• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.82-93
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to analyze the problems of rock specimens used for science education in elementary schools and to provide improvements of them. For the study, 20 sets of rock specimens were randomly selected from the five elementary schools in K city of Gyeongbuk Province and they were photographed and investigated. Also three elementary school teachers with more than 5 years of scientific career were interviewed. As a result, the sets of rock specimens that reflected the elementary curriculum were only 10%. The sets of rock specimens had many problems as follows: they were purchased a long time ago (up to 30 years), information presented in the nameplate and documentation was errorneous, some of rock specimens were too small and they did not show typical characteristics for education. In addition, the purchase and verification procedures of rock specimens were often neglected. With lack of interest and knowledge of teachers and lack of information about rock specimens, it was difficult to purchase good rock specimens for education. To improve the situation, a set of rock specimens should be verified by experts and should reflect the contents of curriculum and textbooks thoroughly. A manual of rock specimens is provided for science education in elementary schools.

• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.317-325
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• 2021

In this paper, the degree of reflection of SW·AI elements and CT elements was investigated and analyzed for a total of 44 textbooks of Korean, social, moral, mathematics and science textbooks based on the 2015 revised curriculum. As a result of the analysis, most of the activities of data collection, data analysis, and data presentation, which are ICT elements, were not reflected, and algorithm and programming elements were not reflected among SW·AI content elements, and there were no abstraction, automation, and generalization elements among CT elements. Therefore, in order to effectively implement SW·AI convergence education in elementary school subjects, we will expand ICT utilization activities to SW·AI utilization activities. Training on the understanding of SW·AI convergence education and improvement of teaching and learning methods using SW·AI is needed for teachers. In addition, it is necessary to establish an information curriculum and secure separate class hours for substantial SW·AI education.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.417-428
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• 2022

This study analyzed the frequency and level of scientific practices presented in secondary science textbooks. A total of 1,378 student activities presented in 14 middle school science textbooks and 5 high school integrated science textbooks were analyzed, using the definition and level of scientific practice suggested in the NGSS. Findings show that most student activities focus on three practices. Compared to the textbooks for the previous science curriculum, the practice of 'obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information' was more emphasized, reflecting societal changes due to ICT development. However, the practice of 'asking a question', which can be an important element of student-led science learning, was still rarely found in textbooks, and 'developing and using models', 'using math and computational thinking' and 'arguing based on evidence' were not addressed much. The practices were mostly elementary school level except for the practice of 'constructing explanations'. Such repeated exposures to a few and low level of practices mean that many future citizens would be led to a naïve understanding of science. The findings imply that it is necessary to emphasize various practices tailored to the level of students. In the upcoming revision of the science curriculum, it is necessary to provide the definition of practices that are not currently specified and the expected level of each practice so that the curriculum can provide sufficient guidance for textbook writing. These efforts should be supported by benchmarking of overseas science curriculum and research that explore students' ability and teachers' understanding of scientific practices.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.73-88
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• 1978

The survey is intended to improve science education by the analysis of problems produced in the following nine aspects (objectives, contents, materials, inquring methods, teaching methods, teachers, children, evalutions, admininative supports) during the past five years often the revision of new science curriculum. 1. View for science education. 1) The teacher's and children's view for science education can be seen renewed, being different from the old one. 2) Inquring method in learning and teaching began to take firm root and children came to know that it is the only way to study science. 3) Writers think that the new science education has stepped into the stage of being fixed to a considerable degree. 2. The aspect of administrative policy. 1) The amount of materials in possession is small and the present materials are lacking in solidity and precision. 2) Class room teacher's over load with miscellaneous things is a difficult problem to solve. 3) The shortage of the printed materials and books for children and teachers has an influence on the development of inquring method. 4) It causes cramming to examine all children at the same time by paper test. 5) It is more desirable to appoint qualified teacher only for science teaching. 3. Contents of science curriculum. 1) In current science textbooks. There can be found some contents which are difficult for teachers to understand and not in accordance with the reality of Korea. Therefore, it is imperative that contents of science textbooks should be reexamined. 2) As it is hard to teach concepts of reciprocal action and to prepare materials with teaching of the system of biological concepts, the teaching of contents is likely to be a cramming. 4. The aspect of in-service education. 1) It is obsolutely predominant reation that in-service education is making a great contribution to class room teaching. 2) As adiministrators' policy for science education has a great effect, in-service education for their enlightenment is needed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.297-304
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• 2020

This study is to find out experiments of Earth's revolution and which experiment is effective by school level. Researcher investigated and developed eight experiments for students to learn Earth's revolution. Twenty six pre-service teachers did these experiments, discuss about them, chose an effective experiment of Earth's revolution and wrote the reason why. As a result, they thought that an experiment of seasonal constellations is effective for elementary school students, an experiment of seasonal star's spectrum is effective for secondary school students and an experiment of the superior planets' retrograde motion is effective for university students. Pre-service teachers gave reasons such as hands-on experience, connection with textbooks, background knowledge and higher-level thinking.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.283-294
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• 2022

Although the concept of light is important in the elementary school curriculum, substantial research suggests that students and teachers have difficulties in understanding it. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the reasons for these difficulties-whether it is due to the content or due to the presentation method of contents, structure, and expression. The national curriculum and textbooks of Korea, the US, China, and Japan were comparatively analyzed from the following perspectives: 1) key concepts of light, 2) structure of light units in the textbook, 3) materials, light sources, and optics used in light units. Consequently, there were differences between countries in their inclusion of the concept of light in the curriculum. In particular, the Korean curriculum studies the concept of refraction by a convex lens, whereas the concept of light, light source, and vision is not introduced. Furthermore, countries also differed in their structuring of units. The Korean curriculum was presented segmentally by concept rather than structured according to core ideas or perspectives, and the connection between concepts was unclear. In addition, there were differences between the countries in materials, light sources, and optical instruments to explain key concepts. On using light, the US curriculum provides a purpose and uses light to achieve it, and China and Korea understand the concept. It was divided into the method of using the material to deepen. Based on the results of this analysis, the implications for the elementary science curriculum in Korea were derived as follows. First, it is necessary to introduce concepts sequentially and organize them so that the connection between concepts is well expressed. Second, it is necessary to introduce light and light sources as the predominant concepts. Third, it is necessary to include the principle of seeing objects. Fourth, it is necessary to adjust the material and content level of the refraction concept included in the light and lens unit. Fifth, an integrated approach is required because light has a deep connection with various concepts included in the elementary science curriculum.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.641-656
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• 2014

This study aimed at analyzing visual materials included in school science textbooks, specifically the textbooks for first semester courses of 3rd to 6th graders. The purpose was to provide directions for future textbooks by understanding the functions of the images in both pedagogical and social perspectives as well. The study was conducted by investigating the types, roles and socio-semiotic features of the images in science textbooks. The results were as follows. Firstly, the most used types of images in 2007 curriculum textbooks were photographs and drawn pictures. Uses of other visual aids than above were extremely rare. It was also found that as the educational level rises, the use of images for decorative functions drastically declined. The majority of the images were used in providing supplementary explanations or examples. This implies that the images effectively play the role of helping science education. In addition, more use of worksheets images was found, indicating that as educational level increases, students participate more actively in research sessions or data analysis. In socio-semiotic perspective, visual images showed high accessibility to students in 'Type of visual image', 'Function of visual image', 'Distance of shot', 'Horizontal angle of shot', 'Color moduation'. It was implied that there will a close correlation between the type, role and the socio-semiotic characteristics of visual images in textbooks. For example, photograph-type visuals were mostly used as supplementary references. And when applying the socio-semiotic analysis to photograph-type visuals, they showed 'real type', 'narrative-metaphor type', and 'shadow effect' among socio-semiotic features. Such correlations implied that knowing the type of the visual image may help determining the role of the image in the textbook to some extent, and also corresponding socio-semiotic characteristics. As a result, it was possible to infer how accessible certain visual images are to students. The above results have implications for the effective use of visual images in future textbooks.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.635-645
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to identify elementary school teachers' perceptions, practices, and background factors related to introducing students' everyday experience in science teaching process. The participants of this study were four elementary school teachers who have different features such as major, teaching period, gender, growth area, and age. The data was collected through semi-constructed and in-depth interviews. The results of the research are as follows: Teachers mostly used students' everyday experience during the introduction phase of science lessons for the purpose of motivation. They hold a positive view of using students' everyday experience during science lessons and thought that science teaching needs to actively use more of students' everyday experience, while in actual practice they disregarded or only passively introduced students' everyday experience. The various background factors found to affect teachers' practice are as follows: positive memory on their science class; educational experience of their own children; their own childhood environment; their learning style; their insufficient knowledge or enthusiasm; perceived educational value of everyday life in science education; teacher's duties; importance of students' achievement; difficulty in guiding experiment; reaction of students on introducing everyday experience; characteristics of science textbook and teacher's guidebook; lack of lesson time; realization of national common basic education; characteristics of their students; demands from parents or students; effect of introducing everyday experience. In addition, we found that the teachers behave not in accordance with what they thought due to external factors related to their profession and that, for a more active use of students' everyday experience in their teaching, teachers need support from textbooks and teachers' guidebooks.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.337-344
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to analyze field trip activities in the elementary school science textbook developed under the 7th national curriculum. The results indicated there was an average of 4.25 field trip activities each semester presented in the textbook from the 3rd to 6th grade, mostly related to earth science and biology. The places for field trips were limited to in-school environment and natural sites in communities, and mostly purported to gain understanding of rudimentary concepts. Field trip activities were intended to facilitate science knowledge and understanding in order to integrate with the textbook content rather than offering students simple one-time activities. Most activities in the textbook guided students step by step. The starting or follow-up activities in the fields trips and reminder for cautions were not clearly presented. In order for the field trips to integrate with the content of the curriculum in the text book, they have to be presented in the textbook systematically. It is also imperative to find out various fold trip places related to the content in the curriculum, develop efficient activities dealing with science at the appropriate level for students and increasing interests in science and its teaming.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.383-393
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• 2015

This study analyzed the 6th grade elementary science textbook 'Science stories' reading process of students by utilizing eye movement tracking techniques. Participants read 3 articles in the new experimental science textbooks and solved 9 problems about each article. By understanding and academic achievement results, participants were divided into high-groups, middle-groups, and low-groups. The results of eye movement characteristics of the high-groups and low-groups had the following differences. Number of fixations and number of regressions were higher in high-groups. Average fixation duration and average regressive fixation duration were longer in low-groups. Fixation time for the key sentence of the article was longer in high-groups. Analysis of a scan path and post-interview, high-groups had frequent regression between sentences and they knew where the core of the article is and paid much attention there. In contrast low-groups are sequentially read most articles and some of them had a leap of abnormal range. Problem-solving approach is also different between groups. In conclusion reading style is associated with the science stories comprehension and students who had more regressions, much core search process, effective attention distribution, high concentration showed better understanding results. Also words or sentences used in textbooks are associated with science stories comprehension.