• Journal of Science Education
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2021

In this study, we analyzed the relationship between the physical science domain of TIMSS 2019 and the Korean science curriculum. Twelve subjects are presented in the physical science domain of the TIMSS 2019 4th grade evaluation framework. Research group consisting of elementary and middle school teachers and science education experts, a total of 12, participated to analyze in which grade these subjects were included in the Korea 2009 revised and 2015 revised science curriculum. As a results of analyzing whether the achievement standards of the TIMSS 2019 evaluation framework and Korean science curriculum are consistent, the subjects pertinent to chemistry like 'chemical changes in everyday life,' 'heat transfer,' and 'electricity and simple electrical circuits' appeared not covered at all until the 4th grade curriculum in Korea. Given that the TIMSS 2019 evaluation framework is an international achievement standard, we are proposing to improve the Korean curriculum as follows: first, for the development of the next science curriculum, there is a need for science curriculum organized from the 1st grade of elementary school to connect the content and scope of chemistry in elementary, middle, and high schools as a whole including the Nuri curriculum. Second, as an alternative to the problem of suitability of learning volume and level of learning, it is possible to think of a method to readjust the grade of dealing with related concepts by lowering the difficulty or simplifying the concept. Third, it is necessary to discuss about introducing essential concepts and standard terms into Korea science curriculum according to international trends.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.599-609
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• 2017

The goal of this research is to analyze the trend of Korean fourth grade students' achievement in TIMSS 2011 and TIMSS 2015 science content domains and to suggest implications for science curriculum and teaching & learning improvement. With four elementary science teachers and three science educators, we analyzed Korean fourth grade students' percentage of correct responses in TIMSS 2015 science content and cognitive domains, and conducted item-curriculum matching analysis for test items. According to the results, Korean students performed relatively better in test topics covered in the science curriculum for 3-4 grades regardless of the science content domain (i.e., Life science, Physical science, or Earth science). Korean students showed low percentage of correct answers for items related to such topics as heat conduction, the action of electricity, the motion of the earth and the moon, etc., which were covered in the 5th-6th grades in the 2009 revised curriculum. For science cognitive domains, Korean students' achievement dropped significantly in reasoning between TIMSS 2011 and TIMSS 2015. Discussed in the conclusion are implications to reconstruct elementary school science curriculum, and ways to improve science teaching and learning.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.527-537
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• 1998

This article is a part of a research on the elementary science curriculum development to enhance creative problem-solving abilities. The components of the curriculum have been identified as 'scientific knowledge', 'process skills' & 'divergent/critical thinking'. Among these components, construction of the scientific knowledge that enables creative problem-solving abilities has been selected as an intensive research topic for the purpose of the present research. To avoid or to prevent the knowledge learned from separate facts and concepts, five themes have been selected so as to incorporate with all three areas of the elementary science curriculum, i.e., physical science, earth science and life science. The five themes are, 'structure', 'change', 'interaction', 'energy' and 'stability'. The contents of elementary science, which have been selected from the 3rd, 6th and 7th National Elementary Science curriculum, were reconstructed based on the five themes given above. The results of reconstruction are presented in the form of matrix, such that the vertical axis represents how the concepts are related within each domain of science, while the horizontal axis shows how the concepts are interconnected between domains of science. Therefore, based upon the five themes, individual or separate knowledge can be put into more unified knowledge so that contribution of knowledge transfer to new ones can be expected for leaners who will be creative in problem-solving. The process and products of the curriculum development as well as the background of the present research are described and discussed in detail.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.487-498
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• 2015

This research is for acquiring implications to science education based on learner's characteristics by analyzing the relationship between contents on science learning and cognitive domain of students in elementary schools through TIMSS 2011-based academic achievement test. Forty one multiple choice items from by TIMSS 2011 were used on 317 primary school students, fourth to sixth grade, and according to grade and achievement level of research targets, test results were analyzed. With these data, the relationship between contents on science learning and the score by cognitive domains, and through correlation by items, we drew static and negative correlations, and then compared the value. The result are as follows: First, other fields except for 'physical science' and 'inference' revealed meaningful differences by learners' grade, and the interrelationship between all contents domains and cognitive fields also appeared statically different. Second, both achievement level of contents and cognition of learners presented significant differences, but the correlation between scientific contents and cognitive field of learners showed different aspects. Third, in static and negative correlation by items, the complexity and their aspects could be classified by targets' academic achievement levels.