• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.94-118
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study is to explore the multi-faceted understanding and issues of science subject matter competencies from the trends of competency-based curriculum discourse, and to examine the relationship between general core competencies and science subject matter competencies. First, we examined the theoretical background of competency-based curriculum focusing on behaviorism, humanism, and its comprehensive synthesis. After that, we reviewed OECD's competency-related projects (DeSeCo; OECD Education 2030), US Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Korea's 2015 Revised National Curriculum from the viewpoint of competency-based curriculum. After that, we summarized and systematically analyzed a list of competencies, 105 general core competencies and 45 science subject matter competencies proposed by 15 important documents from home and abroad. The results of this study are as follows: First, the issues of the proper number, appropriate dimension, and how individual competencies should be unique and independent were pointed, in terms of defining and categorizing competencies. Second, it was suggested that the competency items are presented in various dimensions such as personal-micro dimension, community meso-dimension, and social-macro dimension. Meso-dimension was placed on both general core competencies and subject matter competencies. Third, in the relationship between general core competencies and subject matter competencies, the former emphasizes macro-dimension, and the latter emphasizes micro-dimension, revealing an existing gap, and where the two can meet each other is the meso-dimension. These discussions are thought to provide insight into the understanding of competencies in the national curriculum, including the 2015 Revised National Curriculum.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.855-865
• /
• 2012

The goal of this research is to investigate ways to improve science teaching methods to develop students' key competencies. Since the OECD DeSeCo (Definition and Selection of Key Competencies) project, key competencies are redefined as 'what people should know and be able to do in order to lead a successful life in a well-functioning society, which leads many countries to emphasize competency-based curriculum. In this research, we collected and analyzed foreign and domestic classroom cases that have implemented competency-based curriculum in science teaching. Through open-ended interviews with the teachers and principals, we explored ways to improve science teaching methods to develop students' key competencies. In foreign cases, science teachers emphasized students' knowing what KCs to accomplish, activities and student-centered learning, students' group activities and collaboration, and greater curriculum integration among subjects and contexts. Korean science teachers argued that the KCs should be realized through teaching methods and emphasized scientific inquiry learning whereby non-science track students could also benefit from science lessons. Korean science teachers also emphasized links to real-life situations, providing students with various learning experiences that supported students to develop the KCs, and the delivery of an integrated curriculum. In the conclusion section, the difficulties with the implementation of key competencies are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.49-59
• /
• 2024

In this study, we investigated the philosophical background and progress of the 2022 revised curriculum development in the high school earth science field. Research that was not covered in the research report includes the relevance of the transformative competency of OECD Education 2030, and that core ideas and achievement standards are organized around knowledge understanding, process functions, and value attitudes that constitute the learning compass needle. In addition, the composition of core ideas and Earth science electives in light of the understanding-centered curriculum, and IB type inquiry-based teaching and learning. Main research results include that the 2022 revised Earth science curriculum emphasized the student agency to foster the transformative competency and scientific literacy, and the curriculum document system in the field of earth science uses a learning compass needle. In addition, based on the understanding-centered curriculum, core ideas of Earth science were derived, and elective courses were organized to help students reach these core ideas. Also, IB-type inquiry-based teaching and learning was emphasized to foster student agency with knowledge construction competency. Based on the research results, slimming of the national and general level curriculum, the need to develop process-centered assessment methods for value and attitudes, the need for curriculum backward design, and ways to develop student agency through inquiry-based teaching and learning were suggested.

• New Physics: Sae Mulli
• /
• v.68 no.12
• /
• pp.1338-1346
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study is to analyze the curriculum of a university-affiliated science gifted education center based on the core competencies and to suggest a direction for improving the education at the gifted education center. For this purpose, we set the 12 core competencies as follows: 6 cognitive competencies such as knowledge, creativity, scientific thinking ability, inquiry ability, problem solving ability and fusion ability, and 6 non-cognitive competencies such as task commitment, self-directed learning ability, motivation reinforcement and challenge, communication skills, collaboration ability and leadership. The curricula of the science gifted education centers reflect all the competencies, but some competencies are only potentially included in the contents of the programs. In this study, we present examples of education programs by each competences and suggest additional descriptions for the development of gifted education centers.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.535-547
• /
• 2014

This study analyzed the characteristics of National Science Curricula in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, and Korea with respect to core competencies. In the case of overseas countries, literature review on their curricula was conducted, and four common features were extracted: 'association of cross-curricular competencies with science-specific competencies', 'a combination of science contents and scientific practices', 'an emphasis on communication skills', and 'representation of an achievement level of competency'. In addition, the common core competencies of science education were 'critical thinking', 'creative thinking', 'problem solving', 'inquiry skills', 'communication skills', 'cultural literacy', 'ability to integrate discipline', 'application skills', and 'personal/social competency'. In relation to these features, this study also investigated Korean science teachers' perceptions of core competencies in science education. A survey was conducted on 135 teachers in elementary, middle, and high school in Korea. Teachers were not well aware of what core competencies are, and after introduction, they thought that they wanted to and needed to teach core competencies to their students. Teachers claimed that critical core competencies in science education are 'creative thinking', 'problem solving', and 'inquiry skills'. Teachers thought that core competencies-based science class would help develop students' scientific literacy and communication skills. However, they have difficulties in conducting core competencies-based science class because they are not familiar with how to conduct the class and they expect that it will take a long time to prepare such a class.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.368-377
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this research was to investigate ways of restructuring key competencies (KCs) in preparation for a revision of Korean science curriculum. Recently a number of countries have reformed their curricular using competencies as a key element because they believe that competencies-based curriculum helps students build up the necessary skills to live in the future society. Through literature reviews, in-depth interviews with experts and teachers, expert meetings, Delphi methods, and surveys with teachers, three major categories of KCs emerged as follows: Character competencies, Intellectual competencies, and Social competencies. For each major category, its definition, characteristics and teachers' comments are discussed. The specific components of KCs for each major category and implementing KCs should be determined at the subject- and teacher-level based on teacher professionalism. In the conclusion section, we suggested a couple of important points that deserve readers' attention when we reconstruct science curriculum by incorporating three major categories of KCs. When we develop a science curriculum in the future, we need to include three major categories of KCs, and set up KCs as a minimum set of goals for all students. We need to remember that specific components of KCs for each major category and linkage among KCs may vary depending on science topics and objectives.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.517-531
• /
• 2012

This study was aimed to propose a framework for the design and implementation of a competency-based curriculum for higher education institutions. For achieving the purpose, surveys were conducted with 300 companies at the southern regional area to find out core work-competencies that are needed in the work places. In addition, general education curriculum from 4 universities from the same area were analyzed and compared with the survey results to examine if the university curriculum satisfy the need of work places by providing courses that nurturing work competencies. The study found that abilities to work as a team and self-regulation are the core competencies. However, the participating universities did not provide enough courses for students to achieve the core work competencies that are mostly needed in the work places. Based on the study results, the competency based-curriculum were suggested, and the process for implementing the curriculum was discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.373-390
• /
• 2022

Science museums are platforms of PUS (public understanding of science). The purpose of this study was to explore the science communicators' competencies critical in interacting with visitors from the comparison of their training and professional development programs nationally and internationally. The managers running science communicators' programs and communicators themselves from six different national science museums and those from five different international ones participated in the structured survey. The data from surveys were compared among respondents to draw common and specific descriptions for communicators' competencies. In addition, the experienced exemplary science communicator, Ms. Park, participated in this study and the data from her observation field notes, her own developed science communicators' manual, and interviews were used to support the result. The contextual model of learning in science museums (Falk, 2006) was used to illustrate science communicators' expertise. National managers and science communicators showed difference in their perception about science communicators' roles, difficulties, and improvement for their competencies. Internationally, the managers and science communicators showed similar perception about communicators' competencies in terms of the contextual model of learning. It is highly suggested that practice-based science communicators' training and professional development programs must be offered on the basis of interaction between experienced and novice communicators as mentors and mentees systems.

• The Journal of Korean Association of Computer Education
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.75-86
• /
• 2017

E-learning has become one of the popular educational method in these day. In recognition of the growing e-learning, numerous researchers of S&T have utilized for the training aimed at enhancing competency. In the circumstances, previous studies have yield interesting results regarding certain factors that competency based programs may increase effectiveness of education. Therefore this research described here contributes to design competency modeling and education roadmap for human resource in S&T. The study uses survey, FGI, delphi technique, and expert workshop for selecting the main competencies. In particular, the results are including training roadmap of 5 level in each of two groups as researchers and S&T managers. These findings can be possible to develop customized programs and supported long-term career development path plan for human resource in S&T.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.162-169
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this research is to investigate ways to improve science teacher education in order to subsequently develop students' key competencies. Since the OECD redefined key competencies as 'what people should know and be able to do in order to lead a successful life in a well-functioning society, many countries have emphasized competency-based curriculum. In this research, we collected and analyzed foreign and domestic classroom cases that have implemented competency-based curriculum in science teaching. Through open-ended interviews with the teachers and principals we explored ways to improve science teacher education to develop students' key competencies. According to the results, the competency-based curriculum necessitates a shift in teachers' roles including teachers as role models for their students, multifaceted roles of teachers, and teachers as researchers. In light of the teacher's community, teachers need to form a professional learning community, increase practice-based professional development opportunities, build the teacher's knowledge base, put various experts into the classroom, and build a partnership with the local community and other experts. In the conclusion section, we also discussed institutional and political supports necessary for the competency based education.