• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.422-434
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• 2011

The purpose of this research is to investigate the actual conditions of primary school science teaching and ways to improve it. In elementary science teaching, teachers themselves tend to have science misconceptions and insufficient science content knowledge. Experienced teachers argued that it could be hard for elementary teachers with lack of science content knowledge to provide their students with meaningful learning experiences of science. Based on the general characteristics of elementary teaching and the awareness of elementary teachers' insufficient science content knowledge, we explored the real situation of the elementary science classroom. We conducted open-ended interviews with teachers and focus group discussions on a regular basis to analyze and compare classes of five primary school teachers. Data analysis focused on why elementary students avoid science classes in upper grades of elementary school and why elementary science classes always need hands-on activities. We also discussed ways to turn hands-on investigation into minds-on investigation by connecting it to important ideas in science. Based on the results, we suggested ways to improve inservice teacher training such as designing supplementary in-service training focused on content knowledge for primary school teachers, setting up professional exchange or collaboration between primary and secondary teachers, and introducing subject-specialized teachers for the fifth and sixth graders of primary school. In particular, considering elementary teachers' insufficient science content knowledge, employing science subject matter specialists in the elementary school could be a useful strategy.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.78-95
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• 2014

Students' interest and motivation of a lesson can be deeply influenced by how their teacher starts his or her lesson. So the introduction part of math classes should be very carefully and thoughtfully designed. The goal of this study is to serve the foundation for developing the practical types of introduction part of math classes and to draw the implications for planning and teaching math classes. For these, 19 lesson plans titled by 'volume of cylinders' composed by elementary teachers and 2 lesson videos on the internet are analyzed. Finally, seven types of introduction parts of math class are probed and several implications are suggested.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.185-200
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• 2024

This study explored the changes in the elementary science teaching expertise of teachers who participated in an in-school professional learning community for elementary science instructional research. Six elementary school teachers from grades 4, 5, and 6 at an 18-class S elementary school in a medium-sized city in Chungcheongbuk-do conducted collaborative instructional research on elementary science lessons as part of an in-school professional learning community, which was held 26 times over 7 months in 2020. During the professional learning community, video and audio recordings of the activities, research lessons, course materials, and professional learning community reflection activities were collected for analysis. The collected data were analyzed using qualitative research methods; data processing, reading, note-taking, description, classification, interpretation, reporting, and visualization; and the instructional professionalism elements were extracted based on the instructional professionalism framework. In the early professional learning community activity stages, the participating teachers first discussed their teaching perspectives, their experiences, and their goals for teaching science, which resulted in a selection of research questions. The teachers then collaboratively designed and implemented research lessons for each grade level, after which lesson reflections were conducted. The teachers' abilities to engage in qualitative reflection on the research questions improved after each reflection iteration. It was found that this professional learning community collaborative lesson study experience positively contributed to teaching expertise development. Based on the study findings, the implications for using professional learning communities to improve elementary teachers' science teaching expertise are given.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.132-141
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of science classes using elementary school distance science classes on science academic achievement and creative personality. The research group and non-research group were selected for 6th grade elementary school students. After 10 weeks of experimental treatment, science classes were conducted with the contents of the elementary school science section, 'Changes of the seasons'. In the three domains of 'knowledge', 'inquiry', and 'attitude', which are sub-domains of science academic achievement, as a result of the pre-post test, there was a positive effect in 'inquiry' and 'attitude', which are sub-domains of science academic achievement. However, it was found that there was no positive effect in 'knowledge', a sub-domain of academic achievement. However, it was found that there was a positive effect in the overall test result of academic achievement. Therefore, it is interpreted that science classes using elementary school distance science classes had an effect on academic achievement. There was a significant effect in the sub-domains of the creative personality test, 'persistence/obsession', 'self-confidence', 'humor', 'imagination', 'openness', 'adventure', and 'independence'. However, it was found that there was no effect in the sub-domain 'curiosity'. The overall test results of the creative personality test showed a significant effect. Therefore, it is interpreted that science classes using elementary school distance science classes are effective in cultivating creative personality. Students' perceptions of science classes using elementary school distance science classes also showed positive responses.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.287-296
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• 2004

The purposes of this study were to analyze the problems of elementary science instruction, especially in experiment and observation, and suggest the directions to improve current elementary science instruction in terms of teaching methods and strategies. Data from instructions implemented by 7 elementary teachers were used to extract the problem of elementary science instruction. According to the results of instruction observation, such problems as follows are identified: 1) shortage of discussion regarding results of students' activities, 2) insufficiency of interactions among teacher-student/student-student, 3) shortage of guidance for students on observation, 4) absence of explanation on apparatus, 5) teachers' insufficient knowledge on science, 6) inappropriate use of teacher-made worksheets. Desirable directions for the improvement of present elementary science instruction were proposed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.271-294
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to explore the meanings of science classes to elementary school teachers from a phenomenological perspective. Participants were twenty-eight elementary teachers who majored in elementary science education in a graduate school of education. The study revealed that meanings of science classes were not consistent but rather varied with what the teachers experienced. In their early career years, when the teachers were filled with enthusiasm, they devoted themselves to doing science-related school works as well as science lessons. But, the teachers were gradually concerned about good science teaching, and this concern became more severe as they realized the characteristics of science experiments and elementary school students. The teachers' concern did not actually develop into good science teaching practices because of such constraints as lots of school works, accidents in science labs, and household affairs. Despite these difficulties, the teachers revitalized their interest in science and resumed their effort for good science teaching. However, for "unfillable cups" to the elementary school teachers.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.235-241
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to identify the main laboratory instruction types with Classification Scheme of Laboratory Instruction (CSLI) in elementary and secondary schools science. For the purpose, the validity of the instrument CSLI was 4.23 and laboratory instructions were collected in 100 elementary schools and 30 secondary schools. Before analyzing the collected laboratory instructions, the inter-rater reliability about the analysis results was identified as 0.91. The results of this study were found that in elementary school, the main laboratory instruction types were verification type and discovery type and in secondary school were discovery type and verification type. In the category of the procedure, a large part of the procedures of laboratory activity in both elementary and secondary schools was given to students by worksheets or teachers themselves. In the category of approach, inductive approach was the main in elementary and deductive approach in secondary.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.352-370
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to explore how Peer Instruction can continuously help improve third-grade students' participation and their ability to debate in Science classes. There were multiple-choice questions relating to the discussions and debating class and Peer Instruction of the entire third grade Science curriculum which had been applied for six months. Also, after looking into the class participation and the debating ability, there was a degree of increase. As a result, there were five areas in class participation which are class preparation, class activity, expressing oneself, class expansion, and class dedication; all have statistically significant effects on the six areas of the discussion skill: logic, analytical skill, listening skill, receptiveness, regularity, and initiative. As it shows, both of these areas show a significant statistical effect on the application of Peer Instruction and confirmed to have a positive influence on the change in the participation and the discussion skills.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.68 no.4
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• pp.221-234
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• 2024

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Argument-based Inquiry approach on elementary school students' critical thinking in elementary school science class. For this purpose, 23 students from two 5th grade elementary school classes in a metropolitan city were selected. One class (11 students) was assigned as the experimental group which Argument-based inquiry approach on 10 topics were applied. To determine the impact of Argument-based Inquiry approach on critical thinking, we analyzed the results of critical thinking tests before and after class and recordings of the discussion process of students in the experimental group. As a result of the critical thinking analysis, the average score of the experimental group in the deduction section was statistically and significantly higher than that of the comparative group. And as a result of analysis of recordings of the discussion process, students used deductive reasoning more often than inductive reasoning, and their use of this reasoning increased significantly at the claim·evidence stage.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the development and application of strategies using fairy tales in elementary school science. For this study, many fairy tales were searched in terms of various characteristics and educational value of the tales. Five fairy tales were selected and reconstructed to suit the 'mirrors and lenses' unit of 5th graders' school science, and teaching strategies using the fairy tales were developed to be used in six lessons. To investigate the effects of instruction using fairy tales, pre/post tests for scientific attitude were administered. To analyze students' perception of their classes, a simple survey was administered through questionnaires. We found from this study that the students related the fairy tales with their own experiences and took an active part in the class that used them. Also, instruction using fairy tales had positive effects on their scientific attitude. Many students said that the science classes were interesting, and the method using fairy tales encouraged students to study hard as well as helped them to understand the context. It was concluded that instruction using fairy tales was an effective method in terms of enhancing learning motivation, encouraging more inquiries, more opportunities to apply the scientific concept, and more positive scientific attitude. We discussed the strategies using fairy tales for implementation in elementary science classes as well.