• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.199-216
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to figure out how much gifted science education teachers in charge of the class realize the necessity of individualized curriculum and program for scientifically gifted, to find out the problems of the gifted science educational institutions from exploring them in depth in the light of the reality in the gifted science educational institutions, and to draw implications about the applicable direction of more aggressive individualized curriculum and program for scientifically gifted. I chose 15 people with the incumbent teachers who have ever taught scientifically gifted and have a degree in the gifted education or science subject education as study participants and had a depth interview with them. According to result of the study, 14 of 15 study participants recognized the necessity of individualized education in science should understand the personal requirements according to the tendency of the gifted students and should be a study led by students themselves. Of the problems in gifted science education, teachers regarded the reduction in the financial support as the biggest problem and the vocation and professionalism of teachers were referred as a very important factor. With constraints of time and space, there were plenty of opinions that can't ignore the influence of educational environment associated with the university entrance examination. There were many opinions that there is excessive expansion of the agencies and the target for gifted students, no standardized measurement tools and programs and the lack of the system for the coherent observation as a teacher. Also, the unified curriculum of gifted science education institutions were pointed out as the problem and the individualized programs which were already under way have a lot of weakness and being offered marginally. Thus, from now on, to apply for individualized education of gifted science, teachers demanded optimized education conditions and consistent policy support, and expressed the opinion that there needs of a possible continuous observation system. Besides, the curriculum and programs matched the needs of the students should be taken priority the most, and there were another answers that fellow learning within the cooperative learning can be an alternative of the individualized. Along with that, there were lots of opinions that the treatment to overcome an inferiority complex according to the individualized should be followed.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.287-296
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• 2004

The purposes of this study were to analyze the problems of elementary science instruction, especially in experiment and observation, and suggest the directions to improve current elementary science instruction in terms of teaching methods and strategies. Data from instructions implemented by 7 elementary teachers were used to extract the problem of elementary science instruction. According to the results of instruction observation, such problems as follows are identified: 1) shortage of discussion regarding results of students' activities, 2) insufficiency of interactions among teacher-student/student-student, 3) shortage of guidance for students on observation, 4) absence of explanation on apparatus, 5) teachers' insufficient knowledge on science, 6) inappropriate use of teacher-made worksheets. Desirable directions for the improvement of present elementary science instruction were proposed.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.180-208
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate secondary students' perception of a good secondary science classes. Subjects were 18 secondary students who enrolled in alternative school located in Korea. The instruments of this study was a questionnaire which consisted of 18 items on 4 domains. Also data were collected from in-deep interviews and students' drawing. The results of the study were summarized as follows; First, students explained that good schools have the characteristics of the interesting and respectful atmosphere. Also there are good relationships between teachers and students. Second, they emphasized that good teachers are humanistic teachers. Third, good science classes are based on the constructivism in terms of the education methods. The results suggest that it may be necessary to remodel the merits of the alternative schools to solve the problem of public school. It is important to develop expertise of the science teachers in alternative school through teacher education programs based on the constructivism. Also it is necessary to provide appropriate learning space and various media for effective science teaching and learning in alternative school.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.630-639
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate the classifying ability of the igneous rocks with the naked eye for 36 preservice science teachers. For this, we selected six specimens of igneous rocks that consisted of rhyolite, andesite, basalt, granite, diorite, and gabbro, and performed the questionnaire with them. Preservice science teachers needed the average of 3 tools to classify the rocks. Most of the selected tools were loupe, streak plate, hammer and Mohs’ hardness scale. Many preservice science teachers selected basalt and granite samples to classify igneous rocks among 6 kinds of the rocks which were exhibited. However, the results of the identification with the naked eye showed that the right answer rate was significantly different based on what rock sample had been selected. Nobody gave the right answer among 10 students who chose the rhyolite sample, but all of 36 students who picked the basalt sample answered correctly. And $62\%$ of 8 students who chose the andesite sample, 62% of 32 student choosing granite, $7\%$ of 13 students choosing diorite and $44\%$ of 9 students choosing gabbro were correctly answered. In identifying igneous rock samples with the naked eye, most subjects relied on vesicular texture to basalt, and they used textural, color and empirical characters to granite. But, some felt more or less difficulty to distinguish between intermediate and light colors and to recognize porphyry.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.294-309
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• 2013

This study addressed the awareness of social issues related to science of future elementary school teachers. Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident was used by concrete issue connected with SSI for this study. Twelve second-year students attending a university of education participated in the study, who were taking a class of science teacher preparation at that time that consists of the content of the elementary science education courses. The study revealed that all the pre-service elementary teachers recognized Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident and received such information through various medias. In particular, they were receiving more information about the Nuclear Power Plant Accident through the internet than any other media by using the internet a lot, and also gained additional information through the internet. However, despite the fact that they recognized Nuclear Power Plant Accident, they neither had much information about it nor had been interested in SSI such as the Nuclear Power Plant Accident. Moreover, they had been basically uneducated about SSI. Despite of having no interest in SSI such as Nuclear Power Plant Accident, the study revealed that the pre-service elementary teachers recognized that scientific problems such as Nuclear Power Plant Accident may affect a society closely. In addition, they together sympathized with the point that SSI education should be applied on the current education courses by identifying the problem in application. As the study revealed above, the application of SSI education to the formal education courses as well as more lively research on that subject is very important and urgent for boosting interest in science subjects and enlightening the nature of science that is one of the objectives of science education.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.560-570
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• 2002

This study was focused on whether secondary science teachers have consistent, integrative scheme on the definition of atmospheric pressure and phenomena caused by air pressure. We had made questionnaire and let 94 science teachers answer. We sorted the responses according to their major, school and compared them with the description in textbooks. The result can be summarized into three findings. First of all, teachers whose major is chemistry have strong tendency to understand that atmospheric pressure is caused by molecular motion though it, in textbooks, is defined as the pressure by weight of air mass. The half of respondents believed that decreasing of atmospheric pressure in high altitude is due to molecular motions, while most textbook says decrease in the weight of air mass. Secondly, many science textbooks show that air mass expands, rises, becomes less dense and the pressure of atmosphere becomes low when it receives heat. So, most of respondents explained low pressure is formed by lower density. Thirdly, they answered that they just teach the phenomena of air pressure by using the textbooks which mainly deal with the present state rather than a principle. In conclusion, the science textbooks should present the exact description and consolidated structures of those concepts to prevent students from having misconceptions on air pressure. In addition, training program for science teachers would be necessary to reconsider and explore the natural phenomena in various viewpoints.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.769-781
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• 2016

This study investigated the interactions among the PCK components of pre-service secondary chemistry teachers considered in the processes of making written test items individually and in small groups. The processes of making written test items individually for 8 pre-service teachers was studied through the think-aloud method. The analysis of the results revealed that the 'assessment in science education' of the five PCK components was most frequently used in making test items. 'Curriculum for science education,' 'subject matter knowledge,' and 'students' were also frequently used although fewer than the previous component. However, 'instructional strategies and instruction for science education' was hardly used. The integrations between two or three components with various types were frequently found. However, integrations among four to five components were not found. The processes of making written test items in two small groups consisting of four pre-service teachers were observed. The analysis of the results revealed that the PCK components used in small groups were similar to those in the individual processes. However, 'curriculum for science education' was less frequently used, and the numbers of subcategories used at a relatively high frequency increased from other four components in small groups. In the aspects of integration, the proportion of the integrations between two components decreased and that for three components increased compared with those in the individual processes. The integrations among four or five components were also newly found. However, the integrations of 'curriculum for science education' with the other components were less frequently found. The integrations of 'instructional strategies and instruction for science education' with other components were still hardly found.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.273-284
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• 2022

This study was conducted to examine the practical and educational implications of teachers' operation of the curriculum through science and online classes based on data collected for 4 months from 4 teachers who had experience in science subject online classes among homeroom teachers in the 3rd to 6th grades of elementary school in D city. This study was conducted through narrative inquiry. As a result of conducting interviews and in-depth interviews based on the online class experiences of the Earth Science Unit of the study subjects, and conducting field classes with related documents such as online class-related materials and teacher journals, teachers were more likely to take online classes compared to traditional face-to-face classes. They spent more time preparing and showed difficulties in the process of adapting to the new medium used in online classes. In addition, they demanded the provision of scientific materials produced in a pandemic situation and a teaching platform for smooth class operation. In particular, in the case of experimental classes, there is a burden of completing the planned curriculum, and in a pandemic situation, students felt the need for individual experimental tools for intensive science classes. As a result, it is necessary to introduce a blended learning learning system that combines the advantages of face-to-face and online classes as a new class form for the transition to future education in preparation for the pandemic. Continuous teacher research on the format and online class experience is required.

• 대한공업교육학회지
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.1-19
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyze the job performance hours and reasonable job performance hours of teachers working at secondary level technical vocational education institutes. This study analyzed the differences in the job performance hours and reasonable hours that have been investigated according to special subject teachers and general subject teachers. Based on Job Specifications of Teachers Working at Secondary Level Technical Vocational Education Institutes, the development of research tool was finalized, and questionnaires were used as the research tool. The results of this study are as follows. First, the total job performance hours and total reasonable job performance hours perceived by teachers working at secondary level technical vocational education institutes were found to be 2,787.8 minutes and 2,934.7 minutes respectively with a difference of 146.9 minutes. In regards to the job category-specific job performance hours, they were found to be high in the order of lesson administration, extracurricular student guidance, school affairs and administrative duties, and lesson preparation and planning, while the reasonable job performance hours were found to be high in the order of lesson administration, lesson preparation and planning, extracurricular student guidance, and school affairs and administrative duties. As for the job categories with shorter reasonable job performance hours compared to job performance hours, they were found to be lesson administration, extracurricular student guidance, and school affairs and administrative duties. In other job categories, it was found that longer job performance hours are needed. Second, the job performance hours perceived by each subject teacher from other schools, they were found to be 2,888.3 minutes for special subject teachers and 2,536.1 minutes for general subject teachers, while showing 3,021.8 minutes for special subject teachers and 2,716.8 minutes for general subject teachers regarding reasonable job performance hours. The differences between the job performance hours and reasonable job performance hours perceived by teachers from other schools were found to be 133.5 minutes for special subject teachers and 180.7 minutes for general subject teachers.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.773-790
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• 2015

Conducted as an ethnographic examination of science teaching and learning in an Innovative Middle School in Korea, this study employs sociocultural theory to examine how structures afford and limit student participation in an innovative school designed to promote student-centered learning. Data includes teacher and student interviews, student responses to a questionnaire, classroom observations, and analysis of video recordings of ten lessons in two in two 8th grade science classes. Using structure|agency dialectic theory, we identify and describe some structures that afford and limit teacher and student agency at the micro (science classrooms), meso (school), and macro (Korean society) levels to raise some questions about current reform measures, such as innovation schools, that seek to position classroom teachers as agents for change in science education reform in Korea. Findings suggest that while teachers and school administrators play an essential role in structuring learning opportunities at the meso and micro levels, they have limited agency to address structural constraints originating at the macro-level, which can negatively impact teaching and learning in the science classroom. We offer implications for policy and practice and argue the need for more qualitative research, informed by sociocultural theory, to inform science education reform efforts in Korea.