• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.963-977
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• 2009

The purpose of this paper is to identify college students' conceptions of the earth system cycles as learners of earth science education (ESE) and draw educational implications. An eight-week creative story writing project was held with 62 non-science students taking a general course on earth science. Their creative stories were categorized by analyzing the conceptions and types of cycle with a story mapping technique. The cycle conceptions of earth systems were expressed diversely into 32; most of the cycle types were circular and complex, while the others were branch-shaped and linear types that fail to complete the cycles. College students' conceptions of the earth system cycles is biased toward natural-abiotic systems; less than 30% of them are shown to be aware of all three categories: natural-abiotic, natural-biotic, and human systems. It is essential to diversify the content of education on earth system cycles and help learners develop systematic methods of thinking so that they will be able to recognize the impacts of feedback from human activities through ESE.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.126-133
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• 2011

This study explored different concepts by handing out the questionnaires asking the 6 students of the second year of junior high school who had no lesson on cycle "which words related to cycle are suggested?" In regard to the stimulation of the word 'cycle', students relate it to different fields that they learn at school such as biology, environmentology, and earth science. The analyzed results from the answers by students are as follows. First, it resulted in from analysis on the questionnaire and the half-structured interviews that students were unable to expand the concept of cycle to the scientific concept, and perceived it fragmentarily. Secondly, their understanding on the system of the earth was low and they understood the concept of cycle with a unilinear thought rather than a systematic thought. Therefore, we need to synthesize the students' unilinear thoughts on cycle shown through this study and an effective educational strategy for their continuous, systematic thoughts, is essential.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.186-198
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to identify the composition elements and processes of the rock cycle that pre-service teachers in earth science field understand. Second-year students majoring in earth science were selected as research objects, all of whom attended teacher's university located in the southern region. The methods of arranging the composition elements of the rock cycle in a structured way and displaying the cycle direction through the arrow and describing the cycle processes in detail were applied. Pre-service teachers recognized 5 composition elements: magma, igneous rocks, sediments, sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks of the rock cycle and cycle processes was represented into 20 branches. The cycle type was analyzed by four criteria: linear, triangular, circular, complex, some pre-teachers did not complete the loop of the cycle or some showed incomplete understanding of the cycle structure simply displayed in one direction. The rock cycle is an important theme of the earth system education characterized by dynamism and complexity.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.428-434
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• 2013

In this commentary, I examined the implications of Existentialism for science teaching and teacher education. Existentialist thoughts and premises can be used to explore the human element in an educational system. Before emphasizing the pragmatic and technical aspects of teaching, we need to rethink why we teach and recognize our learners as unique beings in a continual process of becoming. By incorporating the existential perspective into curriculums and pedagogies of science education, we can help learners to make their existences and experiences meaningful. This paper consists of three parts. In the first part, I drew on relevant aspects of Existentialism and its implications on the views of the learner. In the second part, I examined the competency-based curriculum in light of Existentialism. Existentialism aims, in part, to develop an educated person who possesses a clear sense of personal identity, a critical attitude, and the inclination to be a life-long learner, and so on. These characteristics are consistent with the implications developed from the competency-based curriculum. In the third part, I explored pedagogical activities consistent with existentialist thinking the ultimate goal of which is to create authentic individuals who can take responsibility for being humans. In the conclusion, I discussed how existentialist ways of thinking and teaching call for the science teacher's reflective practices, where the teacher needs to integrate personal and professional knowledge as the situation demands.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.157-169
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to analyze carbon cycle concepts based on earth systems from the perspective of high school students. The subjects for this study were seven students who have completed Earth-science I curriculum. to analyze of carbon cycle concepts based on earth systems perspective, the methods of word association, casual map and drawing were used. The results of this study were as follows: first, 5 out of 7 students have suggested carbon cycle concepts less than three. Second, the carbon cycle concepts on the change of state were 2. Also, the carbon cycle concets on process were 8. Third, 2 out of 7 students present 2 feedback loops, 3 out of 7 students 1 feedback loops, but 2 out of 7 students couldn't present the feedback loops associated with carbon cycle. Finally, As for carbon cycle concepts through drawing, 1 out of 7 students drew 9 concepts, 3 out of 9 students drew 7 concepts and the rest of them drew 5, 4, 3 concepts respectively. These results suggest that concept and feedback loop thinking skills on carbon cycle are a low level. Therefore, It is suggested that more educational programs be developed on various topics in order for high school students to improve their system thinking skills as well as knowledge integration of earth systems.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.599-611
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to analyze the systems thinking level of pre-service teachers using rubrics of evaluating systems thinking. For this purpose, systems thinking level model, which can be applied to education or science education, was selected through literature analysis. Eight pre-service teachers' systems thinking were investigated through the systems thinking analysis tool used in domestic research. The systems thinking presented by the pre-service teachers were transformed into the box type causal map using Sibley et al. (2007). Two researchers analyzed the systems thinking using rubrics of evaluating systems thinking. For data analysis, quantitative analysis was performed through correlation analysis using SPSS. In addition, the qualitative analysis of the box type causal map was conducted and the consistency with the quantitative analysis results was verified. The results indicated that the correlation between the 5-Likert systems thinking measurement instrument and the rubrics score was highly correlated with the Pearson product-moment of .762 (p <.05). In the hierarchical correlation of the systems thinking level, the STH model was analyzed with a very high correlation with the Pearson product-moment of .722~.791, and 4-step model was analyzed .381~.730. The qualitative analysis suggested the concept to be included in the low level of system thinking, the higher the level, the less the concept that is presented properly. In conclusion, the level of systems thinking can be derived as a result of research that there is clearly, a hierarchical part. Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to develop a systems thinking level model applicable to science education and develop and validate items that can measure the level of systems thinking.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.15-28
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• 2020

This study aimed to develop an HTE (It is an abbreviation for Here, There, and Everywhere) STEAM program combining with the use of an analogy in a middle school subject unit 'the solar system' and realize creative education for intelligent information society through a process of verifying the effectiveness of the program. For reference, the program was applied to 354 students in the first grade of two middle schools in South Korea - one was A middle school in Sejong City, the other B middle school in Pyeongtaek City. The STEAM program was revised and made up for the weak points for three times by a group of experts, and then it got verified for validity. The final version of the program was applied to middle school education sites in Korea for six periods in total. In other to confirm the effectiveness, two types of tests - logical thinking ability test and STEAM attitude test - were conducted before and after the program treatment. On top of that, the STEAM satisfaction test was also implemented in order to explore the students' recognition of the program after the program treatment. The results of this study were as follows. First, it turned out the STEAM program using the analogy was effective in improving the students' logical thinking ability. Second, the STEAM program blended with the analogy was also effective in improving the students' STEAM attitude. Third, the students' recognition of the STEAM program using the analogy was quite positive, and the program was efficacious in intriguing the students' interests in science. Judging from the results of the program, the students' satisfaction with the classes they take will be expected to be higher if the STEAM program is implemented in the next-term classes with more sufficient time.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.397-415
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• 2022

As the global warming problem becomes serious, the need for carbon cycle education in school is increasing. Adopting systems thinking ability is needed to understand the carbon cycle systematically. Furthermore, under the rapid change of environment, society, and economy, systems thinking ability is being emphasized as it can strengthen the competencies of students who will be leading the future society. The purposes of this study are as follows: first, is developing the systems thinking instrument for the carbon cycle and the rubric for analysis of systems thinking instrument. The second is analyzing the systems thinking ability of students using the developed instrument and rubric. In order to perform this study, previous studies related to the carbon cycle and systems thinking education were analyzed. Based on the analysis results, the systems thinking instrument for the carbon cycle and rubric were developed. The systems thinking ability was analyzed by implementing the developed instrument and rubric to 172 high school and university students. The results of this study are as follows: first, the systems thinking instrument for the carbon cycle was developed, and a rubric utilization guide was constructed. The instrument and rubric were modified through pilot study for middle school students producing expert opinion in relation to systems thinking and carbon cycle. Second, the systems thinking ability of students was analyzed. Consequently, students had systems thinking ability fully at a low level, such as identifying the variables related to the carbon cycle. However, it was shown that they lacked the systems thinking ability at a high level, such as time delay and feedback processes. The importance of the carbon cycle has been increasing since the global warming is the most pressing issue and significant environmental problem facing us today. Application of the systems thinking ability can contribute to understanding these complex problems and finding fundamental solutions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.21-37
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• 2018

The purpose of the study is to visualize the concept of water circulation in elementary school students through science behavioral system. Elementary school students found it difficult to understand concepts related to the water cycle. Most of the elementary school children think it rains because the clouds are heavier. It is most difficult to explain invisible concepts to elementary school children. Also, experiments in current textbooks are likely to disrupt scientific concepts. Accordingly, conventional water cycle, dew, fog, and cloud experiments were integrated into one system. The researchers then developed a device that allowed students to see the water's circulation at a glance. It is intended to enable integrated thinking on evaporation, condensation and precipitation. In addition, a instruction program to guide students using the system has been developed to demonstrate its effectiveness. Employing a quasi-experimental design, the participants were measured on their concepts of evaporation, condensation, and water circulation before and after participation. The findings indicated that the experiment is more effective in changing the concepts of evaporation, condensation, and water circulation than in previous experiments. Also, the optimal conditions for making use of the device were found, and there were no various experimental parameters, such as condensation.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2021

This study investigated pre-service elementary teachers' understanding of the planetary revolution movement of Mars and their explanatory models to show how the Sun-Earth-Mars system worked. An assessment item set using five celestial maps drawn from the Stellarium was designed to probe pre-service teachers' understanding of the prograde-retrograde motion of Mars. Among 23 participants, only four showed scientifically accurate understanding of Mars movement and drawing correct explanatory models for the planetary movement. Even the pre-service teachers who construed correctly prograde and retrograde motions of Mars showed a clockwise movement model due to their intuitive perceptions of Mars movement data from the celestial maps. Pre-service teachers with poor understanding of planetary movement also showed weak explanatory models due to their limited observation or lower spatial thinking. Although the planetary motion is not an easy topic for pre-service elementary teachers, it can be argued if the alternative approach, such as using appropriate observational data of a planet and changing the frames of reference between Earth-based view and Space-based view, is employed effectively in teaching planetary motion, pre-service teachers can reach the upper level of leaning planetary motion in terms of the planet's revolution.