• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.538-551
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• 2013

Korea is reported as one of the highest performing OECD countries in PISA 2009 science achievement, ranking $4^{th}{\sim}7^{th}$ among 65 participating countries. However, the top level 6 percentage came only at 1.1% and ranks $18^{th}$ among paticipating countries. Such dissatisfying results call for attention to seek effective teaching and learning strategies for top level students in Korea. This study aims to investigate the effect of reading motivational and behavioral factors on PISA 2009 science achievement for the population who scored high compared to populations scoring middle and low. For this purpose, PISA 2009 science achievement as well as students questionnaire data were utilized. Variables of reading motivational and behavioral factors were selected and structural equation modeling was employed to examine a hypothetical cause-effect relationship between reading factors and science achievement. It was found that there is a cause-effect relationship between reading factors and science achievement for the whole population. For those in the top 16% of students in PISA 2009 science achievement, reading behaviors on text-memorization have had little or no effects, while reading motivational and other behavioral factors showed a significant influence. In contrast, the middle 68% and low 16% populations have had significant effects for text-memorization on science achievement.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.394-407
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• 2012

This study analyzed the result of the National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA) in a Grade 9 Science class. The study first found that the ratio of below basic achievement was 8.1 percent. This means that a large number of middle school students have not reached basic scientific literacy. Second, the ratio of male students in the below basic level was 10.4 percent, which was double the ratio of female students at 5.5 percent. Third, according to the analysis of achievement by gender, female students outperformed male students. In addition, the female students' standard deviation was smaller than that of the male students, and their scaled scores were distributed nearer the average than that of the male students. Furthermore, analysis of achievement by content domains indicated that females outperformed in all content domains including motion and energy, materials, life, and earth sciences. Showing a similar tendency in the behavior domains, females outperformed males in all behavior domains except the understanding domain. Last, for achievement by living area, students living in the middle and small cities showed the highest scaled score, 196.81. Whereas the average scaled score of the students living in the big cities was 196.15; that of the students living in rural areas was 194.86. With respect to the standard deviation, big cities had the largest, 33.73. That of middle and small cities was 33.70, and of rural areas was 32.92. Although students in cities showed higher achievement in science compared to students in rural areas, they had a bigger gap in academic achievement.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.585-603
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of the contextual variables on mathematics achievement based on TIMSS(the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) 2007 using Path Analysis with SEM(a Structural Equation Model). The books in the home, the highest level of education of mother, the highest level of education of father, the ambitions of education, the towards mathematics, the frequence of self study, and the times of homeworks are used as independent variables. The Mathematics achievement is dependent variable. The results of this analysis are as follows. First, parents' the highest level of education, the books holdings at home, and the towards effect the ambitions of education. The Mathematics achievement is indirectly being affected by them. Second, The Mathematics achievement is indirectly being affected by the ambitions of education, the towards mathematics, and the times of homeworks.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.483-499
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• 2021

The curriculum localization policy is closely related to the decentralization and autonomy policy, which is a direction of the 2022 revised curriculum. In particular, considering the continuously expanding and changing environment and contents in science education, the localization of the science curriculum has the advantage of advancing to expertise through diversity. In this paper, through experts' perception of the science curriculum localization policy, the implications of the curriculum revision were confirmed, focusing on 'MPOE(Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education) curriculum arrangement and implementation guidelines(hereinafter referred to as 'guidelines')' and the achievement standards revision of science curriculum. In conclusion, study participants considered that the possibility of expanding the localization of the curriculum was high due to the unique characteristics of science practices. And they recognized the level of localization at the 'district office of education or village'-level between MPOE-level and school-level. When localization reaches the school-level in the future, it was considered necessary to discuss linkage with teacher policies such as teacher's competency, noting that the level of teachers could become the level of localization. In addition, there was a common perception that in order for the science 'guidelines' to be localized, 17 MPOE must be given the authority to autonomously organize some achievement standards in parallel. It was considered that 'restructuring or slimming of achievement standards' should precede localization of achievement standards in connection with this. On the other hand, it was predicted that the curriculum localization policy would enhance the aspect of diversification and autonomy of the science curriculum, and the establishment of achievement standards was directly related to evaluation, so it recognized the need to refine policies such as new description for evaluation clause in future science 'guidelines'. Finally, considering science and characteristics, it was mentioned that it is necessary to specify regional intensive science education policies in the 'guidelines' themselves beyond the localization of teaching materials.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.666-675
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to develop the level-defferentiated Web Based Instruction(WBI) program, to examine its effects on the science achievement self-directed learning characteristics, and the students’ perceptions on the WBI learning. For this purpose, the advanced and complementary WBI program of level-differentiated curriculum was developed to adapt to class fields and examine instruction facilitating efficiency. Designed and developed the WBI program make it possible to teach students according to the level-differentiated learning for the chapter, ‘weather and climate’ in high school science curriculum. The results of this study are as follows: First, level-differentiated WBI was effective to encourage self-concept, learning eagerness, future-oriented self-apprehension, creativity, self-assessment of the student’s self-directed teaming characteristics. There was no interaction effect of treatment and students’ learning ability at the self-directed learning characteristics. Second, the scores of science achievement of WBI group were significantly higher than those of conventional lecture group. There was interaction effect of treatment and students’ learning ability. However level-differentiated WBI has no effect on openness, initiative, responsibility of the student’s self-directed learning characteristics. There was interaction effect of treatment and students’ learning ability at the science achievement, Third, in the perception questionnaire of WBI teaming, many students showed the WBI teaming was good in terms of causing interaction between learners and web based learning materials including various images and animations. However there are several students who showed learning difficulties. For example they wonder which part is more important and what order is proper to study in hypertext environment.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.89-99
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• 2008

In this study, we investigated the effects of explicit and reflective instruction about nature of science (NOS) using episodes from the history of science upon students' understanding about NOS, achievement, and enjoyment of science lessons. Four classes of ninth graders (N=129) at a coed middle school were divided into the control and the treatment groups. The students were taught about the composition of material for 11 classes. Before the instruction, most of the students in both the control and the treatment groups held naive views about NOS. After the instructions, the views about NOS of the control group students did not change, whereas the students in the treatment group held more adequate views about NOS. The high-level students in the treatment group showed more adequate views about NOS than the low-level students. However, there were no significant differences between the test scores of the two groups in the achievement and the enjoyment of science lessons.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.136-149
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• 2022

Chemistry focuses on explaining macroscopic phenomena at the microscopic level with particles, such as atoms or molecules. Explanation using particles are bound to be considered as abstract by students, because it was dealing with invisible objects. For that reason, the science national curriculum presented to middle school students the explanation of the units related to the composition of matter. Therefore, understanding about the composition of matter in middle school students becomes an important basis for learning of chemistry, and it is necessary to investigate their understanding about composition of matter. In this study, students' understanding about 'composition of matter' region, which is first presented to middle school students, was confirmed at an overall level. In this line, this study analyzed the results of the items in the composition of matter region, and analyzed items were used in the National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA) from 2015 to 2019. We analyzed the 9 items presented in the NAEA according to the response rate of options and response rate distribution curve, and explained the characteristics of understanding derived by each achievement level were examined. According to the analyzed results by dividing the conceptions about elements, atoms, and ions, students above the proficient achievement-level had scientific conceptions overall, but students below the basic achievement-level had inconsistent or naive conceptions. Based on the results for each item, this study discussed some implications to be considered or to be improved on teaching-learning for 'composition of matter'.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.619-631
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to provide basic information to school foodservice employees so that they can meet their professional responsibilities by understanding the relationship of job burnout, job engagement, job stress and level of job satisfaction and analyze the influence between these factors according to the general characteristics of the employees. The subjects included employees at 426 school foodservices in Busan. The mean job engagement was significantly different in the reason that cooks chose this profession(p<0.05), and readiness to quit(p<0.001). The mean job stress was significantly different in different age groups(p<0.01), cooking certification(p<0.01), reason that cooks chose this profession(p<0.01), and readiness to quit(p<0.05). The mean job stress was significantly different in the reason cooks chose this profession(p<0.01), and readiness to quit(p<0.05). In terms of the level of satisfaction of coworkers, the subfactor of job burnout, 'self-confidence' and 'achievement' had positive influences (p<0.01) and for the level of satisfaction of the work, it had positive influences on 'achievement'(p<0.01) and negative influences on 'exhaustion' (p<0.01). In terms of the level of satisfaction of co-workers and work, the subfactor of job engagement, 'absorption' had positive influences(p<0.01). Among the level of job satisfaction, for the level of satisfaction of pay, the subfactor of job stress, 'unstable job' had negative influences(p<0.01) and 'role conflict' had positive influences(p<0.05). For the level of satisfaction of co-workers, the subfactor of job stress, 'role conflict' had negative influences(p<0.01), and for the level of satisfaction of work, 'inappropriate circumstance' and 'unstable job' had negative influences (p<0.01).

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.812-823
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to search effective assessments methods by using the Fusion model of Cognitive diagnosis theory. Attributes are skills or cognitive processes that are required to perform correctly on a particular item. After test items were developed, item's attributes were decided and Q-matrix about item's attributes was made. After testing, the result was analyzed according to gender and achievement level. The results of the analysis showed that students mastered 'Interpreting data' best, and 'synthesizing' worst among the five attributes. Female students showed higher ability than male students in 'recalling.' Students of high achievement level mastered more scientific attributes than students of low achievement level. Conventional assessments only provided a single summary score but Cognitive diagnosis modeling provided useful information by estimating individual knowledge states by assessing whether an examinee has mastered specific attributes measured by the science test. The skill profiles can offer a skill level of strong, weak, or mixed for each student for each skill. Therefore, the skill profiles will provide useful diagnostic information in addition to single overall scores.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.519-526
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences of small group learning using smart devices in science classes on students' achievement, learning motivation, attitude toward science lessons, and perception of small group learning using smart devices. Four 11th-grade classes (N=133) at a coed high school in Seoul were randomly assigned to a control group and a treatment group. The intervention of small group learning using smart devices emphasized collaborative writing on activity sheet. The students were taught about acid, base, and neutralization reaction for six class periods. After the instructions, an achievement test, the learning motivation test, the attitude toward science lessons test, and a questionnaire on the perception of small group learning using smart devices were administered. Two-way ANCOVA results revealed that there was a statistically significant interaction effect by their previous chemistry achievement in the achievement test scores. Only low-level students in small group learning using smart devices significantly improved their achievement probably by having the opportunities to get help from high-level students. The adjusted means of the treatment group were significantly higher than those of the control group in learning motivation and attitude toward science lessons. Students' perceptions of small group learning using smart devices tended to be positive. Educational implications of this study are discussed.