachers who do not use them. This paper shows that it is necessary to positively induce elementary school teachers' perceptions of digital competence and encourage using digital textbooks to successfully increase the usage of digital textbooks in classes.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.143-161
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• 2010

The purpose of this paper was to analyze the example spaces related with the concepts of triangles in the 2nd grade Korean elementary mathematics textbooks, investigate the meaning of example spaces, and suggest the implications to teaching and learning geometrical concepts in the elementary schools. Mathematics textbooks are usually major materials in teaching and learning mathematics in Korea, and the content of the textbooks affects the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom. The results of the study showed that the Korean elementary textbooks provided examples with limited example spaces concerning the concepts of triangles. The researcher suggested that we should provide rich examples spaces, encourage learner-generated example spaces, and strengthen the connections of examples between in textbooks and in the classroom.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.61-80
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• 2007

Korea and Japan are close countries having a mutual influence on history and have similar cultural and educational circumstances. The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the textbooks for elementary school mathematics between Korea and Japan. First, it established the theoretical backgrounds through the precedent research comparing the mathematic textbooks between South Korea and North Korea, Korea and India, Yanbian in China, Japan( Fraction part in numeral field. The Plane Figures). Next, it compared and analyzed two countries'(Korea and Japan) textbooks regarding the structural system and concept of units on the basis of the theoretical research. And it included more specific and detail contents in comparison of Korean with Japanese mathematic textbooks focused on the 5, 6th grade.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.479-490
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• 2014

In this study, we investigated the characteristics of the reading materials in the elementary school science textbooks in order to obtain implications for the effective use of them. The reading materials in the elementary school science textbooks developed under the 7th and the 2007 revised National Science Curricula were analyzed. The criteria for classifying the reading materials were the type of theme, purpose, students' activity, the type of presentation, the type of images, the role of images, and readability. The results indicated that the reading materials in the 2007 revised science textbooks are more systematic than those in the 7th science textbooks in terms of their length and their distribution among energy, matter, life, and earth areas. It was also found that various types of reading materials are presented in the 2007 revised science textbooks covering new themes such as frontier science, job opportunity and career, and environment. In addition, the reading materials in the 2007 revised science textbooks introduce more visual images and the readability of them are also better than their counterpart. However, several limitations were still found to exist in the reading materials of the 2007 revised textbooks; most of them are non-inquiry and explanatory; most of the visual images are illustration and/or pictures. Educational implications are discussed.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.263-289
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• 2017

New mathematics textbooks for elementary school students are under development according to the 2015 national revised curriculum. Not only contents but also framework of textbooks may be interesting to the mathematics educators and researchers. Considering the high dependency on textbooks in elementary classrooms, the influence of the framework of textbooks in mathematics learning cannot be overlooked. The unit and lesson frameworks of the textbook are important because they are directly related to the quality of mathematic lessons, especially when teachers make a lesson plan based on the unit and lesson frameworks of the textbook. This study is to analyse the unit and lesson frameworks of elementary school mathematics textbooks and to find out elementary school teachers' preference about its analysed key points. For longitudinal analysis, we selected 3rd-grade mathematics textbooks of 5th, 6th, 7th, the 2007, and the 2009 national revised curriculums. For horizontal analysis, we selected 3rd-grade mathematics textbooks of Korea, Japan, United States and Finland. We compared unit and lesson frameworks of various textbooks, and abstracted key elements of the textbook frameworks, and constructed survey questions. Looking at results from survey questions based on analysed key points, we were able to grasp the teachers' preference for unit and lesson frameworks for mathematics textbook. Based on the results of this study, some implications for the development of framework for new mathematics textbooks are suggested.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.315-326
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• 2013

In this study, we investigated elementary school teachers' and students' perceptions of the reading materials in science textbooks. Participants were 181 teachers from 23 elementary schools who were teaching science and 643 third- to sixth-grade students from 12 elementary schools. A questionnaire for teachers consisted of 18 items and a questionnaire for students consisted of 11 items about their perceptions of the reading materials in science textbooks. Nine to twelve items, according to grades, examining the actual uses of each reading material in science textbooks were also included to both questionnaires. The results indicated that teachers have positive perceptions about reading materials and frequently use them in case of needs for supplement and/or enrichment of science learning. Novice teachers were found to have less positive perceptions about reading materials than expert teachers. Over 70 percent of students responded that they read all reading materials. Fifth- and sixth-grade students were tended to have less positive perceptions about reading materials than third-grade students. Finally, students tended to have more positive perceptions about reading materials than their teachers.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.38-50
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• 2011

As the rate of foreign workers increasing, the rates of their children are rising, as well. The children's native countries vary from Japan, China to Indonesia, and difficulty of learning is expected in their entering the regular education due to the differences in the contents and curriculum they had learnt. This study analyzed the science textbooks of five Asian elementary schools including Korea, China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Iran-in diversified sides focusing on the content of earth science, for the children of foreign workers. The characteristics of the elementary science textbooks of the subject countries were compared in seven criteria-the rate of earth science in the textbooks, how units are arranged, whether the earth science contents are included, the contents highly related to their socio-cultural traits, photographs, scientific inquiries, and test items. The textbooks showed numerous differences with their own characteristics, and it is expected that the children of foreign workers would face difficulties in studies taking parts in the Korean formal education. Hereupon, this study proposes the needs of development of sub-materials for the children of foreign workers adapting to schools, and reinforcement of educating teachers for understanding children, with a national plan for the children excluded from education due to problems such as an illegal residence.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.129-142
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• 2017

In this study, the characteristics of the reading materials in elementary school science textbooks developed under the 2009 revised National Science Curriculum were investigated. The criteria for classifying the reading materials were the types of topic, purpose, students' activity, and presentation. The visual images in the reading materials were also analyzed from the viewpoint of type, role, caption type, and proximity type. The results indicated that the number of the reading materials in the 2009 revised science textbooks decreased compared to that of the 2007 revised science textbooks. It was also found that the frequencies of the reading materials expanding concepts of the text and/or requiring corresponding students' inquiry increased. More visual images were used in the reading materials of the 2009 revised science textbooks. However, several limitations were still found to exist; most visual images were illustration and/or picture; many visual images were presented without a caption; there was a problem in the proximity of visual image to text.