• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.360-379
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate beginning elementary teachers' beliefs about the nature of science. Defining teachers' beliefs as a broad construct, we tried to examine the teachers' understandings about the nature of science. The methodology of this study was a qualitative approach through semi-structured interviews. In an urban area of Korea, five beginning elementary teachers were chosen. The cross-case and grounded theory study design were adopted for the data analysis. The results of data analysis were checked by teachers for internal validity. This study identified the teachers' beliefs about the nature of science suggested by many researchers. The results of this study showed that: 1) beginning elementary teachers did not well understand and were unfamiliar with the meanings of various terms about the nature of science; 2) their beliefs abut the nature of science were broad and various; 3) they understood some parts of the nature of science; 4) there were differences within their understandings about subconcepts of the nature of science.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.961-970
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• 2015

This study aims to develop the NABI program, which can be applied to science education in school, to realize 'Science Education through Nature' for today's students. The first NABI program was developed based on the viewpoints of education and teaching methods of Nature-Study, and it was revised as the second NABI program through experts' workshop. The second NABI program was applied to 24 third-grade students of an elementary school. The possibility of applying the program to school science education was explored through the analysis of students' qualitative data, along with surveys that were completed by 24 students and 79 current teachers. As a result of applying the program, students were curious about and communed with nature. The program could also realize the learner-centered education and integration of subjects, science with literature and art. The students were interested and wanted to continually participate in the NABI program. The teachers' evaluation of the program deduced that the relationship between the program presenting Nature-Study ideologies could be applied to science education in school. In conclusion, it was found that the NABI program was well reflected in the scope of the Nature-Study, and it can be applied to science education in school. The NABI program proceeds in nine steps: 'Accepting - Choosing - Selecting the common subject - Ice Breaking - Making relationship - Observing - Scaffolding - Expressing - Sharing'. The NABI program is a good way to realize the essence of science education, 'Science Education through Nature', for today's students.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.133-142
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• 1991

The purpose of this study is to develop a data base system for the information on research and development of science education. As the first step of this study and development, a classification system for the research and development materials was devised after discussing the process of science education and the research and development of science education. The classification system has nine main categories : 1. area, 2. subject, 3. behavior, 4. skill, 5. support, 6. type, 7. materials, 8. language, and 9. the others, each of which has one or two levels of subcategory. This classification system was revised and supplemented through the theoretical analysis by speci.diSts and the practical classification of master's theses and doctoral dissertations from the Department of Science Education, Seoul National University. But it still needs more revision and enlargement through the continuous application and analysis.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 1995

The purpose of this study was to investigate Korean secondary school students' perceptions of science and technology related social problems and STS education to ascertain the extent to which the current science programs incorporate STS themes. Students indicated that STS related problems or STS issues were given little attention in their science classes, even though they believed that studying those problems would be important. Results of the study support the contention of need for more attention to the implementation of STS themes into current Korean science education.

• Hwankyungkyoyuk
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.110-133
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• 1999

As an attempt to systematize environmental education in the 7th curriculum, this study extracted the contents of environmental education to which science can approach in the science lessons. This study analyzed these contents from the goals of environmental education and from its contents and, as a result, it found out the followings : (1) in the aspect of ‘knowledge’ and ‘skills’, the goals of Science environmental education have direct relations with each other, and (2) the science can be taught in the aspect of ‘natural environment’, ‘environmental ethics’, ‘environmental pollution’, ‘resources’, and so on. By utilizing various teaching and learning methods of science education the science subject on, however, approach the goals of environmental education, of ‘attitudes’ and ‘participation’.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.541-554
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• 2012

With an emphasis on scientific literary, science education has again became closer to the interests and needs of people and sometimes expands its scope beyond the boundaries of school and the curriculum. Science educators often claim that its historical roots can be traced back to the movements of General Science and Science and Citizenship during the 1920s-40s. This study attempts to re-interpret the historical meanings of the Mechanics' Institute Movement (MIM) from the perspectives of science education. In doing so, this study first introduces the process of the emergence of MIM with a focus on its founder, George Birkbeck, and the Andersonian Institute where evening science classes began to be open to skilled workers. Then the overview of MIM is described, with examples drawn from the London Mechanics' Institute and the Manchester Mechanics' Institute. In discussing science teaching of MIM, the details taken from various mechanics' institutions are examined in terms of why, what, and how to teach sciences. This study argues that the MIM was a unique social phenomenon in which science could respond to the needs of skilled workers through education, providing science learning opportunities which were otherwise unavailable and that the MIM shared many similarities with current practice of science education, moving towards a wider career perspectives, cross-subject, community-based, and informed citizenship.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.183-192
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to identify STEAM education program fit for club activities in consideration of the present curriculum and investigate its effect on science club students' self-efficacy and attitude toward science by applying it to science club students. In consideration of such chapters as 'Solar System' and 'Exosphere and Space Development' in the 2009 Revised Curriculum, this study developed a STEAM education program related to the observation of the solar system and the measurement of a distance of the stars in consideration of the present curriculum. For this study we selected 14 science club students in H Middle School, located in G Province and applied a 7 weeks' program to them. To find out change in their self-efficacy and attitude toward science, this study conducted tests of self-efficacy and attitude toward science for a single group before and after introducing this program and analyzed the results. The results of this study could be summarized as below. Firstly, science club activities with this STEAM education program applied improved students' self-efficacy significantly. Secondly, there was a significant difference found in students' attitude toward science through science club activities with this STEAM education program applied as they showed higher scores in the attitude toward science in the posttest than the pretest. Lastly, despite a research limit that this science inquiry program was conducted for a short period of time, this program was found to have positive effect on the improvement of students' self-efficacy and attitude toward science.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.309-318
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• 2003

Scientific reasoning is one of the main concerns in current science education. This study have tried to answer on the question whether Korean science education has the potential to help improve of students' ability to think scientifically. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between reasoning patterns evident in science textbook and science examination items, and students' scientific reasoning skills across grades in Korea. 1975 subjects (1022 females and 953 males) were administered in the Lawson's Test of Scientific Reasoning skills. Forty seven science textbooks and 240 assessment instrument were analyzed by several scientific reasoning keys. Scientific reasoning patterns were adopted from Lawson's classification which characterized the patterns as the empirical-inductive and the hypothetical-deductive. This study found that reasoning patterns evident in textbook analyses and assessment instrumental items do not evidentce the potential to stimulate the development of students' reasoning skill. In order to improve the students' abilities to think and achieve, higher levels of reasoning must be included in the science textbook and examination. Further, some of scientific reasoning processes, such as generating hypotheses, designing experiments, and logical prediction, were not found in science textbooks and test items in Korean secondary schools. This study also discussed the educational implication of these results and further studies about to develop student's reasoning ability.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.201-209
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument for evaluating quality of the web site about elementary science education. Eight experienced specialists (three elementary science education specialists and five elementary school teachers engaging) in elementary science education verified content validity twice. The evaluation criteria for elementary school science were considering aspects of the characteristic and the quality of web site. The evaluation criteria can be categorized as being in five areas, fifty-seven items. The five areas were a purpose, a credibility, an efficiency, a data-type, an interactivity. Four web sites were analyzed for the subject of this study. Evaluators were nine elementary school teachers, who were educated in the use of instrument. The developed evaluation instrument in this study is considered valid and reliable. The content validity is 91.1%, and the reliability has a Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ of .82. The developed evaluation instrument in this study will verify the quality of web site, provide teachers and students with efficient information about elementary science education. In addition it suggests guidelines about design and devise web site to instructional developer or subject-matter expert.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.974-990
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to explore practical meanings of convergence education and to seek ways of implementing it in school science education. The study adopted focus group interview method in order to elicit science teachers' perceptions and practical knowledge related to various ways of integrating educational aims and contents from the perspectives of science education. Two focus group interviews were held with four science teachers with the themes of the concept and potential of convergence education, and the implementation and systemic support, respectively. The qualitative data was analyzed by deriving major themes comprising teachers' perception on convergence education: they are 1) related concepts and rationales, 2) contents, methods, and assessment, 3) the characteristics of the science subject that make it suitable for convergent education, 4) teacher perception and professionalism required for implementing convergent education, and finally 5) environmental conditions for putting the idea into practice. Based on this result, the study discusses conceptual and practical issues for implementing convergence education in ways that contribute to overcoming the problems of the traditional educational system and reorienting science education towards the future society.