• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.626-639
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• 2008

To present the suggestions for improvement in science textbooks of high school, scientific inquiry activities in geology of earth science textbooks of Korea and the U.S. were assessed in the areas of the contents, processes and contexts. Regarding the contents of inquiry activities, Korean textbooks contain more number of inquiry activities (5.8 per section) than the U.S. curriculums (4 per section). Inquiry activities of Korean textbooks mostly fall on the interpretation of diagrams and graphs whereas those of the U.S. textbooks more hands-on experiment, data transformation and self designing. As for the number of inquiry process skills per inquiry activity, Korean curriculums contain an average of 1.8 whereas the American ones 3. It suggests that the U.S. textbooks require more integrated process skills than the Korean earth science curriculums. In the process skills of all textbooks studied, the highest frequent elements were inferring and data interpretation; the percentage of these two elements was an average of 73.3% in Korean textbooks and 46.2% in the U.S. This suggests that the Korean textbooks emphasize the process skill on particular area, and uneven distribution of elements of process skills may hinder the development of integration ability of students. particularly in the integrated process skills, the U.S. textbooks presented all 7 elements, while Korean ones presented only 2 to 4 elements, indicating that the Korean textbooks may have weak points in providing various inquiry activities for students compared to the American textbooks. In inquiry context analysis, Korean curriculums provide simplistic inquiry contexts and low applicability to real life whereas the U.S. curriculums provide more integrated inquiry contexts and high applicability to real life.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.669-677
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to estimate the direct and indirect effects of relevant variables on students' science achievements. Path analysis was conducted with data from middle school to examine the effects of perceived positive parenting attitudes, attitudes toward science, science inquiry skills on the science achievements of middle school students. A total of 502 middle school students from the metropolitan area participated in this study. Results suggest that students' perceptions of positive parenting attitudes had no direct influence on their science inquiry skills. However, the students' attitudes toward science and science inquiry skills were found to have meaningful direct effects on their achievements. Students' perception of positive parenting attitudes also presented a significant direct effect on their attitude toward science. In addition, the students' perceived positive parenting attitude revealed an indirect effect on science achievement, through their own attitudes toward science and science inquiry skills. Research findings called for more educational programs and teaching methods considering students' attitudes toward science and science inquiry skills to improve their science achievements. At home, parents need to have positive parenting attitudes to influence their children's attitudes regarding science.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.139-152
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to provide some suggestions for future improvement of scientific inquiry activities in Korean elementary science textbook. The modified framework of Lee(2005) and Millar et al.(1998) was used to compare inquiry activities in the Korean and Singaporean science textbooks. The results of this study are as follows: Korean text books have more activities than Singapore's, but both countries have similar time allotment for science classes. In the area of 'inquiry process skill', Singapore is more balanced in 'Basic inquiry process skills' and 'Integrated inquiry process skills' than Korea. Singapore's integrated inquiry rate is also higher than Korea's. Next the results of comparing leaning objectives to scientific inquiry activities shows that Korean text books tend to focus on 'contents objectives', while Singapore's text books focus on balancing 'contents objectives' and 'process objectives'. Korean science textbooks encourage students to communicate the results of experiments but in most case these communication activities are actually not performed. Lastly Korea and Singapore have low degree of openness in inquiry activities. Remarkably 'Suggest questions' are totally conducted by teachers. This study implies that Korean science textbooks should have lower amounts of inquiry activities to accomodate enough time for communication about results. Next we need to make balance not only 'Basic inquiry process skills' and 'Integrated inquiry process skills' but also 'Content objectives' and 'Process objectives'. Lastly we need to make student to be the leader in science classes through encouraging them to plan procedures for experiments and to discover results by themselves.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.54-63
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• 2014

This study explored the effect of using the inquiry-based science writing heuristic approach in class on metacognition and scientific creativity to enhance the ability of solving problems in science classrooms of elementary students. The results of this study were as follows. First, the science writing heuristic had a positive influence on the usage of metacognition necessary for learners to solve the problem with science. Second, the science writing heuristic contributed to the improvement of scientific creativity. In the process of inquiry-based approach, learners used scientific knowledge to come up with ideas and produce outcomes, therefore they could seek sanswers to scientific problems for themselves. Third, the science writing heuristic produced a positive awareness of science process skill because learners had more opportunities to think on their own than an existing passive class. In conclusion, this study found that the inquiry-based science writing heuristic approach encouraged learners to do inquiring activities in school classrooms, therefore contributing to the application of metacognition and the improvement of scientific creativity.

• Hwankyungkyoyuk
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• v.19 no.1 s.29
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• pp.80-89
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the concept of the internal value of environmental education (EE), and to present a new concept of 'Inquiry-Based EE' as a method to realize the internal value of EE. Since the introduction of EE, the 'external' value has been overwhelmingly present, as is shown in the commonly expressed purpose of EE. The ultimate goal of EE has been considered as to solve environmental problems through educational approach, which is important, but external value in relation with education. Generally, education has its own value, which may be more important than external value. But in EE area, that idea has not been discussed much. So, this study argued that EE has, or should have, the internal value of education. This study also examined the concept of inquiry, and presented it as two types of inquiry: the scientific inquiry and the 'insightful inquiry', and argued that the insightful inquiry is important as well as scientific inquiry in EE. Then, this study presented a new concept of 'inquiry-based EE', which can be defined as EE that is based on both the scientific and insightful inquiries, and makes the student be able to 'see' the world with the environmental world view. Lastly, this study presented also a new concept of 'Environmental Studies for EE, (ESEE)'. This means that the traditional environmental science is considered to be not well developed under the perspective of EE. From this viewpoint, this study presented the needed contents of the conceptually presented ESEE. In short, this research asserts that 'inquiry-based EE' is needed to make students 'see' the world environmentally, which is the very important value of EE, the internal value of EE, not very much examined. The 'inquiry-base EE' is considered to possibly advance EE as a new paradigm.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.301-311
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• 1997

The purpose of this study is to construct a structural equation model and to analyze causal relationships among variables related to attitudes to science using structural equation modeling(SEM) with LISREL VII. The sample consisted of 483 10th grade boys from a general high school in Pusan, Korea. The questionnaires (ABC-attitude scale: affection, behavioral intention, cognition scale of attitude towards science) were developed by the researcher through a pilot study. And other instruments have modified previous ones. Five instruments were used in this study: GALT(group assessment of logical thinking), MTSlS(modified test of science inquiry skill), ABC-attitude scale, MSAS(modified scientific attitude scale), CSAT(common science achievement test). Structural equation modeling with LISREL VII($J\ddot{o}reskog$ & $S\ddot{o}rbom,$ 1993) was employed to estimate the causal inferences about hypothesized relationships among observed data sets. Three competing models consisted of five latent variable(scientific thinking ability, science inquiry skill, attitude towards science, scientific attitude, science achievement) - lP(inquiry preceding) model, AP(attitude preceding) model and AM(attitude mediating) model - were developed. Among these competing models, IP model satisfied the observed data sets. The causal relationships among "attitudes to science" and other latent variables were reliably identified. According to the results of the present study, science inquiry skill was the most significant variable that can predict science achievement. But scientific thinking ability has not directly influenced science achievement. This study suggests that inquiry based teaching-learning processes should be offered to students for improvement of science achievement. At the same time, it seems to be important to develop positive attitude towards science. Understanding of relationships among variables related to attitudes to science will be helpful to the development of science curriculum and to the design of science teaching and learning process. LISREL has been recognized as a useful approach in testing a SEM. However, in this study, LISREL approach was estimated as much more useful method for research design.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.499-508
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the features of the standards of classification, prediction and reasoning in foreign national science standards and the characteristics of these inquiry processes in the Korean science textbooks. The inquiry process of classification was found less frequently rather than observation and measurement. 'The classification of one character' was much more contained than the higher level of classification, 'the classification of composit character'. For the inquiry process of prediction, most of prediction was 'prediction from experiment result'. In the level of prediction, 'basic prediction' was found more frequently than 'operation prediction'. The inquiry process of reasoning was found more frequently than classification and prediction and was increased in the higher grade textbooks. In the level of reasoning, the higher grade textbooks included 'secondary reasoning' rather than 'simple reasoning'.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to develop the learning program using sharing nature that can be utilized in Korean elementary science classes and explore the its effects of science academic achievement, inquiry ability, scientific attitude of students after applying it. Sharing Nature used a playful and inspirational teaching strategy and was named after Flow Learning based on universal principles of how people learn. To examine the effects of Sharing Nature Learning Program this learning materials were applied to elementary science curriculum, and an experimental group and a control group were selected from 4th graders at a elementary school located in Icheon City, Gyeong-gi province. The results of this study found significant difference in the student's enhancement of the science academic achievement, inquiry ability, scientific attitude. In conclusion, Sharing Nature Learning Program is useful to develop the elementary school student's science academic achievement, inquiry ability, scientific attitude and had better be widely applied to science education.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.307-320
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• 2020

This study explores how the positioning of two pre-service science teachers (PSTs) is reflected in their different epistemic understandings of inquiry-based lessons. We collected the PSTs' products during their design and enactment of an inquiry-based lesson and recorded their practices in the enacted lesson. Interviews were recorded and transcribed for analysis. The results indicate that one PST, Dohyung was positioned as a subject of evaluation throughout the course and the other, Jinwoo, was positioned as a preservice teacher and a subject of evaluation. Their positions were reflected in their epistemic understandings of inquiry-based lessons, which were developed when designing these lessons. During lesson design, both PSTs showed a shared understanding; they explained inquiry-based lessons as students setting and evaluating hypotheses under teachers' guidance. However, as they faced unexpected situations during lesson enactment, they developed different epistemic understandings. To receive a good grade, Dohyung showed a strong preference for anticipating situations that could occur in class and planning responses to them. He understood inquiry-based lessons as ones in which students conduct experiments to produce results expected by the teacher. On the other hand, Jinwoo emphasized the reasoning process based on students' prior knowledge and explained inquiry-based lessons as ones in which students construct new knowledge through a scientific reasoning process based on their knowledge. The findings of this study will contribute to developing strategies to support PSTs' development of their epistemic understandings of knowledge construction in inquiry-based lessons.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.11-22
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• 1998

The present educational and social circumstances require the improvement of science education and the promotion of scientific technology simultaneously Under this situation, it is necessary to develop the performance assessment evaluating the ability of scientific inquiry. The purpose of this study is to develop a valid and reliable instrument of the performance assessment that is can evaluate the scientific inquiring ability. The characteristics of the instrument developed through this study, are as follows, 1. The performance assessment can be impartially achieved for all the elements of scientific inquiry, which are required in the units of elementary science from 3rd to 6th grade of elementary school. 2. To maintain the objectivity of performance assessment, the detailed standpoints and standards are established. 3. The instruments are devised to evaluate the thinking skills with the experimental reports of student, the operation skills by the check list of evaluation that the teacher's observation for the student are recorded. 4. Considering the level of elementary school student, the items required the complex thinking and the investigative skills are exclude as much as possible. 5. The items are arranged according to the learning steps of elementary school, so that the evaluation may be achieved in parallel with the process of the real teaching -learning in class. 6. According to circumstances, make use of these materials for the evaluation as the practical teaching-learning materials instead of the normal teaching-learning materials The first field trial with the instrument was carried out, using a sample of 20 students from the 3rd to 6th at K and Y elementary school located in Kwangju city. The results of mean achievement quotient for each grade are as follows, the first term of 3rd grade (experiment and exercise skills ; 85%, inquiry thinking skills ; 74%), the second term of 3rd grade (experiment and exercise skills : 81%, inquiry thinking skills ; 76%), the first term of 4th grade (experiment and exercise skills ; 70%, inquiry thinking skills ; 59%), the second term of 4th grade (experiment and exercise skills ; 61%, inquiry thinking skills ; 71%), the first term of 5th grade (experiment and exercise skills ; 84%, inquiry thinking skills ; 67%), the second term of 5th grade (experiment and exercise skills; 73%, inquiry thinking skills ; 70%), the first term of 6th grade (experiment and exercise skills : 83%, inquiry thinking skills ; 84%), the second term of 6th grade (experiment and exercise skills ; 87%, inquiry thinking skills ; 81%).