• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.679-701
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• 2014

As the validity issue of teacher nominations for the identification of gifted students has been raised recently, this study purports to test the validity of teacher nominations for selecting scientifically gifted students. As the criterion variables, domain specific traits such as science creative problem solving skills and science attitudes and domain general characteristics such as divergent thinking skills, creative attitudes, intrinsic motivation, and leadership were analyzed. Scientifically gifted students, potentially gifted students who had never been enrolled in gifted programs but were nominated as the scientifically gifted by teachers, and general class students participated in the study. The results of ANOVA showed that there were significant differences in all variables but originality factors of the TTCT and science creative problem solving skill test between gifted/nominated students and general class students; gifted/nominated students were significantly superior in these variables to general class students. The discriminant functions analysis yielded a discriminant function that significantly discriminated between gifted/nominated and general class students. Variables loaded on the discriminant function were science creative problem solving skills except for the originality subfactor, and science efficacy. These results imply that while teachers are likely to consider adaptation-oriented academic excellency related to logical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and science performance when nominating students, they may ignore the innovation-oriented property which is indicated as the fluency and originality factors of TTCT. Also, the criteria of teacher nominations are presumed to be congruent with the selection criteria of the gifted education program which pursued academic excellency as the educational goal. This suggests that with such criteria, high performing students in the science area can be sufficiently identified by teachers with no further identification procedures or/and tests.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.253-267
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• 2016

Everybody dreams of a bright future. A future career determines the direction and quality of an individual's life. Achieving positive career development is one of the most crucial tasks during adolescence. In both national and personal perspectives, the vocational identity of science-gifted students provides some important points to discuss. The purpose of this study is to examine the vocational identity of science-gifted students. Participants included 103 science-gifted students who have received an acceptance letter from a science-gifted school. The modified VISA (Vocational Identity Status Assessment) model was used to analyze the vocational identities of gifted students with 'a letter to myself in the future'. The study found that vocational identity status of the science-gifted students was determined as Foreclosed and Searching Moratorium. The science-gifted students demonstrated more Commitment than Exploration and Reconsideration. They also showed higher levels in Career Identification, In-Narrow Exploration, and Career Flexibility. In addition, they shared common orientations in vocational identity such as strong enthusiasm, challenging limits, and responsibility towards humanity. We expect that this study will contribute to the social interest of science-gifted students in the area of career education. In order for science-gifted students to nurture their full potential with a deeper awareness of education, follow-up studies have to be conducted to provide greater and ideal career education.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.363-380
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• 2015

The convergent education such as STEAM education has been implemented in the gifted education institutions in order to resolve the crisis of science and engineering fields caused by the science and engineering avoidance of excellent talents. The purpose of this study was to investigate awareness about science, mathematics and technology/ engineering fields of science gifted students. The subjects were 86 middle school science gifted students at the Science Institute for Gifted Students of a university located in metropolitan city in Korea. The data were collected from the survey that consists of 97 questions in 3 categories. The results were follows: First, the gifted students were aware that science was more interesting than mathematics or technology/engineering. Second, science rated highest in career choice. Third, they were aware that the scientists were more interesting, more imagination, less accuracy and less considering than the mathematicians and the engineers. In addition they responded that the mathematicians were smarter than the scientists and the engineers, and the engineers were more diligent than the scientists and the mathematicians. Finally, the result of the correlational analysis indicated that there were strong correlations between science and mathematics, and between science and technology/engineering. It was recommended that the consolidation of the convergent gifted education, the necessity of systemic career education, and the study of correlation between mathematics and technology/engineering.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.137-155
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• 2009

The purpose of the present study was to analyse the effectiveness of a gifted education program. To analyse the effectiveness of an education program for the gifted affiliated with a university, the study carried out a quasi-experimental design to compare the 153 gifted students who enrolled in an education center for the gifted and the 131 potentially gifted students who were nominated by teachers for their high achievements and interests in science but without any education services for the gifted. These two groups of students were compared in the aspects of problem finding ability in science, motivation, self regulation, science-related attitudes, and science anxiety through the pre- and post-treatment settings. The results indicated that the gifted group showed a significant improvement in originality and elaboration of problem-finding ability, but the potentially gifted group showed significant decrease in most variables of problem finding. Related to motivation and self-regulated learning, gifted students showed an increase in cognitive strategy use and decrease in intrinsic value, but the potentially gifted students showed significant decreases in most variables related to motivation and self-regulation, except intrinsic value. Related to the scientific attitudes and science anxiety, there were no significant changes between pre- and post-tests in the gifted group, but significant decreases in most variables were found in the potentially gifted group. The results of paired t-test and Ancova indicate that significant differences between the gifted and the potentially gifted groups are mainly due to the significantly lowered performance in post tests in the potentially gifted group, rather than a significant increase in gifted group.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.642-649
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• 2005

Argumentative discussion is one of the important components of an educational program, which allows students not only to learn the process of social negotiation through discussions, but also to improve students' overall research abilities. The purpose of this study was to examine a) the changes between inquiry of before-argumentative discussion and inquiry of after-argumentative discussion, and b) the connections between the inquiry changes and online argumentative discussion. This study analysed 726 messages in an online argumentative discussion, as well as in first research reports and second research reports. The results of the study indicate that science-gifted students' research abilities were improved through on-line argumentative discussion that provided them with feedback based on interactive discussions, and encouraged them to re-examine hypotheses and experiment processes. The science-gifted students showed knowledge and abilities for identifying simple errors in research processes and arguing problems in the flow of the whole logic of research.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.709-719
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to identify the differences in classification skills shown in classification activities between the gifted and regular students in elementary schools. The subjects for the research consisted of six gifted students in an institute for the gifted for science annexed to P school district in Gangwon-do and 6 students at B and M general elementary schools. Results were as follows: The time taken for classification activities of the gifted was shorter than regular regardless of subjects for classifying. The number of standards for classifying for the gifted was more than regular students. Coefficient for measuring classification skills of the gifted was higher than regulars regardless of age. Consequently, there was a difference in the time taken for classifying and generating the number of standards and in a numerical index of classification activities performed at science classes between the science gifted and the regular students.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.511-530
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• 2011

This study aims to find out science talented students' percentage of cognition about the views of nature of science and science inquiry which are essential for having a good understanding with science concepts. Each group of 40 science gifted students and 35 ordinary students was tested with a test of views of nature of science and science inquiry which consisted of 19 items with index of content validity 97% and reliability index 0.86, then its results being compared and analyzed. A group of science gifted students' percentage of cognition about the views of nature of science ranges from 20% to 97.5% -although it differs according to detailed views-showing its mean of 67% (50% in a group of ordinary students). Especially, the percentage of cognition about the sub view that there can be different opinions among scientists was high among woman science gifted students. A group of science gifted students' percentage of cognition about the views of science inquiry ranges from 27.5% to 77.5% -although it differs according to detailed views- showing 53% in their mean (41.8% in a group of ordinary students). Especially, the percentage of cognition about the sub view that scientists can have different research methods was high among woman science gifted students. The percentage of mistaken cognition by science gifted students about views of nature of science and about views of science inquiry was 33%, 47% respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.235-244
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• 2012

This study examined the learning tendency & social characteristics and the science camp participation attitude of the global science talented and the science gifted c. The survey was carried out on children who are taking part in Global Bridge project group and in Science Education Institute for the gifted S National University of education. The results of this study were as follows. First, the science gifted children was more superior to the global science talented, when it comes to task commitment and fluency, creativity, enthusiasm for learning on the learning tendency. Second, the science gifted children have much more sociality than the global science talented in the sense of social characteristics. The global science talented showed lack of interpersonal relationship & confidence for human relationship. Third, both parties were positive in terms of attitude which participating science camp. It was proved that science camp made a positive affect on both groups in several senses such as improving awareness & attitude of science activity and enhancing sociality. As a result, unlike ordinary program for the science gifted children, one for the global science talented in global bridge project is highly demanded that it should be considered the characteristics of the multi-cultural students. Moreover, it might be considered that educational circumstance would be needed, under which it is able to stimulates students' scientific curiosity throughout launching science hands-on program, such as systemized science camp etc.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.195-216
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• 2015

Students' perceived values of career play a core role in formation of their career motivation. In particular, science gifted students should build sound values of career in science and technology so that our society can retain the human resources for future science and technology. This study compared and analyzed the structure of science gifted and general middle school students' preferred job and values of career using semantic network analysis. Methodologically, we first collected science gifted and general middle school students' preferred careers and the reasons of the career choice using survey method. Then, we structuralize semantic networks of students' perceived values of their preferred careers using semantic network analysis. We identified the characters of networks that two different student groups showed based on the structure matrix indices of semantic network analysis. Findings revealed that science gifted students considered the creativeness as the most important value of career. Second, science gifted students considered more diverse values of career than general students. Third, science gifted students considered the self-realization such as displaying capability as a core value of career in STEM and medical science whereas general students considered the community service as a core value of the careers. This study identified the significant differences between science gifted and general middle school students' values of careers. The structures of students perceived values of careers can be used for teachers to counsel their students about students' future careers.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.279-302
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• 2009

This paper was to examine the effects of university-based science gifted education program on scientifically gifted students' science problem finding ability and cognitive-affective factors. For this study, 69 scientifically gifted students with previous Silted education experiences at the university-based science gifted education centers and 91 scientifically gifted students without any previous gifted education experiences were compared. Both groups of students were currently enrolled at a specialized science high school. To compare both groups, scientific problem finding ability, science anxiety, science related attitude, self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, test anxiety, cognitive strategies, and self-regulation were measured. The results indicate that there was no significant difference on scientific problem finding ability between these two groups. The comparison between the past and now in the aspects of variables observed in the study showed that both groups of students were decreased in the science anxiety and self-efficacy. But the test anxiety was significantly increased compared to the past in both groups. Implications of the study were discussed in depth.