• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.125-144
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to analyze the astronomical thinking level of elementary, middle, and high school students using ordered multiple choice items. For this purpose, we constructed a questionnaire comprising three items about spatial thinking and system thinking. This survey was conducted and applied to 1,066 students in the 5th grade, 8th grade, and 11th grade in 12 schools located in Gangwon Province. The collected student response data were analyzed by applying inferential statistics of classical test theory and Rasch model. The results of the analysis were as follows; First, in the level of spatial thinking, students were able to grasp the spatial location and orientation of the celestial body, but were not able to convert the celestial motion of two-dimensional plane into three-dimensional plane, and it was revealed that there is no statistically significant difference in the spatial thinking of students among grade levels. Second, in the level of system thinking, students were able to identify the components and relationship between components of the celestial motion system, but could not identify the patterns of the system, and it was revealed that there was statistically significant difference among the system thinking of students in different grade levels, unlike in spatial thinking. Third, the astronomical thinking expressed in certain context (content) was very similar regardless of grade level, Through this, we could confirm the context-dependency or content-dependency of the astronomical thinking of students. It is expected that the results of this study can be used as basic data for exploring ways to enhance astronomical thinking level in school science classes.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.405-420
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to contrive the specific teaching plans based on the frame of 2007 revised science curriculum for applying open-inquiry lesson in real education situation and to research the effects of open-inquiry lesson on the student's science-related attitude, science process skill, and to investigate instructing teachers' cognition about open-inquiry. For this study, two fifth grade classes were chosen, one class was the experimental group, who were taught by open-inquiry based lesson, and another was the comparative group, who were taught by traditional method based lesson. The findings of this study were as follows: After open-inquiry lesson, the experimental group students came to enjoy open-inquiry learning and had the positive thought about it. After open-inquiry lesson, the experimental group marked higher mean score than the comparative group in science-related attitude's field but didn't showed the meaningful difference. On the other hand, in science process skill's field, the experimental group showed the significant higher improvement than the comparative one, especially in the subordinate area of basic science process skill. Finally, teachers who instructed students open-inquiry lesson thought open-inquiry lesson is the self-directed problem solving learning which raise the student's science process skill and interest. And the teachers thought the obstacles to instruct open-inquiry lesson are the lack of the student's cognition about open-inquiry and the insufficient circumstance for open-inquiry lesson. Therefore the teachers argued that the prerequisite for settling open-inquiry lesson successfully is to develope open-inquiry lesson curricula and teaching materials.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.247-258
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• 2015

Students are engaged in classroom learning, and classroom learning occurs not only through conversation but also through nonverbal behavior. In science classrooms especially, there are meaningful nonverbal behaviors such as practical activities like observation and measurement. But these behaviors have not been properly investigated by existing instruments that try to measure students' engagement. This study aims to develop a new instrument for analyzing students' behavioral engagement especially in science classrooms. The method of developing the instrument was structured along three steps. First, student behaviors have been classified into fourteen categories through literature review and a series of observation of elementary science classroom. Second, based on these, a framework for analyzing student behavioral engagement has been developed. With the framework, every student moment could be labeled as Participatory Speech or Participatory Silence or Non-Participatory Speech or Non-Participatory Silence. Third, an instrument to which the framework is applied has been developed by using Microsoft Excel. As a trial, two fourth-grade students in elementary science class were analyzed with this instrument. The results of the trial analysis shows that the longest period of a science lesson was occupied by Participatory Silence (63% and 72%). Among the participatory silence, 'listening' was the most common (51% and 42% of the trial lesson) and 'observing' which is a specific behavior to science was the fourth position (17% and 17% of the trial lesson). It is expected that the developed instrument could be used in improving our understanding of the patterns of student engagement in science classrooms.

• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.243-254
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• 2016

This study has produced a checker of the shortest path search problem with a total of 19 questions as a web-based computer evaluation based on the 'TRAFFIC' questions of PISA 2012. It is because the computer has been settled as an indispensable and significant instrument in the process of solving the problems of everyday life and as a media that is underlying in assessment. Therefore, information gifted students should be able to solve the problem using the computer and give clear enough commands to the computer so that it can perform the procedure. In addition, since it is the age that the computational thinking is affecting every sectors, it should give students new educational stimuli. The relationship between the rate of correct answers and the time took to solve the problem through the shortest route search process showed a significant correlation the variable that affected the problem solving as the difficulty of the question rises due to the increase of nodes and edges turned out to be the node than the edge. It was revealed that information gifted students went through algorithmic thinking in the process of solving the shortest route search problem. And It could be confirmed cognitive characteristics of the information gifted students such as 'ability streamlining' and 'information structure memory'.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.758-769
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• 2011

This study was designed to investigate the relations of motivation to related variables, and the motivation by student's variables basically through measure of motivation system about science learning. For this, 496 fourth-grade students and 425 eighth-grade students were required to accomplish a questionnaire on behavioral inhibition/activation system about science learning (SL-BIS/BAS), and self-efficacy. Based on these materials, SLBIS/BAS by student's variables and relations between the system to self-efficacy were analyzed. The result of this study shows the following:First, the sensitivity about SL-BIS in the eighth-grade was higher than in the fourth-grade. But sensitivity about SLBAS and self-efficacy in the eighth-grade was lower than in the fourth-grade Hence, the difference in sensitivity about SL-BIS/BAS agree with difference in motivation. Second, there were low negative correlation with SL-BIS and self-efficacy, and positive correlation with SL-BAS and self-efficacy. In addition, two systems account for 41% of self-efficacy, it showed that SL-BIS/BAS relates to self-efficacy. Through the results of this study, relations of motivation to related variables, and the motivation by student's variables were identified. These results would be helpful for teachers to understand the difference about motivation by students' variables and to make a plan for the appropriate strategies for learners.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.113-123
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to survey its characteristics through analyzing brain-wave activity in the scientifically-gifted and general children in the problem-solving process. The subjects of this study were 6 elementary school students, who are attending the institute of education for the gifted belonging to the regional office of education and 6 general children in the same region. The analysis was performed targeting total 12 people. As the task for measuring brain wave is Hanio tower, it is the effective task of researching into the problem-solving process. As the equipment of measuring brain wave is EEG System, it used equipment that was developed in Australia. The analysis of data was minimized noise. As a result of research, the gifted children are excellent in stable level compared to general people in a stable situation with opening the eyes, thereby being able to be known to be high in preparatory level for learning. This can be seen to be indicated as a result that the effect of learning is excellent due to being high in preparatory level for solving problem. Also, even in the process of performing task, the brain-activity level in the gifted children is high, thereby having been able to know that ${\alpha}-wave$ is formed that is significantly high in the regions of frontal lobe and occipital lobe. Accordingly, given developing task that is high in brain activity level of the gifted children, the higher educational effect will be able to be expected.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.1154-1169
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• 2013

The present work was performed to find behavioral characteristics of elementary school students corresponding to the motivation system on science learning (SL-BIS/BAS; Behavioral Inhibition/Activation System about Science Learning) in the observation situation. Eye-tracking was used for this study, which is one of the neurophysiological methods. The findings of present study were as follows: First, students who have sensitive motivation system to SL-BIS (SL-BIS group) showed meaningfully shorter fixation duration the whole time during an observation task than students who have sensitive motivation system to SL-BAS (SL-BAS group) (p<.05). Total fixation counts of SL-BIS group were significantly larger than SL-BAS group and it indicates that SL-BIS group often generated new fixations. Therefore, fixation duration per count of SL-BAS group was longer than that of SLBIS group. Second, we studied fixations in situations with movement corresponding to the motivation system on science learning. SL-BIS group and SL-BAS group exhibited similar fixation duration in the study task segment with movement, which is one of the stimulus attracting students. However, for the study task segment when the movement was finished, total fixation duration and fixation duration per count of SL-BAS group were meaningfully longer than those of SL-BIS group. Third, comparing fixation targets classified by factors of study task, SL-BIS group showed fixation on the target that is not important for the study task. But SL-BAS group concentrated on the target-related factor of the study task. The present work could be helpful in understanding students' characteristics corresponding to the motivation system on science learning in observation situation and for making a learning & teaching plan that is suitable to the feature of students.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.113-123
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to understand the elementary student's growth and its implications from the students' experience participating in the science fair by phenomenological study. The results are as follows. First, the students have various experiences. They acquire scientific knowledge and inquiry skills by conducting in-depth experiments, visiting several places, and interviewing experts. They have some experience in writing experiment journals to record the inquiry process in their own language, and presenting their results in public. Second, the students suffer several difficulties while preparing for the science fair. They have some difficulties when the results were not consistent with the hypothesis, or they had to repeat the experiment over and over. They feel burdened in writing the experiment journal. They had a few time to meet friends or for hobbies. Third, the students improve scientific attitude through the science fair, and they receive a positive effect on the affective side. They developed scientific interest, curiosity, cooperation, etc. And they also gained a sense of accomplishment, confidence, friendship, good relationship with teachers, career interest, etc. This study finds out that students participating in the science fair have a lot of experience that cannot be done easily in a normal science class. Even though students confront some difficulties in the inquiry process, they make good progression and feel accomplished. So the science fair is valuable experience for them.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.45-57
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to guide and apply gettable and accessible materials around everyday life into classroom instruction, and to find out their effects on student academic achievement. In order to achieve it, this study was tried to develop and guide available materials around life in teaming activities, to provide a preliminary assignment that could apply the available materials, and to compare its academic achievement to one from field trip loaming. For the hypothesis testing, first, the experimental and comparing classes were selected based on the results of basic learning diagnostic evaluation, which conducted by the researcher being served as a full-time science teacher of the third and sixth grade of K elementary school in Kwangju for 2 years. Secondly, the instructional use of the available materials around life was applied to the experimental class. Also, the instructional use of the existing materials was applied to the comparing class. Finally, for the testing of the effects on academic achievement, the posterio test was implemented after conducting the experimental instruction in knowledge·understanding, inquiry process, and attitude domains classified by the unit characteristics. Using SPSS/WIN program the t-test was performed in order to compare the differences between the two groups. Major findings were as follows: 1) In the achievement test of knowledge·understanding domain, there were no significant differences at the 5％ level between the experimental and comparing classes. It could be difficult to say, therefore, that the instructional use of the available materials around life was more effective than the instructional use of the existing materials. However, it had some effects on differences between the third grade final achievement test and sixth grade experimental class. 2) In the achievement test of inquiry process domain, there were some significant differences in that the sixth grade experimental class was higher than the third grade out-of classroom experience unit. It was indicated that the instructional use of the available materials around life had some effects on improving the students' inquiry ability 3) In achievement test of attitude domain, there were some significant differences. It was shown that the self-evaluation test of the sixth grade experimental class unit was higher than that of the third grade out-of classroom experience unit; Especially, the learning activities in the experimental class were more active, and the experimental practice ability was improved. It was presented that the instructional use of the available materials around life had some effects on the students' academic achievement in attitude domain. It was concluded from this study that the instructional use of the available materials around life was less effective on Knowledge understanding domain, but was effective on improving their scientific inquiry ability and interest on science education.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 2014

This study compares the perceptions of elementary gifted child and science teacher in a science class for the gifted. In order to explore the research problem, students and teachers answered a written semi-structured questionnaire and participated in interviews regarding the gifted science class. The data was collected and analyzed. Science teachers recognized the characteristics of a good science class, especially in terms of educational content and teaching methodology. First, they suggested promoting inquiry skills, presenting a challenging task in atypical topic selection, student-centered curriculum, and controlling the pace of learning to recognize individual differences. Second, in terms of the science class skills and attitudes category, teachers recommended raising mutual satisfaction through vigorous interaction within a permissible atmosphere. Finally, science teachers need to strive for continued professional growth. Gifted children, meanwhile, want to investigate a wide range of topics without time constraints. Additionally, they may have to explore challenging topics further. They prefer to act like scientists in that they enjoy group activities, communication and cooperation. In particular, they want to be evaluated by others in a totally embedded assessment. Gifted children also expect teachers to understand the life circumstances and needs of the students. In addition, they asked for teachers to respect individual experiments and to show them how to safely use new equipment or research methods. As a result, gifted children and science teachers have to recognize the differences of opinion concerning a good science class for the gifted. This study can help formulate strategies to establish quality management of materials in gifted science classes.