• Journal of Science Education
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.389-404
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• 2013

This study aimed to explore elementary teachers' beliefs about science teaching, science learning and the nature of science and consistency among these beliefs. Data was collected by using an open questionnaire and semi-structured individual interview. Teachers' beliefs were classified as traditional beliefs and constructivist beliefs. Traditional beliefs were further divided into content knowledge-centered beliefs and procedural knowledge-centered beliefs. The result showed that a relatively large number of teachers among the total 30 teachers had traditional beliefs about science teaching, science learning, and the nature of science(respectively 60.0%, 66.7%, 83.3%). Most of traditional beliefs were identified as content knowledge-centered beliefs. The proportion of teachers with consistent beliefs for all three aspects was 40.0%, the proportion of those with consistent beliefs for two of them (those with related beliefs) was 53.3%, the proportion of those with different beliefs for them (those with divergent belief) was 6.7%. Most of the teachers with the consistent beliefs had the content knowledge-centered beliefs of traditional beliefs. Although constructivism has been widely emphasized in science education from the 1980's, the rate of the teachers with the consistent beliefs in constructivism was as low as 6.7%.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.499-509
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• 2008

This study investigated the experience and practice of elementary school students on nutrition education. The data were collected from 217 male and female students attending 5-6th grade elementary schools in Seoul and Kyunggi-Do from March to June 2007, interviewing face to face by a nutrition teacher and 3 interns of a nutrition teacher. The results were as follows: 86.5% of the subjects learned about 'Table etiquette', 'Reasons for eating fruits and vegetables'(78.7%), 'Food waste and environment'(72.3%), 'Healthy snacks'(55.7%), 'Food sanitation'(52.3%), 'Food culture of foreign countries'(48.1%). Nutrition education experience was significantly different by gender. A total of 43.5% boys responded that they never learned about 'basic food preperation'(p<0.01). They had learned 'Nutrients for body' and 'Food waste and environment' in school, 'Healthy weight loss', 'Food culture of foreign countries', 'Food circulation' on television, Most content('Table etiquette', 'Simple cooking', 'Food sanitation', 'Eating behaviors for health', 'Reasons for eating fruits and vegetables', 'Healthy snacks') was learned from parents. The practice after nutrition education was higher in 'Table etiquette'(2.14), 'Eating fruits and vegetables'(2.07) than others compared with education experience. The most reason of non-practice on nutrition information was 'Troublesome'. In 'Nutrients for body', a boy answered 'Difficult for practice' 20.0%, a girl answered 'Difficult to understand' 32.6%, showing a significant difference between the gender groups(p<0.001). They remembered the 'Nutrients for body'(49.6%), 'Food sanitation'(44.5%) because of 'important content', 'Basic food preparation'(40.6%), 'Food culture of foreign countries'(36.3%) because of 'interesting content', 'Healthy weight loss'(52.0%), 'Eating behavior for health'(44.5%) and 'Healthy snacks'(33.7%) because of 'need for my health'.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the needs of health education in students, their parents and teachers in the elementary, middle and high schools and the current situation of health education class. Method: The subjects of this study were a total of 9450 persons including students, their parents and teachers from 279 schools throughout the country. They were selected through convenient sampling. Data were analyzed through $\chi^2$-test and ANOVA. Result: Students, their parents and teachers replied that 18 dimensions of health education class (DHEC) are necessary. The four DHEC - healthier life style, sex education, mental health and safety education - showed high educational needs in students, their parents, and teachers. High school students had higher educational need of 'symptom management for daily living' than elementary and middle school students. Students, their parents and teachers in elementary school had higher educational needs of 17 DHEC than those in middle and high school. The percentages of schools with health education class taught by health teachers were 99.2%, 75.5% and 66.0% respectively in elementary, middle and high schools. Health education was given mainly using physical education classes at elementary schools, and creative class hours at middle and high schools. In general, health education took 1-3 hours per week at elementary schools, and less than an hour at middle and high schools. Conclusion: Therefore, based on the results, systematic health education class should begin from elementary school to meet the need of health education in students, their parents and teachers, and further study should be made on the number of hours required and the amount of contents of 18 DHEC.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.97-105
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of storytelling skill on science concept and science learning motivation. For this study the 5 grade, 2 class was divided into a research group and a comparative group. The class was pre-tested in order to ensure the same standard. The research group had the science class with storytelling skill, and the comparative group had the class of the teacher centered lectures on 11 classes in 8 weeks. The storytelling skill was focused on set the astronomical target wants to set up a story, through the small group discussion, present subject of the story, set the protagonist of the story for smooth configuration of the story, in order to smooth the flow of the story, make up a story around a hero, to make a clear story, decorated with pictures, shapes, graphs, etc, group story, complete with an astronomical(saints) in storytelling. To prove the effects of this study, science concept was split up according to knowledge, inquiry, attitude. Also, science learning motivation consisted of assignment is worth, learning beliefs about control, self efficacy. The results of this study are as follows. First, using storytelling skill was effective in science concept. Second, using storytelling skill was effective in science learning motivation. Also, after using storytelling skill was good reaction by students. As a result, the elementary science class with storytelling skill had the effects of developing science concept and science learning motivation. It means the science class with storytelling skill has potential possibilities and value to develop science concept and science learning motivation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.317-329
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate how elementary science specialized teachers operate and how they have a perception of the science class in the COVID-19 situation. The number of participants in the study is 21 who are dedicated to science subjects in 2020. 21 teachers were given an open survey of science classes and future directions in the COVID-19 situation, and 8 out of 21 teachers were interviewed in-depth on how and why they did so. As a result of the study, first, the science classes before and after COVID-19 of primary science teachers were different. Under the COVID-19 situation, teachers identified the characteristics of online and offline classes and operated them in a way that was specific to their characteristics. Second, there was a common perception of teachers' classes on the basis of this science class operation style, which is that science classes should be operated as activities, that I would like to have classes that suit my taste as long as the policy allows, and that online classes cause students to lose motivation and widen their educational gap.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.299-309
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to categorize specific factors and characteristics of positive science experience by qualitatively analyzing the positive science experience cases in the memories of pre-service elementary school teachers. For this purpose, 101 essays written by pre-service teachers on the theme of 'my enjoyable science class experience' were analyzed. The collected data were analyzed using an inductive analysis method, and as a result, the characteristics of positive science experience cases in the memories of pre-service teachers were categorized into 4 categories and 12 topic groups. Specifically, 'experience of exploratory activities using special materials', such as long-term raising and observation of animals and plants, experiments using edible materials, and using special experimental tools had a positive effect on scientific experience. In addition, 'experience of activities emphasizing scientific inquiry' such as emphasizing observation activities, experiments accompanied by clear experimental results, making activities, and using various materials also had a positive effect on science experience. In addition, 'student-centered activity experience' such as strengthening student autonomy, emphasizing collaboration between students, and performing science activities outside of the curriculum also had a positive influence on the science experience. Lastly, 'positive influence of teachers', such as teachers' encouragement and enthusiasm, helped to positively recognize science.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.363-373
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• 2023

This study investigated the effects of the maker education program science class applying the TMSI model on elementary school students' academic achievement in science and scientific attitudes. This study involved 40 sixth-grade students from an elementary school in a metropolitan city, classified into an experimental group and a comparison group. The experimental group participated in the maker education program class applying the TMSI Model, whereas the control group experienced a traditional teacher-centered class as outlined in the teachers' guidebook. The results of the study were as follows. First, the maker education program science class applying the TMSI model had a significant effect on improving students' academic achievement in science. Second, the maker education program science class applying the TMSI model had a significant effect on improving students' science-related attitudes. Based on these results, the implications for science education and future research directions related to the application of maker education to science were discussed.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.59-73
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• 2001

The National Science Fairs has been held in every year for the promotion of science and technology and scientific civil life. The purpose of this study is to survey the current problems in National Science Fairs by making up a question and to improve them. The study makes up a questionnaires about the existing Science Fairs to the teachers who have submitted their works to the Science Fairs and suggest the ways of improvement. The result of questionnaires is that little availability of reference materials, difficulty of paying proper attention to regular classes because of frequent travels, and absence of experimental devices and experimental rooms are perceived as major obstacles in preparing for the exhibition. Respondents teacher also pointed out some problems with the current organization of the exhibition; non-voluntary selection process for the potential authors, separation of research content from regular teaching materials, unrealistically high standard, low participation rate of teachers, so many exhibited works, lack of professionalism in the screening process. The majority however, agreed that the exhibition event should be continuously done, after remedial measures have been taken about the problems. First, the side of science education is emphasized in a purpose of the science fairs to let activity related to science fair be closely connected with school education. Second, students have to be divided according to grade. Third, research level have to be set not too higher than regular instruction content. Fourth, hand book related to science fairs have to be manufactured and spread. Fifth, data of local science fair have to be arranged. Sixth, judging section have to be subdivided and people related to science education have to be included to a judge. Seventh, excellent works have to be support to participate in ISEF.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.99-112
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• 2015

This study aimed at investigating elementary teachers' stages of concerns and its changes about STEAM education. The participants of this study were 90 elementary school teachers implementing STEAM education in their schools. The Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) was administered after the permission was granted by Hall. Data were collected three times from April, June, and December in the year of implementing the exemplary STEAM school. The results indicated that elementary school teachers' concerns toward STEAM education, the differences of the percentile scores of each stages of concerns, showed slightly low. The SoC of teachers in April showed that Awareness(Stage 0) was relatively very high and Consequences(Stage 4) was very low. However, in December, both Awareness(Stage 0) and Management(Stage 3) were very low. In particular, the percentile scores of Consequence(Stage 4) showed the big difference from 54.7 to 74.3. In addition, teachers who took science track in their high schools showed the relatively low score in the stage of Management(Stage 3). Teachers having the degree of Master of Arts presented the relatively low percentile score in the stage of Management(Stage 3). Teachers who majored in STEM related areas at the university presented the relatively low score in the stage of Management(Stage 3). The findings of this exploratory study may provide the useful insights into the integrative approaches of STEAM education.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.901-921
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary teachers' views on the barriers in implementing inquiry-based instruction in science education. For this, semi-structured in-depth interviews were performed with 22 elementary school teachers who have served for more than five years in the Gyeonggi province. The interview questions were developed through triangulation of Seidman's phase to achieve reliability in the interview data, then interview questions were modified and completed through an analytic induction method in pre-interviews. In-depth interviews were performed individually and all the interviews were recorded. The data of teachers' views on the barriers were categorized and analyzed into external and internal factors of teachers. The study found that the external factors referred by teachers included the following; the lack of a unit time, lack of materials and equipments, too many students in a class, problems in science curriculum management, difficulty in the assessment of students' inquiry activities, the students' learning, lack of opportunities for teaching inquiry activities, harmfulness of accidents, and so on. Internal factors included the following; lack of preparation for inquiry activities, lack of self-confidence, lack of patience, and so on. The various barriers presented and their causes were analyzed in detail, and possible efforts in activating inquiry activities in elementary science education were suggested.