• Journal of Science Education
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.203-220
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate how 'free inquiry' was implemented in middle school science classrooms. In order to do this, survey and interviews were administered. The subject of survey was 165 science teachers at 58 middle schools and interviewees were 4 teachers and 10 students. As a result, 49.6% of science teachers in school year 2010, and 34.1% in 2011 applied 'free inquiry'. Teachers applied 'free inquiry' during one semester, and they let the students select topic of 'free inquiry'. Teachers grouped students according to students' opinion or their gender and ability, and one group was consisted of 4 students. The effect of applying 'free inquiry' was that students improved the interest on science, science inquiry ability and self directed learning capability. Students were interested in doing 'free inquiry', and they wanted to do it again. Teachers claimed that it took much time and effort to apply 'free inquiry', and students lacked science inquiry skills and interest on science. The teachers who did not apply 'free inquiry' stated reasons such as the shortage of instructional time, and they didn't think that 'free inquiry' should be implemented. For the effective implementation of 'free inquiry', this study suggested that teachers should be recognized the intention of 'free inquiry', teaching-learning materials about 'free inquiry' be developed and provided, and laboratory assistants be employed.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.205-213
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of elementary school students' knowledge and information processing competence and collaborative problem-solving ability in scientific inquiry class using data measured with digital inquiry tools. To this end, three classes of 5th grade elementary schools in S-city, Gyeongnam were selected as experimental groups and three classes as control groups. The control group conducted traditional lecture-style classes, and the experimental group conducted scientific inquiry classes using scientific data. The following results were obtained through questionnaires after class. First, science inquiry classes using scientific data helped elementary school students improve their knowledge and information processing competence. Second, scientific inquiry classes using scientific data improved elementary school students' cooperative problem-solving ability. From the above results, it was found that scientific inquiry classes using scientific data are needed to improve the knowledge information processing competence and cooperative problem solving ability of elementary school students. Based on this research, it is necessary to study a specific teaching and learning environment that can activate scientific inquiry class using data measured with digital inquiry tools in the future.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.507-518
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an instrument for analysing secondary school science laboratory classroom. Three classroom of novice teachers were observed and administered Dana's (2001) situated laboratory activity instrument. Dana's situated laboratory activity instrument consists of eight categories. Each category includes four levels. Three doctoral students and two science education specialists participated in modification of the through 15 science education graduate students. To achieve reliability, the researcher and two raters observed and analyzed three videotaped classrooms through discussion. The finalized instrument was employed in four novice teacher' classes and result indicated the instrument to be useful in identifying the inquiry level of a secondary laboratory classroom. The inquiry level of four novice teachers was confirmation or observation.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.139-152
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to provide some suggestions for future improvement of scientific inquiry activities in Korean elementary science textbook. The modified framework of Lee(2005) and Millar et al.(1998) was used to compare inquiry activities in the Korean and Singaporean science textbooks. The results of this study are as follows: Korean text books have more activities than Singapore's, but both countries have similar time allotment for science classes. In the area of 'inquiry process skill', Singapore is more balanced in 'Basic inquiry process skills' and 'Integrated inquiry process skills' than Korea. Singapore's integrated inquiry rate is also higher than Korea's. Next the results of comparing leaning objectives to scientific inquiry activities shows that Korean text books tend to focus on 'contents objectives', while Singapore's text books focus on balancing 'contents objectives' and 'process objectives'. Korean science textbooks encourage students to communicate the results of experiments but in most case these communication activities are actually not performed. Lastly Korea and Singapore have low degree of openness in inquiry activities. Remarkably 'Suggest questions' are totally conducted by teachers. This study implies that Korean science textbooks should have lower amounts of inquiry activities to accomodate enough time for communication about results. Next we need to make balance not only 'Basic inquiry process skills' and 'Integrated inquiry process skills' but also 'Content objectives' and 'Process objectives'. Lastly we need to make student to be the leader in science classes through encouraging them to plan procedures for experiments and to discover results by themselves.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.791-797
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• 2019

In this study, we investigated the influences of Integrated Science and Science Inquiry Experiment developed under 2015 Revised National Science Curriculum on students' interest in science, scientific attitude, views on STS, and the nature of science (NOS). 223 tenth graders in Seoul metropolitan area participated in this study. We conducted the survey prior to and after the Integrated Science and Science Inquiry Experiment course using same instruments and compared the results of the pre-test and post-test. The analyses of the results reveal that there were significant improvements in the scores of the pre- and post-test on the interest in science and scientific attitude. In the case of views on STS, there were significant improvements in items related to science research ethics, however there were no significant differences in the remaining items. Also, there were no significant differences in the scores of the pre- and post-test on views on NOS. On the bases of the results, we discuss educational implications and suggest further studies.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.307-324
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• 2022

This study examined the content diversity of seven authorized science textbooks by comparing the characteristics of the science concept description and the contents of inquiry activities in the "weight of objects" unit. For each textbook, the flow of concept description content and the uniqueness of the concept description process were analyzed, and the number of nodes and links and words with high connections were determined using language network analysis. In addition, for the inquiry activities described in each textbook, the inquiry subject, inquiry type, science process skill, and uniqueness were investigated. Results showed that the authorized textbooks displayed no more diversity than expected in their scientific concept description method or their inquiry activity composition. The learning elements, inclusion of subconcepts, and central words were similar for each textbook. The comparison of inquiry activities showed similarities in their contents, inquiry types, and scientific process skills. Specifically, these textbooks did not introduce any research topics or experimental methods that were absent in previous textbooks. However, despite the fact that the authorized textbook system was developed based on the same curriculum, some efforts were made to make use of its strengths. Since the sequence of subconcepts to explain the core contents differed across textbooks, this explanation process was divided into several types, and although the contents of inquiry activities were the same, the materials for inquiry activities were shown differently for each textbook to improve and overcome the difficulties in the existing experiments. These findings necessitate the continuation of efforts to utilize the strengths of certified textbooks.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.64 no.6
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• pp.389-400
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Argument-based Inquiry activities on the claims and evidence in elementary students' science writing. Participants were thirty three fifth grade elementary school students and argument-based inquiry activities on five topics were implemented. We analyzed the Summary Writing samples written by students to investigate the effect of the Argument-based inquiry activities on elementary students' claims and evidence in their science writing, and also analyzed the writing samples of the experimental group to which the Argument-based inquiry activities were implemented, to examine the change of claims and evidence. The results of this study showed that the mean of experimental group was significantly higher than that of the comparison group. As a result of analyzing claims and evidence in Summary Writing of experimental group, the level of claim and evidence has tended to increase gradually as the number of classes progresses.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.204-220
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• 2011

This study was intended to develop an experimental module based on inquiry processes conducted by photosynthesis scientists. It was aimed to enhance scientific inquiry ability of the middle school students by applying the developed module. Developed module included some experiments conducted by earlier photosynthesis scientists such as Helmont, Woodward, Priestly, Hales and Ingen-Hausz. Inquiry process was involved in the developed module for instructing the inquiry methods. Rapid-cycling Brassica rapa known as a Fast Plant was used for the experimental material. Developed module was applied to the experimental group consisting 27 eighth grader, while experiments suggested in the science textbook was applied to the control group consisting 30 eighth grader. Developed module was more effective in improving students' scientific inquiry ability, especially measuring, forecasting and hypothesizing ability as its subordinate elements. When the result of post-test was compared to one of pre-test in the experimental group, their observing, forecasting, and generalization ability were improved. Experimental group showed that students' conception in photosynthesis and conceptual development related with the role of plants in the ecosystem and plant's food and movement of the water and nutrients were also improved. Before application, students in the experimental group did not have enough understanding of the abstract concept such as the existence or the role of the materials like $CO_2$ or $O_2$ or the energy accumulation. Developed module could help students to achieve the comprehensive concept regarding the role of plants as producers of organic matter and oxygen and to enhance their scientific inquiry ability and concepts regarding photosynthesis.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2015

This study aims to find out the effect of pre-service elementary teachers' experiences of inquiry performance in the life on their images about a scientist and science teaching anxiety. Thus, this study selected 162 college juniors who completed 'Science Teaching Material Research & Teaching Methods' for one semester at a university of education. Groups of 3 to 4 pre-service teachers were made to select one of the 10 experimental topics and inquired it for themselves, and make a presentation about the results before the other pre-service teachers. The results of this study can be summarized as below. Firstly, as a result of investigating pre-service elementary teachers' opinions about the characteristics of scientists, it was found that they thought of scientists prudent, intellectually superior, creative, and hard-working, but did not consider them artistic or religious, no matter if they had inquiry performance experiences. Especially, to such characteristics as intellectually-superior, creative, open-minded, outgoing and responsible, they showed more positive responses after inquiry performances. Besides, in scientists' activity types shown in pre-service elementary teachers' drawing pictures of a scientist, 'Experimental Activity' increased most after their inquiry performances, and in the place of activity, 'Laboratory' was most since it was related to activity types. Secondly, as a result of examining per-service elementary teachers' science teaching anxiety before and after inquiry performances, it was found that they showed statistically significant differences in all the domains, scientific knowledge, inquiry class preparation and inquiry class management. This finding could be interpreted as their inquiry experiences had positive effect on their having confidence in teaching science.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2021

In this study, a science writing heuristic class with emphasis on social interaction and tool improvement for 10 middle school students at the National University Science-Gifted Education Center in Jeollanamdo was conducted to investigate the perception of STS (science technology society) relationship and students' perception of the effects of class. After science writing heuristic class emphasizing social interaction and tool improvement, the students became aware of the STS relationships as follows: Science-gifted students have come to perceive that experimental tools and technology contribute to the development of scientific theory, that it is difficult to solve all social problems with only science and technology, and that science is a social interaction activity. In addition, science-gifted students responded that they became aware of the relevance of STS through intensive inquiry conducted on the same subject for several hours, communications with colleagues in another group through peer reviews, communication to solve problems with colleagues in the same group, activities to improve tools in the process of inquiry, inquiry using familiar materials and phenomena. In order for students to effectively recognize the relationship of STS in science-gifted class for middle school students, it is necessary to provide experience to solve problems using various experimental tools, experience to have trial and error in the process of solving inquiry problem under the same subject, experience to improve tools in the process of solving inquiry problem, experience to communicate with colleagues who conduct inquiry activities under the same subject, experience to share the results with other groups, and inquiry activities using familiar materials and phenomena.