• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.80-93
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• 2010

The scope of this study is: (1) to review or summarize the theoretical explanations of diffusion; (2) to investigate the preservice teachers' understanding of diffusion utilizing the inquiry experiment of diffusion that was developed in this study. The data was collected through questionnaires given to 41 preservice teachers in 3 universities and interviews with 20 subjects from this population, who conducted the inquiry experiment. During the experiment, the data was collected from the students' reports and 3 small groups' audio/video recordings. To understand preservice teachers' conceptions, reports, audio/video recordings, questionnaires and interviews were analyzed and discussed with co-workers. The results follow: (1) The differences between effusion and diffusion as well as equal-pressure experiment and equal-flux one on diffusion were discussed; (2) Most preservice teachers understood effusion and diffusion connected to Graham's law of diffusion by rote and have misconceptions about the diffusion process; (3) They observed two kinds of diffusion experiments (equal-pressure and equal-flux) by inquiry experiment, but the majority of them failed to find conceptual differences between these experiments. After the inquiry experiment, about 40% of the samples modified their conceptions about diffusion.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.145-174
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• 2009

Based on the thinking that people can understand more clearly when the problem is related with their prior knowledge, the Purpose of this study was to analysis students' informal knowledge, which is constructed through their mathematical experience in the context of real-world situations. According to this purpose, the following research questions were. 1) What is the characteristics of students' informal knowledge about fraction before formal fraction instruction in school? 2) What is the difference of informal knowledge of fraction according to reasoning ability and grade. To investigate these questions, 18 children of first, second and third grade(6 children per each grade) in C elementary school were selected. Among the various concept of fraction, part-whole fraction, quotient fraction, ratio fraction and measure fraction were selected for the interview. I recorded the interview on digital camera, drew up a protocol about interview contents, and analyzed and discussed them after numbering and comment. The conclusions are as follows: First, students already constructed informal knowledge before they learned formal knowledge about fraction. Among students' informal knowledge they knew correct concepts based on formal knowledge, but they also have ideas that would lead to misconceptions. Second, the informal knowledge constructed by children were different according to grade. This is because the informal knowledge is influenced by various experience on learning and everyday life. And the students having higher reasoning ability represented higher levels of knowledge. Third, because children are using informal knowledge from everyday life to learn formal knowledge, we should use these informal knowledge to instruct more efficiently.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.561-571
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• 2016

Purpose: This study reviewed the innovative educational strategies that have been implemented successfully in US baccalaureate nursing education programs to facilitate appropriate attitudes about caring for older adults. Methods: The data were collected through a search of PubMed and CINAHL using the key words, gerontological or geriatric, attitudes about aging or older people, baccalaureate or undergraduate nursing education or curriculum. Results: The successful strategies are categorized as follows: 1) a multidisciplinary approach integrating aging issues and gerontological contents into diverse nursing courses, 2) active participation of community-dwelling healthy older individuals as an educational mentor, 3) use of audiovisual materials to investigate the misconceptions and attitudes about aging, and 4) discussion through critical thinking and self-reflection toward aging. Implications: For the interdisciplinary approach within nursing courses, it is essential to derive the key contents for gerontological nursing applicable to integration into diverse nursing courses. In addition, it is necessary to provide administrative support for implementing innovative strategies and constructing consistent partnerships with the community for active participation of the elderly as a mentor. Lastly, recognizing the significance of educational strategies for enhancing desirable attitudes toward gerontological nursing and supporting the development of educational capability of a faculty are key issues.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.116-130
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate the difficulties of science classes experienced by newly appointed elementary school teachers in terms of science content knowledge and teaching method, and to suggest some implications for their effective adaptation. We recorded science lessons conducted by 3 beginning elementary school teachers with less than 5 years experience and also analyzed their classes and interview materials. The results were as follows. First, difficulties that they experienced in science content knowledge was the possession of scientific errors or misconceptions, the lack of awareness and confidence in scientific concepts and principles, and the possession of negative concept about learning materials. Second, difficulties that they experienced in teaching method was the absence of reorganization of the textbook contents, using closed questions, one-sided instructions and explanations by teacher, the application of incomplete analogy, and the lack of understanding about experiment activities. The implication from this study is that beginning teachers need to be provided with curriculum oriented in experiment at teachers college and to participate in various types of educational opportunities.

• School Mathematics
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.301-322
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• 2016

Even though measurement is an important strand of elementary mathematics education, there has been lack of research in this field. This study analyzed topics related to length and time in a series of mathematics textbooks aligned to 2007 or 2009 revised mathematics curriculum. The analysis was focused on three aspects: (a) overall instructional components of measurement, (b) instructional components specific to the topics of measurement, and (c) key competencies in mathematics. The results of this study showed that many topics dealing with length and time were represented with relation to real-life contexts or other subjects. The meanings of measurement terms and the necessity of calculation were well explained but other aspects still had room for improvement when it comes to the necessity of measurement units, appropriate choice of units, and use of students' common misconceptions. Another noticeable result was that problem solving, communication, and reasoning among key competencies in mathematics have been emphasized in the mathematics textbooks. Based on these results, this study provides textbook writers with implications on what to further consider in dealing with length and time.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-21
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• 2019

Mathematics is one of the subjects in which learners seriously experience under-achievements in school education. Middle school level mathematics especially plays such a role as a bridge between elementary level informal mathematics and high school level formal mathematics that learners' under-achievements in the middle school level mathematics may yield more serious under-achievements later. Therefore it is crucial to prevent learners' later under-achievements that we analyze the status of under achievements including analysing various under-achievers' errors in the middle school level mathematics. From this point of view, we analysed errors of mathematics under-achievers in understanding the concept of the square root of positive numbers and related calculations in this paper. As the results of our research, we found some unexpected errors of 'some mathematics under-achievers regarding the mathematical symbol ${\surd}$ of square root as a parenthesis ( ), and others interpret $x=-2{\pm}{\sqrt{10}}$ as x=-2 or ${\pm}{\sqrt{10}}$.' that suggest the necessity of more various and in-depth discussions and researches of analysis on learners' errors and misconceptions in all areas of school mathematics.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.48-58
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze the contents related to the strata in the elementary science textbooks and to investigate the strata concepts of preservice elementary teachers. As a result of the study, most of the strata knowledge in elementary textbook has an explicit sentence structure, such as A is B. it is limited to being used as a subject of discussion and debate among students in science classes. Formal knowledge, although its meaning is clear, is disadvantageous as a material for core competency education. Regarding strata concepts, 70% of preservice elementary teachers thoughts that heat and pressure were the only key factors in turning sediments into hard rocks. Regarding whether information about the natural information in the geological period can be obtained through the strata, 20% thought that information on the natural environment could be obtained only through fossils and not from the strata. Even 80% of preservice elementary school teachers who thought that informations on the past natural environment could be obtained from the stratum showed a lot of scientific misconceptions in the information contents. In conclusion, in order to increase the effect of core competency education through elementary science education, it is necessary to review the form and contents of strata knowledge presented in elementary science textbooks.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.300-317
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to suggest improvements in the science concepts and inquiry activities presented in the earth science section in the 2015 revised curriculum elementary science textbooks. For this study, two science educator and three elementary school teachers developed a survey questionnaire to investigate science concepts, inquiry activities, and suggest improvements. The survey was conducted two times, and 30 elementary school teachers and three earth science professors (geology, meteorology, astronomy) participated in the survey. As a result, it was investigated that eight concepts in the solid section, three concepts in the fluid section, and one concept in universe and integration section contained misconceptions. It was investigated that the content of inquiry activity needs to be supplemented, with seven elements in solid section, three elements in fluid section, and one in the universe and integration section. According to the research results, if the textbook is revised, it is necessary to accurately confirm the science concepts or content of inquiry activities. Also in the case of science concepts presented in textbooks, it will be necessary to consider not only the scope and sequence of contents but also the process of learning progression.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.363-386
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• 2021

To learn statistics meaningfully, we must provide an opportunity to experience the process of solving statistical problems with actual data. In particular, exploration questions at the problem setting stage are important for students to successfully guide them from the beginning to the conclusion of the statistical problem solving process. Therefore, in this study, a mixed research method was carried out for the exploration questions of pre-service mathematics teachers during the problem setting stage. As a result, some pre-service mathematics teachers categorized incorrect statistical questions because they did not clearly define the meaning or variables of the questions in the process of categorizing them from possible questions. In addition, questions that cannot be solved statistically were categorized due to misconceptions about statistical knowledge. Second, only 50% of the pre-service mathematics teachers met all 6 conditions suitable for solving statistical problems, while there maining they met only a few conditions. Therefore, the conclusion of this study is as follows. First of all, they should be given the opportunity to experience all the statistical problem solving processes through teacher education because they do not have enough experience in statistical problem solving. Secondly, since the problem setting stage is very important in the statistical problem solving process, a series of subdivided processes are also required in the problem setting stage.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.734-751
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to prepare basic data to reflect polar literacy education in the school curriculum. The perception about the polar regions, teaching experience, and polar-related cognitive and affective characteristics of teachers were investigated. The survey was conducted among 56 elementary, middle, and high school teachers from schools from 10 major cities and surrounding regions, based on their perceptions of the polar region, current teaching status, polar knowledge, and beliefs and attitudes toward polar region and climate change. Results showed that although teachers' polar information efficacy was low, they positively evaluated the status of educators in resolving polar and climate change problems, and prioritized global citizenship values over practical purposes. The experience of teaching polar region and climate change issues at schools varied across subjects and non-subjects, but showed a passive aspect in teaching development, such as wanting to be provided with consolidated learning materials. On the cognitive aspect, teachers revealed an ambiguous understanding of the mechanisms and processes by which polar change and climate influence each other. On the affective aspect, most teachers showed strong beliefs and attitudes for polar-related issues beyond the school level, but their behavior choices were relatively lower. Based on the results, we propose the following as recommendations: providing opportunities and materials to promote polar knowledge, discovering educational materials in various contexts to form values and attitudes, developing educational materials from polar research materials, identifying misconceptions about polar knowledge among students and teachers, strengthening elementary school teachers' polar literacy, and cultivating positive attitudes and values toward polar issues.