• Journal of Science Education
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.151-164
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• 2022

The 2015 revised science curriculum textbook of 6th graders describes 'day and night' as an astronomical phenomenon observed on a daily basis. Textbooks use only visual materials from a space-based perspective to explain the causes of day and night. This study aims to investigate what changes in spatial representations of 5th graders when additional visual materials of the Earth-based perspective were presented to them. It also shows that the Space and the Earth-based perspectives appear to be interconnected. The following are found in this study. First, when students were presented with a visual material of an Earth-based perspective, their spatial representations of both the Earth and the Space-based perspectives changed. Second, the visual material of an Earth-based perspective confirmed the possibility that students' spatial representation types could be different in many ways. Third, the effect on the spatial representation of each perspective is different depending on gender and the level of spatial representation.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.579-591
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• 2008

Recently, there have been studies about Typically- Perceived-Situations (TPSs) and about critical examples as a way to understand students' preconceptions with context. TPS is a situation arising immediately in one's mind when he or she thinks about the concept, while a critical example is an example that becomes the most helpful in learning the concept. We might explore how the context is involved in the process of students' conceptual understanding by examining TPSs and critical examples together. This study analyzed, through questionnaires and interviews, the characteristics of TPSs and those of critical examples that secondary students hold about 'force' and 'mechanical energy conversion.' Students' TPSs and critical examples showed different characteristics according to the concept. In a case of force that is related to everyday life, there were various situations as TPSs and critical examples. Unlike force, there were a few situations as TPSs and critical examples such as a falling ball in the case of mechanical energy conversion. Students tended to regard situations that are usually experienced and understood easily as TPSs or critical examples. On the basis of the results of this study, it is concluded that it would be a good strategy to teach science concepts for teachers to start with the TPS of a concept, to introduce the concept, and then to expose the attributes of the concept with critical examples.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.953-970
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the change of teacher-student interaction in a beginner secondary science teachers' class through collaborative mentoring program. Three experienced science teachers as mentors and three beginner science teachers as mentees were participated in this study. Mentors have been teaching science secondary school for more than 13 years with specialty in science education, and mentees have been teaching less than three years in secondary schools. They were matched one-toone on grounded characteristics that were revealed from pre-interview. Data collection consisted of lesson plans of mentees' classes, videotaped lessons of mentees, consultation meetings between mentors and mentees, and interviews with mentees as well as mentors. The consultation meetings and interviews were audiotaped and then transcribed with the videotaped lessons. To examine the change in teacher-student interactions, the lesson observed after four sessions of mentoring was compared to the lesson before mentoring on the basis of the analytical framework that was developed based on the interpretative approach. The analytical framework addresses the four aspects of teacher-student interaction, which include beginner of interaction (initiation), the types of the question, the student response and the feedback. After four sessions of collaborative mentoring, the beginner science teacher's classroom interactions were initiated by students more often. Teachers' questions increasingly turned into thought-provoking queries that required higherorder thinking. The students responded in the form of statements instead of asking question more frequently. Also, teachers provided more delayed feedback than immediate feedback. These changes of interaction patterns showed that students took a leading role in classroom interaction and they were encouraged to think. From this result, we argue that the beginner science teachers developed the ability to make students think and to support them in coming to an understanding of knowledge through a collaborative mentoring program.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.937-949
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• 2017

In this study, we investigated how science teachers perceive the changes in school systems, including infrastructure and curriculum, in the context of preparing for future education. And the changes in their perception of the educational environment, the challenges, and changes of science teachers' classroom practices were also explored. In-depth interviews and analysis were conducted with two science teachers in a middle school that is trying to innovative on changes compared with general schools. The results of the study are as follows: First, teachers perceived that their schools had factors that could change the science class in terms of school size and infrastructure, peer teacher culture, and students' abilities. Second, the enthusiasm of teachers who are trying various ways of teaching and the students' ability to adapt in a smart learning environment formed a synergistic circle that lowered entry barriers to trying changes. Third, science classes changed to activity-centered classes, and teachers realized that these changes promoted students' self-directed learning. Fourth, teachers perceived themselves as playing an independent role in curriculum management, and this perception promoted more varied attempts in improving their classes. Through the changes of the learning environment and systems of the school and the formation of a culture that shares their challenges and innovations with the voluntary learning community, teachers constantly try to change their classes and schools. The changes of school need to be understood in the context of the interaction of teachers, students, and infrastructure.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.27-48
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• 2018

The purposes of this study are to derive suggestions and implications to improve the continuity of Korean Science & Practical Arts (Technology Home Economics) curricula through international comparative analysis with focus on the science curricula or standards in five countries (Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, the United States, Korea). Original documents of the national curriculums or standards of each country collected from NCIC comparatively analyzed the big concepts of the 'system' and 'energy' based on features of related components of curriculum contents, vertical, and lateral connectivity. The results indicated that the big concepts of systems and energy were used internationally to consider the curriculum continuity. In most countries, the big concept of system was used as a framework to integrate science with technology or other contents. In particular, it was also utilized to strengthen vertical and lateral connectivity in earth science and space science contents area. In the comparison of countries for the system as the big concept, New Zealand focused interrelationship between system and human activities, systems' interaction, levels and features of system concept for the linkage between grades and subjects on the basis of level. In the case of Canada and Singapore, science and technology are combined to strengthen contents' connection. However, the revised 2015 curriculum has a lack of continuity and sequence because the concepts of system and energy were concentrated on a specific grade and contents' area. The curriculum was not developed systematically for multiple grades according to their levels. In conclusion, Korean science curriculum requires sufficient understanding of students' learning and research on learning progressions and curriculum continuity. In addition, it is very important to constitute the curriculum based on the vertical and lateral connectivity in order to improve science education and to foster students' key competencies and abilities.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.851-868
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• 2004

The main purposes of this study is to develop a web-based STS biology instruction program (WB-STS) for the scientifically gifted students. The specific main research questions were as follows; 1. How can the WB-STS for biology education be developed and what are the primary components involved in it? 2. Is there any proper validity for developed the WB-STS in biology education? To solve the above mentioned problems, several procedures were applied. First, in order to develop WB-STS for the scientifically gifted students, NCISE, Renzulli' s Enrichment Triad Model and the Iowa Chautauqua program's main characteristics were analyzed systematically and the principles and general process for constructing WB-STS were examined. Additionally, the needs of students and the goals of Biology education were identified thoroughly. And then all these ideas were embodied in an agenda for constructing WB-STS. Second, to analyse the validity and utility of developing WB-STS, a questionnaire was developed and submitted to seven specialists and a group of twenty students who would participate in the experiment later. The main results of study are summarized below: First, WB-STS appeared to be successfully constructed based on Renzulli' s Enrichment Triad Model and the Iowa Chautauqua program. Its main features are that it was made emphasizing a learner-centered approach and constructive learning. It is composed of five steps: Scientific theme selection -${\rightarrow}$Exploration ${\rightarrow}$ Concept & Principle Check ${\rightarrow}$ Finding Solution ${\rightarrow}$ Action. Second, seven specialists and a group of students assessed the developed WB-STS's validity and utility with a questionnaire, the results appeared satisfactory. Students showed high interest in WB-STS and gave a positive evaluation of WB-STS.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.563-579
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• 2016

This study seeks educational implication by analyzing research papers dealing with science assessment in the most recent 30 years in Korea. The main purpose of the study is to analyze the trends in published papers on science assessment, their purpose, methodology, and key words, especially concentrating on the cognitive and affective domains. We selected 273 research articles and categorized them by research object, subject, methodology, and contents. To examine the factors that affect the research trend, we also tried to contextualize papers' theme in terms of changes in national curriculum and assessment system during the contemporary period. As a result, an overall research trend reflects changes in science curriculum and assessment events such as implementation of college scholastic ability test or performance assessment. There is an unequal distribution in various aspects of the researches, showing a superiority in cognitive domains than the affective ones. By using standardized data obtained through the national and international assessment of educational achievement in science, quantitative researches were superior to qualitative ones. Studies on cognitive domain use variously written- and performance-based tests, whereas most studies of the affective ones prefer written tests. Applied research and evaluation research are predominant comparing to basic ones, which most of the research methodology is based on statistics. Lastly, we found out that key words and subjects tend to be subdivided and detailed rather than general and comprehensive, as time goes on. Such trend will be helpful to elaborate and refine assessment tools that have been regarded as a problem.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.299-313
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• 2018

Inquiry-centered education is important in science education, but in the actual education field, scientific research is being done in a uniform manner due to realistic difficulties. In this study, we use RS (Reverse Science) as a secondary chemistry class to provide opportunities for students to engage in inquiry learning and scientific thinking through process-oriented activities. In this study, we developed and applied it to explore the effects on the scientific inquiry abilities of middle school students and checked the students' perception of it. For the application of the program, 128 students were selected from 6 classes of the 2nd grade in D district middle school, 64 from the experimental group and 64 from the comparative group. The experimental group taught RSP-based the chemistry inquiry programs and the comparative group taught instructor-led classes and verification experiments on the same topic over the seventh hour with three themes. In addition, we analyzed the results of the pre- and post-test by using the science inquiry ability test, and discussed the effects of the program based on the students' perceptions through class observation, student activity area, questionnaire and interview. As a result, the class using the program showed statistically significant changes in the science inquiry ability of secondary school students. Specifically, the experimental group was found to be significant in its prediction among the subcomponents of basic exploration ability compared to the comparative group. The differences have also been shown to be significant in terms of data translation, hypothesis setup and variable control, which are subcomponents of integrated exploration capabilities (p <. 05). In addition, students became interested in the process of creating the theory of science, and were highly interested in collaborating with their friends. It also provided students with opportunities to experience scientific thinking through process-oriented inquiry. Finally, based on the positive impact of the RSP-based chemistry inquiry program on students, we were able to identify the potential use of the program.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.747-761
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyze differences in the teaching practices of biology teachers according to their awareness of the importance of evolution. For this purpose, two teachers who experienced study of evolution and recognized its importance, along with two teachers with no experience in evolution education in the comparison group, were included in the sample. To observe teaching practices, two classes each on biological evolution and non-evolution were selected, recorded and transcribed. The content analyzed included the teachers' view on evolution education and teachers' evolution concepts reflected in teaching practice. As a result, the level of understanding of the teachers' evolution concept was unrelated to teachers' awareness of the importance of evolution. Instead, each teacher would not feel the need for religious beliefs or awareness of the importance of evolution to have a negative impact on the awareness of the importance of evolution. Inexperienced teachers tend to reject the retraining opportunities to recognize the importance of evolution. In addition, inexperienced teachers were only superficially aware of the evaluation and improvement of evolution presented in textbooks and curricula. In actual teaching practice analysis, inexperienced teachers' utilizing ratio of the evolution key concept was higher than that of experienced teachers. Only experienced teachers were aware of the misconceptions presented in their execution and described the causes that appear in these misconceptions. Teachers who recognized the importance of evolution were widely using the key concepts of evolution, as well as more practical in preventing the misconceptions related to evolution forms. It indicates that biology teachers who do not realize the importance of evolution in biology education need to experience explicit and practical education programs as well as instructional materials on evolution.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.523-532
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to provide basic data to standardize the clinical dental hygiene curriculum, based on analysis of current clinical dental hygiene curricula in Korea. We emailed questionnaires to 12 schools to investigate clinical dental hygiene curricula, from February to March, 2017. We analyzed the clinical dental hygiene curricula in 5 schools with a 3-year program and in 7 schools with a 4-year program. The questionnaire comprised nine items on topics relating to clinical dental hygiene, and four items relating to the dental hygiene process and oral prophylaxis. The questionnaire included details regarding the subject name, the grade/semester/credit system, course content and class hours, the number of senior professors, and the number of patients available for dental hygiene clinical training purposes. In total, there were 96 topics listed in the curricula relating to clinical dental hygiene training, and topics varied between the schools. There was an average of 20.4 topic credits, and more credits and hours were allocated to the 4-year program than to the 3-year program. On average, the ratio of students to professors was 21.4:1. Course content included infection control, concepts for dental hygiene processes, dental hygiene assessment, intervention and evaluation, case studies, and periodontal instrumentation. An average of 2 hours per patient was spent on dental hygiene practice, with an average of 1.9 visits. On average, student clinical training involved 19 patients and 26.6 patients in the 3-year and 4-year programs, respectively. The average participation time per student per topic was 38.0 hours and 53.1 hours, in the 3-year and 4-year programs, respectively. Standardizing the clinical dental hygiene curricula in Korea will require consensus guidelines on topics, the number of classes required to achieve core competencies as a dental hygienist, and theory and practice time.