• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.307-320
• /
• 2019

This study explores how an elementary school homeroom teacher who continued to lecture, can use diversified science teaching methods for learner-centered instruction. Using an auto-ethnographic approach over the course of a year, self-memory data, facebook diaries, class diaries, and interview data of an elementary teacher's day-to-day preparations and practice of elementary science, in the context of a Korean elementary school, were collected. The data was analyzed through cultural historical activity theory, examining how the interplay of key elements (i.e., the subject as a homeroom teacher with instructional expertise, norms, community, division of labor, tools, and goals) was characterized within and across distinct two-activity systems, and how these elements shaped the teacher's teaching methods into either lecture format or diversified teaching. The study revealed that a non-cooperative community, lack of division of labor, and norms that neglect preparation for science class were the elements that perpetuated the lecture format, and that a contradiction between goals and tools occurred in the activity system. However, these elements were able to be transformed into a cooperative community, shared labor, and norms that saved preparation time for both science class and diversified teaching methods, and those changed elements facilitated the teacher in using diversified teaching methods (e.g., experiments, subject-integrated classes, field work), thereby mitigating the contradiction. This study also discusses that diversified teaching methods can be facilitated when dealing with norms, community, and division of labor elements in an elementary school context as well as improving individual teachers' instructional expertise.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.328-339
• /
• 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the astronomy-related concepts formed by elementary school pre-service teachers and analyze the distribution of misconceptions. The study was conducted on 43 pre-service teachers enrolled in the second year of an elementary teacher training college located in the central region of Korea. As a result of the study, first, pre-service elementary school teachers' misconceptions about astronomy concepts showed a diverse distribution. In particular, pre-service elementary school teachers still had misconceptions regarding seasonal changes, which were pointed out in many previous studies. Second, pre-service elementary school teachers had formed concepts at the level of simple memorization of astronomy concepts and were having difficulty applying the concepts they knew to various cases. Based on these research results, future astronomy-related education should be directed toward understanding astronomical phenomena through the application and application of various cases rather than simple memorization, and astronomy education in teacher training courses and teacher training should also reflect this content.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.425-439
• /
• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate what elementary teachers know about students' science misconceptions and how the teachers plan for and address their students' misconceptions in instruction. The sample included 61 teachers who participated in a teacher training program irrelative to science education. A questionnaire into which Gomez-Zwiep's semi-structured interview questions was transformed was used to examine the teachers' understandings of definition, origin, examples, and so on of science misconceptions, and their instructional strategies for addressing their students' misconceptions before and while instruction. The results showed that many teachers (about 60%) did not have appropriate understanding of students' misconceptions, that the majority of the teachers (about 75%) did not consider misconceptions at all before teaching science lessons, and that almost all the teachers (about 90%) did not know particular strategies specifically designed for misconceptions.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.170-178
• /
• 2008

In this research, we observed the co-works among novice and expert science teachers who were involved in a science teacher association and explored their interactions. The science teacher association is K-12 science teachers' gathering near Seoul. This study is a case study with the participant observation and the private interview of 8 novice teachers and 3 expert teachers. Based on the collected data, interaction between novice and expert teachers was categorized as seven types; question and answer, demonstration, presentation, co-working, providing materials, listening, and showing interest. Several factors supporting such an active interaction were derived from this study; 1) Teachers perceived well about the importance and the merits of co-working with other science teachers. 2) The open and cooperative environment of the science teacher association supported teachers' interaction. 3) There were tasks that teachers needed to co-work such as the science fair and the science camp. 4) There were opportunities of interactions for publishing books and developing modules. 5) Lots of expert teachers were willing to help and co-work with novice teachers. We found that novice teachers could continue to grow in terms of the professional development under interactive, continuing and cooperative environment with expert teachers.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.338-355
• /
• 2022

This study explored the effects of pre-service elementary teachers' inquiries into science class dilemmas. By closely examining the characteristics of the pre-service teachers' inquiry processes and changes in their educational decisions, the effectiveness of using dilemmas as part of teacher education was determined. Twenty fourth-year university pre-service teachers participated and conducted inquiries into science class dilemmas over seven weeks. Based on pre- and post-questionnaires, KWHL tables, inquiry reports, discussions, and group class presentations, the major factors that influence the pre-service teacher's decision-making changes were extracted. The pre-service teachers found the science inquiry process meaningful when exploring the science topics covered in the dilemmas, and claimed that elementary school students would be able to engage in meaningful science explorations if they learned science through inquiry. Furthermore, the pre-service teachers explored the thinking processes and background knowledge of the students in different ways. Documents such as teacher's guides and the curriculum were examined and the students' thought processes were identified through interviews with the teachers and students, which were found to reflect their educational decision-making. Moreover, it was recognized by the pre-service teachers that depending on the situation, alternative teaching methods were possible. The focus on the unstructured dilemma problems provided the pre-service teachers with problem-solving situations that triggered scientific inquiry and exploration of student thinking and revealed the complexity of science teaching and learning. Based on these results, the teacher education implications for using dilemma cases are discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.401-409
• /
• 1996

In this study, the perceptions of science classroom climate were investigated for 360 elementary and middle school students in mixed classes. The instrument used was an adapted version of the Student Perception Questionnaire (SPQ), which consists of five elements-Participatory Climate, Personalized Interaction, Student Assertiveness, Positive Teacher, and Negative Teacher. The results indicated that the gender differences in the perceptions of the Participatory Climate and the Positive Teacher were not significant for middle school students. However, the differences were found to be significant in the perceptions of the Negative Teacher, the Personalized Interaction and the Student Assertiveness, which measure the climate for the individual student. On the other hand, elementary male and female students did not significantly differ in the perceptions of science classroom climate except one item on the Participatory Climate. Educational implications are discussed.

• Asia-pacific Journal of Multimedia Services Convergent with Art, Humanities, and Sociology
• /
• v.8 no.7
• /
• pp.341-350
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study was to develop science essay writing activities for developing elementary pre-service teacher's scientific thinking ability and scientific emotion and to analyze its effects. For the study, 60 first grade students attending teacher training institutes in the G region of Korea were selected. All 60 elementary pre-service teachers were students who selected a liberal arts lecture related to 'science inquiry'. As a result of the study, we confirmed that the preliminary teacher uses the scientific method of 'induction' in the article related to scientific thinking and the description related to the past time, agency, and purpose of the story is included in the essay related to scientific emotion. In addition, it was confirmed that elementary school teachers' writing ability was improved as the writing was repeated, and that the image of 'science' changed positively in many areas. This study suggests that a various and interesting scientific inquiry activities are needed to improve the science writing skills.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.22-37
• /
• 2011

In this study, we investigated the perceptions of elementary school teachers on the use of analogy generation in scientifically-gifted education. The relationships among the perceptions and the self-perception as teacher for scientifically-gifted students were also investigated. A survey was administered to 119 elementary school teachers, and in-depth interviews with some teachers were conducted. The results revealed that the teachers had a relatively good understanding of the advantages/disadvantages of analogy generation in cognitive, affective, and learning environmental aspects. Their perceptions on the usability of analogy generation and their willingness to practice of it in scientifically-gifted education was also positive. They highly perceived on the various factors related to effective uses of it in scientifically-gifted education. Their self-perception as teacher for scientifically-gifted students was comparatively low, and significantly related with the perceptions on the advantages of it, the usability, the practical methods to use, and the various factors related to effective uses in scientifically-gifted education. Educational implications of these findings are discussed.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.108-116
• /
• 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the views of elementary students and teachers in relation to life phenomenon. Students seemed to strongly agree with the notion of vitalism as well as with organicism. However they clearly disagreed with the notion of mechanism. Contrary to our supposition, their viewpoints on lift phenomenon were highly affected by their relative levels of academic achievement in science subject areas, rather than by their religious affiliations. One possible explanation for this outcome is that elementary schoolers have not firmly established religious views, though they might indeed have a religious affiliation. High-achieving children in science subject areas seemed to agree with both vitalism and organicism (p<.01), and it is suggested that those students must have had more opportunities to encounter related cases in modem science or life ethics. Teachers agreed with all three views, showing the highest rate of approval in organicism. Though they appeared to agree with mechanism, they were strongly opposed to radical mechanism generally arguing that 'organism and machines were essentially the same'. Student responses indicated that TV had a bigger influence on their viewpoint on life phenomenon than teachers did. This means that children held certain views about the relative significance and influences of teachers vis-a-vis TV in daily life, and is also reflective of a perception amongst students that teachers do not how the significance of viewpoints on lift phenomenon.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.297-304
• /
• 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate inservice elementary teachers' view and the change of preservice elementary teachers' view on the nature of science by the science education course. The subjects were 386 junior preservice teachers in a National University of Education and 257 inservice teachers working in a metropolitan city. An instrument consisting of fifty eight items were developed on the bases of previous studies. Before entering the course, preservice teachers view was compared by gender with T-test and no significant differences were found except the category 'role of a scientist'. Preservice teachers view was also compared by major with ANOVA and significant differences were found on the categories 'scientific method' and 'scientific law'. After the course, on comparing their view by gender, significant differences were found on the categories 'scientific theory', 'scientific knowledge', and 'scientific law'. The result of ANOVA by major, significant differences were found except the category 'role of a scientist'. Inservice teachers view was compared by gender and major and the differences were no significant, the significant differences, however, were founded in comparing by career and ability.