• Journal of Science Education
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.525-542
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• 2014

This study was performed to look into the difficulty of students in understanding science stories in 6th grade science textbooks and to analyze those factors. To do this, 6th grader (N=65) were selected from J Elementary School located in Gyeonggi-do Siheung-si as study subjects. 26 science stories in 6th grade science textbooks were classified by field and context (complement of knowledge, science history of scientists, science in life, cutting-edge science technology, environment issues) in which the characteristics were investigated and analyzed. Also, a survey about the difficulty in understanding science stories(26 items) was conducted(65 students) and a semi-structured interview was conducted for students to clarify the meaning of collected data from surveys(4 students). As result of analyzing surveys on science story context in science textbooks and interviews, 4 fields of 'energy,' 'matter,' 'life,' and 'earth' were evenly mentioned. Science in life and complement of science knowledge were mentions most for context and this had relation with the characteristic of science textbooks to provide many opportunities to apply learned knowledge in actual social issues. Reactions of students on science stories were mostly positive that they help studying science, but there was also difficulty in well understanding science stories. Difficulty of understanding context, problems of context suggesting methods, difficulty of science terminology, lack of interest, and etc. were analyzed as factors. Specific causes were mentioned to be description type class, unimportant context, lack of explanation on suggested context, problem of pictures by students.

• The Science & Technology
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• s.477
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• pp.74-75
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• 2009

• The Science & Technology
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• s.510
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• pp.98-101
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• 2011

• The Science & Technology
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• s.507
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• pp.88-91
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• 2011

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.383-393
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• 2015

This study analyzed the 6th grade elementary science textbook 'Science stories' reading process of students by utilizing eye movement tracking techniques. Participants read 3 articles in the new experimental science textbooks and solved 9 problems about each article. By understanding and academic achievement results, participants were divided into high-groups, middle-groups, and low-groups. The results of eye movement characteristics of the high-groups and low-groups had the following differences. Number of fixations and number of regressions were higher in high-groups. Average fixation duration and average regressive fixation duration were longer in low-groups. Fixation time for the key sentence of the article was longer in high-groups. Analysis of a scan path and post-interview, high-groups had frequent regression between sentences and they knew where the core of the article is and paid much attention there. In contrast low-groups are sequentially read most articles and some of them had a leap of abnormal range. Problem-solving approach is also different between groups. In conclusion reading style is associated with the science stories comprehension and students who had more regressions, much core search process, effective attention distribution, high concentration showed better understanding results. Also words or sentences used in textbooks are associated with science stories comprehension.

• TTA Journal
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• s.112
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• pp.20-21
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• 2007

• The Science & Technology
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• s.475
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• pp.76-78
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• 2008

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.234-248
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• 2010

This study was conducted among 52 elementary pre service teachers not majoring in the natural sciences, who were taking Earth Science as an elective course at the University of Education located in central Korea. These elementary pre service teachers participated in story writing on the subject of earth system cycles over eight occasions. Changes in their understanding of the Earth's cycles were verified by comparing mind mapping exercises performed before and after the story writing. Afterwards, 43 out of the 52 subjects volunteered for structured interviews, in which they performed story-telling exercises. This study presents examples of story analysis that uses a variation of the wheel-shaped story map, and proposes story mapping as a preferred method of analysis. Before and after creative story writing activities, pre service teachers' mind mapping is analyzed to study possible positive changes. This study identified a gap between the instructional contents of the Earth system unit included in the 7th and current revised school curriculums on the one hand, and the conceptions expressed by the pre service teachers who studied these contents on the other.

• The Science & Technology
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• no.10 s.425
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• pp.39-39
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• 2004

• The Science & Technology
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• no.11 s.450
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• pp.88-89
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• 2006