• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.519-528
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• 2011

The main purpose of this study was to develop a teaching program, especially designed to improve the skills of control variables. The secondary purpose was to investigate the effect of the program on enhancing students' scientific reasoning and understanding. The program was designed based on the 3-step learning model: i.e. students recognize the necessity of controlling the variables (step 1), perform their own experiments (step 2), and reflect on their variables control process (step 3). The program included 9 topics of increasing difficulty. In results, Lawson's SRT scores increased in both experimental and control groups after application of the program, but the difference was not statistically significant. After the application, there was an increase in type A and type B which implied that students' skills of control variables was improved. In addition, responses of students in the experimental group to the open-ended items showed that it was challenging for them to think scientifically and critically when controling variables, but they ended up feeling proud of their achievement after the program.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.1333-1344
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• 2012

This study aimed to enhance creative problem solving skill by using the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) learning model which was developed based on creative problem solving approach and five essential features of inquiry. The key strategy of the CPS learning model is using real life problem situations to provide students opportunities to practice creative problem solving skill through 5 learning steps: engaging, problem exploring, solutions creating, plan executing, and concepts examining. The science content used for examining the CPS learning model was "matter and properties of matter" that consists of 3 learning units: Matter, Solution, and Acid-Base Solution. The process to assess the effectiveness of the learning model used the experimental design of the Pretest-Posttest Control-Group Design. Seventh grade-students in the experimental group learned by the CPS learning model. At the same time, students at the same grade level in the control group learned by conventional learning model. The learning models and students' prior knowledge levels were served as the independent variables. The creative problem solving skill was classified in to 4 aspects in: fluency, flexibility, originality, and reasoning. The results indicated that in all aspects, the students' mean scores of creative problem solving between students in experimental group and control group were significantly different at the .05 level. Also, the progression of students' creative problem solving skills was found highly progressed at the later instructional periods. When comparing the creative problem solving scores between groups of students with different levels of prior knowledge, the differences of their creative problem solving scores were founded at .05 level. The findings of this study confirmed that the CPS learning model is effective in enhancing the students' creative problem solving skill.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.290-303
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to introduce the practical model on the enhancement of the divergent and convergent thinking skills through inquiry instruction in science class. In this study, the creative thinking skill has been defined by divergent thinking skill as the narrow sense. In the science field, the problem solving thinking skill is just same as the inquiry thinking skill. Also, the problem solving thinking skill has been defined by convergent thinking skill as the critical thinking skill. This new instruction had been used for the college student in the class of general chemistry laboratory for the one semester. The first results had been founded that the students' divergent thinking skill had been increased significantly. Especially, the skills of recognition of problems, the skills of making hypothesis, and the skills of transformation and interpretation of data had been increased significantly. The second results had been founded that the students' convergent thinking skill had been increased significantly. Especially, the skills of making hypothesis, the skills of transformation and interpretation of data, and the skills of making conclusion and generalization had been increased significantly. The third results had been founded that the students' the creative and problem solving thinking skill had been increased significantly. Especially, the rest of all skills exception the skill of control variables had been increased significantly.