• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.394-403
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• 2007

In this study, the effects of reciprocal peer questioning (RPQ) strategy upon students' concept learning were investigated. Ninety-two seventh graders at a co-ed middle school were assigned to control, reciprocal peer tutoring (RPT), and RPQ groups. The students were taught about 'three states of matter' and 'motion of molecules' for 12 class hours. Regardless of students' prior science achievement level, the RPQ group showed the highest scores among the three groups in the test of conceptual understanding, and the RPT group performed better than the control group. For high-level students, the scores of the RPQ group were significantly higher than those of the other groups in the test of the concept application, and those of the RPT group were higher than those of the control group. For low-level students, the scores of the RPT and RPQ groups in the concept application test were significantly higher than those of the control group, while those of the RPT and RPQ groups were not significantly different. These results indicated that verbal interaction by reciprocal tutoring helped students to understand chemical concept learning, and that using self-generated questions was more effective. Therefore, RPQ strategy is suggested to become one of the useful instructional methods to facilitate verbal interaction and concept learning in middle school science instructions.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.937-949
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• 2017

In this study, we investigated how science teachers perceive the changes in school systems, including infrastructure and curriculum, in the context of preparing for future education. And the changes in their perception of the educational environment, the challenges, and changes of science teachers' classroom practices were also explored. In-depth interviews and analysis were conducted with two science teachers in a middle school that is trying to innovative on changes compared with general schools. The results of the study are as follows: First, teachers perceived that their schools had factors that could change the science class in terms of school size and infrastructure, peer teacher culture, and students' abilities. Second, the enthusiasm of teachers who are trying various ways of teaching and the students' ability to adapt in a smart learning environment formed a synergistic circle that lowered entry barriers to trying changes. Third, science classes changed to activity-centered classes, and teachers realized that these changes promoted students' self-directed learning. Fourth, teachers perceived themselves as playing an independent role in curriculum management, and this perception promoted more varied attempts in improving their classes. Through the changes of the learning environment and systems of the school and the formation of a culture that shares their challenges and innovations with the voluntary learning community, teachers constantly try to change their classes and schools. The changes of school need to be understood in the context of the interaction of teachers, students, and infrastructure.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.325-340
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• 2022

This study attempts to analyze the causes of low affective achievement of elementary, middle, and high school students in Korea in science. To this end, a total of 27 students, three to four students per grade, were interviewed by grade from the fourth grade of elementary school to the first grade of high school, and a total of nine teachers were interviewed by school level. In the interview, related questions were asked in five sub-areas of the 'Indicators of Positive Experiences about Science': 'Science Academic Emotion', 'Science-Related Self-Concept', 'Science Learning Motivation', 'Science-Related Career Aspiration', and 'Science-Related Attitude'. Interview contents were recorded, transcribed, and categorized. As a result of examining the causes of low science academic emotion, it was found that students experienced negative emotions when experiments are not carried out properly, scientific theories and terms are difficult, and recording the inquiry results is burdensome. In addition, students responded that science-related self-concept changed negatively due to poor science grades, difficult scientific terms, and a large amount of learning. The reasons for the decline in science learning motivation were the lack of awareness of relationship between science class content and daily life, difficulty in science class content, poor science grades, and lack of relevance to one's interest or career path. The main reason for the decline in science-related career aspirations was that they feel their career path was not related to science, and due to poor science performance. Science-related attitudes changed negatively due to difficulties in science classes or negative feelings about science classes, and high school students recognized the ambivalence of science on society. Based on the results of the interview, support for experiments and basic science education, improvement of elementary school supplementary textbook 'experiment & observation', development of teaching and learning materials, and provision of science-related career information were proposed.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.68 no.4
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• pp.205-220
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• 2024

This study aims to explore characteristics of pedagogical reasoning and action of beginning science teachers that naturally and spontaneously occurs in a professional learning community. Three novice middle school science teachers who majored chemistry education in A college of education, passed the examination for selecting secondary school chemistry teachers, and had a common goal of designing 8^th grade science lesson plan voluntarily created a professional learning community and had weekly meetings over a year. Main data sources included transcribed audio-recording of 11 meetings of three science teachers in a professional learning community. Data was analyzed using Shulman's pedagogical reasoning model that includes comprehension, transformation, instruction, evaluation, reflection, and new comprehension to identify characteristics and features of pedagogical reasoning in a professional learning community. Data analysis revealed that pedagogical reasoning in a professional learning community comprises not only preparation, representations, instructional selections, and adaptation but also evaluation, reflection, and new comprehension in transformation stage. Reflection in transformation stage leads teachers to be actively engaged in discussion and get new comprehension on each sub-component(preparation, representations, instructional selections, adaptation, and evaluation) of transformation stage.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.323-332
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• 1997

In order to use analog more systematically in science class, an instructional model was designed on the basis of analogical reasoning processes (encoding, inference, mapping, application, and response) in the Sternberg's component process theory. The model has five phases (introducing target context, cue retrieval of analog context, mapping similarity and drawing target concept, application, and elaboration), and the instructional effects of using the model upon students' comprehension of science concepts and motivation level of learning were investigated. The treatment and control groups (1 class each) were selected from 8th-grade classes and taught about chemical change and chemical reaction for the period of 10 class hours. The treatment group was taught with the materials based on the model, while the control group was taught in traditional instruction without using analog. Before the instructions, modified versions of the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Survey and the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking were administered, and their scores were used as covariates for students' conceptions and motivational level of learning, respectively. Analogical reasoning ability test was also administered, and its score was used as a blocking variable. After the instructions, students' conceptions were measured by a researcher-made science conception test, and their motivational level of learning was measured by a modified version of the Instructional Materials Motivation Scale. The results indicated that the adjusted mean score of the conception test for the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group at .01 level of significance. No significant interaction between the instruction and the analogical reasoning ability was found. Although the motivational level of learning for the treatment group was higher than that for the control group, the difference was found to be statistically insignificant. Educational implications are discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.560-569
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• 1999

This study was conducted with two science classes of the 8th grade students in Seoul during 4 weeks. The numbers of students in the classes were 37 and 38, and they were taught for 12 class hours. Questions obtained for 12 class hours from 75 students were analyzed and grouped into patterns. All together 1.108 questions from the students were classified into six categories: 'No Connection' (7%). 'Contradiction' (3%), 'Recall' (23%), 'Reframe' (40%), 'Application' (18%), and 'Extension' (9%). Irrelevant questions to learning and questions of false proposition were classified into 'No Connection' and 'Contradiction', respectively. Questions repeating what were already explained were grouped into 'Recall'. Those requiring other examples and/or additional explanations were grouped into 'Reframe'. Those requiring practical applications and/or explanations for other concrete facts were grouped into 'Application'. Finally. Questions for higher and/or other concepts were grouped into 'Extension'. We also discussed educational implications of the above categorized questions in this study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.124-133
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• 2012

Modern society requires people with practical knowledge that is able to recognize actual problems in the complex reality and solve the problems. Due to that reason, the 7th National Curriculum aims to basically cultivate ability adaptable to information-oriented global age by maximizing students' individuality and creativity. However, as existing education is hard to improve creativity, logical thinking, information processing skills, and problem-solving ability in the information-oriented age, self-directed learning is getting highlighted. Therefore, this study aimed to look into how learner-oriented IPER for self-directed learning and problem-based learning(PBL) in middle school science affected academic achievement of science and self-directed learning characteristics. As the results of the study are as follows. First, as the result of pre-and post-test to compare and analyze the effects of IPER instruction model and PBL instruction model on learners' academic achievement increase, it showed that the class with IPER instruction model was more effective. Second, as the result of pre-and post-test to compare and analyze the effects of IPER instruction model and PBL instruction model on self-directed learning characters, IPER was more effective than PBL overall, and among sub-areas, 'openness', 'self-concept', 'initiative', 'future-oriented self-understanding', and 'self-evaluation' were more effective in IPER while 'creativity' was more effective in PBL. However, among sub-areas 'responsibility' and 'learning enthusiasm' didn't show statistically significant difference. Third, the results of the post-survey to compare and analyze learners' perception regarding the application of IPER instruction model and PBL instruction model, the two models were positively affective. In addition, as the result of comparing the two models, IPER was more positive than PBL.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartA
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• v.9A no.1
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• pp.113-120
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• 2002

Many CAI materials have been developed for middle school education. Among subjects in middle school education curricula, various multimedia materials are used in science subjects. Especially, those materials are necessary to teach basic knowledge of the environment, structure and components of animal. Thus, we implemented a multimedia title for a chapter of heart and blood circulation from first year science subject in middle school curricula. Most previous researches mainly focussed on the development of CAI programs, but did not suggest the analysis result of impact using those CAI programs. In this paper, we presented the analysis method of impact and the result, but also suggested a way to improve effectiveness of teaching in a clams.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.162-174
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• 2020

This study aimed to develop a creative education class program using metaphor, one of the creative thinking techniques, and to examine the effectiveness of the program targeting for randomly sampled 338 students in six middle schools. The creative education class program with the metaphor was developed based on content elements concerning 'astronomy' in 2015 science curriculum revision in South Korea. The program was tested for validity after being modified and supplemented three times by forming a group of experts, and the final version of the program was applied to school education fields during four periods, including block time. To find out the effectiveness of the program and the implementation, creative education class satisfaction test and creative thinking process test were conducted. That is to say, the creative education class satisfaction test was conducted before treatment and the creative thinking process test was implemented both before and after treatment. The results of the study are as follows. First, in this study, the program was developed with the emphasis on students voluntarily and actively participating in creative education programs while utilizing creative thinking methods. Second, the statistical results of the pre- and post-class about the creative education program using the metaphor of creative thinking techniques represented significant results(p<.05). In other words, the two-dependent samples by students' pre-and post-score about the creative education class showed significant statistical test results (p<.05). It turned out that the creative education program using metaphor has had a positive impact on research participants. Third, in regards to the results of the creative education class satisfaction test, 101 out of 338 students(30%) answered 'Strongly Agree' and 137(41%) answered 'Agree', indicating the subjects' satisfaction with the class was high in general. On the other hand, concerning difficulties of the creative class, 137(41%) answered "Lack of time" as the main factor, followed by 98(30%) "Difficulties of problems they were required to solve", 73(22%) answered "Conflicts with friends", and 24(7%) said "Difficulties of contents." These responses were taken into account as considerations for further development of creative education programs.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.212-224
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• 2007

Metabolism is one of the pivotal biology concepts, but many students have difficulty understanding it. The purposes of this study were (1) to explore 8th graders' conceptual change of an enzyme after classes of experimenting enzyme reaction and interpreting data using systematic analogies, (2) to discover the role of systematic analogies to enhance students' understanding, and (3) to explain students' difficulty understanding concepts as the ontological features. Systematic analogies were designed to encourage students to interpret their lab activities on enzyme reaction rates. Data were collected by using the pre-test and the post-test of open-ended form, students' worksheets, and interviews with students. After classes, the number of students to engender scientific conceptions about the function of enzyme, its structure, and its mechanism has increased. But more students failed to understand the reaction mechanisms having ontological features of equilibration processes than to understand the function of enzyme having ontological features of event-like processes. Even though the concepts of enzymes are hard to grasp owing to their ontological attributes of equilibration processes, a part of students' conceptions successfully progressed from the idea belonging to event-like processes to one belonging to equilibration processes. And systematic analogies were found to contribute in enhancing students' conceptual change of the enzyme reaction.