• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.217-229
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• 2015

In this study, we explored the development of scientific model through the social-construction process on "combustion." Students were 8th graders from one middle school class. Each student engaged in small group discussions three times and made a group model on combustion. Discourses between peers and teacher were videotaped, audiotaped, and transcribed. The results show that the small groups constructed an initial concept: 'Conditions of combustion', which they then evaluated and revised the initial concept through combustion experiment. Following the discussions, some small groups evaluated their model and made a revised model. Then, the small groups compared various models and constructed a scientific model through consensus within the small group and as a whole class. Finally, students kept revising their model to 'Burning needs oxygen.' This tells us that the social construction process of scientific model made a meaningful role to build scientific model through diverse discussion between the students and their teacher, although they have had some difficult process to reach the final consensus. The data also showed some group features: the members were open to other's ideas. They analyzed the differences between their own ideas from others and revised their model after the whole class discussion. Lastly, they showed the tendency to make a good use of teacher's guidance. This study implies the importance of having social interaction process for students to understand the scientific model and learn the nature of scientific inquiry in class.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.434-445
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to aid the teaching strategy for the teacher by investigating the preconception of the earthquake for 4th grade students in elementary school before learn the curriculum. For this, 31 grade students who lived in Seongnam in Gyeonggi province were interviewed with the questionnaire. The following is the findings. On the definition of an earthquake, 64.9% of the students had scientific conception. On the question of 'what happens on the ground when there is an earthquake', 59.2% of the students responded shaking or cracking of the earth, ground, things or building. On the question of 'what a person should do when there is an earthquake', most of the students responded by more than two answers. In contrast, on the causes of an earthquake, there were the largest percentage (35.3%) students who answered they didn't know. Except for one student, there were no students had talked about scientific conception. On the question of 'what happens below when there is an earthquake', 26.3% of the students responded they didn't know. On the place where an earthquake occurs rather frequently, 22.2% of the students mentioned an island. On the reason, 39.9% of the students responded they didn't know and there were no students with scientific answers. This study showed 4th grade students had scientific conception on the definition of an earthquake, and they had many experience interaction with external environment on 'what happens on the ground when there is an earthquake', 'the place where an earthquake occur rather frequently'. However the students had relatively small experience on the causes of an earthquake, on 'what happens below the ground when there is an earthquake', and earthquake-prone areas. Based on this study, additional research must be conducted on science in which the students' preconceptions is investigated to connect back to curriculum development. In addition, consideration must be given on how to integrate the thinking processes of students during the curriculum development process.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.164-178
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to design a teaching and learning method conductive to the development of creative thinking skills and investigate its effects. It has been developed integrated mind map with feature of visualizing the divergent thinking to the aspects of Science (S), Technology (T) & Engineering (E), Arts (A), Mathematics (M). Integrated mind map can be divided into four types of STEAM type, STEA type, STEM type, STE type depending on the category of key words in the first branch. And Integrated mind map can be divided into three levels of guided, intermediate, open depending on the teacher's guide degree. And also integrated mind map activities were carried out in the form of group, class share as well as individual. This study was implemented during a semester and students in experiment group experienced individual-integrated mind map activity 10 times, group-integrated mind map activity 10 times, class share-integrated mind map activity 3 times. The results indicated that the experimental group presented statistically meaningful improvement in creative thinking skills (p<.05). And there was a statistically meaningful improvement in fluency, flexibility, originality as a sub-category of creative thinking skills(p <.05). Also creative thinking skills are not affected by the level of cognitive, academic performance, gender (p<.05). In conclusion, it was found that 'integrated mind map activity' improved student's creative thinking skills. There was no interaction effect about creative thinking skills between the teaching strategy and cognitive level, achivement, gender of those students.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.1001-1024
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• 2014

The purpose of the study is to explore the experiences and meaning of the AP (Advanced Placement) at the specialized school for the highly gifted through the in-depth interview with 39 college students who had graduated from the specialized schools with the AP experiences. It is expected that the AP will be expanded to the students at the Science High Schools from the year of 2015, however, there has been no study to examine the realities of the AP in-depth especially through the voices of the AP participants. Students have taken 8 required and/or selective courses as AP in average. Students usually start to take AP from the second year of the specialized school for the highly gifted, but some start from the first year through the placement test. Numbers of available AP courses vary by subjects, but relatively more courses open in the areas of math and physics. Students' opinions regarding the AP were quite positive. Specifically, the high quality of the AP class and energetic interaction between student and teacher compared to the college classes were preferred by the students. However, it was controversial whether C+ is enough for the pass condition of the AP. Students were using the shortened time by AP in diverse ways, such as early graduation, double majors, exchange students, individual researches, and so on. Most of all, they tried to search for their career interests through the AP experiences. In closing, the present study provides some advices and future directions for the better AP management, including the improvement of administrative system between schools for the gifted and the universities, and the expansion of the number of university which approves the AP system.