• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.783-790
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• 2016

The 'Integrated Inquiry' unit is a new addition in the 5th~6th grade science textbooks, and was developed for the 2009 revised national curriculum. The unit deals with six integrated inquiry process skills: problem cognition, formulating hypotheses, controlling variables, transforming and interpreting data, drawing results, and generalization. The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions and the teaching practices of elementary school teachers on this unit in their school curriculum and where improvements can be made. Data was collected from questionnaires filled out by 92 elementary school teachers. The results are as follows: First, teachers do have a positive perception on the importance of teaching integrated process skills. Second, with that being true, this unit ended up receiving both positive and negative reviews by teachers. This research found that there were good and bad responses on the educational aspects of this unit in three particular areas: dealing with the development of integrated inquiry process skills, facilitating science learning in other units, and implementing open inquiry. Third, teachers have difficulties particularly in problem cognition, formulating hypotheses, controlling variables, transforming and interpreting data, generalization, and drawing results. There is a lack of student understanding as well as a lack of professionalism for teachers on this unit, and many issues related to the composition of the textbook. This study may have important implications for making improvements in this unit and teaching integrated process skills.

• Korean Journal of Comparative Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.1-23
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to analyze some problems of general high school and provide some promotion ways of general high school in Gyeongsangbuk-do in long and short term perspective, considering necessity for consolidating educational capacity of general high school which is in disadvantage due to high school diversity and special high school promotion policy. For this, first, the study explores educational policy basis of Park Geun-hye's government, educational policy direction of Gyeongsangbuk-do, educational situation of general high school in Gyeongbuk area, and main contents of educational capacity consolidation way of general high school. Main tasks of Gyeongsangbuk-do general high school educational capacity reconsideration based on the educational capacity consolidation way of Ministry of Education are (1) enlargement of autonomy for formation and operation of focused curriculum by guidance, (2) enlargement of guidance and vocational education for general high school student, (3) consolidation of support program for student at risk, and (4) consolidation of support for general high school High-up program. For these main tasks are fixed and operated in school successfully, the fixation of school responsible management system based on geological environment and trait of each general high school, the application of whole quality control in school management, and the formation of cooperative school organizational culture should be constructed. And specific practice tasks and strategies for Gyeongsangbuk-do general high school educational capacity reconsideration (the cultivation of grobal democratic citizen, human being image in 2009 revised curriculum, and 'talented people with new thinking and genuine mind' of Gyeongsangbuk-do) are provided.

• School Mathematics
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.723-743
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• 2009

This paper analyzed the main contents of multiplication and division of fractions in elementary mathematics textbooks and workbooks aligned to the national mathematics curriculum. This paper first explored the adequacy of when to teach the contents, the connection of instructional flow across grades, and the method of constructing a unit to teach multiplication or division of fractions. This paper then analyzed in detail the contents with regard to the types and frequency of word problems, the types of visual models and frequency, and the process of formalizing the calculation methods and principles. It is expected that the issues and suggestions stemming from this analysis of current textbooks and workbooks are informative in developing new instructional materials aligned to the recently revised mathematics curriculum.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.73-84
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• 2015

In this research, two careers connectable with the contents of the curriculum of fifth to sixth grade elementary school students were selected among other promising future careers in biotechnology and medical engineering fields. 'Design-based promising future career STEAM program' was developed and its validity and effectiveness were verified. Reflecting recent issues, and complying with the STEAM standard (frame) instructional materials were developed through group deliberations for nine months, based on the achievement standards through an analysis of subject curriculum revised in 2009. This was prepared so that students are able to experience biotechnology and medical engineering related careers in a simulational form emphasized with creative design to make them prefer natural sciences and engineering careers and draw their interests and recognition of the relevant careers under the two disciplines. As a result of such application to STEAM Leader School students at the verification stage of the program, the contents and level of the program were verified suitable, receiving favorable reviews. And as a result of applying the developed program on other elementary school students, it was discovered that significant improvements were found in their career consciousness. Through this research, it was suggested that there is a need for a simplification of the curriculum content standards, a provision of 'standard for integration,' development of teachers' ability in reconstituting or organizing the STEAM and proceeding classes, continuous long-term support to see the effects of a policy or a program, and a reinforcement of career education integrated in the curriculum.

• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.253-264
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• 2011

The 2007 revised curriculum designated information-related subjects informatics and changed the direction of education by stressing problem-solving skills in consideration of the characteristics of the subject. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the problem-solving method and process sections of informatics textbooks had an inquiry tendency to foster the problem-solving skills of students. Four textbooks that were widely selected from among the authorized textbooks were analyzed by utilizing Romey method. As a result, just one textbook was found to have an inquiry tendency in terms of texts, but every textbook had a sufficient inquiry tendency in terms of activities. But in terms of structure, there were some problems that commercial softwares were utilized and some softwares employed a particular programming language. The findings of the study suggest that no question should be posed about intrinsic inequality in conjunction with textbook selection, and that textbooks should be structured not to make students adversely affected by learning environments.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.181-193
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• 2016

We examined the inquiry activities in the material domain of the elementary science textbooks and experimental workbooks based on 2009 revised curriculum. The analysis framework was SEP (Science and Engineering Practices) - 'Asking questions and defining problems', 'developing and using models', 'planning and carrying out investigations', 'analyzing and interpreting data', 'using mathematics and computational thinking', 'constructing explanations and designing solutions', 'engaging in argument from evidence', and 'obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information'. Sub-SEP of each grade band were also used. The results showed that the $3^{rd}{\sim}5^{th}$ grade science textbooks and workbooks mainly emphasized 'make observations and/or measurements', 'represent data in tables and/or various graphical displays', or 'use evidence to construct or support an explanation or design a solution to a problem' among around 40 sub-SEP. In the case of the inquiry activities for $6^{th}$ grade, majority of sub-SEP included were also only 'collect data to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence to answer scientific questions or test design solutions', 'analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for phenomena' or 'construct a scientific explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources'. The type of 'asking questions and defining problems', 'using mathematics and computational thinking' or 'obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information' were little found out of 8 SEP. Educational implications were discussed.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.35-45
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• 2009

We analyzed $3^{rd}$ graders' images of scientists and science learning students. We chose $3^{rd}$ graders because this is the time when children first encounter formal science learning opportunities. Draw-A-Scientist-Test (DAST) and the revised Draw-A-Scientist-Test Checklist (DAST-C) were used to analyze students' images of scientists, whereas Drawing-A-Science-Learner- and a checklist were used to analyze students' images of science learning students. We found that $3^{rd}$ graders showed common features of scientists who wore laboratory coats but not wearing glasses, goggles or masks and smiling. While most boys drew a male scientist, about a half of girls drew female scientists. Old and weird looking images of scientists that were typically known in other literatures were not found in this study. Science learning students were not wearing lab coasts, glasses, goggles, nor masks. Most of those students were conducting chemistry related experiments, which seemed to be influenced by the $3^{rd}$ grade's science curriculum. We also found relationships among components of images of scientists and science learning students. Although $3^{rd}$ graders' images of scientists and science learning students showed common features, this typical image was not the same as the previous studies have reported. This implies that the images of scientists and science learning students have not yet fixed by $3^{rd}$ grade. Thus, this seems to be a critical time when children start developing images of scientists. Children's direct experiences in the science classroom along with environmental factors such as media exposures can influence their formation of images of scientists and science learning students.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.305-322
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• 2022

Angle has a variety of aspects, such as figure, measurement, and rotation, but is mainly introduced from a figure perspective and a quantitative perspective of the angle is also partially experienced in the elementary mathematics textbooks. The purpose of this study was to examine how the angle concept introduction and development pattern in elementary school mathematics textbooks are linked or changed in middle school mathematics textbooks, and based on this, was to get the direction of writing math textbooks and implications for guidance. To this end, 57 math textbooks for the first grade of middle school were collected from the first to the 2015 revised curriculum. As a result of the study, it was found that middle school textbooks had a greater dynamic aspect of each than elementary school textbooks, and the proportion of quantitative attributes of angle was higher in addition to qualitative and relational attributes. In other words, the concept of angle in middle school textbooks is presented in a more multifaceted and complex form than in elementary school textbooks. Finally, matters that require consensus within elementary, secondary, and secondary schools were also proposed, such as the use of visual expression or symbol, such as the use of arrows and dots, and the use of mathematical terms such as vertex of angle and side of angle.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.64 no.3
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• pp.159-174
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to examine 'Design Thinking' based Chemistry Class program as an education strategy for core competence of creative convergence talent. The program stages were modified and supplemented into eight stages, including 'Knowledge Understand', 'Empathy', 'Sharing perspective', 'Ideate', '1st Prototype', '1st Test', '2nd Prototype', and '2nd Test', so that the 'Design Thinking Process in Science Education' can be applied to the chemistry class. Considering the linkage between the 2015 and 2009 revised national curriculum, the achievement criteria were selected, and the lesson plans and student activity sheet were developed according to the themes to be met. Four thematic educational programs were developed and applied to Chemistry I for the second grade of high school students from March to August. The results were verified through qualitative data analysis of the class scene and pre- and post-test based on inventories of 'Empathy' 'STEAM educational competence', 'Problem solving process'. As a result of applying the developed program, 'empathy' showed a significant improvement in empathy with others and empathy with the problem situation. In 'STEAM educational competence', there was a significant enhancement in science and design competence. In the 'problem finding process', the problem definition, problem solution design, and problem-solving review were significantly improved in the 'problem-solving process'. The results of this study provided implications for the applicability of design thinking - based chemistry classes and its educational effect.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.285-304
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• 2009

The operations of fractions are the main contents of number and operations in the elementary mathematics curriculum. They are also difficult for students to understand conceptually. Nevertheless, there has been little study on the addition and subtraction of fractions. Given this, this paper explored the connection between the national mathematics curriculum and its concomitant textbooks, the adequacy of when to teach, and the method of constructing each unit to teach addition and subtraction of fractions. This paper then analyzed elementary mathematics textbooks and workbooks by three parts aligned with the general instructional flow: 'introduction', 'activity', and, 'exercise'. First, it was analyzed with regard to the introduction part whether the word problems of textbooks might reflect on students' daily lives as intended, how different meanings of operations would be expected to be taught, and how the subsequent activities were connected with the original word problems. Second, the main analysis of activity part of the textbooks dealt with how to use concrete or iconic models to promote students' conceptual understanding of operations and how to formalize the calculation methods and principles with regard to addition and subtraction of fractions. Third, the analysis of the part of exercise in the textbooks and workbooks was conducted with regard to problem types and meanings of operations. It is expected that the issues and suggestions stemming from this analysis of current textbooks and workbooks are informative in developing new instructional materials aligned to the recently revised mathematics curriculum.