• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.84-98
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• 2011

The study investigated the linguistic characteristics of middle school students' writing on the themes of earth science through analysis of its genre and register. Data for analysis included $7^{th}$ grade and $9^{th}$ grade students' writings about 'global warming' and 'classification of rocks'. The results of this study include: First, many students were not accustomed to writing in genre, especially exposition genre. Second, in terms of ideational meaning, the material verbs representing action or doing were more dominant than relational verbs that are related to the attribute or definition of things, and additional logical relations were predominant. Third, regarding interpersonal meaning, agents, emotions, subjective opinions appeared in the writings and students did not express their ideas conclusively and revealed feelings of doubt and uncertainty about their knowledge. Fourth, as for textual meaning, most students listed fragments of information using additional conjunctions in simple structures and were not accustomed to writing texts with organizing structures, logical patterns, cohesion, and coherence. From these results, we argued that the scientific writings should be emphasized in science learning that aims to foster scientific literacy. In addition, we discussed the necessity of improving science teachers' perceptions on scientific writing as well as setting up a specific plan in the national curriculum.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.222-238
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to explore a learning progression for integrated process skills in Earth science inquiry. For the purpose, a hypothetical learning progression (HLP) that capture how students' integrated process skills of science become sophisticated over time is developed through the literature review. This learning progression contains four components of the integrated process skills of science: designing inquiry, collecting data, analyzing data, and forming conclusion. Three hypothetico-deductive inquiry tasks of Earth science that start from recognition of the given problem to the forming conclusion are developed in order to document students' integrated process skills. A total of 126 students from middle, high, college level students participated in this study. After conducting the Earth science inquiry tasks, the integrated process skills of individual students are assessed by element based on HLP. In addition, the validation process for HLP was administered by applying the Rasch model using the students' assessment data. Finally, based on the analyzed data, the empirical learning progression (ELP) is developed by revising and supplementing the HLP. This study can help to find scaffolding methods to effectively improve the students' integrated process skills in Earth science inquiry class by identifying the factors that affect students' development of integrated process skills. It also provide implications for improving teachers' PCK of Earth science inquiry instruction.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.765-774
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to suggest an instructional direction for improving scientific problem-finding ability. For this purpose, the present study made an in-depth analysis about activity on problem finding tasks of high school students in an ill-structured scientific problem situation. Subjects were divided into two groups (cooperative and individual) and two kinds of problem finding tasks were administered to two groups. Results indicated that a cooperative activity on problem finding happened to a series of steps exploring problem situation, expressing knowledge and experience, discussing provisional problems, creating various problems and selecting the best problem. Besides, a cooperative activity on problem finding depended heavily on prior knowledge and experience, and in the meantime, various scientific concepts turned out to naturally be expressed. As for the problems found out during a cooperative activity, their scores in creativity factors, including the degree of agreement in original problem selection came out to be on the whole, as excellent. In addition, the types of the problems found out in open problem situation showed that they were more various than those found out in closed problem situation. Subjects perceived that activity on problem finding had positive influence on scientific concept and science process skills. Findings of this study have the following educational implications: First, it is needed to prepare for educational environment that enables students to explore various knowledge and information. Second, the offering of various opportunities is needed to enlarge the scope of scientific knowledge and experience. Third, it is needed to prepare for a study atmosphere that lets students express their knowledge and experiences freely.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.15-29
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the educational factors on career choice of science-gifted students to science and technology bound universities and the difference of perception in regards to group factors. In addition, this study aimed to examine the effects of science-gifted education and critical events in relation to career choice to science and technology bound universities. For the study, 104 university freshmen, 75 males and 29 females, were sampled from UNIST (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology), that many science high school graduates entered this year. The survey was conducted with questionnaires to do with the perceptions concerning career choice and educational factors that cause them to choose such career directions. The educational factors on career choice to science and technology bound universities were classified as 3 main categories such as educational environment factor (teaching-learning factor), human factor, attitude towards science factor and the subcategories within each category. The research findings are as follows: First, the factors were closely connected with each other and 'the project centered classes' were highly interrelated with other educational environment factors such as 'the experiment activity and environment for the activity' and 'influence of teachers (professors).' Second, the female students and graduates of the science high school were more positively influenced by the educational environment and human factors on their decision for career than male students and graduates of the general high school. Third, this research found that historical scientific knowledge, perception of scientists' social status and job applications in the science field gave less influence rather than other factors on their decision for career. As a result of examining critical events for science-gifted education in relation to career choice to science and technology bound universities, numerous students mentioned that the extracurricular science activities such as science camps and field trips gave significant effects on students' career choices to science and engineering fields.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.47-70
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• 2004

We analyzed the validity of Science Highschool's selection process for the students from Science Gifted Education Center in order to suggest the direction of improvement. First of all, we invested the students' achievement in Mathematics and Science. As a result, we found that the students are not so good at mathematics and science through the selection process for the students from Science Gifted Education Center. However the difference is not statistically meaningful. On the contrary, The achievement of the students from Science Gifted Education Center is above average who were selected through the other course, e. g. the students who acquired the recommendation of principal, winner of prize in Olympiad of Mathematics or Science. We didn't find any meaningful result in the investigation of Affective Domain in Science. And then we found that the students prefer the generous environment through the selection process for the students from Science Gifted Education Center. As a whole, the selection process for the students from Science Gifted Education Center was not so satisfying. It should be reformed; we should examine the students' portfolio on the activities in the Science Gifted Education Center, and the entrance examination should include both divergent and convergent problems to find out the students' creativity. And the 3 dimensional process is also essential through the multiple steps.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.1124-1138
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• 2012

This study investigates Korean middle school students' perceptions as global citizens (i.e. ecological worldview, social and moral compassion, and socioscientific accountability) of Socioscientific Issues (SSI). We developed questionnaires that consisted of 20 Likert-type items to gauge their preceptions of the three different SSI contexts (i.e. nuclear power generation, bio-technology, climate change), and administered them to 225 9th grade students in Seoul. The results revealed that participants showed relatively high scores for ecological worldview but scored low on social and moral compassion across the SSI contexts. In addition, participants presented much higher scores for ecological worldview and socioscientific accountability regarding the issues of climate change. The participant responses indicated that they perceived more inter-connectedness with the environment and felt the responsibility of promoting sustainable development more to prevent further devastation in the context of climate change compared to nuclear power generation or biotechnology.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.765-777
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• 2007

Investigations into how the status of prior learning on the textbook of science were conducted, and the effects of prior learning on students' attitudes towards science class were carried out. The investigations for the status of prior learning were performed with a number of students who experienced prior learning, (self-directed and unself-directed prior learning), a selfless intention as the starting motive for prior learning, the problem solving strategies used by students in prior learning, and the important factor that influenced prior learning. The effects of prior learning on student attitude towards science class were also examined with respect to four categories, including confidence, interest, learning intention, and value (effect). The effects of prior learning on the four categories were analyzed on the basis of the students' level of scientific achievement, the types of prior learning, the starting motive for prior learning, and the extent of the students' understanding of the content on prior learning. The analytical results for the effects of prior learning on students' attitudes towards science class showed that the mean values of confidence, learning intention, and value among the students in the self-directed prior learning group were higher than those of the students in the unself-directed prior learning group. These findings are the result of positive recognition, such as the possibility that the students experienced with self-directed prior learning can do, the induction of an inherent motive based on their level of achievement in science class, and the operant learning of strategies for solving problems in science class. Meanwhile, by the effects of having a teacher lead the science class and the consensus formed between friends, the mean level of interest was higher in the unself-directed prior learning than in the self-directed prior learning.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.446-459
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• 2024

This study aims to examine the development and learning process of the argumentative abilities in elementary school students with regards to learning science. Toward this end, the SSI argumentation education program was implemented in conjunction with the science curriculum for sixth-grade students across 10 months. In this process, the scoring criteria in terms of formal and content aspects were developed and used to assess their argumentative text analysis and expression abilities. The results were as follows: First, the type of SSI influenced their ability to analyze argumentative texts. However, their formal and content aspects improved as learning progressed. Second, with regards to the formal aspect associated with the ability to express argumentative texts, reasons were initially most frequently cited. Over time, incorporating evidence to support these reasons and the use of rebuttal also increased. Third, in terms of content aspect, the level of use of all elements increased as learning progressed; however, level of acknowledgments and rebuttal elements exhibited a relatively slower progress. In summary, ability of the students to analyze and express argumentative texts improved as they increasingly gained experience in learning about argumentation. The study deduced that elementary school students can develop their argumentative abilities through appropriate learning support, such as teacher feedback, along with implementation of the SSI argumentation education program over an extended period. Based on these results, the study proposes the development of SSI materials and incorporation of SSI argumentative writing in the science curriculum.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.111-121
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• 2009

The purpose of this research is to survey elementary pre-service teachers' in understand the legal Units, focusing on seven basic unit such a 'm', 'm2', 'L', 'kg', 'K', 'cd', 's'. This study specifically investigates whether the students understand the legal units. The subjects were 1096 students from the University of Education in Jinju, Gyeongnam. Data was collected through a questionnaire which was designed by this research and checked by authority, and the frequency and percentage of responses to each question were obtained and analysed. The survey was the legal units on interesting, using the experience of confusing and understanding of elementary pre-service teachers. The Korea Government is regulating using traditional measures such as 'pyeong' or 'don' in commercial transactions change to adopt the metric system for as a subsidiary the first of July, 2007. The interesting of the legal units dose not exceed a positive answer to the question 52.1%. Their were answered that the experience of the confused of 60.1% in the life. How to do efforts for the settle down of the legal units that answered broadcasting>in class>a campaign>study and training by an academic year in oder. Findings show regardless of academic year, gender and from the department of liberal arts or the science department all the students knew very well that 'm' '$m^2$', 'L', 'kg' are included in the legal units, compared to the others low percentage of 'K', 'cd' and 's' the legal units. In case of time(s), women has correct answered 2.7 times than man. In case of academic year, except for the third-year students was not to exceed 50%. In case of from the department of liberal arts or the science department contrary to one's expectations increase of 50% or more correct answer while half the students scored in science. The elementary pre-service teachers are seems to thinking separate the legal units with their in university life. Also elementary pre-service teachers are the lack of interest on society. Their should be for settle down of the legal units through learning to class in university, newspapers, strengthen publicity activities of broadcast media's further more by maintenance efforts of the government.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.513-527
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• 2011

There have been studies about conceptual ecology making a profound study of conceptual changes in learners' cognitive structure. Because learners' cognitive structure have been compared to ecology, it is natural to think that conception in learner's cognitive structure have a niche as species in ecology have niches. Therefore, it is necessary to study niche approach about conception that learners recognize in their cognitive structure. The purposes of this study were to identify relationships among conceptions that 5th grade elementary school students recognize about photosynthesis and to identify how these relationships among conceptions about photosynthesis change before and after a class of photosynthesis in curriculum in terms of an approach of ecological niche which are composed of 3 domains - diversity of conceptions, relevance and frequency rate of conceptions, and competition among conceptions. Open ended questionnaire was developed by 4 fields: photosynthetic place, photosynthetic products, photosynthetic materials needed and environment factors of photosynthesis. The subjects sampled in this study were 310 5th grade elementary students in 5 cites. Before and after classes in photosynthesis in science curriculum, students were asked to write down conceptions that they knew about the 4 fields of photosynthesis of questionnaire and to write down scales of relevance from 1 to 30 about how they think the conceptions are related to the field of photosynthesis. The results of this study showed the following: First, most students have had a variety of conceptions and commonly recognized 'light' and 'water' as concepts in photosynthesis. Second, students still recognized their preconceptions like 'soil' and 'root,' etc. that were far from scientific conceptions of photosynthesis although they took classes in photosynthesis. Third, students needed to take the various strategies of teachers because they did not recognized scientific conceptions appropriately about photosynthetic fields. Fourth, it appeared that photosynthetic conceptions recognized by students had status in terms of relevance and frequency rate of conceptions, and competition among conceptions, and that they looked like the niche of conceptions in their conceptual ecologies.