• The Korean Journal of Elementary Counseling
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.111-133
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was closely to explore the guidance experiences of senior elementary teachers who have had over 30 years of teaching experiences in elementary school based on interpretive(or hermeneutic) inquiry. The entry research question was 'What are the guidance experiences of senior elementary teachers like?' Seven senior elementary teachers working for O elementary School in G city participated in this study voluntarily. Each participant was interviewed twice in a consecutive manner. 14 periods of interview were completed all together and each period took about 40-60 minutes. In conclusion, this study conceptualized the guidance experiences of the senior elementary teachers(participants) as follows: First, the concepts of guidance held by the participants were conceptualized as 1) supporting and caring activity helping students to lead joyful school life, 2) assisting activity helping students to grow on good basic life habits, 3) character building activity helping students to lead integrative growth. Second, the fields and contents of guidance held by the participants were conceptualized as basic life habits, manners, and health & safety. Interestingly, these concepts were evolved in connection with their personal, practical teaching experiences rather than in-service teacher education. Third, the guidance methods frequently used by the participants were co-work with parents, exemplary storytelling, counselling, and praise. The participants applied these methods differently according to the grade, individual difference, and school curriculum policy to some degree. Fourth, the participants have experienced a lot of struggles with students, teachers, and parents in doing their guidance practices throughout the whole teaching career. Their guidance experiences commonly shifted from more teacher-centered or authoritative to more student-centered or relational way as their teaching years accumulated. Interestingly, all the participants more or less lived as lifelong learners to create their own right space as senior teachers in today's competitive and challenging landscape. This study strongly suggests that responsible teacher education can playa great role of enabling senior teachers to cope with guidance issues successfully. Compared with the speedy social change, the teacher education in Korea had been so authoritative, provider-based, subject-based until recently and it have not met the needs and wants of the elementary teachers in field. This trend has significantly hindered them from catching up with the needs of the speedy social change in terms of contemporary guidance issues. This study is limited in that the data is solely collected based on interview. So, an observational research is strongly suggested in order to uncover the situated understanding of the guidance experiences of elementary senior teachers.

• 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.32 no.2
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• pp.236-264
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to provide teachers with sub-components of inquiry skills and help them to give direct instructions on the skills to their students. Inquiry skills and strategies are considered by-products of science and inquiry instruction by most of the science teachers. On the other hand, much research shows that many students are not familiar with the way that they can use inquiry skills therefore direct instruction on the inquiry skills is needed. The lack of guidance on the sub-components for the inquiry skills, however, results in science teachers' ignorance of the inquiry skills. As shown in the previous studies which suggest that without teachers' guidance, students cannot acquire the intended skills, and it is necessary to inform science teachers of the necessity for direct instruction on the inquiry skills and strategy as well as give them the sub-components of the inquiry skills. On the basis of the results from the previous research on the inquiry skills, this study presents the sub-components of basic inquiry skills (observation, classification, measure, prediction, and reasoning) and integrated inquiry skills (problem recognition, hypothesis formulation, control of variables, data transformation, data interpretation, drawing conclusion, and generalization).

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.453-471
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• 2024

In open inquiry, teachers must identify the difficulties of students and provide appropriate help, but most science teachers are struggling with open inquiry guidance. Therefore, this study, using autoethnography, focused on the professional growth of a novice science teacher who guided open inquiry and examined the experiences of a science teacher who guided open inquiry for two years. Based on this, we tried to explore the difficulties of open inquiry guidance, the process of overcoming them, and the process of professional growth. For this purpose, the researcher collected self-recall data, self-reflection data, interview data, and cultural artifacts data, and the collected data was analyzed according to a comprehensive analysis procedure. Teacher expertise in open inquiry instruction could be divided into three areas: areas related to teaching practice experienced during direct inquiry instruction to students, areas related to the external environment excluding students and teachers themselves, and the internal area of the teachers themselves. First, the researcher encountered difficulties due to a lack of understanding of the role of an open inquiry instructor but overcame difficulties and developed professionalism through the process of considering the competencies and qualities necessary for an instructor and making efforts to provide appropriate scaffolding to students. Second, difficulties were experienced due to institutional constraints such as lack of time for club activities, lack of science lab equipment, and difficulty in budgeting. To overcome these issues, researchers identified and utilized surrounding resources to create an environment so that students could focus on inquiry. Third, there was a difficulty due to the lack of a support system to receive internal concerns and conflicts encountered in the process of guiding open inquiry. But through communication with the head science teacher, the researcher was able to gain courage and strength and increase the efficacy as a teacher. The experience of guiding open inquiry served as a foundation for growth, and two years later, the researcher was able to confirm the growth as a teacher.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.129-140
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• 2011

As one of the casting plans to improve the scientific inquiry ability of the students, the aims of this study are to develop and apply a basic inquiry program for the inquiry subject of Seogwipo fossil formation, and analyze the basis inquiry ability of the students to show in the inquiry activity process actually. The results obtained in 5th grade 48 elementary school students of Seogwipo-city are as follows; Students executed observing activity using an appropriate senses such as senses of vision and touch, and showed the tendency which tries to observe the form overall rather than the partial form of the fossil formation. But the ability to utilize appropriately for predicting and inferring with the facts which could depend on observing activity was low. And we found out that the misconceptions influence on inquiry activity. Therefore, to help understanding deeper for the students' basic inquiry element, it is thought that a study of the various educational guidance ways is necessary to this. The teachers also have to study the various ways to induce the scientific conception through the application of proper teaching-learning for correction of misconceptions because misconceptions have an influence on inquiry activity together. If various inquiry programs considering the regional-specific characteristics are developed to cause students' interest, students would come to participate in inquiry activity aggressively a little more.

• Educational Technology International
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.19-46
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• 2011

The purpose of the study was to identify the characteristics of classroom inquiry features exhibited on a web-based discussion board, which is called the Message Board. Approximately 4,000 students from 80 schools with 60 on-line scientists were participated in the study. During the study, a total of 639 messages in the selected cluster and several patterns were identified and analyzed. Three main features of the classroom inquiry were analyzed in terms of: 1) learner gives priority to evidence in responding to questions; 2) learner formulates explanations from evidence; 3) learner communicates and justifies explanations. The results are as follow. First, once learners identified and understood the questions posed by the curriculum, they needed to collect evidence or information in responding to the questions. Depending on the question that students were given, types of evidence/data students needed to collect and how to collect the data could vary. Second, students' formulated descriptions, explanations, and predictions after summarizing evidence were observed on the Message Board. However, the extent to which students summarized evidence for descriptions, explanations, and predictions varied. In addition, students were able to make a better use of evidence over time when they formulate descriptions and explanations. Third, the Message Board was designed to allow the great amount of learner self-direction. Classroom teachers and on-line scientists played an important role in providing guidance in developing inquiry. At the same time, development of content understanding also contributed to inquiry development.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.857-870
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• 2015

Concerning elementary school science subject electric circuit units, which are regarded as difficult by teachers and students, this study aims to use the knowledge state analysis method along with interviews to analyze the knowledge state and hierarchy of inquiry abilities. Before and after applying the electric circuit inquiry abilities module, the question items aimed at assessing the basic inquiry abilities and integrative inquiry abilities for electric circuits were presented to students, and their knowledge state was analyzed along with interviews. Through analysis of the knowledge structure and hierarchy of inquiry abilities about electric circuits, the way of thinking of teachers who taught inquiry abilities, and the way of thinking of students were found to be visually different from each other, and this is an important factor that should not be neglected in the process of teaching and learning about inquiry abilities and should be considered. In addition, the presentation of the knowledge state of and hierarchical relations between inquiry abilities factors can offer implications for guidance on students' learning about inquiry abilities.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.334-346
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• 2012

For teachers' conceptions and understandings are critical to their decision making and classroom practice, this study attempts to understand pre-service elementary teachers' views and practices of science inquiry during peer teaching practice. Fifteen 4th year university students in teacher education program participated in peer teaching practice. Their teaching and reflective discussion were video and audio recorded and written lesson plans were collected for data analysis. Five science teacher educators individually looked into the data and shared their comments and interpretations on pre-service teachers' views and practice. The study findings suggest that pre-service teachers emphasized the importance of providing students with motivating resources in the beginning of lesson, employing certain inquiry teaching models, the process of predicting and dis/proving via experiment, and teachers' minimal intervention as the important features of inquiry teaching. Science teacher educators emphasized that it is critical to help children understand inquiry questions in the beginning of inquiry process, to be mindful of children's problem solving and critical thinking rather than following instruction models or simply going through prediction and test process. They also commented that teachers' guidance could lead a good inquiry process in classroom practice, not always interfering students' inquiry. Based on the findings, the study suggests science teacher educators need to understand what and how pre-service teachers view and practice science inquiry teaching and consider these as useful resources where they can start effective teaching for pre-service teachers at the university level.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.573-584
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• 2015

Inquiry has been consistently emphasized in science education as a crucial element for learning. Although many researchers came to agree on the importance of scientific inquiry, authentic inquiry activities are hard to be actualized in an educational context. Therefore it is required to critically examine what teachers have difficulty in teaching inquiry. In this article, we looked into inquiry-based science activities in a small group setting where pre-service science teachers faced dilemmas between cognition and practice of inquiry. A case study was conducted on eight undergraduate students who are majoring in science education. The participants attended a weekly science program for middle school students in low SES as teaching assistants and mentors, and took full care of his/her mentees during open-inquiry activities. The results were drawn by analyzing participants' personal and group interviews, participant observations, self-reports, and others. The pre-service teachers viewed the knowledge and procedure of science as an essential factor in inquiry activities along with student's spontaneous attitude. However, in the process of performing inquiry, they faced several dilemmas between ideal cognition and real activities. The aspects of dilemmas could be summarized in three pairs of opposing concepts: 'diverging inquiry or converging science', 'interest-centered inquiry or learning-centered inquiry', and 'student as the subject or student with the insufficient expertise.' We discussed ways of resolving dilemmas and alternative perspectives on scientific inquiry.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.509-524
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• 2007

The purpose of the study is to compare elementary school science textbooks ($3^{rd}$ grade) in Korea and the U.S., centering on the ways to present scientific concepts and inquiry process in the units of 'matter.' The analysis is focused on: a) general structure of the units; b) how to present scientific concepts in terms of its connections and complexity; c) how to present inquiry process in terms of its types and skills. The findings of the study are as follows. First, the contents of 'matter' units are scientific discipline-based in both countries. The general structure of the units in Korean textbooks is unrestricted compared to those in the U.S. Second, the connections among the concepts are poor and the level of complexity is low in Korean textbooks, which are contrary to those in the U.S. textbooks. Third, it is a common feature that the inquiry process is based on learners' everyday experiences with simple experiments in two countries' textbooks. However, the inquiry process in the U.S. textbooks is provided with detailed instructions while the process in Korea is presented with diverse activities without formal guidelines. Based on the results, the study suggests three recommendations to improve Korean textbooks: a) science contents should be linked to other disciplines in order to promote practical applications; b) scientific concepts are required to be tightly connected and provided with in-depth explanations; c) inquiry process is needed to be presented with specific guidance to facilitate scientific thinking.