• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.921-946
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to devise a model of career decision in the science-gifted by exploring factors of having influence upon career decision in the science-gifted undergraduates of our country, and by examining pattern and path of career decision. By suggesting a model of structure, which synthetically considered factors of parents (parental social support), school (stress of college life, adjustment to college life), and individual characteristics(problem solving ability, career decision-making self-efficacy, conviction for major selection)as for career decision in the science-gifted undergraduates through this study, the aim was to arrange the theoretical frame for career in the science-gifted undergraduates. The research subjects were 93(class of 2007~2009) students who completed education in 2002 and 2003 at the gifted education center affiliated with University, and 264 scholarship students(class of 2005-2008) by the President at home and abroad, who are receiving scholarship by being selected as a science scholarship student by the incumbent President. The measurement tools, which were used in this study for collecting data, are test of parental social support, test of problem-solving ability, test of stress in college life, test of adjustment to college life, test of efficacy in career decision, and test of having confidence in selecting a major. For statistical analysis of the collected data, SPSS Program and AMOS Program were used. As a result, the model showed a good fit to the present data in the science-gifted undergraduates, TLI=.928, CFI=.941, RMSEA=.059. It was confirmed to be a model that is accepted in the group of the science-gifted undergraduates. Also, hypotheses, which were established on the basis of a theoretical quest, could be known to have been all adopted except one path. The results of this study can be offered as basic data for developing program and implementing a system in order to broaden the width of understanding about career and to help the career decision in the science-gifted.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.257-276
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• 2023

Mathematical modeling can be described as a series of processes in which real-world problem situations are understood, interpreted using mathematical methods, and solved based on mathematical models. The effectiveness of mathematics instruction using mathematical modeling has been demonstrated through prior research. This study aims to explore insights for mathematical modeling instruction by analyzing the metacognitive characteristics shown in the mathematical modeling cycle, according to the mathematical thinking styles of elementary math gifted students. To achieve this, a mathematical thinking style assessment was conducted with 39 elementary math gifted students from University-affiliated Science Gifted Education Center, and based on the assessment results, they were classified into visual, analytical, and mixed groups. The metacognition manifested during the process of mathematical modeling for each group was analyzed. The analysis results revealed that metacognitive elements varied depending on the phases of modeling cycle and their mathematical thinking styles. Based on these findings, didactical implications for mathematical modeling instruction were derived.

• School Mathematics
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.317-333
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the thinking characteristics of mathematically gifted elementary school students in the process of modified prize-sharing problem solving and each student's thinking changes in the middle of discussion. To determine the relevance of the research task, 19 sixth graders enrolled in a local joint gifted class received instruction, and then 49 students took lessons. Out of them, 19 students attended a gifted education institution affiliated to local educational authorities, and 15 were in their fourth to sixth grades at a beginner's class in a science gifted education center affiliated to a university. 15 were in their fifth and sixth grades at an enrichment class in the same center. Two or three students who seemed to be highly attentive and express themselves clearly were selected from each group. Their behavioral and teaming characteristics were checked, and then an intensive observational case study was conducted with the help of an assistant researcher by videotaping their classes and having an interview. As a result of analyzing their thinking in the course of solving the modified prize-sharing problem, there were common denominators and differences among the student groups investigated, and each student was very distinctive in terms of problem-solving process and thinking level as well.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.927-943
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• 2011

What are the critical factors in deciding future career to the gifted and talented students? The present study started with this question, and was to develop a career decision-making scale for scientifically gifted undergraduates. For this, literatures related to the scientifically gifted/talent and scientists' career decision-making were reviewed and examined in depth. Based on the review of the related literature, the developed scale of career decision-making was comprised of 26 items in 6 factors, such as individual aptitude & self-realization, economic aspect, work & leisure, familial influence, parents/teachers' recommendation, and experience of science activity during the school days. For the preliminary exploratory factor analysis, 153 undergraduate students who were majoring in natural sciences and engineer participated in the study. For the confirmatory factor analysis, 264 undergraduates who were awarded the presidential scholarships and 93 undergraduates who completed a university-affiliated gifted education center participated. The results of the study are as follows. The fit of measurement model was found to be $x^{2}$=645.157 (df=279, p=.00), TLI=.924, CFI= .935, RMSEA=.061, indicating most of fit indexes were acceptable. Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ in each sub-factor was quite high, .82 for individual aptitude & self-realization, .94 for economic aspect, .84 for work and leisure, .88 for familial influence, .79 for patents/ teachers' recommendation, and .79 for experience of science activity during the school days. The results of the study were discussed whether the developed scale could be used as a valid and reliable tool for measuring career decision-making factors of the scientifically gifted undergraduates in our country.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.211-230
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• 2016

The study aimed to investigate the characteristics of algebraic thinking of the mathematically gifted students and search for how to teach algebraic thinking. Research subjects in this study included 93 students who applied for a science gifted education center affiliated with a university in 2015 and previously experienced gifted education. Students' responses on an algebraic item of a creative thinking test in mathematics, which was given as screening process for admission were collected as data. A framework of algebraic thinking factors were extracted from literature review and utilized for data analysis. It was found that students showed difficulty in quantitative reasoning between two quantities and tendency to find solutions regarding equations as problem solving tools. In this process, students tended to concentrate variables on unknown place holders and to had difficulty understanding various meanings of variables. Some of students generated errors about algebraic concepts. In conclusions, it is recommended that functional thinking including such as generalizing and reasoning the relation among changing quantities is extended, procedural as well as structural aspects of algebraic expressions are emphasized, various situations to learn variables are given, and activities constructing variables on their own are strengthened for improving gifted students' learning and teaching algebra.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.193-207
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate middle school and science-gifted students' conceptions about motion of objects on the surface of the earth and the moon. The subjects were 61 first-, 51 second-, 51 third-year students, for a total of 163 in a middle school and 32 science-gifted students from a university-affiliated sciencegifted education center for secondary school students. The research contents were conceptions about motion of objects by the vertical direction, an inclined plane and horizontal plane on the surface of the earth and the moon. The questions were as follows: If two balls, same size but different mass, were put on, thrown over, by the vertical direction, an inclined plane and a horizontal plane on the surface of the earth and the moon at the same time and speed, which one would arrive faster than the other?; In the same mass in the earth and the moon, how fast could the object reach to which location, the earth or the moon? The results showed that science-gifted students offer meaningful difference on the concept of objects in motion at the vertical direction, an inclined plane and a horizontal plane on the earth and at the vertical direction on the moon than general middle school students. There were meaningful difference on the vertical up direction, an inclined plane and a horizontal plane in the same situation in the earth and the moon. Finally, based on the results of our study, we discuss possible educational implications for teaching the concept of objects in motion.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.59-76
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• 2015

The study aimed to investigate elementary school gifted students' hypothesis-generating ability and characteristics of hypotheses and to analyze the correlation between hypothesis-generating ability and meta-cognition. Nineteen students enrolled in a science gifted education center affiliated with a university in 2013 were selected as research subjects. An instrument of open ended items about hypothesis generating was developed and administered to students, and their meta-cognition as well as their preferred science teaching method were examined. Hypotheses generated by students were classified into two categories: scientific and non-scientific hypotheses, and then a closer analysis was conducted on characteristics of non-scientific hypotheses. It was found that 47% (18 out of 38 hypotheses) was scientific ones showing that elementary school gifted students in science in this study presented low level of ability in generating hypothesis. It was also found that non-scientific hypotheses frequently showed characteristics of uncertain in causality or impossible to verify relationships. Furthermore, differences in hypothesis-generating ability and characteristics of hypotheses were appeared in conditions whether inquiry questions and variable identification process were given or not. Students showed high abilities in hypothesis generating and variable identifying when inquiry questions and variable identification process were given. Compared to previous research results, students in the study showed high level of meta-cognition and tendency of utilizing monitoring strategy more than planning and regulating. In ill-structured conditions that students themselves find inquiry questions and identify variables, a significant (p<.05) correlation appeared between hypothesis generating ability and meta-cognition and a high level of correlation between planning and regulating strategies. It was also found that differences existed in hypothesis-generating ability and preferred science teaching methods between students with high level and those with low level of meta-cognition; and students with low level of meta cognition showed difficulties in generating hypothesis and identifying variables.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.256-271
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• 2018

The study aimed to investigate how the science gifted connect and integrate science concepts in the process of problem finding. Research subject was sampled from 228 applicants for a science gifted education center affiliated with a university in 2015. A creative problem solving test (CPST) in science, which administered as an admission process, was utilized as a reference to sample two groups. Sixty-seven students from top 30% in test scores were selected for the upper group and 64 students from bottom 30% in test scores were selected for the lower group. The CPST, which was developed by researchers, included one item about how to connect two science concepts among eight science concepts, sound, electricity, weight, temperature, respiration, photosynthesis, weather, and earthquake extracted from elementary science curriculum. As results, there were differences in choosing two concepts among four science major areas. The ways of connecting science concepts were characterized by three categories, relation-based, similarity-based, and dissimilarity-based. In addition, relation-based was characterized by attributes, means, influences, predictions, and causes; similarity-based was by attributes, objects, scientific principles, and phenomena, and dissimilarity-based was by parallel, resource, and deletion. There were significant (p<.000) differences in ways of connecting science concepts between the upper and the lower groups. The upper group students preferred connecting science concepts of inter-science subjects while the lower group students preferred connecting science concepts of intra-science subject. The upper group students showed a tendency to connect the science concepts based on similarity. In contrast, the lower group students frequently showed ways of connecting the science concepts based on dissimilarity. In particular, they simply parallelled science concepts.