• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.486-501
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• 2015

In the elementary school science curriculum, wind is one of the most important concept. In particular, land and sea breeze has been a key example to deliver how wind is driven, and thus its model experiments have been used to help students understand causes of wind. Here we compare causes and explanations for wind and land and sea breeze between textbooks in colleges and elementary schools to examine any potential improvement for the contents. In addition, we conducted survey to examine how pre-service teachers understand land and sea breeze, and convection box experiment used in elementary school textbooks is useful to understand land and sea breeze. Based on the comparison, we find that college level textbook explains the cause of wind as atmospheric pressure difference while elementary school textbooks explain them differently according to curriculums. In the textbooks, there are a difference in the way described for land and sea breeze. Analysis of questionnaire indicate that pre-service teachers understood land and sea breeze correctly, and they selected the convection box experiment in 2009 curriculum textbooks as the most suitable one. Explanations and experiments for land and sea breeze in the textbooks have been revised as the modification of elementary school curriculums. We expect this study helps to deliver more solid contents for wind and land and sea breeze in the upcoming new curriculum.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.53-65
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• 2004

This study aimed to analyze the historical evolution of general ideas concerning the particles that represent matter properties and matter changes divided into physical change and chemical change. In the science historical viewpoint, the general ideas of the base that represent matter properties has been variously revised the 5types. The definition of the matter change have also changed the 3 types. From the analysis of the definitions in secondary school science textbooks and general chemistry textbooks, we found that a lot of confusion of eras in the contents that define the concepts. Sometimes, the definition presented in one textbook was contradictory to the definitions in other textbooks. This tendency has been sustained in the textbooks from the 4th to 7th science curriculum.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.129-142
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• 2017

In this study, the characteristics of the reading materials in elementary school science textbooks developed under the 2009 revised National Science Curriculum were investigated. The criteria for classifying the reading materials were the types of topic, purpose, students' activity, and presentation. The visual images in the reading materials were also analyzed from the viewpoint of type, role, caption type, and proximity type. The results indicated that the number of the reading materials in the 2009 revised science textbooks decreased compared to that of the 2007 revised science textbooks. It was also found that the frequencies of the reading materials expanding concepts of the text and/or requiring corresponding students' inquiry increased. More visual images were used in the reading materials of the 2009 revised science textbooks. However, several limitations were still found to exist; most visual images were illustration and/or picture; many visual images were presented without a caption; there was a problem in the proximity of visual image to text.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.38-50
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• 2011

As the rate of foreign workers increasing, the rates of their children are rising, as well. The children's native countries vary from Japan, China to Indonesia, and difficulty of learning is expected in their entering the regular education due to the differences in the contents and curriculum they had learnt. This study analyzed the science textbooks of five Asian elementary schools including Korea, China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Iran-in diversified sides focusing on the content of earth science, for the children of foreign workers. The characteristics of the elementary science textbooks of the subject countries were compared in seven criteria-the rate of earth science in the textbooks, how units are arranged, whether the earth science contents are included, the contents highly related to their socio-cultural traits, photographs, scientific inquiries, and test items. The textbooks showed numerous differences with their own characteristics, and it is expected that the children of foreign workers would face difficulties in studies taking parts in the Korean formal education. Hereupon, this study proposes the needs of development of sub-materials for the children of foreign workers adapting to schools, and reinforcement of educating teachers for understanding children, with a national plan for the children excluded from education due to problems such as an illegal residence.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.97-107
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• 1992

ln this study, we analyzed 5 science textbooks currently used for the 7th graders quantitatively by using the science textbook rating system of Collette and Chiappetta(1986), making meta-analysis of the results of 17 graduate school students of Seoul National University. The rating system consists of 11 categories with detailed items respectively : content, organization, reading level, instruction approach, illustrations, end-chapter teaching aids, laboratory activities in text and/or accompanying manual, teacher aids, indices and glossaries and mechanical makeup of text. Each item in the checklist is to be given between one and five points and the total number of possible points in this rating system is 290. It was shown that 5 science textbooks currently used for 7th-year-students were all "poor" in terms of total points and had, at large, uniformed results especially in 10 items; 7 items concerning moral and ethical implications of science, vocabulary lists, accompanying laboratory manual, annotated editions for test, supply list for laboratory program, student workbook and glossary with low points, while 3 items concerning facilities needed for laboratory activities, activities relevant to the content and textbook size with high points. A Science teachers could get a broad view with a correct impression of the books usefulness in making an evaluation of available textbooks.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.11-22
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• 2013

Motivation is a generative power of making learning interesting and sustaining learning for students. Textbooks are important tools in carrying out lessons. And it is meaningful to analyze how textbooks motivate learning. This study is to analyze components of motivation in learning of the 7th grade middle school science textbooks. Keller's ARCS model was used for the analysis. The result of the study is as follows. First, the eight textbooks had various components from A1 to R3. Second, analyzing textbooks by parts of the textbooks, the body had the most motivation strategies and the next was the introduction, lastly the finishing part. Third, the most frequently used strategy on the attention factor is A1. And the most frequently used strategy in the relevance factor is R3.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.72-84
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• 2008

This study is focused on the main concepts of gravity and geomagnetics which are introduced in the earth science textbooks of high school in 7th curriculum. This study examines the validity and accuracy of the Earth Science textbooks and shows some effective teaching plans by using the latest materials. This study also illustrates the main concepts of gravity and geomagnetics through presenting some effective and practical teaching-learning methods. The results of the study were as follows: First of all, a number of main concepts of six textbooks of high school were selected; the field of gravity, the direction and dimension of gravity, the measurement of gravity, the main reason of gravity anomaly and geoid, earth terrestrial magnetic field, secular variation of goemagnetics. Secondly, most Earth Science textbooks of high school explains the main concepts of the gravity and geomagnetics in similar ways. Those textbooks, however, don't put an emphasis on the essential contents which has been regarded as important thing in terms of the current educational course of study. The high school textbooks also use the material which is too old-fashioned and has some problems of accuracy and validity. Especially, many main concepts of the textbooks and scientific data(such as the direction of gravity, the measurement of gravity, the main reason of gravity anomaly, the use of geoid, secular variation) are different with those of South Korea, In addition, some materials(graphs and diagrams) are very old ones and they don't have authentic information.Finally, Among the various main concepts, some important ideas (the direction of the gravity and the method of measuring gravity, the measurement and use of gravity anomaly, the definition of geoid and secular variation of geomagnetics) should be corrected by showing the latest and authentic materials.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.525-534
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• 2007

Elementary students are tend to depend heavily on visual informations in the cognitive process. Thus, elementary science textbooks provide science contents mostly by inscriptions, the visual materials, with little verbal information in the limited page area. Especially, since the textbooks include many accompanying inscriptions rather than a basic inscription, it is very important to understand the relationships among many inscriptions in teaching and leaning science. Therefore, this study analyzed the status and characteristics of accompanying inscriptions used. in elementary science textbooks, and classified them according to their functions. As results, we found six types of the accompanying inscriptions such as inner part, detail, result, process, emphasis, and explanation. Accompanying inscriptions were used more frequently in the lower grade (3rd and 4th grades) than the higher grade (5th and 6th grades). We discussed the examples of each type in detail, and thus revealed some possible difficulties in understanding inscriptions caused by the inconsistency of the directions of the basic inscription and accompanying inscription, and by the absence of the sign linking the basic and accompanying inscriptions.

• School Mathematics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.617-638
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• 2017

In order to make a connection in teaching similar concepts between mathematics and science in teaching similar concepts, this paper analyzed the contents related to capacity, volume, weight, and mass in the mathematics and science textbooks aligned with the national elementary curriculum. We first explored when to present such topics in both textbooks, and then analyzed in what ways the topics were addressed in terms of quantitative comparison, vocabulary, units of measurement, measurement, tools for measurement, estimation, and connections to real life. The results of this study showed that there were some aspects emphasized in common both in mathematics and science textbooks. The analysis of this study also demonstrated subtle but considerable differences according to the characteristics of two subject matters. Based on these results, this paper provides implications for elementary school teachers to consider in teaching capacity, volume, weight, and mass through mathematics and science lessons.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.285-296
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• 2007

Graph is a major aspect of science textbooks. In this study, we investigated graph types and characteristics used in high school earth science subject by comparative analysis of science textbooks. The results of the analysis revealed that line graph and contour map was the most widely used graph types in earth science. Among line graphs, multiple line graph and YX graph was dominant. Comparing earth science graphs with other science graphs, earth science graphs exhibited superior in the number and variety. In earth science graphs, the portion of line graph was small, but the portion of contour map and scatter graph was larger than that of other science graphs. YX graph was the most specific graph type in earth science textbooks. The results of our study have implications for reform in function and structure of graph. We suggest that future studies be focused on students' ability of earth science graph interpretation.