• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.1329-1342
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• 2013

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between the change of beginning teachers' beliefs about a lesson and that of teaching practice and argument-based inquiry using science writing. Participants were three science teachers (A, B, and C) from different middle schools. Classroom observation and interview data were collected and transcribed for analysis. A Summary Writing test was also administered to examine whether there was an improvement in students' learning. The results indicated that the interaction between the teachers and their students developed, which is concluded as an improvement in the teaching practice. Teacher A and B also reported that teacher-student interaction had improved. Teacher A and C came to understand that argument-based inquiry using science writing classes constituted learner-centered instruction. The result from the Summary Writing Test showed the impact of the changes in teaching practice and in teachers' awareness of students' learning as well as produced meaningfully higher scores than compared groups on the rhetorical structure of all the specific areas in teacher A's school and on the scientific concept at B and C's schools.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.344-364
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• 2021

The study explored how two elementary school teachers perceived computational thinking, reflected them into curriculum revision, and taught them in the classroom during longitudinal professional developed program (PDP) for nine months. Computational thinking is a new direction in educational policy-making including science education; therefore we planned to investigate participating teachers' perception of computational thinking to provide their fundamental understandings. Nine meetings, lasting about two hours each, were held with the participating teachers and they developed 11 lesson plans for one unit each, as they formed new understandings about computational thinking. Data were collected through PDP program while two teachers started perceiving computational thinking, revising their curriculum, and implementing it into their class for nine months. The results were as follows; first, elementary school teachers' perception of computational thinking was that the definition of scientific literacy as the purpose of science education was extended, i.e., it refers to scientific literacy to prepare students to be creative problem solvers. Second, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) lessons were divided into two stages; concept formation stage where scientific thinking is emphasized, and concept application, where computational thinking is emphasized. Thirdly, computational thinking is a cognitive thinking process, and ICT (informational and communications technology) is a functional tool. Fourth, computational thinking components appear repeatedly and may not be sequential. Finally, STEAM education can be improved by utilizing computational thinking. Based on this study, we imply that STEAM education can be activated by computational thinking when teachers are equipped with competencies of understanding and implementing computational thinking within the systematic PDPs, which is very essential for newly policies.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.572-581
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• 2000

Teachers' perceptions about curricular objectives are very important to achieve given educational objectives. This study examined teachers' perceptions about priority and hinderance of science objectives. The national science curriculum stated four areas of objectives: inquiry, knowledge, attitude, and STS. A total of 76 elementary and 217 secondary teachers were responded to questionnaire developed for this study. Non-parametric statistics, such as Friedman test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and chi-square test were used by using SPSS/PC program. Teachers in general ranked the inquiry first among the four areas at their perception on the national curriculum, on themselves, and on their instructions. Elementary teachers ranked inquiry higher than secondary science teachers, while secondary science teachers ranked knowledge higher than elementary teachers. As factors hindering teachers from achiving the objectives, elementary teachers pointed out overcrowded classroom and secondary science teachers pointed out college and university entrance examination respectively.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.740-749
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to survey junior high school teachers' and students' perceptions on the science textbooks. Subjects of this study were 113 science teachers and 715 students from junior high schools in Daegu and Kyungpook area. As statistical method, one-way ANOVA and t-test were used to check differences of the perceptions between teachers and students. Teachers had different perceptions by school location and class size, while students had different perceptions by school location, co-ed, class size, and grade level. Both teachers and students having the relativistic viewpoint on textbook knowledge regarded the knowledge as relativistic one, and preferred the student-centered textbooks. Teachers liked textbooks written by the student-centered view more than students did. Teachers had the more absolutistic viewpoint on textbook knowledge and on teaching, while students liked the electronic textbooks more than teachers did.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.143-154
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• 2017

Science inquiry has long been emphasized in Korean science education. Scientific modeling is one of key practices in science inquiry with a potential to provide students with opportunities to develop their own explanations and knowledge thereafter. The purpose of this study is to investigate teacher's understanding of models in science and science teaching. A professional development program on Models (PDM) was developed and refined through three times of implementation while teachers' conceptions of models and modeling were examined. A total of 29 elementary and secondary teachers participated in this study. A survey based on model use of scientists in the history of science was developed and used to collect data and audio recordings of discussions among teachers and artifacts produced by the teachers during PDM were also collected. Three ways of ontological and two ways of epistemological understanding of models and modeling were found in teachers' ideas. After PDM, a quarter of the teachers changed their ontological understanding whereas very few changed their epistemological understanding. In contrast, more than two thirds of the teachers deepened and extended their ideas about using models and modeling in teaching. There were no clear relationships between teachers' understanding of models and ways and ideas about using models in science teaching. However, teachers' perceptions of school conditions were found to mediate their intention to use models in science teaching. The findings indicate possible approaches to professional development program content design and further research.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.590-599
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• 2014

Environmental education, effectively performed at school, is very important to solve the environmental problems. Moreover the survey for teacher's perception is essential. The purpose of the study was to investigate the perception of environmental problems of middle school teachers in Pusan. The survey was done twice in 2007 and 2012, and based on the time intervals, careers, and major of the teachers. 200 teachers were chosen in 2007 and 300 teachers in 2012. How many environmental problems occurred during this time period affected the 471 teachers' perception was investigated and analyzed. The results are as follows. First, the perception difference of environmental problems was meaningful between two time intervals (p<.01). Especially, the perception of modern environmental problems and carbon emission showed considerable increase in both science and non-science major teachers. This may be caused by the climate change and the severity of lifestyles of indiscriminate consumerism. Second, the perception difference of environmental problems by careers was also meaningful (p<.01). Overall, the perception was obvious on the aspects of modern environmental problems, carbon emission, destruction of ozone layers, nuclear wastes, environmental hormones, and red tides. Teachers, having more careers irrespective of their teaching subjects, showed higher perception on the seriousness of environmental pollution, the necessity of environmental conservation, and the importance of health. Third, the perception of environmental problems between science and non-science major teachers was meaningful (p<.01). Particularly, the perception in the broad environmental problems was distinctive between them.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.221-233
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• 2002

This study investigated preservice science teachers' understandings of philosophical foundations(i.e., ontological and epistemological beliefs) underlying constructivist notions of learning. The teacher education program these subjects participated in explicitly addressed philosophical notions consistent with different views of constructivism. For these preservice science teachers, the program provided them with the opportunity to reflect upon the implications that their ontological and epistemological commitments had for their role as a science teacher. Data from four in-depth interviews were used to explore changes in each preservice science teacher's ontological beliefs, epistemological commitments, and pedagogical preferences. Results indicated that ontological beliefs and epistemological commitments were not necessarily consistent with conceptions of science teaching and learning for these preservice teachers. While some students internalized idealist and relativist perspectives, they did not integrate these relativist epistemological views into their preferred instructional practices. Also, regarding the fallible and tentative nature of knowledge, data in this study indicated that participants' epistemological beliefs about scientific Knowledge did influence how they were thinking about their roles as science teachers. Implications for teacher education programs and research on preservice science teacher's philosophical beliefs are discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 2015

This study examined pre-service secondary physics teachers' epistemological beliefs about scientific knowledge, science learning, and science teaching in two different science content topics, Lamarckism and the impetus theory. Two sets of open-ended questionnaires, for each of the topics respectively, were developed in the same format. The pre-service teachers completed the questionnaires at one month intervals. The beliefs were analyzed in two dimensions, knowledge justification and knowledge change for each belief area. The findings show that the majority of pre-service teachers held sophisticated epistemological beliefs about scientific knowledge regardless of content topics. On the other hand, more pre-service teachers exhibited sophisticated beliefs about science learning in the context impetus theory than Lamarckism. In the area of science teaching, the majority of pre-service teachers demonstrated a sophisticated view in knowledge justification but a naive view in knowledge change. When consistency across science topics and belief areas were examined, few pre-service teachers held consistent epistemological beliefs across all topics and areas. The difference in the levels of sophistication in belief areas showed that the pre-service teachers did not connect their epistemological beliefs about science knowledge to their ideas about science teaching and learning. This disconnection seems to make the consistency across topics and areas complicated. The difference in epistemological beliefs about science learning and teaching between two science topics need further inquiry. Implications for teacher education are offered.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.585-598
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the activity in the elementary school science teachers' study group help teachers improve their professionalism and what the motivation was for the continuous participation by analyzing the operation system of study group and the teachers' perception. For this study, the N Elementary Science Teachers' Study Group in Gyeong-gi province was chosen, which has been maintained for a long time. Data such as observation journals, contents of activities, and some documents from this study group were collected through the participant observation methodology, and the perceptions about the participating motivation, the personal satisfaction and the impact on the professionalism were investigated by interviewing 5 teachers who participating in this study group. The results of this study were as follows: First, voluntary participation activated the teachers' study group, so teachers who belong to the study group, had a great satisfaction in the activities of the study group. Second, the more teachers participated in study group, they thought their professionalism has been improved. Based on the result of this study, implications to improve the professionalism of teachers were suggested.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.77.2-77.2
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• 2011

이 연구의 목적은 7차 교육과정에서 소개된 과학적 자유탐구 활동 모형을 개발하고 이러한 자유탐구 활동모형에 대한 효과를 알아보기 전에 예비 초등교사들의 인식조사를 하는 것이다. 개발 목적은 학생들의 과학탐구 활동능력신장에 있으며, 본 연구는 천문학사에 근거한 예를 사용하였다. 연구방법으로 Lawson(2010)의 과학적 탐구추론모형을 택하였다. 천문학사에서 예를 택해 자유탐구 모형과 설문지를 개발하여 예비초등교사들의 인식조사를 실시하였다. 연구결과는, (1)대부분 예비 초등교사들은 이러한 자유탐구전략의 사용에 대한 아이디어를 좋아했으며, (2)이러한 과학적 자유탐구활동의 사용의 효과 또한 대부분의 응답자들이 잘 인식하고 있었다. (3)그럼에도 불구하고 많은 예비 초등교사들은 이러한 자유탐구 전략의 구성이 쉽지 않은 과정임을 인식하였고, 학생들에게 적합한 자유탐구활동모형의 개발을 위해서는 학생을 지도하는 교사들이 서로가 협력해야 한다고 응답하였다.