• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.153-167
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• 2007

In this study, it is assumed that understanding the nature of science (NOS) would enhance students' performance of scientific inquiry in more authentic ways. The ultimate goal of this study is to suggest new models for developing scientific inquiry activities through understanding the NOS by linking the NOS with scientific inquiry. First, the various definitions and statements of the NOS are summarized, then the features of the developmental nature of scientific knowledge and the nature of scientific thinking based on the philosophy of science are reviewed, and finally a synthetic list of the elements of the NOS is proposed, consisting of three categories: the nature of scientific knowledge, the nature of scientific inquiry, and the nature of scientific thinking. This suggested synthetic list of the NOS is used to suggest a model of scientific inquiry through the understanding of the NOS. This list was designed to provide basic standards regarding the NOS as well as practical guidance for designing activities to improve students' understanding of the NOS.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.121-133
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• 1996

This study investigates the effect of instructional program using Nott & Wellington's" your nature of science profile" to facilitate the understanding about the nature of science for elementary preservice teachers. To do this. this study used posttest only control group design. The students in control group studied the topic by instructional program using textbook and reference book. Experimental group studied by instructional program: (1)evaluating personally one's understanding of the nature of science using Nott and Wellington's "your nature of science profile"; (2)studying the way of understanding the nature of science focusing five dimensions presented in it; (3)knowing other's understanding the nature of science; (4)discussing and evaluating reflectively the various aspect about it. Because the true understanding about the nature of science is not only to know about the method of science but also to know the target of science. We planned to evaluate the effect of instruction by such dichotomous way as evaluating simultaneously the understanding about the method of science and the target of science. Therefore the Questionnaire to evaluate the effect of instruction consisted two pairs of open-ended Questions: first pair is consisted of questions for the representation and judgement of scientific theory, second pair is consisted of questions for components and sources of scientific manipulation of the structure of science. The results of questionnaires by experimental group(n=75) and control group(n=77) are as follows: (1) Analysing responses about first pair of questions in dichotomous way, we identified four different patterns in students' understanding about scientific theory. And the instructional program using Nott & Wellington's "your nature of science profile" is not significantly effective in the distribution of patterns of understanding about scientific theory, but effective in driving out scientifically valid understanding, naturalistic realism, about scientific theory from the students having realistic aspect in representation of scientific theory; (2) Analysing responses about second pair of questions in dichotomous way, we identified five different patterns in students's understanding about structure of science. And the instructional program using Nott & Wellington's "your nature of science profile" is significantly effective in the distribution of patterns of understanding about structure of science, and effective in driving out scientifically valid understanding, dualistic-circular view or dualistic-circular view, about structure of science from the students having dualistic or dualistic aspect in components of structure of science.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.111-122
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to examine high school second graders' understanding of the basic nature of logarithm, the major type of error they made about logarithmic function and the cause of such an error, and to seek ways to instruct it better. For that purpose, three research questions were posed: 1. Investigate how much high school students in their second year comprehend the nature of logarithm. 2. Analyze what type of error they make about logarithmic function. 3. Analyze the cause of their error according to the selected error models and how it could be taught more efficiently. The findings of this study were as below: First, the natural science students had a better understanding of the basic nature of logarithm than the academic students. What produced the widest gap between the two groups' understanding was applying the nature of logarithm to the given problems, and what caused the smallest gap was the definition of logarithm and the condition of base. Second, the academic students had a poorer understanding of the basic nature of logarithmic function graph and of applying the nature of logarithm to the given problems. Third, the natural science students didn't comprehend well the basic nature of logarithmic function graph, the nature of characteristics and mantissa. Fourth, for all the students from academic and natural science courses, the most common errors were caused by the poor understanding of theorem or nature of the ［E4] model. Fifth, the academic students made more frequent errors due to the unfamiliar signs of the ［El］ model, the imperfect understanding of theorem or nature of the ［E4］ model, and the technical part of the ［E6］ model. Sixth, the natural science students made more frequent errors because of the improper problem interpretation of the ［E2］ model and the logically improper inference of the ［E3］ model.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 1997

In the last few years, there has been a significant growth of interest in how the philosophy of science can be related to science education. Adequate understanding of the philosophy and history of science can promote understanding of the nature of science in teacher and student. The 6th curriculum in Korea has also placed emphasis upon understanding of the nature of science. From this point of view, to ensure effective school science education it is necessary to investigate how teachers and students are understanding the nature of science. To do this 45 secondary science teachers and 191 students of 7 schools in Seoul are administered Nott and Wellington's questionaire(1993). This questionaire is consisted of 24 Likert Scale statements and asks questions on 5 subscales of philosophy of science :Relativism-Positivism, Inductivism-Deductivism, Contextualism-Decontextualism, Instrumentalism-Realism, Thinking science education as a Process or a Content. The results of this study are as follows : 1. Teachers' view of the nature of science was relativism, deductivism, decontextualism and instrumentalism. And they thought process is more important than content in science education. 2. There was no difference in teachers' conceptions on the nature of science according to experience and gender. 3. Students' view of the nature of science was relativism, deductivism, decontextualism and instrumentalism. And they thought process is more important than content in science education. 4. There was no difference in students' conceptions on the nature of science according to schools level(middle vs high) and gender. But, female students exhibited higher score than male students on deductivism(p<.05). 5. Teachers' and students' conception of the nature of science was in agreement with each other.

• 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 Chemical Society
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.213-222
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• 2007

In this study, science history program was developed to enhance student's concepts toward the particulate nature of matter and the understanding about the nature of science. And the effects of its application was investigated in the lesson of ‘Composition of Matter' in middle school science class. This science history program was based on genetic approach and included the contents from the old Greek natural philosophers to Avogadro. Before instruction, the test of understanding about nature of science was administered, and the science scores of the previous course were obtained, which were used as covariates. During 24 class hours, this study was conducted with two classes(experimental and comparison group) in a middle school in Seoul. The experimental group was received lessons by science history programs and the comparison group was received traditional lessons. After instruction, the scientific concept test, the test of understanding about nature of science were administered. The result of this study indicates that the scientific concept scores of experimental group were significantly higher than comparison group at p <.01 level of significance. It means that the students in experimental group has more sound conceptions about the particulate nature of matter and less mis conceptions about matter than the students in comparison group. However, there was no significant difference between two groups in the score of understanding about the nature of science.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.91-101
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• 1998

The purpose of this study was to find out how to be pursued elementary teachers' science instruction according to their understanding toward science. Sixty elementary teachers were involved in the questionnaire, investigating understanding on the nature of science and the science teaching. Two elementary teachers' science classes are observed. Their instructional objectives were analyzed. And their understanding toward science was measured. Teacher A had consistent modern philosophical views of science on the nature of science and science teaching, and teacher B had not consistency Klopfer's science educational objectives category was used to analyse instructional objective. The ideal proportions of the instructional objectives of the observed classes were established from science education specialist group. You ideality index was calculated. You ideality index indicate how far from the ideal proportions of the instructional objectives the observed instruction is. Relative proportions of instructional objectives appeared in science classes were compared with ideal instructional objectives. Instructional objectives containing the modem views appearing classes observed were compared according to teachers' understanding toward science. As results, teachers' understanding toward science showed lack of consistency, which is consisted of modern philosophical view of science on science teaching: modem and classical philosophical view of science on nature of science. Teacher A's instruction was approached more closely to the ideal proportions of the instructional objectives, showing fewer You ideality index. Instructional objectives containing the modern views are more appeared and closer to ideal proportions in teacher A's classes than in teacher B's. A teacher having modern understanding on nature of science would instruct science with modern scientific philosophical perspectives. Therefore teacher preparation programs should include more contents about modern philosophical understanding on the nature of science.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.563-570
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• 2005

This study investigated the relationships among middle school students' understanding about the nature of scientific knowledge, conceptual understanding, and learning strategies. Grade 7 students (N=162) in Incheon completed the nature of scientific knowledge scales (NSKS) and a learning strategy questionnaire. After learning density by way of a CAl program, a conception test was administered. Results indicated that students' conceptual understanding and both deep and surface learning strategies were significantly correlated to their understanding about the nature of scientific knowledge. A cluster analysis was used to classify students on the basis of their deep and surface learning strategies. Three clusters of students with distinctive learning strategy patterns were found; high deep-low surface strategy (cluster 1), low deep-high surface strategy (cluster 2), and high deep-high surface strategy (cluster 3). One-way ANOVA results revealed that the scores of cluster 3 were significantly higher than those of the others in the NSKS and the conception test. Additionally, cluster 1 also performed better than cluster 2 in the conception test. Lastly, educational implications were discussed.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.142
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• pp.145-164
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• 2017

In his Phenomenology of Perception, Merleau-Ponty raises a question of why he has to ask what phenomenology is again. This study assumes that the question can be answered in a new understanding of the "nature" concept and finds its possible grounds in the nature concepts of Schelling and Merleau-Ponty. Schelling and Merleau-Ponty develop philosophical thinking from a critical point of view on the Cartesian and Kantian philosophies "Thing-in-itself" by Kant is, in particular, one of important questions that has to be answered in the philosophy of Schelling since Kant further solidifies a dualistic world by leaving thing-in-itself. Schelling solves the question with the concept of identity and Merleau-Ponty solves the question with body-subject. What we notice in this article is the understanding of Shelling and Merleau-Ponty about nature. Schelling believes there are the creative activities of unconscious intelligence in nature, but spirit or intelligence in his nature concept cannot induce an existential being. Here we see that Schelling is still beyond the traditional epistemological framework. To restore the original nature of nature, we must begin with an understanding of the totality of nature. Nature must also be explained through relationships with humans. Merleau-Ponty shows the entanglement of nature and spirit through the body-subject. In Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology, the body is the equivalent of nature. Understanding the forces of nature that Schelling and Merleau-Ponty are trying to show, and at the same time explaining the problem of how the mind or human beings emerge from nature, we will be able to discover the true nature of nature.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.221-239
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to explore how 9th grade students' understanding of the nature of science developed during a one-year implementation of NOS learning materials. The lessons were a combination of short readings in episodes in the history of science with accompaning response booklets consisting of illustrations and questions. The lessons were designed to be 45 minutes in length and were implemented over ten months of the school term. Data on students' understanding as it developed during the implementation were obtained from test items, questionnaires, and students' journal. Findings indicate that students showed changes in their understanding of the nature of science towards modern views of the nature of science. However, they showed understanding of tentativeness of scientific knowledge, they also showed belief of absoluteness of scientific knowledge.