• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.646-654
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of the elementary school students' interests to animals and plants based on affinity toward animals and plants, and curiosity about animals and plants by using a cluster analysis. In addition, the differences of the big five personality traits by the identified clusters was examined. A total number of 411 elementary school students participated in the study. The students were clustered into four distinct interest groups with respect to the level of interests to animals and plants. Cluster 1 'Developed Interest to Organisms group' showed high levels in the interest to both animals and plants. Cluster 2 'Developed Interest to Animals group' showed high interest to animals and relatively low interest to plants whereas cluster 3 'Developed Interest to Plants group' showed high interest to plants and relatively low interest to animals. Lastly, cluster 4 were identified as 'Lack of Interest to Organisms group' by showing low levels of interest to both animals and plants. The four identified groups also showed different distributions of students according to gender and school year. These results support gender difference in the interest to animals and plants and suggest the decreased and specialized interest with school year. The Big Five personality traits excluding neuroticism were positively related with the interest to organisms and the identified groups showed significant differences in the traits. These findings indicate that agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness can be significant predictors of the interests to animals and plants.

• Forest Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.169-180
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• 2018

The Republic of Korea (ROK) has had a successful experience in greening its land because of strong state policy and public participation. This paper aims to analyze the interest positions, participation, and accountability of multiple actors in the process of greening movements in the ROK. These movements were divided into two phases: forest rehabilitation (1973-1997) and urban greening (1998-2017). During the first phase, farmers caused deforestation by slash-and-burn farming and illegal logging, and governmental agencies acted as helpers controlled the farmers' deforestation activities. During the second phase, government agencies and enterprises caused deforestation with urban development projects, including construction of housings and roads. Multiple actors including citizens, NGOs, and enterprises helped urban greening through campaigns, donations, and monitoring. As a result, managing interest positions is significant to motivate multiple actors to participate in the greening movement. Participation with clear accountability is meaningful for successful greening. Therefore interest-based participation requiring accountability contributes to greening. This phenomenon indicates interconnection for interest positions, participation and accountability should be considered in designing greening policies.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.594-608
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• 2010

This research attempts to extract the factors that generate scientific interest, and verify the effect of extracted factors on the generation of scientific interest in middle school students' observation activity on life phenomenon. In order to analyze interest-generating factors, observation programs were applied four times in the science class of 3rd grade middle school students. And an interview was conducted towards students who had strong scientific interest among students who participated in the observation activity. After classifying the interview results according to the types, and 21 interest-generating factors were extracted. Interest-generating factors were classified into 5 categories; the characteristics of the observation object, the characteristics of the observation activity, the characteristics of the observation result, the characteristics of the observer, and the characteristics of the extrinsic factor. It was verified that interest-generating factors have an effect on the generation of scientific interest in the observation activity. First of all, in order to confirm whether the extracted generation factors would have an effect on the generation of interest in observation activity, as survey of interest-generating factors was drawn up. The observation activity program of 4 times' volume was applied towards third grade middle school students, and survey paper on interest-generating factor was input. Analysis result showed that factors have effect on the generation of interest. That is, it was confirmed that extracted interest-generating factor has a significant effect on the generation of scientific interest. The cause analysis on the uninteresting observation activity was possible, and it would play an essential role in developing an interesting observation activity.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.600-616
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to explore how primary school students develop their interest in science. A survey questionnaire was used to investigate students' interest, change of their interest, and engagement in science related activities three times a year. 201 students of two primary schools in Seoul Metropolitan City initially participated in this study. A follow-up case study was conducted with students who showed an increased interest in science. Finally, seven students were chosen in the case study. They were asked to keep a photo journal for 12 weeks, and were interviewed in every other week by one of the researchers. Among these seven participants, two (TK and QQ) were chosen for analyzing their data in this case study because they showed positive changes in developing science interest throughout the study. The results of two participants' survey, photo-journal and interview were analyzed qualitatively. First, TK, whose science interest developed from situational interest II to individual interest I, engaged in doing experiments at home, doing mathematics activities, raising pets or plants, observing phenomena, and visiting informal educational centers. He tended to participate in hands-on activities by himself in out-of-school settings. Second, QQ who developed from situational interest I to situational interest II, engaged in taking pictures as a representative activity at home and school. He tended to participate in activities with either his father or one of the researchers. Both students showed personal characteristics such as doing place-based activities, interaction with others and activity subjectivity. The goal of TK's interactions with others on the various places was to develop in cognitive domain. On the contrary, QQ's goal of interactions with others was to develop in emotional communication. This study reported the cases of characteristics of students who developed their interests in science including activities in- and out-of-school settings and their accompanying people.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.191-197
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• 2010

Students' emotional attitude not only affects their achievement in a meaningful way but also is an important educational goal in its own right. This research investigated how students' interest in science varies among elementary, middle and high-school students based on a survey and reviews of previous research results. We analyzed students learning attitude in terms of interest in and enjoyment of science, instrumental motivation in science, science learning anxiety, and self-concept in science. Major findings are students showed more negative attitudes in intrinsic motivation, instrumental motivation, value perception of science, and confidence in science as they move in to a higher school level. According to students' explanation, science classes got bored in a higher grade because of difficult contents, lack of experiments and activities, and teachers' monotonous explanations. Based on the results, recommendations on how to improve students' attitudes towards science are suggested. First of all we need to secure more science instructional hours in the school curriculum than the 7th national curriculum to implement improved science teaching and learning methods.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.183-192
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• 2004

The purpose of this research is to suggest the way to promote housewives' understanding of science and technology, based on the survey results of the attitude toward science and technology, the scientific attitude, and the interest in science and technology of housewives in Korea. The questionnaire was developed by researchers and administered to housewives who live in Seoul to get basic information. Housewives showed slightly positive attitudes toward science and technology, and similarly positive scientific attitudes. These scores were increased as monthly income and education level were raised. Housewives' interest of the science-technology related topics (foods, health, education, leisure, social issues, cooking, housing, everyday activity) was relatively high, and the interest of foods, health, education, and leisure was significantly correlated with the scores of housewives' attitude towards science and technology and their scientific attitudes. Housewives are shown to be curious to know these topics when they were asked by their children or do not know the terms appeared in media, or purchase home appliances and food. And they get the answers in a passive way by asking their family members or by watching TV or newspapers. They preferred TV program for enhancing their understanding of science. But such program could be proper to present science knowledge but not fulfill the role to promote scientific literacy. Specially designed programs through science centers or science museums would be suggested for their lifelong education.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.69-89
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to examine personal characteristics of two elementary students who developed individual interest in science. 201 students of two elementary schools in Seoul participated in questionnaire survey engaged in to investigate students' interest in science, engagements and preference in science-related-activities three times a year. This case study was conducted with seven students who showed typical types of interest in science. Students wrote a photo-journal for 12 weeks. They were interviewed every other week by a researcher. We analyzed two students who developed individual interest. It turns out that RF participated in doing experiments at home, and disassembling and assembling things. Participation of activities was a process of solving curiosity. When he was unable to solve problems, he searches the internet or books. Sometimes he would ask for help from his teacher. JW engaged in activities: drawing, doing experiments at home, and going to informal education center. She communicated with others by using online-offline media. Curious questions were solved by herself. The two students have a tendency to solve problems by themselves. Also, positive science-related activities were going on at home and in school. This study not only give insights and understanding of students who developed individual interest in science but also provide implication for educators to examine personal characteristics of students.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.827-835
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• 2011

This study investigated the effect of introducing advanced science contents into the science curriculum 10th grade on students' interest in science. Four classes of the 10th grade were selected from a co-ed high school located in the city of Seoul. Among them, each two classes were assigned as a control group and treatment group, respectively. Students in each group were divided into three groups according to their previous science achievement. The treatment group was taught with materials consisting of advanced science content that was associated with the 'Reaction Rates', 'Environment' and 'Inquiry of Science' section of the curriculum. Before and after being taught over a six-week period, students' interest in science and science class were measured. The data showed that there was a significant correlation between the instruction and students' previous science achievement in the 'interest in science'(p<.01). There was a significant difference between the two groups in the 'interest in science class' irrespective of their prior science achievement (p<.05). The data showed that the introduction of advanced science content into the science curriculum had considerable effect on increasing students' interest in science and science class. Moreover, many students expected more opportunities to learn advanced science content associated with the science curriculum.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.225-237
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of elementary pre-service teachers regarding their interest in science. A survey was conducted among 187 elementary pre-service teachers enrolled at Non-Metropolitan Area A University of Education. Data collection was carried out concurrently with three elementary pre-service teachers who agreed to participate in online interviews. The survey responses provided by the elementary pre-service teachers were analyzed using a qualitative text analysis method. Interest in science was observed to decrease during middle school, followed by the upper grades of elementary school and then the lower grades. The reasons for the decline in interest in science were interpreted as stemming from negative experiences with science education within the context of individual circumstances in the school setting. Strategies to address the decline and enhance interest in science were discussed across individual, family, school, teacher, local community, and national levels, considering both short-term and long-term perspectives. These strategies encompassed various inquiry activities and experiences related to the field of science, engagement in science-related activities, student-centered instruction, teacher professional development, support for elementary students and teachers, and policy measures. The multifaceted approach and efforts aimed to open avenues for positive feedback regarding science on an individual level and foster experiences related to science were interpreted as part of an effort to counteract the decline in interest in science. Lastly, given the current situation of declining interest in science and the need to enhance students' interest, it was implicitly and explicitly discussed that pre-service teachers should focus on improving their expertise in curriculum instruction. This research, by exploring the conceptual characteristics of interest in science, perceptions of changes, and educational needs related to interest in science among elementary pre-service teachers, is expected to have academic significance as foundational research data for the current status of declining interest in science.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.468-474
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the elementary pre-service teachers' interest in biological topics and activities. The instrument to survey the interest of them consists of 8 domains containing 27 topic items and 7 domains containing 12 activity items(three-point from 0 to 2 Likert scale). Data were collected from 108 pre-service teachers. The interest level in the topics was high, but the interest level in the activities was average. There was not different between interest levels of females and males in both topic and activity components (p > .05). Among the topics, the 'genetics' domain correlated strongly with the domains of 'nutrition and digestion', 'circulation', 'respiration' and 'nervous system', and the 'respiration' domain correlated with the 'circulation' domain(r >.450, p<.01). The correlation between the domains of 'out-of class experience activity' and 'visual information activity', and 'experimental performance following procedure' and 'discussing and debating'(r >.450, p<.01). This results suggested that the educational contents including learning materials and experiential activities be developed to activate the interest of elementary pre-service teachers in biology.