• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.149-160
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• 2022

Comparative studies using large-scale data such as TIMSS, PIRLS, and PISA inform us of the effectiveness of each educational system. Even though samples in the large-scale studies were representative, admitting potential discrepancy when applying the findings of the large-scale studies to local educational system is still needed. This study examines the structural relationship among students' attitude towards science, learning support from teachers, school life, and science academic achievement with both large-scale data and local comparative study data utilizing same variables. Responses on the TIMSS 2019 of 5,554 Korean seventh-grade students and National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA) 2019 of 6,365 third-grade middle school students were used. The results indicate that: a) school life did not affect the science achievements in both data. However, in NAEA 2019, students' attitude mediated the relationship between school life and science achievement; b) learning support from teachers had a significant impact on TIMSS science achievements, and also had positive effect on achievement through students' attitude in TIMSS. On the other hand, learning support had a positive effect on achievement only when student's attitude mediated the relationship in NAEA; c) students 'attitude toward science had positive effect on science achievement on both data; d) the impact of gender was different on school life, academic achievement, students 'attitude towards science, and learning support from teachers on both data; and e) the impact of the number of books differed as well. There were differences in results between the international and domestic research, which inform us that we need to pay attention when interpreting the domestic environment through the results of international research.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.136-149
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• 2022

Chemistry focuses on explaining macroscopic phenomena at the microscopic level with particles, such as atoms or molecules. Explanation using particles are bound to be considered as abstract by students, because it was dealing with invisible objects. For that reason, the science national curriculum presented to middle school students the explanation of the units related to the composition of matter. Therefore, understanding about the composition of matter in middle school students becomes an important basis for learning of chemistry, and it is necessary to investigate their understanding about composition of matter. In this study, students' understanding about 'composition of matter' region, which is first presented to middle school students, was confirmed at an overall level. In this line, this study analyzed the results of the items in the composition of matter region, and analyzed items were used in the National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA) from 2015 to 2019. We analyzed the 9 items presented in the NAEA according to the response rate of options and response rate distribution curve, and explained the characteristics of understanding derived by each achievement level were examined. According to the analyzed results by dividing the conceptions about elements, atoms, and ions, students above the proficient achievement-level had scientific conceptions overall, but students below the basic achievement-level had inconsistent or naive conceptions. Based on the results for each item, this study discussed some implications to be considered or to be improved on teaching-learning for 'composition of matter'.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.66 no.6
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• pp.493-508
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• 2022

Chemistry is the subject which includes properties, change, and composition of matter. Chemistry has the system which explains observable properties and change with microscopic level, it explains them using scientific theory and laws. In the national-level curriculum, the properties and changes of matter are continuously dealt with from elementary school to high school, and the curriculum are organized so that students could strengthen their understanding about matter. In other words, understanding of the properties and changes of matter is the base to explain everyday life with the view of chemistry, and these two are classified as domains of chemistry in the 2015 revised science curriculum. In this study, we confirmed students' understanding about properties of matter and change of matter, through the analysis about results of the National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA). For that purpose, this study analyzed the 12 items about properties of matter, and 19 items about change of matter, which were used in the NAEA from 2015 to 2019. According to the results of classifying and analyzing questions according to the core concept, the understanding about the two domains significantly changed between the proficient achievement-level students and basic achievement-level students. Depending on the achievement-level, there was a difference in explaining the phenomenon by using the perspective of particles, and by associating scientific concepts and models, or there was a difference in understanding the inquiry related to these two domains. Based on this analysis, this study discussed some implications to be improved on teaching-learning for 'properties of matter', and 'change of matter'.