• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.63
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• pp.183-219
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to find out what their professionalism is and how their expertise grows among Christian alternative school teachers. Professionalism refers to the broad expertise such as specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for a particular profession. The teacher expertise is also closely related to the life cycle of a teacher. The present study collected and analyzed the data using a mixed research method that combined a survey and interview. The survey, which involved 276 Christian alternative school teachers, asked about the current teacher's interest, the importance and retention of each element of professionalism, and, in addition, the level of external efforts and help in developing professionalism. The in-depth interview was conducted on 7 Christian alternative school teachers and identified the meaning of teacher professionalism, teacher quality and competencies, and environment for the professional growth. The results reveal that the professionalism recognized by Christian alternative school teachers is rather complex. It includes communication and relationship, calling and identity in addition to the curriculum and instruction expertise that reconstructs the curriculum from a Christian perspective. It is further found that teachers' decision to respond to the calling, subsequent continuous self-development, the teacher community that embodies such calling and efforts, and the school environment where autonomy and responsibility coexist, are equally important for their professional growth. Thus, in order to promote the professionalism of Christian alternative school teachers more effectively in the future, it would be necessary to provide programs that take the teacher's whole life cycle into account and are also directed to teachers themselves rather than to institutions. Considering the emphasis on the expertise in communication and relations, pre-service teacher education should focus not only on developing subject matter expertise, but also fostering communication and relational skills with students and other school community members.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.191-206
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to find an implication for a direction to improve professional development in mathematics by exploring elementary school teachers' perception of the need for professional development in mathematics. To this end, 4 elementary school teachers were organized into one focus group, and group discussion materials were collected and analyzed based on cases of mathematics professional development needs. As a result of the study, the elementary school teachers' perception that the need for professional development in mathematics is both unnecessary and necessary. The perception of unnecessary was influenced by the easy level of elementary school mathematics content and the ease of teaching. Also, the perception of necessary factors were considering various aspects of mathematics teaching, changing the accumulation of failures in mathematics classes, maintaining authority of students, demand for class improvement due to social change, the impact of school work, the influence of the community of professional development and peers in school, and efforts to grow as teachers. Based on these results, the author discussed ways to promote teachers' participation in mathematics professional development by considering elementary school teachers' perceptions of the need of mathematics professional development.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.453-471
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• 2024

In open inquiry, teachers must identify the difficulties of students and provide appropriate help, but most science teachers are struggling with open inquiry guidance. Therefore, this study, using autoethnography, focused on the professional growth of a novice science teacher who guided open inquiry and examined the experiences of a science teacher who guided open inquiry for two years. Based on this, we tried to explore the difficulties of open inquiry guidance, the process of overcoming them, and the process of professional growth. For this purpose, the researcher collected self-recall data, self-reflection data, interview data, and cultural artifacts data, and the collected data was analyzed according to a comprehensive analysis procedure. Teacher expertise in open inquiry instruction could be divided into three areas: areas related to teaching practice experienced during direct inquiry instruction to students, areas related to the external environment excluding students and teachers themselves, and the internal area of the teachers themselves. First, the researcher encountered difficulties due to a lack of understanding of the role of an open inquiry instructor but overcame difficulties and developed professionalism through the process of considering the competencies and qualities necessary for an instructor and making efforts to provide appropriate scaffolding to students. Second, difficulties were experienced due to institutional constraints such as lack of time for club activities, lack of science lab equipment, and difficulty in budgeting. To overcome these issues, researchers identified and utilized surrounding resources to create an environment so that students could focus on inquiry. Third, there was a difficulty due to the lack of a support system to receive internal concerns and conflicts encountered in the process of guiding open inquiry. But through communication with the head science teacher, the researcher was able to gain courage and strength and increase the efficacy as a teacher. The experience of guiding open inquiry served as a foundation for growth, and two years later, the researcher was able to confirm the growth as a teacher.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2011

The purpose of this research is to investigate ways to introduce mentoring system to support beginning and experienced teachers for their professional development. As an alternative to existing teacher training programs, we planned and implemented a mentoring system to examine its effects in developing professionalism among teachers-in-need, and those who have not met the teacher's evaluation standards. Mentoring is defined as being concerned with promoting the 'development of an individual to his/her full potential,' both professionally and personally. It is linked with professional and career development, and is somewhat characterized by an 'expert-novice' relationship. The mentoring system in science features group mentoring, where 3 prot$\'{e}$g$\'{e}$-mentor teams gathered together for instructional consulting using their videotaped classroom teaching. Through video-based discussions, teachers could share reflective experiences through collaborative investigations based on evidences revealed in classroom teaching videos. Using open-ended interviews with the teachers and video-based discussions, we extracted needs and goals of mentoring, the need of mentoring system to support beginning teachers, and the requirement of mentor quality in light of mentor's expected roles. Conclusions and recommendations related to teachers' mentoring and for the government's development of mentoring system are discussed.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.97-118
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• 2021

Since the characteristics of teachers that affect mathematics academic achievement are constantly changing and affecting mathematics achievement, longitudinal studies that can predict and analyze growth are needed. This study used data from middle and high school students from 2013(first year of middle school) to 2017(second year of high school) of the Seoul Education Longitudibal Study(SELS). By classifying the longitudinal changes in mathematics academic achievement into similar subgroups, the direct influence of teachers' characteristics(professionalism, expectations, academic feedback) perceived by students on the longitudinal changes in mathematics academic achievement was examined. As a result of the study, it was found that the characteristics of mathematics teachers(professional performance, expectation, and academic feedback) in group 1(343 students), which included the top 14.5% of students, did not directly affect longitudinal changes in mathematics academic achievement. Students in the middle 2nd group(745, 32.2%) had academic feedback from the mathematics teacher, and the 2nd group(1225 students) in the lower 53%, which included most of the students, showed that the expectations of the mathematics teacher were the longitudinal mathematics achievement. The change has been shown to have a direct effect. This suggests that support for teaching and learning should also reflect this, as the direct influence of teachers' professionalism, expectations, and academic feedback on longitudinal changes in mathematics academic achievement is different according to the characteristics and dispositions of students.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.85-102
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is analyzing newly the role of the educare teachers by finding the teachers' subjective perception on their duty and understanding its feature. With the research, I'd like to present the fundamental materials for re-training and education for specialty. I Q-sorted 17 teachers based on the 36 statements which had been selected carefully. The results are following. The first type is the teacher who is aiming the specialized education. The teacher of this type needs to have the comprehensible knowledge on the child-development and seeks the teacher's specialty with self-supervision and study group. The second type is the teacher who is pursuing safety and protection for the children. The teacher of this type considers safety and cleanness very important and thinks that he or she should take care of the children by the cooperation with parents. The third type is the teacher who is heading for everyday's life and improvement. He or she thinks that teaching the child daily life is significant and by it, the child should grow up. The results of the research show us 3 points. The first, we need to re-design training program for the educare teachers. The second, we should prepare the manual for the teachers in accordance with the infants' growing-up. The third, we should understand the teacher's type and train him or her in accordance with the type.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.412-428
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to identify the teaching professionalism of the two teachers for secondary science-gifted students in perspective of teaching orientations. Both teachers have been taught biology to secondary science-gifted students for more than six years and they have received in-service training in gifted education. Teachers' orientations were investigated through in-depth interviews and observing lessons. For the data collection, videotapes were recorded during two lessons and two in-depth interviews for each participant were conducted. All recorded data were carefully transcribed and analyzed. Some unique characteristics of teaching were identified from the class instruction of each participant. Both teachers revealed 'Open Inquiry' orientation. This was reflected by their educational goals and beliefs that they should help science-gifted students to grow themselves as scientists by enhancing their inquisitiveness and creative problem solving ability. However, each teacher had shown different teaching orientations such as 'Academic Rigor' and 'Discovery' that seemed to have influence on the level or the range of subject matter covered in the classes. Teachers' science teaching orientations have been changed by their subject of teaching and their experiences in teaching the gifted. In the process, teachers' educational philosophy about gifted education plays an important role in teaching orientation. Based on the ongoing teachers' efforts for enhancing his/her professionalism, the teachers seemed to critically review theoretical knowledge of the science teachers in gifted education through self-reflection on their own teaching methods. When teacher's educational philosophy about gifted education was established and internalized, science teaching orientations in teaching practice seemed to be consistent with his/her goal of teaching.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.12 no.11
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• pp.607-615
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• 2014

Outdoor education emphasizes diverse experiences from the internal growth which is expected from the learners, to the ecological and environmental experiences. It is also the needs of this time and reflected in the education system of Korea. However the goal of outdoor education is not well defined and philosophical efforts to clarify it is also not enough. In this respect, we tried to define the goal and investigated professionalism of outdoor education. Specifically, we investigated the professionalism of teachers and instructors of physical education. The goal was investigated in two areas 1) holistic experience and problem solving skill and 2) aiming self-reflective practitioner. The idea was that educators must not aim simple educational efficiencies but have to become self-reflective practitioners through everyday life. The conclusions of this study are firstly, a safety manual is required to avoid possible injuries and to give first aid in an unfortunate occasion, secondly, an education program is required to train outdoor professionals and lastly, outdoor education should not remain in the boundary of formal education but should be included in non-formal education.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.735-760
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• 2009

Most of every teachers' life is occupied with his or her instruction, and a classroom is a laboratory for mutual development between teacher and students also. Namely, a teacher's professionalism can be enhanced by circulations of continual reflection, experiment, verification in the laboratory. Professional development is pursued primarily through teachers' reflective practices, especially instruction practices which is grounded on $Sch\ddot{o}n's$ epistemology of practices. And a thorough penetration about situations or realities and an exact understanding about students that are now being faced are foundations of reflective practices. In this study, at first, we explored the implications of earlier studies for discussing a teacher's practice. We could found two essential consequences through reviewing existing studies about classroom and instructions. One is a calling upon transition of perspectives about instruction, and the other is a suggestion of necessity of a teachers' reflective practices. Subsequently, we will talking about an instance of a middle school mathematics teacher's practices. We observed her instructions for a year. She has created her own practical knowledges through circulation of reflection and practices over the years. In her classroom, there were three mutual interaction structures included in a rich expressive environments. The first one is students' thinking and justifying in their seats. The second is a student's explaining at his or her feet. The last is a student's coming out to solve and explain problem. The main substances of her practical know ledges are creating of interaction structures and facilitating students' spontaneous changes. And the endeavor and experiment for diagnosing trouble and finding alternative when she came across an obstacles are also main elements of her practical knowledges Now, we can interpret her process of creating practical knowledge as a process of self-directed professional development when the fact that reflection and practices are the kernel of a teacher's professional development is taken into account.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.431-440
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of the K Teachers' Community, which brought about changes in the perception of SSI education by teachers with experience in SSI, and to explore its relevance to the development of SSI professions. This is a case study that describes in depth the characteristics of the K teachers' community. The study conducted semi-structured as well as in-depth interviews with six teachers who have more experience in SSI education activities for over 20 years. The K teachers' community has three characteristics. First, the K teachers' community formed identity by discussing the nature of science and technology, which allowed teachers to share a common orientation toward the goals of science education. Second, the teachers who participated in the K teachers' community formed professionalism and confidence in SSI teaching in the course of producing, sharing, and spreading SSI through its various practices. Third, the K teachers' community is continuously growing by opening themselves to external communities and co-evolution through solidarity. The success of K Teachers' Community may inform other teachers how the community of teaching practices can develop and maintain, and in turn can help the members of the community develop their professional identity as teachers.