• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.353-361
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• 2016

The goal of this study was to examine the current status of science teachers’ stage of concern (SOC) and level of use (LoU) on descriptive assessment and determine the relationship between SoC and LoU. To achieve this, concerns-based adoption model (CBAM) was used, and a survey was conducted on 138 science teachers. The data from this study were analyzed by frequency analysis, percentile analysis based on CBAM, χ² test, and Spearman correlation analysis. SoC and LoU of the science teachers observed in this study are as follows. First, the science teachers’ overall SoC for the descriptive assessment was low and showed a typical pattern of the initial stage when the program was introduced. Second, LoU analysis on descriptive assessment showed that the “mechanical Use” (N=49, 35.5%) or “routine” (N=48, 34.8%) accounted for the majority. Third, the Spearman correlation between SoC and LoU on descriptive assessment was .299(p<.01). This suggests that teachers’ SoC needs to be increased in order to promote higher LoU on descriptive assessment, which requires new alternative measures.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.449-458
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the 'Chemistry and Experiment' course employing the Small-Scale Chemistry(SSC) experiment on the 30 pre-service elementary teachers' attitude toward laboratory work and their science teaching efficacy. This study also examined the perception of the pre-service elementary teachers about the SSC experiment. In the result, there were found significant interactions between the treatment and prior level in attitude toward laboratory work. The attitude toward laboratory work of low-level pre-service teachers was improved while that of high-level pre-service teachers remained unchanged. However, there was no significant change in their beliefs regarding science teaching efficacy. Through the analysis of questionnaire, it was also found that they had positive perceptions about the SSC experiment, and most of them as pre-service teachers found the SSC experiment helpful to teach chemistry experiments.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.15-31
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary student teachers' conceptions about the mechanism of the greenhouse effect, the greenhouse gases, the global warming, and their learning experiences of the greenhouse effect and the global warming. Participants were 82 student teachers in their second year of studies (science education: n=28, not science education: n=27) and in their fourth year of studies (science education: n=27). The open-ended questionnaire was used to examine the teachers' spontaneous ideas depicted by their drawings and/or writings. The results of this study are as follows: First, the student teachers' scientific response rate about key concepts related to the mechanism of the greenhouse effect was low (6.1%~28.0%); Second, although there are various greenhouse gases, it was only carbon dioxide that the student teacher's response rate was more than 80%; Third, only 17.1% of the student teachers clearly distinguished the greenhouse effect and the global warming; Fourth, there was a tendency that the student teacher group in the fourth year of studies and science education showed higher scientific response rate about the concepts than the other two groups.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.494-505
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• 2020

In this study, we surveyed characteristics of the science related collaborative problem solving competency of pre-service elementary teachers, especially required in the digital age. The participants in online survey were 119 pre-service elementary teachers of National University of Education located in Gangwon province. The analyzed results of survey were as follows: First, pre-service teachers performed their task responsibly in collaborative problem solving context related to science. However, they lacked competencies in making rubrics for problem solving processes or outcomes, and setting up rules about team activities. Second, in using ICT technology, the competencies of utilizing tools such as app and software lacked compared with the competencies of searching data in online and using ppt. Third, there was no statistically significant difference among groups by their intensive major in university or selective subject in high school. Nevertheless, pre-service teachers majoring in natural science showed more persistence than those majoring in humanities in problem solving context. Finally, there was no significant gender difference except 'clear communication and accomplishment'. That is, female pre-service teachers performed more responsible in their task and showed more fluency in communication and presentation within their group than male counterparts. Based on these results, implications in the field of pre-service teacher education were discussed.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.37-50
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to develop the quality of the textbook and to find out reasonable selection and structure by examining and analyzing the cognition of teacher and students on the structure and contents of elementary science textbook in the 7th curriculum. The findings of this study were as follows: First, as a result of the students’ cognition, their interest level of the learning contents was high and the degree of the difficulty of the learning contents was low on the whole. Second, as a result of the teachers’ cognition of contents of the textbook, teachers who taught third graders understood that the third graders have relatively much contents to be studied and the level of the contents of the textbook was high. On the other hand, fourth graders’ teachers recognized that contents to be studied and the level of the contents were appropriate. And they understood that there were much work to be studied in the units which were difficult and there were difference between contents to be studied and the degree of the difficulty in some units such as life or the earth fold. Third, as a result of the teachers' cognition of structure of the textbook. teachers were very affirmative to reduce school hours. They understood that current numbers and scale of the unit were appropriate. Teachers were satisfied with the structure of elementary science textbook in the 7th curriculum on the whole.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.229-242
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to analyze the elementary teachers' conceptions on the inquiry activity about 'make a fossil model' focusing the 6th, 7th, 2007 revised, and 2009 revised elementary science textbook. This study is intended to find causes of teachers' conceptions and to derive educational implications. We have analyzed questionnaires which were collected from 77 elementary school teachers. It was carried out about comparisons actual fossil with fossil model in each step of the inquiry activity, the lesson goal, the thought for changes of the inquiry activity, the improvement of the inquiry and conception related fossil. Teachers have a general understanding about the contents of the inquiry activity but some of them have partially incorrect understanding. And they emphasize the understanding of the concept on lesson goal. It is necessary to improve inquiry activity reflecting teachers' thinking about the merit and weaknesses. There was not statistically difference in understanding of fossil related concepts according to teachers' career, teaching or training experience. Through this research, there is a need to improve a textbook, a guide book, a teachers' training. So, teachers who have professionalism about science textbook be able to teach students.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.311-321
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• 2004

This study was conducted to find out how many secondary school science teachers are aware and ready to implement new science curriculum as well as its revision process. For the purpose of this study, teachers had been asked to fill in a questionnaire. The results showed that teachers' overall understanding and readiness was low and that the implementation of new curriculum was a burden to a large number of teachers. Some teachers even expressed a negative opinion. Furthermore, it turned out that teachers didn't have an important role in revising the curriculum as a only small number of teachers participated. So, the second questionnaire and interviews were provided in order to ask for various opinions as to how new science curriculum should be communicated to schools and when school teachers should participate in the revision of curriculum, along with their role and participation methods.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.801-828
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• 2011

In this study, we analyzed the characteristics of Pedagogical Content knowledge(PCK)'s components through actual course of teachers of science gifted students in the middle school. For this study, four middle school science teachers of gifted students belonging to the gifted education professional organizations in a metropolis were selected, each of them was physics, chemistry, biology, and earth science teacher. Two of them were full-time teachers to teach only gifted students and two were part-time teachers who had taught general students in ordinary time and specially had taught the gifted students once a week. Qualitative data were collected through classroom observations, interviews, and documents. As a result, some unique characteristics of PCK's components were identified. The teachers' orientations to teaching science were closely correlated with PCK's components. The teachers' knowledges of science curriculum were different individually. But the decisions about type of teaching(acceleration or enrichment) were connected with the objectives of gifted education and lesson objectives. Also, the teachers' knowledges of science curriculum were influenced by the knowledge of students' understanding. Teachers used different instructional strategies according to the knowledge of science curriculum and the knowledge of students' understanding. We found that PCK's components were so closely connected and could show the direction of relationships among those PCK's components. We suggested teachers' PCK model which was named "Tetrahedron Model of PCK", to explain the characteristics and relationships of PCK's components.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.213-226
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• 2002

The purpose of this research is to direct the 7th national primary science curriculum to be performed properly. The research is based on the questionnaire to investigate the primary teachers' appreciation of the curriculum. The questions are about the general aspect of the 7th curriculum and special treatises on science curriculum. Questionnaires were distributed to 1000 teachers, and 822 teachers answered them. According to the survey results the teachers' thoughts were as following: First, there must be enough time to develop a new curriculum. It is not desirable to change the old curriculum totally. There should be some continuity between the old and the new curriculum. Second, teachers appreciated that the learning resources and supplements were helpful, and interested students. Teachers thought that If equipment at class or school was not enough. Third, according to them the hierarchical structure of science curriculum was appropriate, but the contents need to be improved. Fourth, most teachers restructured the 7th science curriculum to adapt it to the class and school. They cooperated with one another in teaching science, and applied diverse teaching-learning methods according to the curricular contents and the grade levels. Teachers tried to evaluate all aspects of the students with various methods, but they felt it was hard. They were not active in developing evaluation tools as a team, and in objectifying the information about students. Fifth, teachers felt it was hard to implement the science curriculum according to different levels of the students. Based on the survey of teachers' thoughts, the following can be suggested for successful implementation and reorientation of the curriculum. First, teachers need learning opportunities to appreciate and adapt the 7th curriculum creatively. Second, they need guidances in implementing the different levels of the curriculum, and the information about the appropriate resources for it. Third, we need to control the relative difficulty of the curricular contents, and reduce the hours and quantity of the study. Fourth, we need to improve the school equipment and facilities. Networking and cooperation among education-related institutions are essential for better education. Fifth, it is desirable to develop concrete and diverse teaming models.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.7
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• pp.611-620
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to analyze the elementary school teachers＇perception toward the environment-related subjects in science education and to investigate their instructional methods in delivering the subjects in the classroom. The participants of this study were 300 elementary school teachers sampled from elementary schools in Kyung Nam Province. The findings of this study were as follows; First, more than half of the teachers surveyed showed that the environment-related units and contents in the science textbook were insufficient to the existing issues. Second, the large portion of teachers responded that the teaching materials in the textbook were insufficient to deliver the contents. Third, the largest portion of respondents replied that their preferred instructional method was a teacher-directed instruction followed by a case study approach. Fourth, in terms of the effectiveness of environmental education, both male and female teachers showed negative responses. Furthermore, male teachers were more negative than female teachers. Fifth, total means of their preference of the environment-related units was 3.13. The unit for sixth graders titled｀Environmental Pollution and Protecting Nature＇showed the highest preference, whereas the unit for fifth graders titled｀Structure and Functions of Plants＇showed the lowest preference. Sixth, there was no statistically significance in gender and their working areas. Seventh, there was statistically significant differences between male and female teachers in terms of teaching experience. In detail, the teachers with 5 to 9 teaching experience showed the lowest scores, while the teacher with more than 15 years teaching experience showed the highest scores in their perception of the units. Eighth, there was a significant difference between two groups in terms of their educational background. For example, two-year college graduates showed higher preference than four-year college graduates.