• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.265-276
• /
• 2016

In this study, modeling pedagogies were employed to re-design and teach the unit of Seasonal Changes in the $6^{th}$ grade science curriculum. The effects of the modeling-based program were investigated in both the conceptual and affective domains using an approach of mixing quantitative and qualitative techniques. The result showed that the students in the modeling-based science inquiry classroom gained a higher mean score in a conceptual achievement test than their counterparts in a traditional science classroom. The number of the conceptual resources activated to explain the causes of the seasons, as well as the types of student explanations developed through the combination of the resources activated, were greater in the modeling-based classroom. The modeling-based science inquiry was also effective in improving student attitudes toward science lessons. It was revealed, however, that the students experienced both positive and negative epistemic feelings during the modeling-based science inquiry. Implications of these findings for science education and relevant research were suggested and discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.58 no.6
• /
• pp.658-666
• /
• 2014

This study was designed to explore pre-service secondary science teachers' understanding and views of argument-based inquiry approach. Participants were 17 pre-service secondary science teachers enrolled in chemistry curricular materials and teaching methods course for majors in the college of education at a university in Seoul. Main data sources included each student responses to an open ended survey and individual interviews. Data analyses indicated that the pre-service teachers had very limited and biased understanding on scientific inquiry at the beginning of the semester. While the pre-service teachers understood that scientific inquiry should be an essential component of science teaching, a few pre-service teachers mentioned 'argumentation' or 'discussions' when they defined what scientific inquiry is. The majority of the pre-service teachers mentioned that science should be taught through scientific inquiry since science is inquiry itself. However, the pre-service teachers expressed several potential barriers and their concerns on implementing argumentation in scientific inquiry. While they concerned about students' lack of participation at the beginning of the semester, they concerned more about the teachers' ability of leading student argumentation at the end of the semester.

• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.304-316
• /
• 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze high school students' critical opinions on others' inquiries in small group open inquiry. Forty-one high school students participated in these activities at the inquiry planning stage and the intermediate stage of inquiry. In the two activities, 595 and 233 opinions were presented respectively, and analyzed into categories based on the inquiry process. The main research results are as follows: first, many opinions were presented in the areas of 'problem recognition and hypothesis setting' and 'design of inquiry' in the feedback on the inquiry plan, especially related to 'revision and addition of research problems,' 'research targets and conditions,' and 'control of variables.' Second, in the feedback on the results of the inquiry, there were many opinions related to 'report preparation' and 'design of inquiry' area. Based on the research results, implications related to the application of critical opinion activity were discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.221-232
• /
• 2019

Despite the continuing emphasis on the importance of scientific inquiry, research studies have commented that authentic scientific inquiry is not implemented in school science classroom due to a lack of understanding of scientific inquiry by the teacher. The purpose of this study is to investigate understanding of scientific inquiry developed by beginning teachers through open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interview. They voluntarily set up the goal of inquiry-based classes, planned inquiry-based classes, shared and reflected their teaching experience in professional learning community for more than a year. It appeared that participant teachers understood scientific inquiry as 'what scientists do', 'process how students do science' and 'science teaching methods.' All teacher participants described scientific inquiry as 'what scientists do', and understood 'the process of doing scientific investigation to solve problems related to natural phenomenon' and 'the process of constructing scientific knowledge using scientific practice.' Two participant teachers seemed to understand scientific inquiry as a 'teaching method' based on the understanding of the process how scientists or students do science. Participant teachers had a limited understanding of scientific inquiry that it is the same as laboratory works or hands-on activities prior to engaging the professional learning community, but they developed an understanding of scientific inquiry that there are various ways to conduct scientific inquiry after engaging in professional learning community.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.153-167
• /
• 2007

In this study, it is assumed that understanding the nature of science (NOS) would enhance students' performance of scientific inquiry in more authentic ways. The ultimate goal of this study is to suggest new models for developing scientific inquiry activities through understanding the NOS by linking the NOS with scientific inquiry. First, the various definitions and statements of the NOS are summarized, then the features of the developmental nature of scientific knowledge and the nature of scientific thinking based on the philosophy of science are reviewed, and finally a synthetic list of the elements of the NOS is proposed, consisting of three categories: the nature of scientific knowledge, the nature of scientific inquiry, and the nature of scientific thinking. This suggested synthetic list of the NOS is used to suggest a model of scientific inquiry through the understanding of the NOS. This list was designed to provide basic standards regarding the NOS as well as practical guidance for designing activities to improve students' understanding of the NOS.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.337-348
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine epistemic thinking in middle school students in an argument-based inquiry science class. Participants of the study were 93 9th grade students from four classes of a middle school in a metropolitan city. Observations were made over one semester during which argument-based inquiry lessons on five subjects were conducted. Data was collected from argument-based inquiry activity worksheets and student questionnaires. After analysis of epistemic thinking in the written reflections, students were found to have the highest frequency of epistemic metacognitive skills, followed by epistemic cognition, epistemic metacognitive experience, and epistemic metacognitive knowledge. While investigating the effects of an argument-based inquiry science class on student epistemic thinking and after analysis of the reflections written for the first ABI activity and the fifth ABI activity, we found that all of the sub-elements of epistemic thinking have increased. The rate of growth for epistemic cognition is greatest, followed by epistemic metacognitive knowledge and epistemic metacognitive skills. Assessed for epistemic thinking, the level of epistemic thinking improved over the course of the argument-based inquiry science class. The results of the survey show that students actively participating and being recognized for their active participation in the argument-based inquiry science class are helpful in understanding scientific knowledge. Therefore, an argument-based inquiry science class is a teaching and learning program that allows students to understand and experience the epistemic nature of scientific knowledge and its construction through collaboration and agreement.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.459-466
• /
• 2012

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of pre-service elementary teachers' understanding about scientific inquiry in terms of designing exploration and reasoning that is used to formulate explanations based on evidence. The research context was an open inquiry with using the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) template in which participant students were not provided with inquiry questions. As data, lab. 39 pre-service elementary teachers participated in this study while taking their science methods course. Analyses of the reports were framed by the cognitive processes of inquiry (Chinn and Malhotra, 2002) and each report was coded and analyzed by the framework of inquiry (Tytler and Peterson, 2004). Results showed that groups' works that utilized the SWH template encouraged the participants to interact each other about scientific inquiry. They came up with more relevant and testable questions for their scientific inquiry. It implicates that children will be able to have chances of testing their own questions more properly by using the SWH template in science classes just as the participants did in this study. The use of the SWH template would help pre-service teachers to teach appropriately how to test inquiry questions to their students in the future. Discussion was made to figure out the characteristics or Korean pre-service elementary teachers' understanding about scientific inquiry.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.275-286
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study is to investigate the features of inquiry activities using technology in the 2015 revised elementary science digital textbooks. For this, we analyzed the features of inquiry context and inquiry method presented in inquiry activities using three kinds of technology: Virtual experiment, virtual reality and augmented reality. As a result, firstly, the most common types of 77 inquiry activities were realistic type which shows the phenomenon actually and vividly as possible and realistic-abstract type which shows the phenomena with the abstract concepts. Second, the ways of using three technologies were different depending on the processes of inquiry and the sub-domains of science. For example, virtual experiment technologies were mostly used in the contents of physics and chemistry with the inquiry context of realistic-abstract type for investigating the relationship between variables of experiments and describing the phenomena mechanically. On the other hand, virtual reality and augmented reality techniques tended to be used more frequently in biology and earth science contents with the inquiry context of realistic type for observing and describing the phenomena. Finally, we discussed educational implications in terms of developing and applying technology-based inquiry activities.

• Educational Technology International
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.19-46
• /
• 2011

The purpose of the study was to identify the characteristics of classroom inquiry features exhibited on a web-based discussion board, which is called the Message Board. Approximately 4,000 students from 80 schools with 60 on-line scientists were participated in the study. During the study, a total of 639 messages in the selected cluster and several patterns were identified and analyzed. Three main features of the classroom inquiry were analyzed in terms of: 1) learner gives priority to evidence in responding to questions; 2) learner formulates explanations from evidence; 3) learner communicates and justifies explanations. The results are as follow. First, once learners identified and understood the questions posed by the curriculum, they needed to collect evidence or information in responding to the questions. Depending on the question that students were given, types of evidence/data students needed to collect and how to collect the data could vary. Second, students' formulated descriptions, explanations, and predictions after summarizing evidence were observed on the Message Board. However, the extent to which students summarized evidence for descriptions, explanations, and predictions varied. In addition, students were able to make a better use of evidence over time when they formulate descriptions and explanations. Third, the Message Board was designed to allow the great amount of learner self-direction. Classroom teachers and on-line scientists played an important role in providing guidance in developing inquiry. At the same time, development of content understanding also contributed to inquiry development.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.449-463
• /
• 2020

This study was to analysis teaching strategies, types of inquiry activities and the relationship between science concepts and inquiry activities presented in science textbooks. As a result of the study, first, the inquiry-based teaching strategies presented in science textbooks were experiment, simulation, demonstration, and field study. Second, there were 53 inquiry activities presented in 8 units related to the earth science area of science textbooks, and the types of inquiry activities were experimental observation (EO) 18, mock activity (SA) 20, investigation discussion and presentation (IP). It was analyzed as 12, data interpretation (ID) 2, and express (EX) 1 piece. Third, the relationship between inquiry activities and science concepts presented in science textbooks was analyzed. As a result of the analysis, out of a total of 42 inquiry activities, 21 inquiry activities corresponded to EA (explicit activities), in which the result of inquiry activities was directly and explicitly linked to science concepts. And IA (implicit activities), which is an implicit inquiry activity in which science concepts must be inferred using the results of inquiry activities, were analyzed as 21. In particular, IA (implicit activities), which is an implicit inquiry activity, can be said to be the result of reflecting the characteristics of earth science areas where many simulated activities (SA) are used. This is considered to be a matter to be considered in the process of developing various elementary science textbooks in the future.