• Title/Summary/Keyword: Physics Teachers

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Learning from an Expert Teacher: Feynman's Teaching of Gravitation as an Examplar

  • Park, Jiyun;Lee, Gyoungho;Kim, Jiwon;Treagust, David F.
    • Journal of Science Education
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    • v.43 no.1
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    • pp.173-193
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    • 2019
  • An expert teachers' instruction can be helpful to other teachers because good teaching effectively guides students to develop meaningful learning. Feynman is an excellent physics lecturer as well as one of the greatest physicists of the 20th century who presented and explained physics with his unique teaching style based on his great store of knowledge. However, it is not easy to capture and visualize teaching because it is not only the complex phenomena interrelated to various factors with the content to be taught but also the tacit representation. In this study, the framework of knowledge & belief based on the integrated mental model theory was used as a tool to capture and visualize complex and tacit representation of Feynman's teaching of 'The theory of gravitation,' a chapter in The Feynman Lectures on Physics. Feynman's teaching was found to go beyond the transmission of physics concepts by showing that components of the framework of knowledge & belief were effectively intertwined and integrated in his teaching and the storyline was well-organized. On the basis of these discussions, the implications of Feynman's teaching analyzed within the framework of knowledge & belief for physics teacher education are derived. Finally, the characteristics of the framework of knowledge & belief as tools for the analysis of teaching are presented.

Science Teachers' Perception of the Refractive Index of Media (굴절률에 대한 과학교사들의 인식)

  • Park, Sang-Tae;Yeom, Jun-Hyeok;Yoon, Yeo-Won;Seok, Hyojun
    • Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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    • v.28 no.6
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    • pp.334-338
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    • 2017
  • This research aims at investigating science teachers' perception of the refractive index of materials, and thus achieving proper information transmission and teaching of refractive index. Specifically, we have made questionnaires on what physical factors influence the refractive index of a liquid easily available in secondary schools. It was found that 80.0% of science teachers perceived that the density has the greatest influence on the refractive index, among a variety of factors such as molecular structure, the number of molecules per unit volume, mass of each molecule, and the wavelength of light, to mention just a few. This may be due to the fact that current textbooks deal with the refraction of light based on analogy to a mechanical wave. Such a misunderstanding may lead to confusion and misunderstanding for students.

A Study of High School Students' and Science Teachers' Understanding of Ideal Conditions Involved in the Theoretical Explanation and Experiment in Physics: Part IV- Focused on the Ideal Condition Involved in the Experiment - (물리학에서 이론적 설명과 실험에 포함된 이상조건에 대한 고등학생과 과학교사의 이해 조사 IV-실험에 포함된 이상조건을 중심으로-)

  • Park, Jong-Won;Chung, Byung-Hoon;Kwon, Sung-Gi;Song, Jin-Woong
    • Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.78-90
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    • 1999
  • This study investigated the high school students' and science teachers' understanding of idealization involved in the physics experiment. Major research questions are as follows: (1) what kind of ideal conditions do subjects identify from the presented experimental context? (2) do subjects think how well ideal conditions are satisfied with the experiment? (3) how well do subjects expect the effect of idealization on the experimental result? (3) what kind of view point do science teachers have about the ideal condition involved in the experiment? A total of 85 subjects were given 6 questions related with the research questions I. 2. and 3. with simple experiment about the brightness of the bulbs connected with parallel to the battery. And another 4 questions for the forth research question were given to 42 science teachers. Subjects' responses were summarized and used to draw the implications for the teaching of physics experiment.

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Analysis of Elementary School Teachers' Experiences with Using the Unity Physics Engine to Develop Augmented Reality Science Educational Materials (초등학교 교사의 유니티 물리엔진을 활용한 증강현실 과학교육 자료개발 경험 분석)

  • Kim, Hyunguk
    • Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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    • v.43 no.3
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    • pp.385-401
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    • 2024
  • This study presents a step-by-step analysis of the experiences and discussions of five elementary school teachers while developing the Augmented Reality (AR) science educational materials, using the Unity Physics Engine. In the preparation phase to develop the AR materials, the teachers explored the features of the AR technology and decided to create AR materials for experiments related to magnetic fields in the magnetism unit, based on discussions about the unit selection. In addition, they complained about difficulties arising out of the lack of background knowledge about the C# programming language in the preparation phase. During the material development stage, there were difficulties in operating the unfamiliar interface and other functions of the software. However, this was overcome through knowledge sharing and collaborative communication among the teachers. The final materials developed were marker-type AR materials to perform experimental activities by changing the position of the magnet and the compass markers. Based on the developed materials, the teachers discussed their smooth utilization during the classroom activities.

A Study of High School Students' and Science Teachers' Understanding of Ideal Conditions involved in the Theoretical Explanation and Experiment in Physics: Part I- Focused on the Meaning and the Characteristics of Idealization - (물리학에서 이론적 설명과 실험에 포함된 이상조건에 대한 고등학생과 과학교사의 이해조사 I-이상화의 의미와 특성을 중심으로-)

  • Park, Jong-Won;Chung, Byung-Hoon;Kwon, Sung-Gi;Song, Jin-Woon
    • Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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    • v.18 no.2
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    • pp.209-219
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    • 1998
  • This study is the first part of the investigation of the students' and teachers' understanding of ideal conditions in physics. To do this, here, we provided the theoretical basis for the above study by discussing the meaning and characteristics of idealization. Idealization, introduced and elaborated by Galileo therefore characterized the nature of modem science, can be generated by four procedures: neglecting the minor variables, giving without any description about the minor variables, assuming the limit case, assuming constancy or uniformity. Idealization generated by these procedures can produce models and laws from the sensory informations about real world. And physics world is constructed by formalization or mathematization of these models and laws obtained through idealization about real world. Therefore, it can be said that idealization have a major role in the context of discovery. By this aspects, physics world can be viewed as the approximation of the real world, and this view, again, give rise the philosophical debate about the reality in nature. Idealization take an important role in the process of application of physics world and the understanding the real world. That is, physicists accept the discrepancies between real world, and physics world and make a great effort to explain, moreover, reduce these discrepancies by modifying or eliminating idealization involved in physics world. Continued from this study, we will proceed to obtain the implications of idealization on the physics learning and investigate the students' and teachers' understanding of the ideal condition involved in the theoretical explanation and the experiment in physics.

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Characteristics of Science Teachers for the Gifted: A Study of Metaphor about Teaching

  • Seo, Hae-Ae
    • Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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    • v.24 no.4
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    • pp.748-757
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    • 2004
  • When teachers for the gifted express metaphors about their teaching, they may develop better understanding and conceptualizing of teaching and enable to choose appropriate teaching strategies for optimizing individualized learning of the gifted. Therefore, the purpose of this study includes to explore metaphors about science teachers' teaching for the gifted in middle schools and classify into types of metaphors. The survey was administered and completed survey instruments by 66 science teachers for the gifted at gifted educational institutions affiliated with local offices of education and 18 science teachers at middle schools were analyzed. It was revealed that science teachers for the gifted described seven types of metaphors about their teaching with characteristics of student-centered (counsel, helper, etc.), teacher-centered (judge, captain, etc.), or student-teacher-interacted (painter, nurse, etc.) types. More than 60% of teachers described their teaching as either student-centered or student-teacher-interacted types. However, percentage of teachers for the teacher-centered and power-oriented type was higher for science teachers for the gifted (33%) than science teachers for regular students (22%). It was also found that female science teachers for the gifted showed higher percentage for teacher-centered and power-oriented (35%) than male teachers (28%) and teachers with BS degree showed higher percentage for student-centered and service-oriented type (33%) than teachers with MS degree (27%). In addition biology teachers for the gifted also were appeared to be more teacher-centered and power-oriented type (60%) than physics (21%), chemistry (6%), and earth science (33%).

The Actual Status of Physics Teachers' Perception on the Concept of Radiation (물리 교사들의 방사선 개념에 대한 인식 실태)

  • Park, Sang-Tae;Choi, Hyuk-Joon;Kim, Jun-Tae;Jung, Ki-Ju;Lee, Hee-Bok;Yuk, Keun-Cheol
    • Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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    • v.25 no.5
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    • pp.603-609
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    • 2005
  • Students obtain most concepts through textbooks, and teaching-learning activities between teachers and students. Accordingly, if science teachers already have misconceptions they will inevitably affect students' scientific concept. This study found many problems in teachers' cognition on the concepts of nuclear radiation. Because 12th grade physics II is classified as an optional subject in the 7th curriculum, teachers have few chances to teach it and, more importantly, have difficulty in teaching it because of the need to prepare students for the university entrance examination. The concept of radiation must be taught correctly because of its emergence in the 'environment' unit of 10th grade Science. Finally, results from this study can help science teachers teach these difficult concepts more correctly. In addition, results can also be useful in in-service retraining programs.

Science Teachers' Concerns and Needs regarding Scientific Thinking Inquiry Testing: One year before First Administration of College Scholastic Abilities Test (대학수학능력시험 도입에 따른 과학적 탐구사고력 평가에 대한 과학 교사들의 관심과 필요 사항)

  • Myeong, Jeon-Ok;Pak, Sung-Jae
    • Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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    • v.15 no.4
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    • pp.417-428
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    • 1995
  • This study investigated Korean science teachers' concerns and needs regarding inquiry testing to cope with the innovation called College Scholastic Abilities Test(CSAT), which was officially first administered as the nation-wide college entrance exam in 1994. This study adopted Concerns Based Adoption Model(CBAM) as the theoretical framework developed by Hall et al. 60 high science teachers (30 physics, 20 earth science, 10 others) were involved for the main study in August, 1992. In general. science teachers demonstrated a concern profile similar to that of 'nonusers'. They showed high level of concerns on the 'information' and 'personal' stage, while low level of concerns on 'management' and 'consequence' stage. Science teachers expressed their strong needs for knowledge and support to facilitate inquiry teaching and testing, text books written in inquiry mode. It is recommended that in-service trainings be provided based on the concerns and needs of teachers for a better teacher training and successful implementation of the innovation.

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Can Definitions Contribute to Alternative Conceptions?: A Meta-Study Approach

  • Wong, Chee Leong;Yap, Kueh Chin
    • Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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    • v.32 no.8
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    • pp.1295-1317
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    • 2012
  • There has been disagreement on the importance of definitions in science education. Yager (1983) believes that one crisis in science education was due to the considerable emphasis upon the learning of definitions. Hobson (2004) disagrees with physics textbooks that do not provide general definition on energy. Some textbooks explain that "there is no completely satisfactory definition of energy" or they can only "struggle to define it." In general, imprecise definitions in textbooks (Bauman, 1992) and inaccuracies in definition provided by teachers (Galili & Lehavi, 2006) may cause alternative conceptions. Besides, there are at least four challenges in defining physical concepts: precision, circularity, context and completeness in knowledge. These definitional problems that have been discussed in The Feynman Lectures, may impede the learning of physical concepts. A meta-study approach is employed to examine about five hundreds journal papers that may discuss definitions in physics, problems in defining physical concepts and how they may result in alternative conceptions. These journal papers are mainly selected from journals such as American Journal of Physics, International Journal of Science Education, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Physics Education, The Physics Teachers, and so on. There are also comparisons of definitions with definitions from textbooks, Dictionaries of Physics, and English Dictionaries. To understand the nature of alternative conception, Lee et al. (2010) have suggested a theoretical framework to describe the learning issues by synthesizing cognitive psychology and science education approaches. Taking it a step further, this study incorporates the challenges in semantics and epistemology, proposes that there are at least four variants of alternative conceptions. We may coin the term, 'alternative definitions', to refer to the commonly available definitions, which have these four problems in defining physics concepts. Based on this study, alternative definitions may result in at least four variants of alternative conceptions. Note that these four definitional problems or challenges in definitions cannot be easily resolved. Educators should be cognizant of the four variants of alternative conceptions which can arise from alternative definitions. The concepts of alternative definitions can be useful and possibly generalized to science education and beyond.