• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.487-499
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• 2022

This study aims to understand the trends and characteristics of elementary science textbook research. For this purpose, among the papers published in science-related journals from 2001 to 2021, 156 studies related to elementary science textbooks were analyzed to examine the research trends on textbook analysis. The analysis criteria consisted of two major categories, 'outward feature' and 'topic.' The subcategories of 'outward feature' consist of 'year of publication,' 'target curriculum,' 'target grade,' 'science content area,' 'subject of study,' and 'publishing institution.' The sub-categories of 'topic' consist of 'comparison,' 'content,' 'illustration,' 'inquiry activity,' 'perception of textbooks,' and 'others.' As a result of the analysis on 'outer feature,' textbook-related research was conducted almost every year, and the research on the 2009 revised science curriculum, on the 3-6 grades, and on the whole field of science had the most. The science textbook researches were published not only in science education-related journals but also in other areas' journals. As a result of the analysis of the 'topic,' the number of papers was higher in the order of comparative research, content analysis, illustration, inquiry activities, and perception of textbooks. Implications for accredited textbook system of elementary science were discussed based on the analyses on the elementary science textbook research trends.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.325-337
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• 2022

This study aims to determine the implications of the efficient and effective implementation of science core competency (ScC) education by examining the state of science core competencies derived from the 2015 revised elementary school science curriculum and analyzing teachers' and students' perceptions. To this end, this paper investigated the reality of reflecting the science core competencies of science textbooks in a group of third and fourth graders from seven elementary schools who passed the test. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with four elementary school teachers who participated in qualification textbook selection, and 156 elementary school students were surveyed to determine their perceptions of science core competencies. Findings showed that, first, 1,586 science core competencies were reflected throughout the textbooks, with an average of 227 per textbook and biology being the most salient area. Second, teachers did not understand the difference between previous inquiry activities in textbooks and ScC education. Third, no statistically significant differences were observed in the perceptions of male and female students on science core competencies, the highest average of perceptions being those of scientific thinking ability. From these results, this study concluded that for ScC education to be realized as a curriculum, textbooks must be organized according to the purpose of core competency education, implementing practical changes, and efforts must be directed toward changing the perceptions of individuals who deliver education.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.194-209
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• 2023

This study aims to present implications for the appropriate establishment and development of a science-authorized textbook system through an understanding of the process of selecting science-authorized textbooks and analyzing the perception of teachers. Toward this end, this study conducted interviews with five elementary school teachers who participated in the science textbook selection process, surveys on 32 teachers, and analysis on the authors of the textbooks. The result demonstrated, first, that the "opinion gathering" stage was the most important one, and a council was formed in consideration of career and major. Moreover, the evaluation standard was reorganized and used according to the situation of the school. Second, in the process of opinion gathering, the teachers used a method for reviewing the entire textbook for each teacher. Inquiry activities and textbook composition (readability) were crucially considered as internal factors, and teaching and learning materials, such as videos, were deemed extremely important as external factors. The variable of the author, which is an indicator of the reliability and expertise of textbooks, was also recognized as vital. Third, the deliberation by the School Committee and the report by the principal were recognized as the administrative final step after selection. Finally, selecting the most suitable textbooks for each grade group was recognized as more important than arbitrarily unifying textbooks for the third and fourth grades and for the fifth and sixth grades.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.741-750
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• 2009

Modem science education was introduced to Korea in the enlightenment period. The science textbooks which were published at that time were important to modem science education in Korea. Therefore, the translators and publishers of science textbooks were the leader of the science education in the enlightenment period. Hyun Chae and his son as a translator were one of the leaders in science education at that time. Hyun Chae was born to a Middle class (中人)family and succeeded to pass the national examination for translators (譯科). He worked as a translator and author at the Ministry of Education (學部). Also, he was the associate teacher in a foreign school and the Hansung normal school (漢城師範學校). He published 26 books. One of them, Rikwa (理科) as the science textbook covering all the areas of science, physics, chemistry, biology and earth science. That presented the knowledge, which students should know by proper method, induced students' interest and included various experiments. Hyun Chae's activity in science education as the author and translator of science textbooks was an important role on the forming science education in the enlightenment period because it was caught short of science textbooks. The author, translator, and publisher of science textbooks was of great significance to make science popular, which was the new culture. Therefore, the role and activities in science education of Hyun Chae was a part of the history of science education, he knew a foreign language and was the leader in facilitating exchange with foreign countries.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.623-644
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• 2014

Many researchers have supported in various aspects that elementary students should experience alternative algorithms as well as formal standard one for addition and subtraction. Korean elementary mathematics textbooks have some units for alternative algorithms for addition and subtraction. In special, the change of unit sequence in the second grade revised mathematics textbooks may cause the necessity for discussion about teaching sequence and teaching purpose between alternative algorithms and formal standard one. Therefore, this study aims to consider the purpose of teaching alternative algorithms and to induce implications for their teaching strategies and sequence. To do this, related references, curriculum and textbooks were analyzed. Four lessons were observed and three teachers were interviewed. The main content of this study is the result of analysis on students' activities and teachers'teaching approaches. This study also includes didactical implications based on the result.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.21-37
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• 2000

Although methods about teaching basic principles and skills of addition and subtraction is long traditional, view points of interpreting those algorithms and ways of introducing those calculating skills are various according to textbooks at each historical stage of elementary mathematics curriculum development in Korea. The 1st and 2nd stage shows didactic transpositions less systemic. In the 3rd and 4th stage, didactic devices, which were influenced by the new math, for help of understanding the principles of addition and subtraction muchly depends on mathematical and logical mechanism rather than psychological and intellectual structure of students who learn those algorithms. Relatively compromising and stable forms appear in the 5th and 6th stages. Didactic transpositions in the 7th stage focus on the formation of mathematical concepts by exploration activities rather than on the presentation of mathematical contents by text. Anyone who wishes to design an elementary mathematics textbooks based upon the constructive view should consider the suggestions derived from such transition.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.214-225
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to examine the content relevance of the 7th national primary science curriculum and textbooks. To fulfill the purpose of the study, we 1) analyzed the 7th national science curriculum of Korea, Californian science standards, the national science curriculum of England and Japan, and current Korean and Japanese science textbooks, 2) conducted a nationwide survey to gather opinions from students, teachers, and professors of teachers colleges about the relevance of the science curriculum and textbooks. Main findings of this study are as follows: First, the science contents at each grade level should be determined by the students' characteristics, not by an equal portion rule among physics, chemistry, biology and earth science. Second, the excessive overlapping and repetition of contents due to the spiral curriculum should be avoid. Third, the number of topics at each grade level should be reduced, and the similar topics and themes should be integrated for students' deeper understanding. Fourth, the number of science concepts and activities should be reduced to an appropriate level considering the time allotment for science classes, teachers workload, laboratory conditions, etc. Fifth, differentiated curriculum, such as in-depth and supplementary course, should be described not in science contents, but in teaching and learning strategy.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.25-43
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• 2009

The fraction concept consists of various meanings and is one of the abstract and difficult in elementary school mathematics. This study intends to find out the implication for introducing the fraction concept by comparing mathematics textbooks of Korea and Singapore. Both countries' students peformed well in recent TIMMSs. Some implications are as follows; The term 'equal' is not defined and the results of various 'equal partitioning' activities can not easily examined in Korea's mathematics textbook. And contexts of introducing fractions as a quotient and a ratio are unnatural in Korea's mathematics textbook in comparison with Singapore's mathematics textbook. So these ideas should be reconsidered in order to seek the direction for improvement of it. And Korea's textbooks need the emphasis on the fraction as a measure and on constructing fraction concept by unit fraction.

• Hwankyungkyoyuk
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.172-188
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• 1999

Mathematics has been usually recognized as value-neutral and anti-ideological subject, and as a result, it has not dealt with environmental problems clearly. Also, it is not easy to find any environment-related contents in the 7th mathematics curriculum. However, because mathematics is also precious human products and essence, in any ways there is a need to reflect the social issues in the mathematics subject which speak for human mental activities. If this need is admitted to change the mathematics contents to the direction of social issues, environmental problems can stand out and be dealt in the mathematics education. Among the 6 domains in the 7th mathematics curriculum, the environmental problems can be dealt with in the domains of ‘numbers and operation’, ‘letters and formulas’, ‘regularity and function’, ‘chances and statistics’, ‘measurement’ except in the domain of ‘diagrams’. Also, the '문장제들' which takes up a considerable part of mathematics textbooks needs the authentic situation, and thus it will be possible to take environmental situations as mathematical materials. Furthermore, one of the 7th mathematics curriculum is that it suggested further study in each level of each domain, the representative pattern of which is the application of the mathemantics contents to the daily life. With this kind of mathematics further study contents, environmental problems can provide a variety of contents for the further study. From this viewpoint, it can be expected that the contents of environmental education will be increased in the mathematics subject. Under the recognition that the mathematics subject cannot be an exception in considering environmental problems, this study has studied some concrete plans and examples for how the mathematics textbooks based on the 7th educational curriculum can deal with environmental Problems.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.5-23
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to analyze common inquiry tasks of middle school history textbooks and find out it's implications on teacher librarians' educational information services. There are 84 common inquiry tasks according to examinations of inquiry tasks related to world history in 18 kinds of middle school history textbooks. Results of the analysis show that almost all of common inquiry tasks of world history make middle school students who should resolve them research the pictures and reading materials included in the textbooks individually and verbalize under the information literacy process. Compared with information literacy process of the "Library and Information Skills" for middle schools, the First step of task definition and figuring out information needs and the Third step of representation of information are being implemented. For this reason, teacher librarian could reduce history studies teachers' burden of running the class and promote students' inquiry activities by teaching skills of information analysis and interpretation, synthesis and organization and evaluation of their information literacy process and results.