Elementary Student's and Teacher's Views on Life Phenomenon

초등학교 학생과 교사의 생명 현상을 보는 관점

The purpose of this study was to examine the views of elementary students and teachers in relation to life phenomenon. Students seemed to strongly agree with the notion of vitalism as well as with organicism. However they clearly disagreed with the notion of mechanism. Contrary to our supposition, their viewpoints on lift phenomenon were highly affected by their relative levels of academic achievement in science subject areas, rather than by their religious affiliations. One possible explanation for this outcome is that elementary schoolers have not firmly established religious views, though they might indeed have a religious affiliation. High-achieving children in science subject areas seemed to agree with both vitalism and organicism (p<.01), and it is suggested that those students must have had more opportunities to encounter related cases in modem science or life ethics. Teachers agreed with all three views, showing the highest rate of approval in organicism. Though they appeared to agree with mechanism, they were strongly opposed to radical mechanism generally arguing that 'organism and machines were essentially the same'. Student responses indicated that TV had a bigger influence on their viewpoint on life phenomenon than teachers did. This means that children held certain views about the relative significance and influences of teachers vis-a-vis TV in daily life, and is also reflective of a perception amongst students that teachers do not how the significance of viewpoints on lift phenomenon.