• The Mathematical Education
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• v.45 no.2 s.113
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• pp.191-204
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• 2006

Computer technology has a potential to change the contents of school mathematics and the way of teaching mathematics. But in our country, the problem whether computer technology should be introduced into mathematics classroom or not was not resolved yet. As a tool, computer technology can be used by teachers who are confident of the effectiveness and who can use it skillfully and can help students to understand mathematics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effective way to introduce and utilize computer technology based on the status quo of mathematics classroom setting. One possible way to utilize computer technology in mathematics classroom in spite of the lack of computer and the inaccessibility of useful software is using domain specific simulation software like 'Polyhedron'. 'Polyhedron', as we can guess from the name, can be used to explore regular and semi regular polyhedra and the relationship between them. Its functions are limited but it can visualize regular polyhedra, transform regular polyhedra into other polyhedra. So it is easier to operate than other dynamic geometry software like GSP. To investigate the effect of using this software in mathematics class, three classes(one in 6th grade from science education institute for the gifted, two in 7th grade) were chosen. Activities focused on the relationship between regular and semi regular polyhedra. After the class, several conclusions were drawn from the observation. First, 'Polyhedron' can be used effectively to explore the relationship between regular and semi regular polyhedra. Second, 'Polyhedron' can motivate students. Third, Students can understand the duality of polyhedra. Fourth, Students can visualize various polyhedra by reasoning. To help teachers in using technology, web sites like NCTM's illuminations and NLVM of Utah university need to be developed.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.193-206
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the consistent presentation of illustrations about the aligning direction of the Axis on the middle school students' acquisition and retention of astronomical concepts. This study was taken using the nonequivalent control-group pretest-posttest design on 116 7th middle school subjects. The same teaching and learning activities were given to both the experimental (n=59) and control groups (n=57) through three lessons. The experimental group was given a consistent presentation of the illustrations about the aligning direction of the Axis, while the control group was given an inconsistent presentation of the same illustrations about aligning direction. Two days after the three lessons, the 1st posttest was administered to compare the statistical difference of mean of both groups, using ANCOVA test. The result of ANCOVA test implicated that the consistent presentation of the illustrations about the aligning direction of the Axis had a positive influence on the experimental group's acquisition of the concepts. The 2nd posttest result for retention effect was given two month later by one-paired t-Test in each group and showed that the method had a positive effect on the experimental group, compared with control group. The results of this study implicated that paying careful attention to using the consistent illustration is highly beneficial for students' meaningful learning on astronomical concepts.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.101-115
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• 2012

Analogy, a plausible reasoning on the basis of similarity, is one of the thinking strategy for concept formation, problem solving, and new discovery in many disciplines. Statistics educators argue that analogy can be used as an useful thinking strategy in statistics as well. This study investigated the characteristics of students' analogical thinking in statistics. The mathematically gifted were asked to construct similar problems to a base problem which is a statistical problem having a statistical context. From the analysis of the problems, students' new problems were classified into five types on the basis of the preservation of the statistical context and that of the basic structure of the base problem. From the result, researchers provide some implications. In statistics, the problems, which failed to preserve the statistical context of base problem, have no meaning in statistics. However, the problems which preserved the statistical context can give possibilities for reconceptualization of the statistical concept even though the basic structure of the problem were changed.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.93-108
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to develop a STEAM program that can be used in the high school credit system to be fully implemented in 2025, and to examine its validity and effectiveness. The STEAM program analyzed the 2015 revised curriculum centering on science, technology, and engineering through the 2015 revised curriculum analysis, and then selected the five latest issues: hydrogen fuel, climate crisis, data science, appropriate technology, and barista. In accordance with this self-developed program development format (frame), it was developed for seven months through a process of group deliberation. The draft of the STEAM program for 29 sessions of five types, developed to indirectly experience the career path and occupation of high school students, was verified through consultation with 2 STEAM education experts. It was applied at five different high schools for a pilot implementation. As a result of the pilot application, it was confirmed that the students' STEAM attitude significantly improved in the post-test than the pre-test, and the students' high satisfaction with the program was confirmed. In addition, through an interview with the pilot application teacher, it was positively evaluated that 'the content and level of the program are suitable and through experience solving real-life problems, you can apply the content knowledge of related subjects and have an opportunity to experience careers.' Based on the results of the pilot application, the high school credit system STEAM program for students and teachers was finally completed in 29 lessons of five types. Through this study, the development and operation of the next-generation STEAM program that can be applied in the high school credit system should be actively developed, and a plan to improve teachers' professionalism so that the high school credit system can be established and operated properly for blended classes triggered by COVID-19. The necessity of design was suggested. This study is expected to be used as basic data for the development and operation of STEAM programs in the high school credit system, which will be fully implemented in 2025.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to understand students' representational competence while they engaged in learning in geological field trips with scientific models and modeling(Mt. Gwanak and the Hantan-river were formed). Ten students agreed to participate in this study voluntarily. They were attending the Institute of Gifted Education in the Seoul Metropolitan area. The data were collected for all students' activities during field trips and modeling activities using simultaneous video and voice recording, the interview after classes, written data(note) made by the students. The analysis framework that distinguished levels of representational competence and added the resulting interpretation with the final models in the process of scientific models. Results suggested that representational competence levels varied from one to six. However, students showed relatively low levels of representational competence in outdoor learning environments than indoor learning environments. In other words, it began with a relatively low level of representational competence in outdoor class. Then students developed a higher level of representational competence indoor class. Ultimately, we need to understand students' representational competence implies a tool to explain phenomena in the process of modeling activities.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.631-658
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• 2011

The impact of the academic achievements of science high school graduates during the science high school period on their creative productivity, higher education, occupation, and income were investigated with 244 science high school graduates who belonged either to top 30% or bottom 30% in terms of their high school GPA. The factors contributed to the choice of current occupations and life were also investigated through retrospective approach. Survey questionnaire was administered to 244 adults who graduated from 18 science high schools before 2001. Thirteen graduates who completed questionnaire were interviewed face-to-face. Their ages ranged from 28.00 to 42.84. The high achievers were belonged to top 30% and the low achievers were belonged to the bottom 30% and the two groups demonstrated significant differences in their higher education and creative productivity. More doctoral degree holders and more number of creative products were found in the high achievers than the low achievers. 58.1% of the high achievers and 42.7% of the low achievers were working as professional scientists. Significantly more high achievers were working on tasks which require creative problem solving abilities and their income was significantly higher than the low achievers. For both groups, parents were the most significant individuals and then teachers were the second most important persons who impacted to their life and the choice of their occupation. Interviews with 13 graduates confirmed the survey results especially in their choice of life style and occupation. They were also influenced the most by parents, then teachers, and their friends who were more interacting with the socioeconomic environment when they selected university, major, and occupation. The results implies that high school achievement has significant influence on their future achievement to some extent and schools need to provide guide on the career choice not only to the students but also to their parents, since students' career choices are much influenced by their parents.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.90-104
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• 2021

This study conducted an online survey to understand what elementary school teachers think about the learning contents of elementary science education subjects needed to train elementary science teachers suitable for the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution. The results are as follows: First, there were many elementary school teachers who thought that the current learning content of elementary science education was not suitable for the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution and that it needed to modify the learning content. Many of the teachers said that the learning content of the subject did not include the characteristics of the 4th Industrial Revolution, but also did not reflect the changes of the times and remained in the past. Second, the content that elementary school teachers thought was important in training elementary school teachers suitable for the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution was mainly related to the interests and curiosity of students, and scientific experiments or inquiry. On the contrary, the items that they thought should be deleted or reduced included science learning theory, science teaching/learning model, nature of science, and guidance for gifted children. Third, the contents that elementary school teachers thought needed to be added as learning content of elementary science education subjects were SSI education, science education-related social change and future prediction, advanced science technology, STEAM guidance, and integrated education within the science field. Fourth, in order to train elementary school teachers suitable for the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution, the contents that they thought should be introduced first as learning content of elementary science education subjects were SSI education, integrated education within the science field, STEAM guidance, and core competencies. Other contents that need to be introduced were software education, safety education, and project learning methods.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.129-158
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• 2020

In this study, we presented two geometric tasks to three 11th grade students to identify the characteristics of the images that the students had at the beginning of problem-solving in the problem situations and investigated how their images changed during problem-solving and effected their problem-solving behaviors. In the first task, student A had a static image (type 1) at the beginning of his problem-solving process, but later developed into a dynamic image of type 3 and recognized the invariant relationship between the quantities in the problem situation. Student B and student C were observed as type 3 students throughout their problem-solving process. No differences were found in student B's and student C's images of the problem context in the first task, but apparent differences appeared in the second task. In the second task, both student B and student C demonstrated a dynamic image of the problem context. However, student B did not recognize the invariant relationship between the related quantities. In contrast, student C constructed a robust quantitative structure, which seemed to support him to perceive the invariant relationship. The results of this study also show that the success of solving the task 1 was determined by whether the students had reached the level of theoretical generalization with a dynamic image of the related quantities in the problem situation. In the case of task 2, the level of covariational reasoning with the two varying quantities in the problem situation was brought forth differences between the two students.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.301-311
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• 2017

In this study, we observed the characteristics of students' small group discussions concerning the four friction problems. Participants in this study were 22 students of upper-level mechanics course and their small group discussions have been transcribed. As a result, we found that the phenomenon in this study is well defined by 'common context.' The process of formation of the common context was explicitly observed when students discussed about the identification of the problem situation (especially the movement of A in the second problem), the nature of friction and various forces, inertial frame, and noninertial reference frame. Meanwhile, the formation of common context was tacit when students thought they already had a common context. For example, students did not discuss about the friction rule itself because they had confidence about the knowledge. We also found that the presence of the questioner, receiver, and the other opinion were important for positive group discussions. The result of this study would be meaningful because it analyzed how the theme affects the group discussion beyond the limit of previous studies of just analyzing the form or pattern of discourse.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.76-89
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to develop a science field study area using Geumgang(Geum River), fossil origins and various geological resources in Youngdong area of Chungcheongbuk-do as educational resources; and utilize them to develop an education program to cultivate earth science and topophilia. The Youngdong sedimentary basin (Cretaceous period) has a well-developed outcrop along the Geumgang and it is therefore easy to find various geological structures, plant fossils, and dinosaur fossils. Also, it has a distinct sedimentary structure, such as mud cracks, ripple marks and cross-bedding. Science field study area(6 observation sites) were developed based on school curriculum, textbook analysis, and professional earth science education panel discussion to create a convergence education program. The result of validating the developed program showed that all the items were satisfactory ($CVR{\geq}0.88$) in the test categories. The science field study teaching-learning model was applied to actual classes. The evaluation result for class satisfaction was positive, scoring Rickert scale 4.18. The result of observation about the outdoor classroom process in the science field study area revealed that students were able to form a new image of the beautiful scenery of the Geumgang. Also, the students could gain a new understanding, concept and value of various geological objects (sandy beach, stepping-stones, dinosaur footprint fossils, sedimentary formation), which naturally allowed them to form topophilia.