• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.135-145
• /
• 2018

In this study, we investigated the argumentations of group and classroom discussions in socioscientific issues (SSI) discussion classes. Twenty-seven high school students participated in the SSI discussion classes on nuclear power generation. We observed and recorded the classes and also conducted semi-structured interviews. For the analyses, we revised a previous framework that was developed to analyze dialogic argumentations in the context of SSI. The analyses of the results indicated that there were more discourse schemes in the classroom discussions than the group discussions which are related to awareness and openness to multiple perspectives, evidence based reasoning, and on-going inquiry and skepticism. And there were few discourse schemes related to moral and ethical sensitivity in the group and classroom discussions. Various grounds, data, and information were presented in the classroom discussions. Students concentrated on carrying their claims and were not able to sympathize with and accept other opinions. Therefore, there were few discourse schemes to reach consensus. In addition, they perceived classroom discussions as competitive and actively rebutted other claims or grounds. The levels of argumentation were also high in the classroom discussions. The group discussions were held in relaxed atmosphere, and they asked the opponents more for clarification or additional information and evidences. However, classroom discussions were held in serious atmosphere, and they actively queried the validity of the claims or grounds. Based on the results, some suggestions to implement SSI discussion classes were discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.38 no.5
• /
• pp.739-751
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study is to identify the differences of argumentation discourses for Socio-Scientific Issues in the types of decision-making and personality traits of pre-service biology teachers. For this study, SSI discussion topics were selected according to four types of decision making: logical reasoning, suggestion of complement, emotional base, and internal conflict. Three groups were constructed based on personality traits such as extroversion, acceptability, and integrity. Each three group used the workbook specially developed and freely used the smart device for discussion. A recorder and a camcorder were used to record each group, their behavior was recorded and the written materials during the discussion were collected for the results. Using Walton's analysis framework, the collected data analyzed in terms of the source of utterance, the process of dialogue shift, and the critical movements that can judge the reasoning of utterance. As a result of the study, it was confirmed that the decision-making type of SSI topics and learners' personalities were influential in the decision-making process of SSI small group discussions. This research shows that there is a need to develop instructional materials considering decision-making types and learners' personality types of students as well as pre-service teachers for SSI discussion.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.303-315
• /
• 2016

Socioscientific issues (SSI), by their nature, are conceptually embedded in technology. Previous research reported that nature of technology (NOT), unlike nature of science, was quite explicitly manifested in SSI decision-making, and NOT could be a promising construct for promoting SSI reasoning. In this study, authors introduced an integrated conceptual framework for NOT, which consisted of four dimensions (i.e., artifacts, knowledge, practice and system) as diverse modes of technology. We adapted the framework to investigate students' conceptualizations of NOT in the context of various SSIs. Data was collected from 45 college students enrolled in a liberal arts course on science and technology. The students participated in a team project, where they prepared and led discussions for SSI topics in class. Seven topics concerning SSIs were selected by students themselves. The preparation and class discussion of each student group were audio-recorded, and final reports were also analyzed. As a result, NOT sub-components in the dimensions of artifacts and system were explicitly represented in most contexts of SSI with various ranges of understanding. Other sub-components under the dimensions of knowledge and practice were rarely or implicitly shown in the discussion. The depth of students' understanding on NOT varied. Implications for science education were discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.284-296
• /
• 2020

This study investigates the effect of SSI debate on first-year high school student's opinions about environmental issue, their judgment grounds, and solutions to regional environmental problems. The SSI debate was about white heron habitats near the village where students live. As the main data of the study, environmental perception questionnaires, and students' workbook including open-ended questions were collected before and after class. The environmental perception questionnaire was analyzed by descriptive statistics, and the response of the open-ended questions was analyzed through inductive qualitative research methods. First, the results of this study shows that the SSI debate has a statistically significant impact on students' environmental attitude. Second, a majority of students agreed on the idea that villagers should drive the birds out of town and they did not change their after the discussion class. However, after the discussion class, students' solutions about the issue were changed in a way that more short-term, feasible, concrete, and less time-consuming solutions to the problem. Based on the results of this study, this study implies that SSI issue debate using local problem should be used more often in science classroom so the students recognize local SSI and improve real world problem solving skills.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.338-346
• /
• 2014

In this study, find out of recognition of the effect of science, society and ethical aspects on natural disasters and understanding degree of knowledge applying for SSI class aimed at elementary pre-service teachers by developing SSI training program of the 'Earth and Space' field. Also, after SSI class application we examined the change perceptions of elementary pre-service teachers. SSI training program was that elementary pre-service teachers participated in the SSI class of a variety of subjects in the field of 'Earth and Space' and directly joined in the decision-making process and reflectional discussion with colleagues as conducted in this class reflective discussion with the pre-primary teachers pre-service teachers. Elementary pre-service teachers were understanding of the nature of the science and to understand in more depth about the SSI class characteristics. This study, second grade 115 people who was taking 'science and teaching materials' course in B National University of Education at B city participated. In order to apply for SSI class, one semester based on 15 weeks until seven weeks were science and teaching materials and based on the nature of science, after 8 weeks we set the theme of the contents related to the Earth and space and give lesson applied for SSI. During 8 weeks, test subjects 4 classes were taking 50 minutes a week 100 minutes. First time has theoretical lessons in topics related to the 'Earth and space' and on the second week, each classes participate in the decision-making processes respectivly by dicussing and debating on the first week's topic as regarding social and moral aspects of it. We obtained the following results. First, elementary pre-service teachers were acquiring the results of 67% in the knowledge aspects of the 'Earth and space'. This result was determined that most of the elementary pre-service teachers were liberal arts in high school. Second, while participating in the SSI class, elementary pre-service teachers were concretely aware of the nature of SSI and the characteristics of the class. Third, the elementary pre-service teacher are thaught that introduction education courses about 'Earth and space' are needed but most of the students responded that this would require a lot of effort of teachers. This was derived from not familiar class form that did not fulfill in the science teaching methods until now.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.421-433
• /
• 2023

This study examined the reasoning of gifted elementary science students in a socioscientific issues (SSI) classroom discussion on COVID-19-related trash disposal challenges. This study aimed to understand the characteristics of evidence use and decision-making difficulties in each type of SSI-related reasoning. To this end, the transcripts of 17 gifted students of elementary science discussing SSIs in a classroom were analyzed within the framework of informal reasoning. The analysis framework was categorized into three types according to the primary influence involved in reasoning: rational, emotional, and intuitive. The analysis showed that students exhibited four categories of evidence use in SSI reasoning. First, in the rational reasoning category, students deemed and recorded scientific knowledge, numbers, and statistics as objective evidence. However, students who experienced difficulty in investigating such scientific data were less likely to have factored them in subsequent decisions. Second, in the emotional reasoning category, students' solutions varied considerably depending on the perspective they empathized with and reasoned from. Differences in their views led to conflicting perspectives on SSIs and consequent disagreement. Third, in the intuitive reasoning category, students disagreed with the opinions of their peers but did not explain their positions precisely. Intuitive reasoning also created challenges as students avoided problem-solving in the discussion and did not critically examine their opinions. Fourth, a mixed category of reasoning emerged: intuition combined with rationality or emotion. When combined with emotion, intuitive reasoning was characterized by deep empathy arising from personal experience, and when combined with rationality, the result was only an impulsive reaction. These findings indicate that research on student understanding and faculty knowledge of SSIs discussed in classrooms should consider the difficulties in informal reasoning and decision-making.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.181-192
• /
• 2017

This study aims to examine the educational effects of the SSI program using Digital Storytelling (DST) approaches. Since DST provides students opportunities to express their own opinions in the form of stories and to share learning outcomes through the web, we developed and implemented SSI program by adopting the concept of DST in order to produce synergistic effects on student learning. Twenty-four 9th graders who enthusiastically engaged in the DST-based SSI program participated in this study. The students responded to focus group interviews after the instruction, and all interviews were transcribed for analysis. The results indicated that the students became aware of socio-ethical perspectives of each SSI topic while searching and collecting data by themselves. They also felt the necessity to consider multiple perspectives around the issues by having discussions with group members. Second, pre-producing DST allowed students to negotiate to settle on a group discussion, and to use emotional contents that can lead viewers to have sympathy. In addition, while producing DST, students considered various factors such as design, soundtrack, visual effects, and screen composition in order to express their opinions and convey their messages more effectively. In the stage of sharing DST outcomes and receiving feedback, they realized new perspectives that they did not perceive in the previous production process, and to move them into an action for resolving the problems caused by SSI. This study showed the potentials of DST-based SSI instruction as a good strategy to support students' SSI engagement.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.467-480
• /
• 2018

This study aims to investigate how flipped learning-based socioscientific issue instruction (FL-SSI instruction) affected middle school students' key competencies and character development. Traditional classrooms are constrained in terms of time and resources for exploring the issues and making decision on SSI. To address these concerns, we designed and implemented an SSI instruction adopting flipped learning. Seventy-three 8th graders participated in an SSI program on four topics for over 12 class periods. Two questionnaires were used as a main data source to measure students' key competencies and character development before and after the SSI instruction. In addition, student responses and shared experience from focus group interviews after the instruction were collected and analyzed. The results indicate that the students significantly improved their key competencies and experienced character development after the SSI instruction. The students presented statistically significant improvement in the key competencies (i.e., collaboration, information and technology, critical thinking and problem-solving, and communication skills) and in two out of three factors in character and values as global citizens (social and moral compassion, and socio-scientific accountability). Interview data supports the quantitative results indicating that SSI instruction with a flipped learning strategy provided students in-depth and rich learning opportunities. The students responded that watching web-based videos prior to class enabled them to deeply understand the issue and actively engage in discussion and debate once class began. Furthermore, the resulting gains in available class time deriving from a flipped learning approach allowed the students to examine the issue from diverse perspectives.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.36 no.5
• /
• pp.757-768
• /
• 2016

This study developed an SSI (Socio-Scientific Issue) discussion program that applies a creative technique called six thinking hats, and then investigated the differences in argumentation patterns and effects on the decision-making abilities of each character feature of students between SNS debate and existing face to face debate. There were three SSI themes - Designer Babies, embryonic stem cell study, and legitimacy of abortion. Students were divided into two groups, the debate group using SNS and face to face debate group. The character patterns of students were divided to 'extraversion,' 'agreeableness,' and 'conscientiousness' through test sheets for character features for each student. Both groups were educated for creative discussion methods using six thinking hats and then, the class progressed. As a result of analyzing argumentation patterns used in SNS debate and face to face debate, the most used argumentation pattern was the "cause pattern." But comparing to face to face debate, other patterns (mark, inference, authority, motive) were also used in SNS debate. The study analyzed three factors of decision-making ability for each character feature of students such as complexity, perspectives, and inquiry. As a result, for 'complexity' factor, there was a significant difference between SNS debate group and face to face debate group only in the student group of Agreeableness. For 'perspectives' factor, there were significant differences between SNS debate group and face to face debate group in all three characters. Finally, for inquiry, there were no significant differences between SNS debate group and face to face debate group in all three characters. Accordingly it would be necessary to apply SNS debate using the six thinking hats in SSI education to enhance perspectives.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.61-75
• /
• 2022

Recently, lifelong learning ability was newly proposed as scientific literacy, the goal of the science curriculum. To solve various science-related problems students encounter in life, lifelong learning abilities related to science beyond school science education are required, but empirical evidence shows that students can solve problems they actually face through scientific literacy. It is not easy to find in the existing science education research. In addition, there is a lack of discussion on how to cultivate lifelong learning ability suggested in the curriculum through school science education. In this study, attention was paid to SSI education as a method for students to cultivate lifelong learning ability through school science education and to develop their ability to solve science-related problems encountered in life. In this context, statements in the existing SSI education studies were reviewed to discover discourses related to lifelong learning, and their types and characteristics were distinguished. It was possible to confirm lifelong learning and its applicability with focus on science education research through this. For the study, 18 literature materials on the subject of SSI education were selected, and the discourses related to lifelong learning in the SSI education research were discovered by examining the statements revealed in the data. As a result of the study, there are four categories of discourses related to lifelong learning: 'awareness of science,' 'connection between science and everyday life', 'promotion of participatory citizenship', and 'construction of identity'. Various SSI education studies have already had lifelong learning perception in various contexts, and the four types of discourses related to lifelong learning could be linked to the four types of learning presented in the UNESCO Lifelong Learning Report. SSI education tends to view students' life experiences as part of their learning and aims to help students develop the character and capacity to make responsible decisions on social issues related to science and put them into practice. This competency can be continuously connected to the real-life of students outside of school as a lifelong learning ability. This study requires expanding the discourse related to lifelong learning in science education and operating and managing the overall educational system to foster students' lifelong learning ability.