• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.56-68
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the elementary school teachers' perceptions about the science subject exclusive system. For this study, we developed the questionnaire to investigate teachers' perceptions and 43 elementary school teachers participated in the questionnaire test. And we used participation observation method to investigate characteristics the exclusive elementary science teacher and the elementary school homeroom teacher's science classes. After participation observation, we had interviews with exclusive elementary school science teacher and elementary school homeroom teacher. The results showed that elementary school teachers thought the science subject exclusive system was very necessary. And elementary school teachers thought that the exclusive elementary science teacher had higher professionality about teaching science subject than the homeroom teacher. Then, they expected that the strong points of science subject exclusive system would be some solution to the weak points of homeroom teachers' science classes. We suggested that it must be to enlarge the science subject exclusive system and develope in-service teacher program for the exclusive elementary science teachers.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.217-230
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• 2014

This study explores the features of sociocultural context of experiment classes taught by a science subject teacher. Two experiment classes on electric circuit for fifth graders were observed and video recorded. The data was also collected through student interviews and teacher interviews. Using the cultural historical activity theory, we extracted the six sociocultural factors and analyzed their interactions. This study could identify that four features of the sociocultural context of the cases. First, the rules of science classes were not decided by the teacher, but formed and modified through the negotiation between the teacher and students or between the students. Second, elementary students played a game, i.e. 'Countdown game', during their electricity experiments, which had both positive and negative influences on science learning. Third, the science teacher feels a limit on life guidance because of the position as a subject teacher in an elementary school. Lastly, although the science teacher had enough time to prepare science classes, there was no guarantee of the improvement of teaching quality. Based on the results of this study, educational implications are discussed in terms of teaching science experiments and of the science subject teacher system.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.488-499
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• 2010

In this research, we investigated the historical development and ways of improvement of the teacher employment test (TET, hereafter) in Korea. This paper consists of three parts. The first part details the secondary science teacher education system in Korea. The second part elaborates upon the development of the TET since 1990's. The third part provides conclusion by addressing ways to improve science teacher education and employment systems in Korea. After all, the keen competition for teacher education and the demanding entry test ensure that secondary science teachers are selected from a pool of candidates with high academic achievement. Korean teacher employment system in general places more weight on subject knowledge. Although we cannot simply conclude that Korean science teachers must have profound knowledge in the subject matter and are competent in pedagogy, it stands to reason that the teachers could be more competent in performing their roles than those of many western countries with an acute shortage of teachers. We also suggested future directions and ways of improvement regarding teacher education and the TET in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.219-227
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to analyze field application of science subject competences of the 2015 revised curriculum for the second year of application. For this purpose, a survey with 133 elementary school teachers, and in-depth interviews with 10 teachers were conducted. According to the results, elementary school teachers had a positive awareness toward the science subject competence, which is a characteristic of the 2015 revised science curriculum, and teachers were applying the science subject competence to their own classes. This tendency was stronger in teachers in science-leading schools than in teachers in regular schools. Teachers wanted support for applying science subject competencies to their classes. To support this, it is necessary to provide the curriculum materials focused on science subject competencies, reinforce teacher training on competence-related curriculum, and activate the professional teacher community.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.494-503
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• 2011

During the last three decades, earth science has been re-conceptualized as an interdisciplinary discipline entitled Earth System Science (ESS), which is based on knowledge of the physical earth system and human impact on the earth. While there is increasing effort to teach earth as a system in K-12 education, teachers' preparedness of to teach earth system is still in its infancy. This article focuses on reviewing the literature of teachers' knowledge of earth systems and of how teachers' knowledge of subject matter affects their teaching practice and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). First, the study investigated a literature of PCK in general as well as in science teaching. Then this study duscuss what teachers' subject matter knowledge (SMK) is and what it means to be in teaching earth system science. Third, a literature of teachers' knowledge of earth system was reviewed. Finally, a number of suggestions and implications are made as to what teacher education program should do to better prepare future teachers to teach earth systems.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.373-381
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• 2009

This study investigated pre-service elementary school teacher's perception of science curriculum use in Korea and Japan. Ninety four pre-service elementary teachers in Korea and fifty three pre-service elementary teachers in Japan are participated in this study. As the result, four patterns were revealed. First, science isn't perceived as an important or interesting subject by the pre-service elementary teachers in both countries. Second, the perception of Korean pre-service teachers about the objectives of science subject is relatively negative. Third, in the case of Korea, the perception about the effectiveness of science subject content and level, and the amount of learning is shown to be more negative than those of Japan. Finally, in both countries, the science majors and the non-science majors have negative perceptions about the inclusion of the perspectives and methods of assessment and the preparation of teaching and learning plan in curriculum.

• Hwankyungkyoyuk
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 2000

This attempts to find out training system of environment education teacher in Korea. The results are summarized as follows. The primary and secondary school have focused on environment education and the environment course was designated as a subject, but only 12% of the 2741 middle school chose the environment subject in 1998. The environment education course is not popular among students. The environment education is an interdisciplinary subject, which is composed of natural science, social studies, earth science, and medical science, that is why the subject is so unsystematic and complicated that appropriate teaching methods and contents for school classes are not able to be developed. Moreover, material and manuals in environment education for students and teachers are limited. While the contents of environment education is composed of field experience learning and experiment learning, but lecture-centered instruction is emphasized in school because of materials, time and experts. Over 300 environmental education teachers are annually produced, but the ratio of employment low. is, Therefore, a retraining program for environment education teacher needs to be developed.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.102-115
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• 2019

This study investigated how elementary school teachers reconstruct science curriculum and how they perceive about their experiences. In-depth interviews were conducted with four elementary school teachers who had experience in restructuring science curriculum. Two distinct types of reconstruction were found; restructuring within the subject and integrating between subjects. The teachers who were restructuring science curriculum from personal needs usually substitute, delete, add some contents or activities and change the order of unit within science subject. In contrast, the teachers who were participating in research school usually integrated science with other subjects, developing a new unit or project. The latter recognized the need of teachers' reconstruction of science curriculum more strongly and the importance of teacher's voluntary learning community in implementing the reconstruction. Though they had some difficulties in identifying students' interests and level of understanding and lack of time, all teachers valued curriculum reconstruction by relating it to teacher professional development, identity as a teacher, and job consciousness.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.367-377
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• 2017

The purpose of this research is to investigate characteristics of science content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge shown in the primary school science classes. Through analysis of classroom teaching, explore the features and differences between primary and secondary school science PCK. Using open-ended interviews with the teachers and group discussions on a regular basis to analyze and compare classes of five primary school teachers, the relationship between CK and PCK. Regardless of the school level the teacher's PCK and professionalism is required with varying focus and emphasis. The features of the primary school teacher's PCK are as follows: Firstly, elementary teach secondary teach content, teachers value pedagogical knowledge (PK) content knowledge (CK). The primary school PCK requires more of understanding of students and teaching methods that to subject areas. PCK be without content knowledge, and the teacher's PCK is subject-specific In addition to the characteristics of PCK in the primary school science teaching, ways to set up professional exchange or collaboration between primary and secondary teachers, and to provide supplementary in-service training focused on content knowledge for primary school teachers.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.97-111
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to research elementary school on safety education in the subject of practical arts. The subject of practical arts of an elementary school have positive attitude about safety education and must prevent an accident to be able to happen during a class of a practical course previously. Safety education has further an interest on subject of practical arts of practice and must induce an aggressive interest of teachers in order to be able to prevent an accident previously. As the above results, to raise the perceptions of elementary school teachers on safety education in the subject of practical arts, it is necessary to search for ways to induce teachers' active interest in safety education and help them experience safety education in the subject of practical arts at teacher training centers.