• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.532-540
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• 2012

This research investigated the motivation and interests of a sample of predominately-underrepresented populations to better understand whether informal STEM learning experiences offer support for developing STEM identities. A valid and reliable three-section self-reporting survey was administered to 169 secondary students as the primary data source. Identity was used as a theoretical lens along with descriptive statistics to reveal students' perceived benefits of the informal STEM learning experience, a Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program in the western U.S., for improving their understanding of science, mathematics, and engineering concepts, increasing their interest in science, mathematics, and engineering careers, and increasing their belief of the importance of these STEM disciplines. In summary, the findings emerging, considered alongside current identity research, suggest that informal STEM learning experiences offer students from underrepresented STEM populations the space needed for successful STEM identity bids, either for future career pursuits or participation in a STEM literate populace as a non-STEM professional societal member.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.87-101
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary school teachers' perception and the status of education program on science museum field trips by using a questionnaire (188 teachers) and interview (6 teachers). The results of the research are as follows. First, factors influencing elementary school teachers who choose the science museum as a place for field trips were 'student's interest', 'teacher's own experience related to the science museum', 'science curriculum', 'suggestions from a fellow teacher', 'space available for field work' and so on. Second, 82% of the respondents conducted pre-education program, but they mainly conducted safety education. Third, the teacher conducted post-education program less than pre-education program. In the post-education program, the most activities were to express and share knowledge and experience gained from the science museum. Fourth, 52.2% of the teachers provided tasks or activity sheets during science museum field trips. Fifth, the teachers mainly served as safety guide. In addition, the teachers thought that safety guide was the most important role of teacher in science museum field trips. Sixth, the teachers thought that the method of viewing the science museum's collection, which emphasizes the role of docent rather than the teacher, was more educational.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.122-139
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• 2017

The purposes of this study are to develop the STEAM program grounded on curriculum and to investigate educational effects of the developed program on students' attitude of science and science self-efficacy by application to elementary informal science education environment. In order to develop this program, the literature reviews were conducted and then STEAM education program based on the theme 'light' is developed. The developed program was revised and complemented through preliminary applications and consulting with experts, and applied to 65 students. A single group pre-post paired t-test was conducted through the students' attitude of science and science self-efficacy test. The semi-structure interviews were used to gather focused and additional data. The results of this study were as follows: firstly, STEAM education program was developed with the theme 'light' for elementary students in order to increase their interest related to real life. Secondly, the results indicated that the program was statistically significant on the attitude of science for the group of third and fourth graders. However, the effects of science self-efficacy did not appear a significant result for the third and fourth graders. They expressed one possible reason. The theme of light was not familiar with them because the theme was scheduled to teach in the second semester of the fourth graders. Some of students in this group did have a chance to learn the theme. Thirdly, the program was very effective for the fifth and sixth graders on their attitude of science and science self-efficacy. In conclusion, STEAM education program developed with the theme of light is contributed to elementary students' attitude of science in the informal science education. Students' learning experiences of relevant concepts can influence on students' science self-efficacy. It could be very important factor to consider students' grade level and previous learning experiences when the educational programs develop.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.118-133
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• 2022

In this study, we analyze the strengths and limitations of student convergence education and teacher-training programs offered by a science education institute in the capital region and provide suggestions for organizing and running similar programs in other science education institutes and schools. Reviews of relevant literature and interviews with internal and external expert groups were conducted, and an analytic framework was developed. Based on the framework, we collected data using focus group interviews and email communications with experts. The data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods within two areas, namely, convergence education programs for students and teacher-training programs. The data analysis results revealed the status of student convergence education and teacher-training programs in the institute. Furthermore, we also provided suggestions for improving programs in other informal science education institutes and schools through the interaction between the two areas in the framework and educational and social needs.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.33-42
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• 2021

Despite the importance of science education in an informal environment, the reality is that there is a lack of trend analysis research on 'Informal Science Learning (ISL)' and its effects. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to find out the educational effects of ISL and how to use it, and to provide guidelines for future ISL research directions. This study classifies specific ISL-related papers published from 2010 to 2019 and compares them with each element of GLO used to measure the effectiveness of informal education. The fit of the analyzed data was checked for each part through SPSS and Chi-Square. In conclusion, it was found that researchers are using 'ISL' to pursue 'Knowledge and Understanding' and 'Attitudes and Values' among the five performance indicators of 'GLO'. On the other hand, 'Skills' and 'Enjoyment, Inspiration and Creativity' appear to have the least expectations, so supplementation is required in these areas in the future. In addition, this study intends to suggest a direction for informal science education-related program development and future research to various education workers.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.177-187
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to acquire a better of how creativity center is perceived among students, teachers and parents by administering a questionnaire. A total of 320 people participated in this survey. We developed the questionnaire which as categorized by four specific areas: 1) people's overall perceptions of creativity education; 2) the way of using the creativity center 3) programing of creativity center 4) space composition of the creativity center. The summary of survey results included; firstly, people had paid attention to creativity education and creativity education; secondly, they want to make use of creativity center with informal learning and extra-curriculum; thirdly, they prefer to participate in many experience activities such as camp or experiments; lastly, they more need creativity experience program and utilization of DIY education. In conclusion, students, teachers and parents recognized creativity center is needed. Therefore, more intensive research and follow-up study on building creativity center should be highly considered.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.495-506
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• 2009

The purposes of the study were to examine the effect of 'Hands-on Science Class at School' program on students' scientific attitude and interest, and to investigate the satisfaction differences by students, lecturers, and local operating organizations respectively. For this study, 1,054 students from 1st to 6th grade participated in the national-wide survey, while they engaged in the program activities during 3 months. 496 students participated in scientific attitude test and 558 students answered to scientific interest test. For the program satisfaction survey, 689 out of 1,054 students, 363 lecturers and 55 local operating organizations also participated. The data show that 'Hands-on Science Class at School' program gave positive influences on students' scientific attitude improvement. The program also had considerable effects on increasing students' interest toward science as well. The satisfaction survey results showed that students' satisfaction with the program was significantly higher than lecturers'. The educational implications are discussed.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.244-256
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to develop and apply an scientific inquiry program related to school science for elementary gifted students. And development of a program had been used a geological museum. A science inquiry program had developed after verifying a content validity to 3 science education experts about program's design and content selection, and then program applied to 20 elementary gifted students during 4 weeks, 14 hours. The results of this study showed that gifted students interested in an inquiry program using a geological museum, and they were in full activity. Especially gifted students replied that they lodged in their memory that inquired into activities on listening a docent's explanation about exhibits. Gifted classroom teacher also replied that gifted students saw a high level of participation and expectation. And they replied that this program supplied a chance that gifted students can understand a meaning of inquiry.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.881-901
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• 2011

The science museum in the past satisfied visitors only by interacting them with simple objects and exhibition, while one in modern times was requested to meet the need of visitors in their engagement in educational programs. To meet the visitors' need, the science museum made efforts to train, educate, and assign docents so that they can interact with visitors and serve the educational purpose of visitation. In this study, we analyzed the strengths and weakness of docent training programs from science museums/science centers nationally and internationally, to make implication on how to design a docent training and professional program. Programs from four national and four international science centers/museums were selected as a sample for analysis. Their docent training programs were compared with the data of surveys and interviews and emails from docents and docent managers/evaluators. Artifacts and documents of the docent training programs were also collected and used to construct the validity in analyzing the data, resulting in the well-developed docent training program as the critical one for enriching science museum education. The results included; First, we need to recruit and train docents who interact visitors directly but they need to be differentiated from regular volunteers for promoting science museum education for the purpose of popularization of science. Additionally, Second, we need to develop and run docent training program where docents can experience 'informal learning' exhibition interpreting strategies through the real field from mentoring from the experienced/senior docents beyond 'formal learning' exhibition content. Third, we need to equip docents with skills to make scientific literacy possible at science museum-such as experiencing scientific ethics through scientific inquiry-which happens limited at school education.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2013

20 preservice teachers at college level participated in this study and interacted with students at elementary and middle school levels during science camp offered by science center in Taiwan. Preservice teachers displayed moderate (above the average, 4 point out of 5) understandings about scientific literacy and scientific views in all aspects of the nature of science before the camp. Then, the researchers designed science camp programs which were expected to promote students' scientific literacy; scientific knowledge, inquiry skills for experimentation as well as for argumentation, affective domain such as the attitude toward science and the understandings about nature of science and the relationship among STS (Science-Technology-Society), all of which were embedded in the programs. Preservice teachers seemed to perceive scientific literacy pretty well (over 4 point) before the camp, however, preservice teachers' understandings about scientific literacy were not much scored (around 3 point, but still moderate scores of average) as expected after concrete inquiry activities. The reasons why this happened could be that preservice teachers were not trained to employ theory into the context to be more practical or the researchers did not develop camp program which included the aspect of scientific literacy successfully. The discussion and implication were made in teacher education in that preservice teachers must be prepared how to bridge theory into practice, and informal science education in that educators at science centers must be trained to be experts in providing the envisioned educational programs to meet the goal of science education, scientific literacy.