• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1502-1523
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• 2012

Recently, there have been growing interest in teachers' professional development since teachers were regarded as a critical factor in the context of the reform efforts. Along with these efforts, educational researchers have continued to implement various programs to improve teachers' subject matter knowledge, beliefs, and their practices. Although considerable researches have been done regarding the efficiency of these programs, most of them have focused on individual teacher's change. However, a "teacher's mind is socially formed" (Edwards, 2001). This perspective indicates that teacher change is necessarily viewed in terms of social mediational process between individual and the social context. This study examines the interactions between teachers and researchers in order to explore the mediational processes and the aspects of collective understanding, which has emerged from the collaborative workshop. The data were collected from small group activities in a workshop and then analyzed using interactional sociolinguistic approach. Futhermore, activity system was employed to describe the social mediational process. The findings show that participating teachers constructed knowledge through conflict regarding collective understanding. This process of collective understanding was mediated by object, rules, and roles within each activity system. Findings from the study suggest that the sociocultural perspectives to teacher education are essential in understanding how teachers learn to teach and that teachers' professional discourse can play a significant role in teachers' professional development.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.203-217
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• 2018

The research objective of this study is to analyze the aspects of small group decision-making process based on reading news reports in the context of the socio-scientific issues (SSI) activity related to climate change. Twenty-two high school students from Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, were asked to read two news reports on the UN climate change conferences and take a stance on joining the Paris Agreement both as an individual and as a small group. The news reports were analyzed in terms of genre, discourse, and style adapting the critical discourse analysis (CDA) and the decision-making processes of the small groups were examined on recognizing a problem and evaluating alternatives and decisions. The results from analyzing the news reports denoted that the Paris agreement is not only related to finding ideal solutions to climate change, but rather, connected to political or economic interests and power relationship. In the stage of recognizing a problem, meanwhile, different frames which students recognize the Paris agreement and discourses in the foreground of the news reports were the critical causes in terms of identifying the problem. In the stage of evaluating alternatives and decisions, the equity and fairness were the criteria for the small group discussions. This study implies the necessity of the scientific literacy instruction to develop the ability to critical reading in the context of the SSI.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.52
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• pp.165-194
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• 2018

Employing Fairclough's critical discourse analysis (CDA), the purpose of this study was to analyze linguistically significant features, intertextuality, and sociocultural practice focusing on selected editorials of The Global Times, $Hu{\acute{a}}nqi{\acute{u}}$ Shíbào on the 2018 United States-China Trade War. The editorial titled "With the strong will of 'the War to Resist America and Aid Chosun,' let us go through the trade war against America" focused on the use of 'war' related vocabulary in the frame of 'war.' First, "Trade War" and "War to Resist America and Aid Chosun" are examples that reveal metaphors and a war frame. Second, "Strategy" is used positively for China but negatively towards America. Third, various war related words are used. Fourth, cases of allusion illustrate war. Intertextuality in terms of discourse practice pertains to two findings. First, The Global Times, $Hu{\acute{a}}nqi{\acute{u}}$ Shíbào repeatedly uses the phrase 'equivalent revenge.' That is because the expression enables China to justify their counterattack and such war that China may wage can be interpreted as just counterattack much like a self-defense mechanism. Second, the expression, 'the counterattack is not intended but it is not fearful' is repeated in several editorials of the newspaper. The reasons are the following: 1) it is used to appeal to the public, 2) by invoking the feeling of fear, the public should be understand why they should unite, and 3) the expression, "it is not fearful" is used to preserve China's global image and "the counterattack is not intended" is used to signal China's will to America. The whole expression is a good example of intertextuality that repetitively illustrates the intended meaning of China in nine editorials in the newspaper within three months, March 23-June 17, 2018. Finally, sociocultural practice is manipulated through the editorial for disseminating the Chinese government's hegemonic ideology. First, it is clear that the core national project, "China Manufacturing 2025" cannot be abandoned. Second, by calling for "War to Resist America and Aid Chosun" the editorial is manipulated to condemn and intimidate America, avoid dissent of the people, appeal to the people, and empower the government. Third, China somehow wants to open up the possibility of negotiation with the United Sates.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.471-483
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to explore how students' epistemological framing and positional framing affect the role of wonderment questions related to the activation of conceptual resources and to investigate what contexts affect students' framings during scientific model construction. Four students were selected as focus group and they participated in collaborative scientific model construction of mechanisms relating to urination. According to the results, one student whose framings were "understanding phenomena" and "facilitator" asked wonderment questions, but the others whose framings were "classroom game" and "non-respondent" were not able to activate their conceptual resources. However, they were able to activate their conceptual resources when they shared the epistemological framing of "understanding phenomena" and shifted between the positional framings of "facilitator" and "respondent." Although they were able to activate their conceptual resources, these activated resources were not able to contribute to their model when they shifted to the framings of "classroom game" and "receiver." In contrast, when students constantly shared an "understanding phenomena" framing and dynamically shifted between the framings of "facilitator" and "respondent," they were able to activate various conceptual resources and develop their group model. The students' framings were affected by the contexts. These included: when students were confronted with cognitive difficulties and were not provided proper scaffolding; when the teacher played the role of answer provider and guided the activity with correctness; when there were several possible explanatory models that students could choose from; and when the teacher played the role of thought facilitator. This study contributes to supporting teaching and learning environments for productive scientific model construction.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.409-434
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of teaching mathematics for social justice on students'interest towards mathematics and perceptions of mathematical values. Eighteen 6th grade students, at B elementary school in Seocho-gu, Seoul, who wished to involved in the study participated in the 10 hour lessons. During the lessons for social justice, the researchers analyzed the students' reactions in the lessons according to the three categories: Perceiving given problematic situations of social conflicts, searching for problem-solving methods based on mathematical analysis, and changing social behaviors to solve life issues through mathematics. They also examined changes of students' interest towards mathematics and perceptions of mathematical values through the activities and reactions using the preliminary questionnaires, observations of lessons, and students' activity sheets. The research results showed that the students perceived mathematics as a tool for social justice in mathematics lessons, tried to find problem-solving methods based on mathematical analysis, and expressed their active social behaviors by cultivating the will of practice to solve life issues through mathematics. Based on those findings, the study reached the following conclusions. First, the students recognize many of the social problems in their societies as social justice regardless of their economic levels. Second, learning activities need to design in a way that students can accept the social problems as realistic situations in teaching mathematics for social justice. Third, students look at the world from a mathematical perspective, have interest in mathematics, and recognize the values of mathematics in teaching mathematics for social justice.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.694-708
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• 2011

In this study, we developed tasks including cognitive scaffolding for students to explain scientific phenomena using valid evidences in science classroom and sought to investigate how tasks influence the development of small group scientific argumentation. Heterogeneous small groups in gender and achievement were organized in one classroom and the tasks were applied to the class. Students were asked to write down their own ideas, share individual ideas, and then choose the most plausible opinion in a group. One group was chosen for investigating the effect of tasks on the development of small group argumentation through the analysis of discourse transcripts of the group in 10 lessons, students' semi-structured interview, field note, and students' pre- and post argument tests. The discrepant argument examples were included in the tasks for students to refute an argument presenting evidences. Moreover, comparing opinion within the group and persuading others were included in the tasks to prompt small group argumentation. As a result, students' post-argument test grades were increased than pre-test grades, and they argued involving evidences and reasoning. The high level of arguments has appeared with high ratio of advanced utterances and lengthening of reasoning chain as lessons went on. Students had elaborate claims involving valid evidences and reasoning by reflective and critical thinking while discussing about the tasks. In addition, tasks which could have various warrants based on the data led to students' spontaneous participation. Therefore, this study has significance in understanding the context of developing small group argumentation, providing information about teaching and learning context prompting students to construct arguments in science inquiry lessons in middle school.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.11-26
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate teachers' responsive practices in whole class discussion after small group argumentation and the underlying epistemological framing. Three teachers and 84 students participated in this study by engaging in argumentation activities about the sensory system. We recorded both their discussions in the classes and our interviews with the teachers, which were transcribed for analysis. The results of the analysis showed that the teachers' responsive practices and the epistemological framing were categorized into four types. By framing the discussion as 'reaching the correct answer through discussion,' the teacher focused on whether students' ideas corresponded to scientific concepts and transferred scientific ideas to the students. By framing the discussion as 'eliciting appropriate conceptual resources and developing them into a scientific idea through critical evaluation,' the teacher engaged in the students' discussion as another participant, and considered the small groups' arguments as resources that could develop into scientific concepts. By framing the discussion as 'sharing small groups' arguments,' the teacher responded by asking for clarification of each group's argument, considering it as a valid argument in its own way. By framing the discussion as 'reaching a consented argument through critical evaluation,' the teacher negotiated students' critical evaluation and revision of the arguments. We explored the implications and limitations of each type of responsive practice and considered that the results of this study will contribute to developing teachers' responsive teaching strategies in argumentation activities.