• Journal of Science Education
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.79-86
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the middle science teachers' perceptions on science lessons with experiments. The study conducted a survey for 110 science teachers participating in inservice program. The middle school science teachers taught classes with lectures rather than with experimental activities. They had an experiment one to three times a semester in their lessons. They did an experiment to follow to what the textbook said, or to confirm it, like a cookbook style. The most teachers answered that they had over average ability to teach both lecture and experiment. Through the experiment, they expected students had interests and curiosity on science. Despite the advantages of experiments, there were many constraints to conduct experiments, such as teachers' excessive work, laboratory conditions, education environment, and others. It was demanded on continuous interest and investment in the variation of educational environment so that teachers can experiment more often.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.258-272
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• 2003

This study explored the effectiveness of science teaching practice and science teaching efficacy beliefs by development of elementary school teachers' pedagogical content knowledge. Three research questions are formulated: 1) Is there any relationship between the development of teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and the science teaching efficacy beliefs? 2) How does the development of teachers' pedagogical content knowledge affect the science teaching practice? 3) How do the science teaching efficacy beliefs affect the science teaching practice? 120 subjects were chosen in 53 public elementary schools. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed to triangulate the results. Results indicate that the development of teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and science teaching efficacy beliefs are more developed in accordance with teachers' teaching career and academic career are increased. There are significant relationships between teachers' science pedagogical content knowledge and science teaching efficacy beliefs. The more the teachers' pedagogical content knowledge, the more confident in science teaching practice. The more the science teaching efficacy beliefs, the more confident in science teaching practice. Also these teachers tried to present teaching objectives and learning problems in the beginning stages of science lessons, and they tried to review each learning stage.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.128-136
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• 2012

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the level of PCK which middle school science teachers have on the concept of density and to analyze the characteristics of science teachers' content representation on the concept of density by their PCK level. For that purpose, 20 science teachers were selected and asked to answer the questionnaire on the eight aspects of CoRe. Results of this study indicated that the science teachers' PCK levels were low in general and evaluated as below average. The differences among the characteristics of science teachers' content representation by their PCK level were high in seven aspects of CoRe but the one aspect of the understanding of learner's preconception. These differences were analyzed and the patterns shown by the science teachers in eight aspects of CoRe were drawn in this study. It was also found that the characteristics drawn in eight aspects of content representation shown by the teachers whose PCK level was medium were close to those whose PCK level was low rather than high in most aspects of CoRe.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.372-385
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• 2012

For decades, reflection has been recognised as a meaningful tool to bring forth teachers' ownership as well as knowledge and action empowerment in teacher education. Yet there have been few studies on elementary teachers' reflection on their science teaching in Korea. In this study, 71 reflective journals of 24 elementary teachers on their science teaching were analyzed. The characteristics of reflective journals were analyzed in terms of 'productive reflection', a concept suggested by Davis (2006). Unproductive reflection is mainly descriptive without analysis, whereas productive reflection can promote teachers' learning by integrating four aspects of teaching (learner/learning, subject matter knowledge, instruction and assessment). The result showed what elementary teachers consider and emphasize and how they integrate their ideas. Most of reflective journals included aspects of 'instruction', 'learner/learning', and 'subject matter knowledge'. However 'instruction' was emphasized most frequently (69.0%) than 'subject matter knowledge' (33.8%) and 'learner/learning' (26.8%). 'Assessment' was hardly included nor emphasized. More than half of the journals (56.3%) showed no integrations, which were unproductive reflection. A third of the journals (32.4%) integrated only two aspects among four. Average score of integrations was 1.6 on a scale of 4 points. The integrations were not affected by the length of reflective journals and the teaching experience. These findings suggest that productive reflection would not increase naturally with teaching experience and there needs more tactful guidance to develop elementary teachers' productive reflection on their science teaching.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.693-703
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• 2017

In this study, 37 elementary, middle, and high school science teachers attending graduate schools of education were surveyed about their thoughts about the difficulty of teaching science units and teaching methods to teach these units to students. After experiencing the activity of making new teaching tools using scratch, we tried to confirm the development of TPACK among the teachers. Through the questionnaire survey for elementary, secondary, and high school science teachers, we selected the unit of Planetary Movement of the Solar System as a unit that is difficult for teachers to teach. We gave them the experience of instruction on tool making process for implementing a planetary operation model using scratch. Then, based on the questionnaires and class presentations, we analyzed the change of awareness about technology introduction and the development of their TPACK. As a result, most of the teachers showed changes of perceptions related to TK, TCK, TPK; the use of programming for creating teaching materials enhances teachers' understanding of the teaching contents; the teachers were convinced that students would develop the ability to construct models that fit observational phenomena; they thought that there would be a positive educational effect in the positive domain.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.638-648
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine mentor teachers' difficulties during their collaborative mentoring process to improve beginning science teachers' teaching practice. Participants were fourteen science teachers. This study collected questionnaires for mentor teachers' perception of the mentoring program, questionnaires for mentor teachers' efficacy, a record and transcript of interview, a record and transcript of mentoring conversation, and mentor teachers' journals for the study. The result showed that mentor teachers were having difficulties with mentee teachers when they have different major or work in different levels of school, and they found it hard to set aside time for mentoring due to heavy amount of school work. Also, they had low self-confidence experiencing a lack of expertise as a mentor teacher, and some mentor teachers were having difficulties in building a rapport with mentee teachers. Mentor teachers had difficulties as well when they have different point of view with mentee teachers about mentoring.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.374-382
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• 2006

This study investigated the effect of the 'Chemistry in everyday life' course for 234 pre-service elementary teachers on their beliefs regarding science teaching efficacy and the nature of science. This study also examined the effect of this particular course by their field (natural science, humanities & social science, and fine arts). The results show that after the semester the pre-service teachers' science teaching efficacy beliefs were enhanced. In particular, their personal science teaching efficacy beliefs were improved across all fields. However, their beliefs regarding the nature of science remained largely unchanged. This study discussed the implications surrounding science courses for pre-service teachers.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.245-262
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• 2009

This research was to examine the understandings of elementary school teachers on the phenomena related to light and image, and to survey their perception change related to learning contents of optics. The subjects were selected from the elementary teachers who were enrolled in a graduate course, 'Science education seminar' at an education college located in Chungchungbuk-Do, South Korea. Among the five students who exposed their perceptions clearly in the class, the three of them were selected who agreed to the proposal of the case study. To achieve the purpose of this study, semi-structured interviews following the conception test with the 3 elementary teachers were conducted. During the analysis of the data, additional interviews by phone, e-mail, and internet messenger were conducted if necessary. According to the results, all of the elementary school teachers lacked the scientific conceptions of the phenomena related to light and image. Unfortunately, their learning experiences did not help them to understand the scientific concepts. During the interviews, the teachers recognized the importance of the viewpoints of seeing, image, cognition of light, point light source to understand the phenomena related to light and image.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.634-645
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to analyze the teachers' stages of concern and levels of use on STEAM of the 2009 elementary science curriculum and to support effective application according to the teachers' stages and levels. Therefore this study was conducted by the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM). The total number of 113 teachers participated in this study. The results of the study were as follows: First, most teachers were in the stage of awareness. Second, the results of the chi-square test showed that the stages were significantly different according to their positions, training experiences and final degrees (p<.05). Third, about half of teachers were in the level of orientation and preparation. The others were in the level of routine, integration and renewal. Fourth, the results of the chi-square test showed that the levels were significantly different with the categories of their gender, position, age, career in education, workplace and training experience (p<.05). Fifth, the correlation coefficient between stages of concern and levels of use (r=.59) was relatively high (p<.05). Based on these results, we suggested that the support of application should be provided according to the teachers' stages and levels.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.235-246
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• 2014

This study aims to explore how in-service science teachers adopt newly developed 'Science' focusing on the fusion of science based on 'the diffusion of innovation' model. For this study, we have explored five variables (i.e., perception of need, perception of support, innovativeness, perceived usefulness, self-efficacy of teaching, and intention to adopt) based on literature review and developed survey items to measure the level of five variables that in-service science teachers perceive. In addition, the path model of six variables explaining how in-service science teachers adopt an innovation was hypothesized by the literature review. A total of 349 in-service science teachers have participated in this survey study. First of all, results have illustrated that the levels of six variables have not significantly associated with in-service science teachers' teaching experiences, participation in professional development programs on 'Science' curriculum, and majors. In addition, the statistically acceptable model fit indices have illustrated that path model has been statistically valid to explain how in-service science teachers adopt newly developed 'Science' focusing on the fusion of science. The results have also illustrated that 'perception of support', 'perceived usefulness', and 'self-efficacy of teaching' exhibited strong mediating effects between other variables. For the successful establishment of newly developed curricula, textbook, or policies in science education in school, the level of teachers' intention to adopt innovations should be enhanced. This study will be useful for the development of new science teacher professional development programs to promote the level of teachers' intention to adopt innovations.