• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.318-331
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this study was to develop the systems thinking learning program and to confirm the effects of its application in the fourth grades' science class. For it, the test tools were designed to survey divergent thinking and the closed loop based on the casual relation. The systems thinking learning program was developed to make students learn scientific knowledge and systems thinking educational strategies through their regular science class. The two classes of fourth grade were selected and divided into experimental and control groups. After applying pre-test to two groups, the system thinking education program was applied to an experimental group according to the reconstructed lesson plan. Subsequently, post-test was applied to two groups 3 weeks after pre-test. The findings in this study were as follows. In divergent thinking, the systems thinking program was useful to two groups. It could be the repetition effect, but only the experimental group shows a statistically significant change. The effect of the closed loop based on casual relation was deemed statistically significant. It shows these educational strategies were effective in making students understand the systems thinking. Finally, the results of students' interviews shows they were satisfied with this program because they were able to express their thinking with confidence and to find new relations in the change of land. The results suggest that the more research is needed to further develop and improve on students' thinking skills in their regular science classes.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.603-617
• /
• 2008

Inspired by the socio-cultural perspective on teaching and learning science, we have explored how the teacher and students interact with one another and develop meanings in science classrooms. Data came from four 10th grade science classrooms, and video recordings and verbatim transcripts of the lessons were analyzed. Focus of the analysis was on the participation structures as well as the possibility of developing the space for hybrid meaning making. The participation structures identified were mainly teacher-led, and students rarely took an active stance to initiate an opportunity for generating new meanings. However, some participation structures had the potential to develop a new discursive space in which hybrid meaning can be constructed through negotiation between participants. Implications for future research and more desirable educational practices were discussed based on the result.

• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.47 no.1
• /
• pp.88-106
• /
• 2023

This study aims to investigate the disparity between the teacher's perception of student-centered inquiry classes and the actual implementation of such practices. Specifically, we compared an elementary science teacher's self-perception of her science lessons with the observers' evaluation using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) of the "Temperature and Heat" unit. Research data were collected through classroom teaching survey, interview, and science lessons video which were analyzed using the RTOP. As a result of the study, the teacher recognized that she was practicing inquiry-oriented/student-centered classes, but the results judged by the RTOP score were found to be transitional/student-affected classes by a slight difference. Teacher H planned and practiced classes based on a high understanding and content knowledge of the curriculum and created a science classroom culture that promotes active interaction among students as well as students and teachers. However, teacher-led aspects were still emphasized in teaching design and implementation, and the project theme and content were inappropriate to improve the quality of students' science inquiry experience. In the end, the slight difference between teacher's perception of inquiry-oriented/student-centered classes and actual implementation is related to how student-centered "lesson design" is and how to plan and implement classes supported by "procedural knowledge" for students' experience in the science inquiry process. These results indicate that the teacher's self-evaluation alone is not enough to determine whether the teacher's intentions and efforts are actually being implemented, and that it is necessary to conduct objective analysis, evaluation, and discuss the results of science classes by the external observers.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.279-293
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of infographic instruction to promote the use of the scientific model in the 'lens' unit of elementary science textbooks. The participants were $6^{th}$ grade students(n=53) of G elementary school in G city, Gyeongsangnam-do. For this study, the lesson plan of the 'lens' unit consisted of three steps as investigation of students' prior concept about the lens, scientific model construction activity, and infographic construction activity. We then analyzed the results of this study from three perspectives: the scientific concept, scientific model, and infographic. Before the lesson, students focused on the external shape and material of the lens in prior concept of it. However, after the scientific model construction activity and infographic construction activity, students' scientific concept about the lens improved in the categories of features of lens, features of glasses, light path, and applications of the lens. In terms of the scientific model, use of type and frequency of scientific model increased more in the infographic construction activity than the scientific construction model activity. Also, in terms of infographic, the two infographic types as function based infographic and connection based infographic used more than non-infographic in the infographic construction activity. Also, the frequency of Gestal theory's visual perception increased more in the infographic construction activity than the scientific model construction activity.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.35 no.6
• /
• pp.1019-1030
• /
• 2015

This study examined the development of a teacher's teaching practice and identified argumentation-specific pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and the influence of the argumentation-specific PCK on teaching practice in an argumentation classroom. The teacher has a Ph.D degree in science education, a 19-year teaching career, and no experience in instructing in an argumentation classroom. The developed program consists of nine lessons regarding photosynthesis for 7th graders. The teacher participated in a collaborative reflection with researchers after each lesson once a week and five times in total, which lasted for thirty minutes. All of the lessons were video- and audio-recorded and the transcript of lessons and collaborative reflection, pre- and post-survey related to argumentation, and researchers' journals were analyzed. Analysis of the data showed that the teacher emphasized group interaction showing utterances of listening, evaluating arguments, counter-arguing/debating, and reflecting on argument process after the fourth lesson although the teacher focused on individual argumentation showing utterances of talking, knowing meaning of argument, and justifying with evidence in the first three lessons. Also, the argumentation-specific PCK, which was identified with the understanding of students, nature of argumentation and argumentation task strategy, also influenced the development of teaching practice. The teacher comprehended the students' challenges in argumentation, developed her understanding of the nature of argumentation from an individual plane to social plane, and demonstrated a deep understanding of the task strategy by voluntarily joining in modifying the argumentation tasks.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.693-711
• /
• 2009

One of the most important objectives in science education is to develop students' science literacy. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relevance between biology instructional objectives in the 7th curriculum taught in elementary and secondary schools. For this study, 7 major parts in each grade were analyzed including cell, the form and function of plants, the form and function of animals, genetics, diversity, evolution, ecology, and environment. The strand map of instructional objectives is completed that represents the relation between the objectives. The summary of the results from this study is as follows. First, the concept about cells is not fully covered in lower grades including elementary schools. While the concept of energy metabolism is repeatedly covered, there is no concept of energy covered in learning the concept of energy metabolism in elementary schools. Second, the textbooks in elementary and middle schools have main concepts about the form and function of plants while those in high schools don't. The concept related to the part of the form and function of animals is repeatedly involved in the curriculum throughout the elementary, middle, and high schools. Third, the concepts such as genetics and evolution are involved in higher grades since these concepts are abstract ones. The part of genetics and evolution as well as diversity has no connection between grades in schools, so the development of "notion between" is necessary to relate these concepts with each other. Fourth, the 4 parts of diversity, ecology and environment, evolution, and the form and function of plants are covered in limited grade levels. The results of the relevance of gene in lesson goals will play an important rein as the primary material in developing the connection between textbooks in which lesson goals are closely related to each other throughout all grade levels in elementary, middle and high schools.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.328-342
• /
• 2004

This study aims to develop STS modules which consider the local concerns of Korean society and their authentic evaluation instruments. Their titles are as follows: 'Health-Aiding Foods, are they necessary?', 'Competition between Alien and Native Species', 'Living Lesson of Lake Shihwa', and 'Problems of food wastes; Would you like to throw them away, if they are money?' All of them deal with issues unique to Korean local situations. Each module consisted of two versions; a student worksheet and a teachers' guide. Students' activities were categorized into six processes such as group activities, investigation, discussion and presentation, experiments, field trip, and multiple intelligence activities. Various assessment tools and abilities for the decision-making in their STS classes were also included. In order to validate these modules, 24 teachers who have been teaching science, biology and environmental science in the secondary schools reviewed these modules and provided feedbacks about their validity and usefulness. We expect that the various rubrics included in each module will provide teachers creative and flexible assessment methods for students' understandings and their decision-making abilities toward the issues.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.165-173
• /
• 2013

This study was to analyse the understanding of the concepts of science based on the 6th graders' levels of logical thinking in elementary schools. To achieve the goal of this study, logical thinking test was given to 108 6th graders of elementary school and 32 students were interviewed. The result of this study was as follows. First, 61.1% of students were in concrete operational period in their logical thinking, 27.8% were in their transitional period, and 11.1% were in their formal operational period. By using Flow-Map, 32 students were analyzed and their levels of logical thinking was significantly associated with their understanding of concept. Students' flexibility of cognitive structure was significantly associated with logical thinking and the levels of understanding concepts as well. However, misconception didn't show significant association with levels of logical thinking. Second, the characters of understanding of scientific concept by their levels of logical thinking was that as you get higher levels of logical thinking, their cognitive structure to understand concept was more systemized, in order and more logical. The result of this study suggested the followings in science experiment class. First, 6th graders of elementary schools had various levels of logical thinking and that affected to their understanding of scientific concepts. Therefore, lesson planning and class should be done by reflecting their different levels of logical thinking. Second, since they had different levels of logical thinking, various teaching methods should be utilized to make students understand scientific concepts more systematically.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.435-443
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this study is to analyze the mismatch between instructional design and teaching practice of pre-service science teachers and to investigate the cause of these mismatches. Twenty pre-service science teachers took part in teaching practicum for four weeks from Apr. 2015 to May 2015 and we analyzed their lesson plans and videos of these lessons. After that, we interviewed the pre-service science teachers in order to know the cause of these mismatches and additional informations. The main findings are as follows. First, in the introductory stage, we found more mismatch in the "attention and motivation stimulation" area than any other area. Many pre-service science teachers corrected their 'motivation practice' in different forms. Second, we found out that the most mismatch occurred in the evolving stage. Many pre-service science teachers added learning contents in "learning content presentation" area. Third, in the closing stage, many pre-service science teachers omitted the "leaning content summary" area in the lack of time. Fourth, the number of mismatches by internal factors is similar of by external factors. The mismatches by external factors were mainly by feedback of guidance teacher and change by students' response. In addition, we discussed the implications related to reflective mentoring program, importance of guidance teacher, importance of time management etc.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.155-169
• /
• 2021

This study aims at exploring the features of science teaching orientation (STO) and its relationships with other PCK (pedagogical content knowledge) components. To do this, based on the definition of STO by Friedrichsen, Driel, & Abell(2011) and PCK model by Magnusson, Krajcik, & Borko(1999), we observed one experienced elementary teacher's science lessons for 21 lesson hours (10 hours of 'Motion of Objects' and 11 hours of 'Light and Lens') and carried out qualitative analyses of the data obtained from lessons observation, teacher interviews, and CoRe (content representation) responses. We analyzed the teacher's three aspects of STO (i.e. beliefs about the goals and purpose of science teaching, beliefs about the nature of science, and beliefs about science teaching and learning) which can converge into an overall STO of 'inquiry'. And these aspects of STO appear to interact differently with four PCK components (i.e. curriculum knowledge, learner knowledge, instructional knowledge, and assessment knowledge) depending on the topic of the lesson. It is hoped that this in-depth understanding of the features of STO and its relationship with other PCK components would provide useful information on how to monitor and improve STO and PCK of elementary teachers.