• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.401-414
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to investigate the elementary preservice teachers' conceptions about 'plastics' focusing on non-polar property from a National University of Education. For the study, the views about plastics, relative shapes of a water droplet on plastic or glass material, and relative shapes of water surface in the plastic or glass measuring cylinder were surveyed from the preservice teachers. And the responses were analyzed based on the patterns. The results from the study are as follows: First, most preservice teachers were well aware of the plastic products which are used in daily life. Second, the responses concerning the reason why plastics can be used commonly were divided into 2 categories with 14 sub-level groups. However relatively few preservice teachers mentioned regarding 'chemical stability' and 'conductivity', which are associated with the plastics' non-polar property. Third, it was found that 50 participants (30.1%) had 'Scientific conception (Sc)', 38 (22.9%) had 'Partial-scientific conception (Ps)', 66 (39.8%) had 'Misconception (Mc)', and 12 (7.2%) had 'No conception (Nc)' on the subject of the relative shapes of a water droplet. Fourth, the distribution patterns and the ratio of the preservice teachers' conception on the survey question 3 concerning the relative shapes of water surface were quite similar to those of the survey question 2. So it was concluded that overall understanding level of the preservice teachers was pretty low on the subjects of the relative polarities of the plastic, glass, and water as well as their interactions. Fifth, the distribution percentile of 'Sc'/'Ps'/'Mc'/'Nc' was not related with the gender but highly correlated with preservice teachers' academic field and their science subjects taken in high school. Based on the results from the study, some educational guidelines were suggested.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.35-53
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is for investing and analysing preservice elementary mathematics teachers' efficacy on teaching mathematics. It was measured by Kang & Kim(2014)'s instrument; MTEI (Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Instrument). The survey was conducted on a sample of 164 participants who are the 2 or 4 grade in 3 universities of education. The findings of this study are that mathematics teaching efficacy of preservice elementary mathematics teachers in South Korea is 61 percent based on 100 percent. There was no significant difference between women teachers and men teachers, department of natural science and art & humanity when highschool, 2 grade and 4 grade. But, there was the significant difference between big city and province. The social-cultural factor point was much lower than any other factors' point.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.713-723
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• 2008

Science teaching-anxiety and science teaching-efficacy are influential factors in teachers' teaching practices and behaviors. In order to encourage elementary teachers to do better teaching practice, this study identified factors that have caused teachers' science teaching-anxiety, developed an instrument measuring science teaching-anxiety, and investigated the relationship between science teaching-anxiety and science teaching-efficacy. In addition, we attempted to suggest practical implications to enhance teachers' confidence in science teaching. The guiding research questions were 1) which factors affect science teaching-anxiety level of the preservice elementary teachers, and 2) how each factor of science teaching-anxiety is related to science teaching-efficacy. The subjects were 133 Korean preservice elementary teachers (57.1% were female) in a large city. The data sources included teachers' responses to three paper and pencil questionnaires: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Science Teaching-Anxiety Questionnaire (STAQ), and Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B). To clarify the science teaching-anxiety, we specified it into six factors: trait anxiety about nature of science and science teaching, state anxiety about instruction, science activities, student assessment, and professional responsibilities. The results indicated three significant aspects of science teaching anxiety and efficacy. First, their level of anxiety about professional responsibility and science teaching was relatively high among six factors. Second, there was a negative correlation between science teaching-anxiety and science teaching-efficacy. Third, trait anxiety about science teaching is the most influential factor for science teaching-efficacy while state anxiety about instruction and professional responsibilities were followed.

• School Mathematics
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.267-281
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to understand Preservice elementary teachers' knowledge about multiplication of fractions by focusing on their computation abilities, understanding of meanings, generating appropriate problem contexts and representations. A total of 115 preservice elementary teachers participated in the present study. The results of this study indicated that most of preservice elementary teachers have little difficulty in computing multiplication of fractions for right answers, but they have big difficulty in understanding meanings and generating appropriate problem contexts for multiplication of fractions when the multiplier is not an integer, called 'multiplier effect.' Likewise, the rate of appropriate representations surprisingly decreased for multiplication of fractions when the multiplier is not an integer. The findings also point out that an ability to make problem contexts is highly correlated with representations and meanings. This study implies that teacher education programs need to improve preservice elementary teachers' profound understanding of elementary mathematics in order to fundamentally improve the quality of teaching practices in classrooms.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.221-241
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• 2013

The data for the present paper was a part of a large research project conducted to assess preservice teachers' knowledge related to fractions and place value at a southwestern public university in 2007. The study utilized convenience sampling, consisting of 150 elementary preservice teachers who were enrolled in a mathematics methods course before their student teaching. The results demonstrated preservice teachers' knowledge of teaching comparison, addition, subtraction, and multiplication of fractions was insufficient even though these should be basic knowledge. Teacher preparation programs should emphasize profound knowledge for teaching fractions using representations.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.329-349
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mathematical belief of elementary school preservice teachers and elementary school teachers and to analyze their differences in mathematical belief. The results of the analysis are as follows. First, Elementary school preservice teachers generally regard the belief in the nature of mathematics as 'rules and procedures' and emphasize the 'process of inquiry' about the beliefs of learning mathematics. When comparing the beliefs according to gender, there is a significant difference only in the category of 'teacher instruction' among the beliefs of learning mathematics. Second, elementary school teachers generally regard the nature of mathematics as a 'inquiry process' and have a 'student-led' belief about the learning mathematics. There is no significant difference of the belief about the nature of mathematics and learning mathematics between the elementary school teachers by gender and majors. However, when comparing the mathematical beliefs according to educational level, there is a difference in beliefs about the nature of mathematics. Third, comparing the mathematical beliefs of elementary school preservice teachers and elementary school teachers, there is no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the 'rules and procedures' subcategories of the nature of mathematics, but there is a significant difference in 'inquiry process'.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.871-876
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• 2015

The purpose of this research was to investigation of elementary preservice teachers' understanding of the image observed in a diverging lens. To achieve the research purpose, Scientific inquiry activity of 'Observing Objects through a Diverging Lens' in the 2009 Revised Science Curriculum was carried out by 29 junior elementary preservice teachers, and preservice teachers' difficulties were analyzed during scientific inquiry activity. The results were as follows. First, preservice teachers had difficulties in comparing the size of the images. Second, preservice teachers couldn't correctly explain the reason about the changing of the image size according to distance from the lens to the object. Third, preservice teachers couldn't correctly explain the changing of the image size according to distance from the lens to the eyes. Fourth, preservice teachers were classified into five levels according to their conceptions of the image formation by the diverging lens, and most of them stayed in the first level. The result of this research suggests that reformations in text and preservice teachers' education.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.180-185
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to inquire the properties and relationship of attitudes toward science and process skills of preservice elementary teachers. Two instruments were used to collect the data, SAS(Science Attitude Scales) for checking up attitude toward science and TIPS II(Test of Integrated Process Skill II) for inspecting science process skills. Three main results were revealed. First, preservice elementary teachers' the attitude toward science and science process skills could not show the significant differences by gender. This result is differ from the results of preceding researches which had set up the students of elementary, middle and high school as objects. Second, the properties of preservice elementary teachers' the attitude toward science and science process skills according to the course in high school were also differ from those of preceding researches having students as objects. The preservice elementary teachers who got the literary courses in high school were more confident in science learning and perform that those who have the academic background of science courses in high school. In addition, although they showed better abilities in two sub-scales of science process skills, the preservice teachers with science course didn't show the better science process skills than those who had taken the literary course in total score of science process skill test. Third, there was a significant relationship between attitude toward science and science process skills of preservice elementary teachers but just one sub-scale was related with science process skills. According to these results, it can be said that the preceding results with students as objects can not be applied to and preservice elementary teachers should be guided by the methods which are considering their special properties.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.415-432
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• 2024

This study developed and applied the teacher education model and its principles for science classes using Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) content and analyzed preservice elementary teachers' feedback on the teacher education model and the changes in their perceptions as to the use of VR/AR content. First, existing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) teacher education models and prior studies on the use of the VR/AR contents were reviewed to derive the teacher education model to cultivate the VR/AR-TPACK and set the key principles for each of its stages. The developed teacher education model has five stages: exploration, mapping, collaborative design, practice, and reflection. Second, to examine the appropriateness of the model's five stages and principles, we applied it within the regular course of instruction at the university of education, which was attended by 25 preservice elementary teachers. This study collected data from surveys on the perception of the usage of VR/AR contents before and after the course, as well as the group lesson plans prepared by the preservice teachers, and their feedback on the teacher education model. The feedback on the teacher education model and the survey conducted by the preservice teachers before and after the course were analyzed through open coding and categorization. As a result, most preservice teachers expressed positive opinions about the activities and experiences at each stage of the implementation of the teacher education model. Perceptions related to the usage of the VR/AR content changed in three aspects: first, the vague positive perception of the VR/AR content has changed to a positive perception based on specific educational affordance. Second, they recognized the need for preparedness by anticipating potential problems associated with the use of the VR/AR content. Third, they came to view the VR/AR contents as a useful instructional resource that the teachers could use. Based on these results, we discussed the implications for the VR/AR-TPACK teacher education model and assessed the limitations of the research.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.10 no.4 s.28
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• pp.239-258
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• 2006

This study sought to examine preservice teachers' beliefs about their intent to use computers and Internet resources in mathematics classrooms. Also, web-based instruction on topics in elementary school mathematics was used to foster teachers' confidence and competence in using instructional technology, thereby promoting positive attitudes toward use of computers and Internet resources in the mathematics classroom. The results indicated that students who participated in the web-based instructions exhibited a significantly (p < 0.05) better attitude toward using computers and web-based resources in teaching mathematics than did students in the control group.