• Human Ecology Research
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.359-376
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• 2022

Based on an ecological model of teacher agency, the purpose of this study was to examine the relevance of HE (home economics) subjects and CSE (comprehensive sexuality education) for HE teachers, and their implementation in HE classes. To achieve this, a survey was conducted with HE teachers nationwide for which 243 responses were collected, and interviews were conducted with five HE teachers who were actively practicing CSE. The results of the survey and interview were as follows. First, HE teachers strongly recognized the relevance of HE subjects and the topic of CSE with an average score of 4.63 (out of 5 points), and practiced CSE at an average of 72.23% (97.12%~43.21%) in their class. Second, based on the ecological approach model of teacher agency, the factors facilitating the CSE practice of HE teachers included: childbirth and parenting experienced as parents, experiences of students encountering sexual problems in school, the philosophy and content of HE subjects, positive feedback from students and support from fellow teachers, and intention to help students in their lives. Conversely, HE teachers cited a lack of sexual education experience as learners, complaints from parents, weakness of HE teacher networks, lack of specific statements in curriculum and textbooks, insufficient class content and teacher training, and lack of absolute class time. This study is significant in revealing that CSE is highly relevant to the contents of HE subjects and is already being practiced in HE classes.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.27-44
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• 2021

This study is to identify the concept of action from the critical science perspective and to explore the agency of home economics teachers for the purpose of teacher education. The context and various characteristics of home economics teacher' agency were identified in terms of philosophy and teacher education. The results of the study indicates, first, the concept of action refers to an activity of individuals involving one's own intentions, and include the ability to reveal a unique identity that aims to reach a set purpose and decision, and this can be identified by mutual meaning in the public sphere. Second, teacher agency is influenced by a teacher's professional experiences and cultural and structural aspects, and it can create an environment which can promote self-directed and cooperative relationships among individuals and communities. Therefore, home economics teachers should be able to reasonably judge, contemplate, and act through reflections on the circumstances and consequences in which their agency is exercised. Third, home economics teachers can reflect and think critically about the values, roles, and sense of purpose of home economics education based on agency. Teachers should focus on the process of achieving their agency rather than on completing it, and they can continuously develop it through a perceived shared understanding among teachers. Therefore, the conceptualization of the agency of home economics teachers is to understand the practice revealed in a teacher's actions. This requires environmental support in school settings because it acts as a mechanism for strengthening the thinking and reflection of teachers through the creation of interactive environments in which professional knowledge and experiences can be shared.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.237-250
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• 2021

Teachers play a key role in designing a students' learning experience. Teachers are asked to interpret the context in which they are located and to adjust their practice to fit circumstantial needs based on their teacher agency. In this study, we explore the emergence of teacher agency in distance learning caused by COVID-19 and we analyze factors shaping the teacher agency. For this purpose, we interviewed six secondary science teachers who practiced distance learning in 2020. Semi-constructed interviews and their artifacts were collected and analyzed. This study shows that teacher agency is captured when they respond to circumstantial change and modify their practice to achieve their professional purpose or adjust their practice in space for maneuvering or keep their practice consistent. This study also analyzes the factors that affect the emergence of teacher agency in two dimensions. One is individual and the other is contextual. In the individual dimension, educational values shaped by his/her experiences and short/long-term goals for the future support the emergence of teacher agency. In the contextual dimension, there are collaborative and flexible culture shared by the community, co-operation within the teacher community, and material support. On the other hand, in the individual dimension, the teachers' sense of their role, and no reflection for own practice constrain the emergence of teacher agency, and in the contextual dimension, performativity discourse and strong requirement without guidance constrain the emergence of teacher agency. We suggest an effective lens for establishing a strategy that support teachers' professional practice and the emergence of teacher agency.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.415-428
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• 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything, even education. Last year when distance learning was introduced, science teachers faced many challenges to overcome. However, teachers adapted quickly, and in this year, it became the 'new normal'. In this situation, teachers are likely to habitually repeat past practices, but the context of the second year of distance learning is changing constantly, and teachers are asked to interpret the problem occurring in a situation and to adjust their practice for solving the problem with their teacher agency. In this study, we explore the emergence of science teacher agency and factors shaping teacher agency in the second year of distance learning and we focus on teachers' agentic practice that did not follow their past practice without reflection. For this purpose, we mainly analyze the semi-constructed interview of three science teachers. In the first year of distance learning, two teachers maintained their practice, not much different to face-to-face learning. However, one teacher reflected upon herself and started to recognize and solve her problems. Reflection for her practice can support this process. Another teacher changed her practice due to external suggestions, but it evolved her practice to fit the situation better, and her experience of last year helped her to adapt to the change. The other teacher who modified her practice to persist her professional purpose last year was consistently practicing in the second year and collaboration and autonomy can support her. This study shows the teachers' dynamic change of agency and the emergence for the relational interaction between teacher and context.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.773-790
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• 2015

Conducted as an ethnographic examination of science teaching and learning in an Innovative Middle School in Korea, this study employs sociocultural theory to examine how structures afford and limit student participation in an innovative school designed to promote student-centered learning. Data includes teacher and student interviews, student responses to a questionnaire, classroom observations, and analysis of video recordings of ten lessons in two in two 8th grade science classes. Using structure|agency dialectic theory, we identify and describe some structures that afford and limit teacher and student agency at the micro (science classrooms), meso (school), and macro (Korean society) levels to raise some questions about current reform measures, such as innovation schools, that seek to position classroom teachers as agents for change in science education reform in Korea. Findings suggest that while teachers and school administrators play an essential role in structuring learning opportunities at the meso and micro levels, they have limited agency to address structural constraints originating at the macro-level, which can negatively impact teaching and learning in the science classroom. We offer implications for policy and practice and argue the need for more qualitative research, informed by sociocultural theory, to inform science education reform efforts in Korea.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.204-208
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to find out the teacher's awareness and needs for early childhood mathematics education and outdoor movement activities. The study participants were eight kindergarten teachers located in Korea. in-depth interviews were conducted with teachers on 2014.04. ~ 2014.07. Interviews were held twice each, semi-structured with the order and content of the questions adjusted. As a result of analyzing and categorizing the collected data, the results were 'Early teacher's awareness of mathematics education', 'Early teacher's awareness of outdoor movement activities', and 'Educational teacher's awareness of mathematics activities linked to outdoor movement activities'. The conclusions of this study are as follows. First, the model of early childhood teacher for mathematics education and outdoor movement should be presented. Second, there is a need for ways to improve the teacher's confidence in mathematics education and outdoor movement.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.247-252
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• 2023

The purpose of the study was to examine the mediating effect of kindergarten teachers' psychological burnout in the relationship between grit and teacher-child interactions. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 191 kindergarten teachers in South Korean. To measure the major variables, Grit scale [1], teacher-child interaction scale [2], and psychological burnout scale [3] were used. Hayes' PROCESS macro was used to test mediation effects of psychological burnout in the relationship between grit and teacher-child interactions. Indirect effects were tested using bootstrapped confidence intervals. As the results, kindergarten teachers' teacher-child interactions were found to have a significantly positive correlation with their grit but a significantly negative correlation with their psychological burnout. In addition, the relationship between grit and teacher-child interactions was mediated by psychological burnout.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.233-239
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• 2018

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of preschool teachers' qualification (education level, teaching experience, major, and certification) and competency variables (teaching efficacy and teacher-child interaction) on young children's development (cognition, language, and social development). The data came from $5^{th}$ Wave of Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC) from the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education, and the multiple regression analyses as well as Pearson's correlation analyses were used. The results showed the positive associations between teachers' competency (teaching efficacy and teacher-child interaction) and child development. However, we did not find significant effects of teachers' qualification on young children's development. Based on the results, we proposed a policy implication that teacher qualification needed to be discussed with teacher competency to improve teacher quality.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.58-63
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• 2019

The purpose of the study was to examine the moderating effect of childcare teachers' role conflict on the relationship between their professionalism perception and teaching. The subjects were 365 childcare teachers who had children. They were asked to complete the survey on professionalism perception, role conflict in women, and teacher efficacy along with their background information. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0 software. Descriptive, Pearson's correlation analyses, and a hierarchical regression analysis were conducted. As results, first, the childcare teachers with high professionalism perception showed high teacher efficacy, and the childcare teachers with high role conflict showed low teacher efficacy. Second, there was the moderating effect of role conflict on the relationship between professionalism perception and teacher efficacy.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.39-44
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• 2018

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of early childhood teachers' professionalism and teaching efficacy on their teacher-child interaction. A total of 761 early childhood teachers working at childcare centers and kindergartens in South Korea were selected as the participants for the study. The study variables were measured using survey questionnaires. Pearson's correlation analyses and regression analyses along with Sobel test were conducted. The results demonstrated that early childhood teachers' teaching efficacy had a significant mediation effect on the relationship between their professionalism and teacher-child interaction. The results suggest the need to support early childhood teachers' recognition and development of professionalism as well as teaching efficacy that result in positive teacher-child interaction.