• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.934-954
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• 2012

Constructed-response items are useful to estimate a higher-order thinking abilities such as sense of place, graphicacy, and geographical imaginations which are aimed by geography education. This study aims to identify the conception of the constructed-response items, to classify those feasible items in geography education, and to propose some comments and suggestions for development and application in Korea. The author tries to classify the constructed-response items by analyzing the NAEP items in the formal aspect and the aspect of cognitive dimension respectively. In the formal aspect, they are classified as 'question-standalone' type and 'material-presenting' type. In the aspect of cognitive dimension, they are classified into three types as 'knowledge-requirement', 'understanding-requirement', and 'applying-requirement'. Some comments and suggestions are as follows. First, it is necessary to develope the constructed-response items that coherent to both content and cognitive dimensions. Second, it is required for students who take an examination to use a great variety of graphics, photos, thematic maps related to geography. Third, we need to inquire the rubric, grade, process to scoring because they are vital to success of the constructed-response items.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.893-905
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• 2001

Korean students ranked the 3rd out of 32 participating countries in the first cycle of PISA(Programme for International Student Assessment) science field, which assessed 15-years-old students' scientific literacy. PISA developed several variables such as parents' socio-economic status, parents' educational attainment, family wealth, and cultural possession, to investigate the effects of background variables on scientific literacy. On the other hand, motivation and engagement in science study were not given much attention, partly because science was the minor area in the first cycle of PISA. Therefore, PISA Korea developed a series of variables to collect data on students' learning motives and out-of-school activities in science as a national option. The results are as followings. First, Korea was found to be one of the PISA participating countries with the scientific literacy achievement least influenced by parents' socio-economic status, family wealth, and parents' cultural possession. Second, the degree of achievement in scientific literacy according to parents' educational attainment was in a positive correlation, similar to the overall tendency of PISA. Third, the most crucial learning motive for Korean students was their desire to develop scientific thinking abilities or obtain science knowledge. On the other hand, choosing jobs in the field of science or parental expectation was the least important learning motive. In particular, the motive for scientific learning was found to have a positive relationship with the degree of scientific literacy achievement. Therefore, the higher the students achievement, the stronger the motive for scientific learning in order to develop their ability to think scientifically or acquire science knowledge. Fourth, Korean students were shown to participate very little in out-of-school scientific activities other than watching TV programs related to science. Whatever the activities may be, the more actively involved students are in out-of-school scientific activities, the higher their scientific literacy achievement. Fifth, Korean girls were rather passive compared to boys in all areas, including science learning motive and out-of-school scientific activities. The gender difference was especially more pronounced in out-of-school scientific activities with wider gaps in such activities as reading scientific books or articles and visiting science-related web sites.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.540-549
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• 2002

The 7th national curriculum is focused on breeding an independent and creative Korean who will lead the age of globalism and information in the 21st century. It is necessary to improve the existing assessment methods in order to develop higher thinking abilities such as creativity and problem-solving skill. Although teachers have been aware of this necessity, they have realized that it is difficult to improve the current assessment methods. In this study, we selected some assessment domains on science learning with literature reviews and case analysis. In addition, we calculated the degree of its importance by the use of Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP). We suggest a direction for improving the present assessment domains on science learning on the basis of the research. Inquiry, cognitive, creative, and affective domain among assessment domains seemed to be listed in order of importance. Moreover, problem-identifying, hypothesizing, and inquiry-planning appeared to be the highest in the degree of importance among sub categories. Considering the results of this study, the current school assessment system which is focused on cognitive domain should be improved.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.93-125
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• 2002

The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of the teachers of the gifted and to identify present status of the training and employment system of the teachers of the gifted in Korea. The characteristics of the teachers of the gifted were explained in three areas of philosophical understanding, experts' characteristics, and personal characteristics. This paper presented several suggestions to improve a system of employment and training of teachers of the gifted in Korea, and they were as follows: - To enhance the quality of training program. The training program should include various activities, for example, discussion, field trip, making a product, seminar, workshop, practice in various teaching models, etc., to foster creative and higher-order thinking abilities. - To prepare various kinds of training programs in consideration of various teachers' needs. - To provide a training successively. The 60 hours' training is not sufficient to be a good and effective teacher of the gifted. Successive training is needed. - To prepare various incentives which make many competent teachers to take part in gifted education. - To improve process to select and to employ the teacher of the gifted. Many teachers want an more open and strict scrutiny process to select and employ the teachers of the gifted.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.75-92
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• 1992

The purpose of this study was to point out the problems of the competency exam for college education, a new college entrance exam, and to suggest the improvement ideas for it For this purpose, the test items of science inquiry were taken from the first, the second and the third pilot studies of the competency exam for college education which National Institute of Educational Evaluation had done. These tests were administered to 1,223 students of the general high school(422 for the 1st 400 for the 2nd, and 401 for the 3rd test). Also, those students' and the high school science teacher's opinions about the tests and the new college entrance exam were surveyed. The evaluation objectives of those test items were analyzed and the test item analyses were done. The results were as follows; (1) The evaluation objective analysis showed that most of the test The purpose of this study was to point out the problems of the competency exam for college education, a new college entrance exam, and to suggest the improvement ideas for it For this purpose, the test items of science inquiry were taken from the first, the second and the third pilot studies of the competency exam for college education which National Institute of Educational Evaluation had done. These tests were administered to 1,223 students of the general high school(422 for the 1st, 400 for the 2nd, and 401 for the 3rd test). Also, those students' and the high school science teacher's opinions about the tests and the new college entrance exam were surveyed. The evaluation objectives of those test items were analyzed and the test item analyses were done. The results were as follows; (1) The evaluation objective analysis showed that most of the test items were constructed based on the evaluation framework which was composed of scientific inquiry thinking ability, science concept, and scientific inquiry context dimensions. But, those items were unevenly distributed into a few areas of the evaluation framework. (2) The boys had higher mean scores than the girls in all of the tests, but these differences were not statistically significant. The natural science course students had significantly higher mean than the humanities course students in all of the test:(1st, F=12.643, p=0.0004 ; 2nd, F=45.757, p=0.0001 ; 3rd, F=36.162, p=0.0001). A significant interaction of sex and course was found in only 1st test( F=11.352. p=0.0008). (3) Most students answered the test was difficult and they needed more time to finish it Also, they added they had to study in a different way from the traditional one in order to prepare the new college entrance exam. Science teachers answered that those evaluation objectives of the tests corresponded well with the educational objectives of high school science and that the tests were suitable as measuring instruments of the scientific thinking abilities. But they pointed out it would be very difficult for them to teach students for preparing the exam under the exsting educational conditions. To carry out successfully the competency exam for college education, the following improvements were suggested. (1) Good evaluation methodology should be developed. (2) In-service science teacher training models on evaluation should be put in force. (3) Effective teaching models and strategies should be developed.(4) The high school science curriculum should be revised.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.311-324
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• 2022

This study analyzed the types of scientific emoticons made by science-gifted elementary school students and their perceptions on making scientific emoticons. To do this, 71 students from 4th to 6th graders of two gifted science education center in Seoul were selected. Scientific emoticons made by the students were analyzed according to the number and types. Their perceptions on making scientific emoticons were also analyzed through a questionnaire and group interviews. In the analyses for types of text in the scientific emoticons, 'word type' and 'sentence type' were made more than 'question and answer type'. And the majority of students made more 'pun using pronunciation type' and 'mixed type' than other types. They also made more 'graphic type' and 'animation type' than 'text type' in the images of the scientific emoticons. In the analyses for the information of the scientific emoticons, 'positive emotion type' and 'negative emotion type' of scientific emoticons were made evenly. The students made more 'new creation type' than 'partial correction type' and 'entire reconstruction type'. They also used scientific knowledge that preceded the knowledge of science curriculum in their grade level. The scientific knowledge of chemistry was used more than physics, biology, earth science, and combination field. 'Name utilization type' was more than 'characteristic utilization type' and 'principle utilization type'. Students had various positive perceptions in making scientific emoticons such as 'increase of scientific knowledge', 'increase of various higher-order thinking abilities', 'ease of explanation, use, memory, and understanding of scientific knowledge', 'increase of fun, enjoyment, and interest about science and science learning', and 'increase of opportunity to express emotions'. They were also aware of some limitations related to 'difficulties in the process of making scientific emoticons', 'lack of time', and 'limit that it may end just for fun'. Educational implications of these findings are discussed.