• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.61-73
• /
• 1992

In response to epoch-making development in science and technology, the innovative curricular materials have been begun to develop since the late 1950s and early 1960s. However, the new inquiry-centered materials have failed to be successfully used in teaching/learning practices of science. Among the various reasons for the failure, the very nature of the inquiry approach has been identified as the most critical problem. Nevertheless, fostering inquiry faculties on the part of the students has been emphasized as one of the most important objectives of science instruction. Therefore this study was conducted for the purpose of developing a practical inquiry-oriented instructional method. In order to obtain this goal the nature of scientific inquiry was analyzed and the status quo of science education in which inquiry-oriented instructional strategies were applied was examined. The results of the study are described in this paper.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.349-360
• /
• 2018

This study analyzed variations of learning stress by comparing the salivary cortisol levels of students who participated in Earth Science inquiry activities. The cortisol concentrations between the pre- and post-inquiries of the sample of 34 university students, who had taken the course of 'Basic Earth Science and Experiments', were analyzed. The Earth Science inquiries consisted of geology and astronomy activities. The observational geology activities consisted of a session of 'structure contours and map patterns' and the cognitive astronomy activities consisted of a session of 'representations of horizontal and equatorial coordinates'. These Earth Science inquiry activities were found to cause students to have anxiety, and the thought processes that these activities involved were found to cause learning stress. The variations in cortisol concentrations of students increased by $1.6{\pm}5.9ng\;mL^{-1}$ after conducting observational activities in geology compared with $2.1{\pm}6.2ng\;mL^{-1}$ after doing cognitive activities in astronomy. The analysis of the observational activities in the geology inquiry activities indicated that they were consistent with low levels of learning stress. Conversely, the analysis of the cognitive activities in the astronomy inquiry activities showed significant individual variations in cortisol concentrations. Furthermore, individual differences in cognitive ability were reflected in the astronomy inquiry activities. While students, who received high scores, exhibited low levels of stress in the geology inquiry activities, they showed high levels of stress in the astronomy inquiry activities. It was concluded that, in the case of students with high scores in the study, the level of learning stress increased due to the raised anxiety in cognitive inquiry activities. In contrast, students, who received low scores in the study, exhibited high levels of stress in the geology inquiry activities, and low levels of stress in the astronomy inquiry activities.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.528-541
• /
• 1999

In order to obtain data for developing an ideal science curriculum. four kinds of General Science textbooks based on the 6th curriculum were analyzed. Particularly inquiry activities were analyzed by Scientific Inquiry Evaluation Inventory(SIEI). The results are as follows: 1) The average number of inquiry activities in four kinds of textbooks is 115.5. And the number in each textbook is very diverse: textbook A contains 94 inquiry activities, textbook B 147. textbook C 100 and textbook D 121. 2) As for the number of inquiry activity scopes in four kinds of textbook. observation comes to 22, experiment 117, interpreting data 196, investigation 64, discussion 51, classification 4 and prediction 8. And then the conceptional inquiry activity is about 2.3 times as many as the inquiry experiment. 3) According to the analysis of each inquiry task by SIEI. textbook A has 268, textbook B 328, textbook C 207 and textbook D 304. 4) In the analysis of the structure of inquiry activity, the evaluation of the competition and cooperation scale shows more emphasis on common tasks. no pooled results(87.1 %). The discussion scale mostly consists of activities without discussion required among students(83.5%). The evaluation of openness scale shows more emphasis on activities with problems, procedures and answers presented(58.3%). In the evaluation of inquiry scope scale, the inquiry scope scale mostly has the activities to demonstrate or verify the contents of the text(66.9%). 5) As for the analysis of inquiry activities as a whole. The inquiry pyramid in four kinds of General Science textbooks shows the type I that emphasizes the inquiry activities in low level such as gathering and organizing data. The inquiry index in four kinds of textbooks is average 47.8, shows very high level (above 35).

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.233-253
• /
• 2018

Since open inquiry of science was formally introduced at the 2007 Revised Science Curriculum Course, the purpose and effect of it has been positively evaluated, and it is underlined continuously until the revised science education course in 2015. However, through many previous studies, there is still a lack of awareness of open inquiry of both students and teachers in the field, and it was revealed they are continually appealing confusion and difficulties. Therefore, in this research, we analyzed the causes that make it difficult to execute open inquiry, and developed differentiated open inquiry guide materials that can contribute to the realization of teachers and students. They were developed by the brain-based evolutionary approach to provide students with authentic science. The brain-based evolutionary approach is reflecting the evolutionary attributes and the brain functions associated activities of scientists. It was revealed that, in the same way as the pilot test results, the usefulness of the differentiated guide materials were very high, and there was a statistically significant difference in the science attitude. It was found that the application of the brain-based evolutionary approach had positively influenced the stage of determining the inquiry themes, and self-confidence that could be able to do as a scientist. Analysis of top and sub group types on the basis of inquiry ability showed that both groups are improved at science attitude by the differentiated guide materials. There was a positive effect on change in the self-perception of scientific creativity. We were able to see a positive change in the post survey for open inquiry-efficacy. The developed differentiated open inquiry guide materials contributed to the improvement of open inquiry-efficacy for both the teacher and student.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.271-280
• /
• 2001

The purpose of this study is to investigate how free inquiry activities affects the scientific process skills and scientific attitudes of 5th and 6th of elementary school students. For this study, 265 elementary students from 5th and 6th grade in Seoul were selected. In comparison group 130 students were implemented and to the experimental group 135 students who did not the free inquiry activities were implemented. The result of this study is as follows: First, curiosity was the most affective factor that motivate free inquiry activities and made them select their topics. Most of the students invested for the inquiry activity in less than 3 weeks. They had some help in every stages. Students became interested in free inquiry activities because they learned new facts and enjoyed doing experiments and they wanted to continue for the same reasons. Second, free inquiry activities had little effect on the basic science process skills of the experimental group, compared to the control group at the significant difference of p=0.05. Third, free inquiry activities had considerable effect on the integrative inquiry process skills of the experimental group, compared to the control group at the significant difference of p=0.05. Fourth, the result of the post-test of the experimental group showed that free inquiry activities had no effect on scientific attitudes at the significant difference of p=0.05. In conclusion, free inquiry activities will be much more effective in developing integrative inquiry process skills than in developing basic scientific process skills and scientific attitudes.

• Hwankyungkyoyuk
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.114-126
• /
• 2000

The purpose of this study is to identify the theory of inquiry and to suggest an example of teaching/learning strategy through inquiry for effective environmental education. This study was based on the review of literature in the area of background of inquiry, inquiry in school subjects-social science, science, and environment and activities for inquiry. The teaching/learning strategy which was developed in this study included several inquiry activities focusing on recent social issue. And it can be used in environmental class.

• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.203-220
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate how 'free inquiry' was implemented in middle school science classrooms. In order to do this, survey and interviews were administered. The subject of survey was 165 science teachers at 58 middle schools and interviewees were 4 teachers and 10 students. As a result, 49.6% of science teachers in school year 2010, and 34.1% in 2011 applied 'free inquiry'. Teachers applied 'free inquiry' during one semester, and they let the students select topic of 'free inquiry'. Teachers grouped students according to students' opinion or their gender and ability, and one group was consisted of 4 students. The effect of applying 'free inquiry' was that students improved the interest on science, science inquiry ability and self directed learning capability. Students were interested in doing 'free inquiry', and they wanted to do it again. Teachers claimed that it took much time and effort to apply 'free inquiry', and students lacked science inquiry skills and interest on science. The teachers who did not apply 'free inquiry' stated reasons such as the shortage of instructional time, and they didn't think that 'free inquiry' should be implemented. For the effective implementation of 'free inquiry', this study suggested that teachers should be recognized the intention of 'free inquiry', teaching-learning materials about 'free inquiry' be developed and provided, and laboratory assistants be employed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.573-584
• /
• 2015

Inquiry has been consistently emphasized in science education as a crucial element for learning. Although many researchers came to agree on the importance of scientific inquiry, authentic inquiry activities are hard to be actualized in an educational context. Therefore it is required to critically examine what teachers have difficulty in teaching inquiry. In this article, we looked into inquiry-based science activities in a small group setting where pre-service science teachers faced dilemmas between cognition and practice of inquiry. A case study was conducted on eight undergraduate students who are majoring in science education. The participants attended a weekly science program for middle school students in low SES as teaching assistants and mentors, and took full care of his/her mentees during open-inquiry activities. The results were drawn by analyzing participants' personal and group interviews, participant observations, self-reports, and others. The pre-service teachers viewed the knowledge and procedure of science as an essential factor in inquiry activities along with student's spontaneous attitude. However, in the process of performing inquiry, they faced several dilemmas between ideal cognition and real activities. The aspects of dilemmas could be summarized in three pairs of opposing concepts: 'diverging inquiry or converging science', 'interest-centered inquiry or learning-centered inquiry', and 'student as the subject or student with the insufficient expertise.' We discussed ways of resolving dilemmas and alternative perspectives on scientific inquiry.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.647-667
• /
• 2009

This study intends to analyze open-ended inquiry activities of elementary science-gifted students in terms of how similar they are to authentic science inquiry and suggest desirable ways to make more effective programs for the gifted. For this study, we selected a small group with five elementary science-gifted students who had participated in the open inquiry program of summer camp held in the Institute for Science Gifted Education and collected data through recording and video-taping their discussion and performance from planning to coordinating inquiry results. The data was analyzed in terms of epistemological features and cognitive process in authentic science inquiry. The results is as follows. In terms of epistemology, students' inquiry methods were theory laden and they constructed knowledge in collaborative groups. For example, the students often discussed about performing the thought experiment and scientific concept related to inquiry task or their opinion. And in terms of cognitive process, their designing inquiry was similar to authentic science inquiry especially selecting variables, planning procedures, controlling variables, planning measures.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.645-658
• /
• 2003

This study was carried out to analyze inquiry area of the chemistry (II) textbooks which were published by the 7th curriculum. The study attempts to analyze the degree to which chemistry (II) textbooks reflected the guidelines of the 7th science curriculum and propose educational suggestions for the inquiry learning. The analysis of the inquiry area was carried out based on the suggested inquiry elements of the 7th science curriculum. Overall, for the analysis of inquiry elements, basic inquiry elements except classifying suggested by the 7th science curriculum were well reflected on the textbooks. However, for the integrated inquiry elements, interpreting data takes almost half of the total integrated inquiry elements. Other integrated inquiry elements except drawing conclusion and transforming data were reflected less than ten percent. Investigation was also reflected less than ten percent of all inquiry activity. And inquiry activities were limited in terms of variety with few projects and no field trip. The main essence of the 7th science curriculum is the emphasis on total inquiry learning through various integrated inquiry elements and inquiry activities for higher grade students. Thus it is suggested that teachers provide inquiry learning which can supplement the textbook.