• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.441-449
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• 2018

The knowledge and information processing competence is one of the essential competencies in an information-oriented society which is highly related to science education. The purpose of this study is to investigate middle school students' difficulties in science inquiry activity in view of the knowledge and information processing competence. Collection, processing, and application of information are extracted as common elements of the knowledge and information processing competence through literature search. Data were obtained from eight students of a middle school in Seoul for five months and were analyzed based on constant comparative method to extract students' difficulties. As a result, the element of information collection is observed through science inquiry and the element of information processing is observed in hypothesis setting step, inquiry result analysis step, and inquiry result sharing step. The element of information application is observed in the creation of posters for sharing and inquiry reports. Difficulties in information collection were found in lack of confidence in information gathering, systematic search strategy, and information reliability. Difficulties in information processing appeared in the inexperience of analysis program use, information transformation, and interpretation of linkage information. Difficulties in information application were caused by the lack of effective organization and effective expression of information. In this study, it is meaningful to provide a clue as to how the knowledge and information processing competence can be established in science education.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.77-85
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• 2005

This study organized a Science Improvement Activity Program designed for the excellent students in science in 5th and 6th grades. After application the effect of the program on science process skills was analyzed. The Science Improvement Activity Program was applied to the experimental group as a club activity after school during the semester. The results of this study were as follows: First, the students participated in the Science Improvement Activity showed an increase in the science process skills compared with those who didn't. Second, it was found have improved in enhancing their science process elements of observation, measurement, data analysis, forming hypotheses, and controlling variables. It is expected that the development of activity programs and their active application should be done in order for schools to provide science education according to each student's capacity from various angles.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.53-65
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• 2022

In the application and composition of learning content, the field trip learning of scientific inquiry could provide a positive effect. Also, it can arouse an experience of various inquiry activities through open thinking. In addition, it could take a positive effect by providing the diversity and specificity of wildlife experience for the living organism. The biology inquiry program of the field trip is a necessary process to acquire ecological experiences in the learning context. However, there is some problem to solve before the performance of field trip learning as professional knowledge of the outdoors inquiry. Therefore, this study developed a field trip inquiry program for the plant in a coastal dune using artificial intelligence to assist professional knowledge. The researcher carried out literature reviews and analysis related to studies and programs to investigate learning steps, content, and strategy. Also, this study investigated the effects of the program on the affective domain of gifted elementary science students. According to the results of this study, the program can provide a positive effect on motivation, task commitment, and attitude level. Consequently, the field trip learning program for plant in the coastal dune using artificial intelligence developed in this study can arouse a positive effect on the affective domain. Therefore, additional study is necessary related to inquiry programs of the field trip for various students and sites.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.401-415
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• 2006

The science education reforms put the emphasis of scientific literacy, so that students can understand how scientific knowledge is constructed through scientific inquiry at schools. However, scientific inquiry at schools has a problem as a cookbook system without the opportunity of developing argumentation, where students could understand how they use evidence to support their theory or vice versa. Teachers are supposed to understand the basic elements, purpose, and definition of scientific inquiry to implement authentic scientific inquiry at schools, then develop the instructional strategies of providing the opportunity of scientific argumentation to meet its needs.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.565-578
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to search for the factors that influence students' understanding of the nature of science through the experience of the cognitive processes of authentic open inquiries. The freshmen of a science high school practiced authentic open inquiries reflecting epistemological characteristics of authentic science. The case study was conducted with four focus students who were successful or unsuccessful at learning the nature of science during the authentic open inquiry activity. Questions that the focus students asked during the inquiries as well as students' answers to pre- and post-VNOS (C type) were analysed, and then elaborated in the semi-structured interview. The findings suggest that open inquiry activities provide the inquiry contexts that help science high school students to understand the nature of science, and that the characteristics of students' cognition influence the understanding of the nature of science. For instance, designing experiments with their own research questions had an influence on the students' understanding about the scientific methods and the diversity of research types, and drawing conclusions from their own data made students experience scientific reasoning. In addition, the experience of collecting anomalous data helped students to understand the role of inferences in generating scientific knowledge and the creative nature of scientific knowledge. In this inquiry context, the reflective thinking that came from proactive discussion among students, made students think about the validity of the designing experiments and interpreting data, and helped them to understand the uncertain nature of reasoning and the diverse nature of scientific methods. Moreover, divergent thinking linked to analogical thinking helped students to understand the creative nature of science.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.267-275
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to estimate the ability of inquiry performance for students gifted in science in elementary school. 56 sixth graders were included in this study. Initially, a question 'How does the dust effect on human health?' was posed to students. Then, an assessment framework for analysis of the inquiry report was developed. It is composed of 5 domains: data collection, prediction, the inquiry process, results, conclusion and presentation. The findings reveal that the students achieved high scores in the domain of 'data collection' and followed by prediction, inquiry process, results, conclusion and presentation. The results of our study are as follows : first, in spite of high scores obtained in basic inquiries such as data collection, students needed to improve their skills in prediction, the inquiry process, results, conclusion and presentation. Second, the reason why students were outstanding in data collection is that they have improved their ability to handle data in a know-ledge-based information society. Third, even though students were good at citing and applying some information, they didn't fully understand the meaning of data and exhibited weaknesses in arguing their own opinions.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.167-182
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• 2020

The active participation and active interaction of learners in small group science inquiry activities are the main factors that determine the effectiveness of science learning. Roles can be assigned to members of a small group to facilitate interaction between members within the small group. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of role assignment on the types and patterns of verbal interactions in middle school students' small group science inquiry activities. For this, 172 students from middle schools located in metropolitan cities were surveyed. We analyzed 18 small groups with assigned roles and 15 small groups without assigned roles. The change in verbal interaction type in small group science inquiry activity according to role assignment was largely divided into alienation and participation. In the case of small groups with assigned roles, the participation type occupied a higher proportion than the alienation type. The change in verbal interaction patterns did not show much significant differences when the role was assigned in terms of cognitive and affective. Based on this, further research is needed on how role assignment affects verbal interactions depending on the type of scientific inquiry and the stage of inquiry. In addition, further research on the composition of small groups and role assignment is required.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.633-644
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to analyze the inquiry elements and inquiry activity of the inquiry area in chemistry I textbooks authorized by 7th curriculum. It was to confirm suitable reflection of the 7th science curriculum and to find educational suggestions of inquiry learning. It was found that the basic inquiry elements except measuring and classifying were well reflected on the textbooks. However, only several integrated inquiry elements and the inquiry activities were well reflected on the same textbooks. For the integrated inquiry elements, interpreting data was shown as the tower above the rest inquiry elements. In the analysis of inquiry activity, the numbers of experiment is placed almost half of all inquiry activities. The sum of two numbers of investigation and discussion is similar ratio to experiment but field trip and project are rarely or low ratio. As the integrated inquiry elements and inquiry activities were not balanced for various inquiry learning. It is suggested that learners be educated with complementary of these aspects in inquiry learning.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.100-110
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• 2008

To evaluate the educational programs at Science Education Center for the Gifted (SECG) on how it had influenced its graduates, we have surveyed the graduates with questionnaires categorized into four sections: scientific motivation, self-confidence, knowledge/inquiry activities, and peer-to-peer interactions. Of the graduates who studied at SECG for more than two years and are currently attending college, we questioned 26 students and interviewed 10 students. According to our research data, most students evaluated highly the quality of education they received at SECG; especially, in the areas of science knowledge/inquiry activities and social interactions with their peers. Based on the results from the interviews, for these gifted students with highly developed aptitude in science, we concluded that interactions with real-world scientists, investigative approach to and application of newly-learned scientific concepts, and emphasis on interactive activities with other gifted students at SECG were regarded as effective in promoting motivations towards science and self-confidence.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.201-214
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics of model of the experiment in students' open inquiry. The research is a reinterpretation of the data collected from the performance of a three-year research project under the theme of 'school science inquiry' the perspective of model of the experiment. The inquiry activities of a focus group made up of four students have been recorded seven times. The recorded files and transcribed copies were analyzed according to interpretive methods. Students' activities were divided into three modeling of the experiment units, considering the modeling unit that includes the process of starting from the problem until it gets solved. The results of the study include illuminating the dynamic process and characteristics of modeling of the experiment and discussing its educational meaning as a distributed cognitive system at each modeling unit. First, students, instruments, and the primitive form of calculation represented by the interaction between them turned out to be important factors in the distributed cognitive system that constitutes model of the experiment. Second, in the early stages, non-verbal activities were carried out in which students became familiar with instruments, and verbal quantitative signs were created when the activities were sufficiently carried out. The generated quantitative signs became a source of data and confidence that can be referenced in subsequent activities. Third, the specialization of instrumentalization occurred, and factors that were important in inquiry, such as variable control, appeared. The results of the study provide new implications for science education research and education, which have been centered on explanatory models, by unfolding the characteristics of model of the experiment that have not been noticed in science education through students' inquiry.