• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.630-637
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• 2014

In this study, we investigated the current situation of implementing cooperative learning (CL) in elementary science classes and teachers' perceptions toward CL in science instructions. Participants were 138 elementary school teachers and 96 of them had experiences of implementing CL in their science classes. We developed a questionnaire on the basis of previous studies. The results indicated that many teachers did not seem to comprehend CL and some of them did not seem to distinguish CL from the traditional small group learning. The teachers who had experiences of implementing CL tended to exhibit positive perceptions toward CL than their counterpart in the effects of CL category whereas they did not show any positive evidence in the processes of CL category. The influences of teaching career and the experience of participating inservice training about CL on teachers' perceptions toward CL were not clear. Educational implications are discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.572-581
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• 2000

Teachers' perceptions about curricular objectives are very important to achieve given educational objectives. This study examined teachers' perceptions about priority and hinderance of science objectives. The national science curriculum stated four areas of objectives: inquiry, knowledge, attitude, and STS. A total of 76 elementary and 217 secondary teachers were responded to questionnaire developed for this study. Non-parametric statistics, such as Friedman test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and chi-square test were used by using SPSS/PC program. Teachers in general ranked the inquiry first among the four areas at their perception on the national curriculum, on themselves, and on their instructions. Elementary teachers ranked inquiry higher than secondary science teachers, while secondary science teachers ranked knowledge higher than elementary teachers. As factors hindering teachers from achiving the objectives, elementary teachers pointed out overcrowded classroom and secondary science teachers pointed out college and university entrance examination respectively.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.133-144
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• 2020

As a part of the second-year monitoring study on the implementation of the 2015 revised science curriculum in middle schools, this study focuses more on examining middle school science teachers' perceptions on the process-based assessment (PBA). A total of 105 middle school science teachers (44 teachers from science leading schools, 61 teachers from ordinary schools) responded to the survey questionnaire, and 16 teachers participated in interviews. The results include teachers' perceptions on the changes in their teaching and assessment methods, some challenges of implementing PBA, and educational implications of PBA. Survey results indicate that the teachers perceived themselves using more PBA methods after the 2015 revised science curriculum was launched. The teachers in science-leading schools present statistically higher average scores to the items on the PBA utilization than the ones in ordinary schools. However, the teachers felt confused in conceptually differentiating PBA from prior performance-based assessment. They also experienced some conflicts when implementing PBA under the achievement-oriented school atmospheres. In addition, they often faced difficulties in securing objectivity and reliability of PBA and felt the burden of evaluating individual students. This study suggests the necessity of giving more authority and trust to science teachers regarding PBA, constructing more supportive environment to cultivate teacher competency as evaluation experts, and the need to reduce task burden. However, some teachers who actively implemented PBA express some level of satisfaction as observing students' positive reaction to PBA.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.125-149
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to provide basic information on the current status of elementary school teachers' perception of gifted education. For this purpose, this study wi1l analyze elementary school teachers' perception of the gifted education (i.e., general perception of gifted education, characteristics of gifted children, identification of gifted children, programs for gifted education, and teachers of gifted education). A questionnaire survey was used for the purpose and research questions of this study. The questionnaire used in this study was constructed by taking into account the results of surveys conducted in previous studies and the literature on gifted education. Before conducting the research, a preliminary inquiry was made to identify problems that may occur while the subjects were participating in the survey, as well as to determine the appropriateness of the questionnaire and the amount of time needed. The preliminary inquiry was conducted with ten randomly selected elementary school teachers who did not participate as subjects in the actual research. The results were later used as initial data for the actual research. The subjects of this study were teachers who were teaching in8 elementary schools under each office of education in Seoul. This process was conducted for 180 elementary school teachers from April to May 2004. The results were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) Ver. 10.1, a software program for statistical research. After the data were analyzed, the following conclusions were arrived at: 1. The result of the genera1 perception of gifted education by elementary school teachers were positive and reasonably high. The level of their perception of detailed information or knowledge, however, was relatively low. 2. As for their perceptions of the emotional characteristics of gifted children, t11e results showed a low level of understanding of the characteristics of gifted children. 3. As for their perceptions of identification of gifted children, the results showed a high level of understanding of the appropriate time to provide special education to gifted children and of the methods to identify such. On the other hand, their understanding of the identification of gifted children in an actual class was poor. 4. The respondents' level of perceptions of programs for gifted education was very low since many subjects did not have any experiences with such programs. 5. The results showed a very positive response to receiving training on gifted education, though they were very reluctant to be assigned as teachers of gifted education because of the excessive work that is associated with such and their lack of capability in handling gifted children.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.252-260
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is find out the correlation of level of knowledge of pre-service elementary teacher with space perception ability on 'Earth and Space' of elementary science. During the second semester of 2013, for 15 weeks, the classes were conducted for 3 hours per week and we find out knowledge Understanding degree and select terms offered by 5th grade science courses 'The solar system and the stars', 'Earth and Moon', 'change of seasons' section and measured space perception ability degree of pre-service elementary school teacher with a questionnaire. We analyzed the correlation of understanding level of knowledge in the field of astronomy of pre-service elementary school teacher with space perception ability. The results of the study are presented as follows. First, pre-service elementary school teacher showed a low level of knowledge understanding as it goes the upper grades about upper concept in 'The solar system and the stars', 'Earth and Moon', 'change of seasons' section' of astronomy area of elementary science 'Earth and space sector'. The pre-service elementary school teachers needs to acquire knowledge of astronomy area in elementary school curriculum. Second, pre-service elementary school teacher showed that there are differences individually in 'finding solid body' of sub-element of space perception ability. This shows that 'finding solid body' factor is associated with space perception ability. Third, in the section of 'The earth and the Universe' for elementary education, 'Reflection' and 'Finding solid body' which are low-level components of space perception ability were verified that have a corelationship with general grades in the astronomy conception test.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.269-278
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• 2006

In this study, we used Virtual Reality (VR) materials on an introductory earth science course consisted of thirty six pre-service science teacher program students. Before and after class an instrument of Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) was administered. The main focus of the CLES was to evaluate how the classroom was prepared for student centered learning environment. The pre and post tests of student perceptions regarding their learning environment were compared in six domains: personal relevance, critical voice, shared control, student negotiation, scientific uncertainty, and attitude. Questionnaire regarding the general perception of the VR materials was administered as well. How future science teachers valued the use of VR materials in their classrooms was found from this study. Based on these results, we intend to contribute for a more complete understanding of the potential of VR materials in achieving better learner-centered classroom environment.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.79-92
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary school teachers', students' and their parents' perceptions of new experimental grade $3{\sim}4$ science textbooks and teacher's guides developed by revised national science curriculum. 63 teachers, 436 students and their 448 parents were selected from 9 elementary schools selected as model schools, and were administered the questionnaires of the perceptions of the new science textbooks and/or teacher's guides. The results revealed that many teachers had a rather positive perception of the teacher's guides. In addition, most of the teachers, students and their parents, especially the students and their parents than the teachers, perceived positively the new science textbooks. They also had various views of the strengths and weaknesses of the new science textbooks and/or teacher's guides upon cognitive and motivational/emotional/affective aspects. Educational implications of these findings are discussed.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.426-441
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was getting the information for successful application to the national curriculum and students' core competencies enhancement, through investigation about competencies discussed in 2015 revised national curriculum development process and analysis about perception of 150 elementary school teachers in study. The results were as follows : Communication skill is considered to be the most important. Thinking ability what has been important traditionally is the middle of the rankings. Elementary school teachers think that a competency is specific to a subject. From this point of view, Creative/Scientific Problem-Solving Ability is the most important in science. They think that the enhancing of the ability of inquiry performance is highlighted in current science class. On elementary school teachers' awareness, inquiry model is the most effective in enhancing of scientific thinking and the ability of inquiry performance. And STS instruction model is in the other. PBL learning model and experimental inquiry model is the most effective in enhancing a competency has the highest feasibility like scientific thinking or the ability of inquiry performance.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.627-641
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• 2022

This study aims to help elementary school teachers increase their knowledge about the changes in the positions of the sun and moon during the day and the first time the moon observation begins in the Earth and Space section of the Earth and the Moon. The survey questions were grouped into four categories, namely, textbook explanation, inquiry activities, achievement of learning goals, and other opinions. The perception of each question differed according to advanced science majors and teaching careers and experiences of this unit. In addition, understanding the diverse views of the participants using descriptive questions was possible. The study recruited 67 teachers working at an elementary school in Gyeonggi-do. The conclusion is as follows. First, the teachers exhibited similar positive and negative perceptions about the description of the textbook on the changes in the positions of the sun and moon during the day. Second, the study found that majority of teachers used alternative methods when guiding students regarding the change in the positions. This trend was not correlated with the sun and the moon, and the study observed no difference in advanced majors and teaching careers and experience of this unit. Third, the majority of teachers responded that they could achieve their learning goals through this learning. However, many teachers complained of various difficulties in guiding students about the lesson, and the majority alternative methods. The results demonstrated the perception of teachers that students can achieve learning goals through alternative methods without direct observation.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.111-124
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• 2023

The aim of this study was to explore science teachers' perceptions of good science teaching. To this end, the Korean Teaching Observation Protocol (KTOP), which was developed for the purpose of observing and improving science teaching, was utilized. In the first survey, teachers were asked whether they thought each item in the KTOP was important for good science teaching, the extent to which they implemented these items, and the level of difficulty in implementing them. The second survey asked teachers what they believed to be the reasons and solutions for the KTOP items that they had responded as difficult to implement. The responses obtained from 63 teachers in the first survey and 35 teachers in the second survey were categorized based on the characteristics of the responses. The categorized contents were then summarized and discussed for their features. As a result, science teachers responded that all items in KTOP, except for one, are important for good science teaching. However, it was also shown that the level of execution was low in cases where implementation was difficult. For the 13 KTOP items that were considered important but difficult to implement and showed relatively low implementation level, many respondents (69%) attributed the reason to both students and teachers. However, the most common response (60%) was that the teacher should solve those difficulties. From this, it was found that understanding and supporting teachers, as well as enhancing their competencies, are more important for good science teaching than external factors. We hope that this research findings will help to better understand the specific difficulties that science teachers face in their classes and contribute to practical efforts that aim to address these challenges.