• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.253-262
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• 2007

This study is an investigation regarding the understanding of the nature of science among pre-service science teachers majoring in science education. We interviewed 22 senior students in science education who finished their internship courses. Students were interviewed individually for approximately 20 minutes each. Data from semi-structured interview were audio-recorded and transcribed for the analysis. Findings indicated that participants held more complete understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge than the nature of scientific enterprise. Their understandings of the nature of scientific method was that hypothetical-deductive method is more scientific than descriptive-narrative method and there is a single stepwise scientific method to solve problems. These results showed that they have a narrow view of the nature of science. Thus, teacher education programs need to integrate the understanding of the nature of science throughout.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the application of GLOBE program in Korea and its perception displayed by the Science High school Teachers. The interview using a questionnaire with 12 science high school teachers in Korea was conducted. It was attempted to find a problem occurring during the practical application for getting a basic data for the development of Korean GLOBE program. The results of this study are as follows: (1) The level of GLOBE program was for upper grade levelsin elementary school and middle school. The program may not be suitable for the Science High School students in Korea. (2) To successfully apply the GLOBE program in Korea, study levels and research subjects in the program must be further developed in terms of quality and areas. Suggestions for the possibility of adopting and operating the program in Korea are made as follows: (1) To effectively manage the GLOBE school sites, there has to be a headquarter system in place and operation under, say, the Korean Earth Science Society. (2) To ensure the program's identity and goals, it is to set up a center for the Korea GLOBE program with a financial support system established.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.269-277
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• 2016

Recently, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of cases that have formed and operated teachers' learning communities through cross-curricular consulting at the school level. The purpose of this study is to explore cross-curricular instructional consulting as an activity of teachers' learning communities at the school level, and investigate the effect of cross-curricular instructional consulting on middle school science teaching. We analyzed features and limitations of cross-curricular instructional consulting revealed in three case studies in middle school, including open classes and instructional consulting sessions, and conducted additional instructional consulting on the same videotaped science classes with science experts from outside. According to the results, science inquiry experiments are often replaced with text reading and interpreting, students' misconceptions and exact scientific representations are ignored, and the goal setting as well as class coverage has been questionable and disputable in science classes resulted from cross-curricular instructional consulting. Discussed in the conclusion are the necessity of cross-curricular instructional consulting in middle school, and ways to overcome limitations of the method of cross-curricular instructional consulting, including alternatives to a praise-only policy in cross-curricular instructional consulting, ways to use cross-curricular instructional consulting without compromising the subject's essence, and ways to improve the undue authority of consultants.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.684-696
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• 2004

Using six preservice teachers as subjects, this was purpose to research about concepts in understanding carbon cycle, which of concepts were related to the conception of the system, and finally whether or not the systems thinking was sufficiently around carbon cycle. To achieve this study purpose , an instrument related to carbon cycle was developed and administered to the six teachers. The study found that a total of 42 conceptions within the system were concepts related to carbon cycle. The consisted of 15 conceptions in atmosphere, 11 in atmosphere 9 in hydrosphere, and 7 in lithosphere. In aspect of applying the system thinking, 4 subjects who couldn't compose the feedback loop in their causal map failed to apply this type of thinking. The other two who applied systems thinking had 2 and 1 feedback loop each, in their causal maps. But, one of the feedback loop from the subject who made two was based on unscientific reasoning. As a result, the subjects had lower understanding of concepts related to carbon cycle in lithosphere than in atmosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. Futhermore, the subjects' application of the earth systems thinking on carbon was at a low standard.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.390-403
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to explore discursive-epistemic mechanisms in high school earth science lessons. A total of 11 video recordings of earth science lessons were collected from three inservice high school teachers. The video recordings were all transcribed and analyzed by employing the discourse analysis framework used in relevant previous studies. In analysis, we identified discursive-epistemic mechanisms as functional assemblies for fulfilling particular epistemic functions in the earth science lessons. The characteristics of these mechanisms were described according to their epistemic functions. The findings of the study were compared with those of previous studies to highlight the characteristics of discursive-epistemic mechanisms in the earth science classrooms. Analyses of middle school science lessons and of science lessons in alternative forms, as well as studies using extended research methods such as indepth interviews with teachers, were suggested as implications for future research.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.183-192
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• 2000

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of portfolio system on science teaching efficacy beliefs. From Chongju National University of Education, 83 subjects were selected. All of them are college sophomores, and 5 of them are males. The portfolio system developed by the researcher had been administered during the 1st semester of 1999. Korean Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (K-STEBI) was administered before and after portfolio instruction. Some parts of students portfolios were analyzed qualitatively in terms of elementary science teaching confidence. After portfolio instruction, students' science teaching efficacy beliefs increased statistically meaningfully. Elementary science teaching confidence and positive attitudes toward portfolio system also showed marked increase. Portfolio system seems to be effective in fostering pre-service elementary teachers' science teaching efficacy beliefs, and be a powerful tool for teacher education.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.177-190
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• 2006

Numerous aims of laboratory activities have been suggested by a number of researchers in science education; however the lists of aims very according to researcher. As such, there is still no agreement educational goals on the in science laboratory activities by experts in science education. The purpose of this study was to obtain a consensus using the Delphi technique on the aims of laboratory activities from expert community. This expert community consisted of four scientists, four science educators, six elementary school teachers, and seven secondary school teachers. The list of aims obtained from the expert community were tested with the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test to determine whether IQR between 2nd and 3rd was convergent. Results of this study produced, lists of aims of laboratory activities according to school science level. There were seven aims for elementary school science, nine aims for secondary school science, and thirteen aims for university science.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.755-765
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• 2019

This study aims to develop the scales to measure the innovation configurations of Science. Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) from the perspective of elementary school teachers and investigates the effect of the innovation configurations and related environmental factors on the usage levels of STEAM based on the newly developed scales for the innovation configurations of STEAM. The scales for the innovation configurations of STEAM are based on analyzing the various previous studies and in-depth interviews and consist of four sub-configurations: The 'Preparation,' 'Design,' 'Implementation,' and 'Evaluation.' The innovation configurations of STEAM was investigated with the developed scales through 266 teachers who are leading STEAM school teachers, are involved in STEAM research group, or are implementing STEAM in general schools. The final 19 questionnaires for the scale of the innovation configuration of STEAM are confirmed with exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis. In order to examine the relationship between the innovation configurations and levels of use, the direct relationship between four sub-configurations and the usage levels of STEAM and the effect of environmental factors on the innovation configuration and the usage levels of STEAM have been conducted and their interactions are considered. The results show that 'Implementation' in the innovation configurations of STEAM and 'STEAM training experience' are most important factors to improve the usage levels of STEAM for elementary school teachers. It implies that the scales are very helpful in improving as well as figuring out the current innovation configurations of STEAM.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.669-679
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• 2019

In this study, we investigated how 'Scientific Inquiry Experiment,' a newly introduced subject under the 2015 revised curriculum, was implemented to identify the difficulties that science teachers face in the process of teaching the subject and to explore how to support them through online survey and interview methods. A questionnaire of the survey, which consisted of environmental factors of class, preparation and execution of class, teacher self-evaluation of class, and direction for the subject, was developed, and the online survey was requested with a response from one teacher per school from 1674 high schools nationwide. We analyzed the results from 814 teachers who answered all required questions, and we also conducted interviews and online advisory discussions to ensure the validity of our analysis. In the results of the study, teachers complained of lack of time for preparation and execution of the subject, and they demanded laboratory assistants and quality teaching materials. In addition, in order to achieve the goal of the subject, they agreed the necessity of using the 'block scheduling' though they also agreed the difficulties of its implementation. Meanwhile, the alteration of guidelines for evaluation, which was changed from 9-grade system to 3-grade system, was positively recognized by teachers. As a result of this change, the percentage of performance assessment increased in 2019 compared to 2018, but there were no significant changes in the number of 'hands-on activity.' Finally, we proposed ways to support 'scientific inquiry experiment'.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.336-348
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• 2021

The goal of this study is to investigate the current status of implementation of convergence education in elementary, middle, and high schools. A survey was conducted on 871 in-service teachers nationwide, and frequency analysis was conducted by school level. Key findings are as follows: first, 449 (51.5%) are found to practice convergence education. Second, the reason for implementing convergence education is the voluntary effort of teachers and the educational necessity for the future society. Third, it was found that convergence education is being implemented centered on science, arts, and social studies as a link between subjects in regular curriculum hours. Fourth, 270 (64%) of teachers who implemented convergence education in response to COVID-19 performed online convergence education, and experienced difficulties in creating class materials and communicating with students. Fifth, the excessive work of teachers, insufficient support for teacher training and research group activities, and lack of various convergence education programs are suggested as reasons for not implementing convergence education. This study hopes to provide implications for policy and implementation for revitalizing convergence education.