• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.609-620
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• 2011

This study examined how pre-service science teachers, who observed classes for the gifted in science, perceive the gifted in science and the education they are getting, and explored what needs to be improved in the classes for the gifted in science. Based on the results of this study, first, pre-service science teachers were negative about the giftedness of the gifted in science. Second, they recognized that various types of classes were not provided. Especially, while theoretical lectures were mostly offered, they recognized that it had a negative influence in developing the potential giftedness of the gifted in science. Third, they were negative about the absence of programs for improving creativity and thinking skills and teaching materials for the gifted in science; however, they were positive about self-directed learning. Fourth, they had a negative opinion on educational facilities and the number of students in classes. Fifth, they recognized that potential giftedness would be developed the most when the lecturer is a professor majoring in the subject. For improvements in the classes for the gifted in science, they referred to revising the distinction focusing on preceding learning, reinforcing teaching methods to improve creative thinking, constructing creative contents regardless of specific grades and curriculum, securing learning materials for the gifted, and the necessity of lecturers specialized in the education for the gifted. Eventually, pre-service science teachers have negative cognitions for the classes for the gifted in science offered by universities, and it was known that they mentioned the necessity of creative educational courses and professional lecturers, not pre-learning for improvements.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.509-518
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• 2011

In this study, we investigated the effects of analogy-generating in small group in elementary science-gifted education upon the types and the mapping errors of student-generated analogies, and the perceptions of the instruction. Fifth graders (N=37) at two science-gifted classes in two elementary schools were selected and assigned to individualistic analogygenerating (IA, n=19) and pair analogy-generating (PA, n=18) groups. After the students of each group performed the experiment and were taught about 'saturated solution' concept in the first class, they administered the test on the self-generating analogies on the concept in the second class. The students in the PA group also administered the test on perceptions of analogy-generating in small group and some of them were interviewed deeply. The results revealed that the students in the PA group made more verbal/pictorial, structural/functional, enriched, and higher systematic analogies than those in the IA group. However, there were little difference between the two groups in the subcategories of artificiality (artificial and everyday) and abstraction (abstract and concrete). The students in the PA group fewer mapping errors than those in the IA group. Many students in PA group perceived the analogy-generating in small group positively upon various cognitive and motivational aspects. However, they also pointed a few disadvantages of the activity. Educational implications of these findings are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.275-290
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• 2018

This study is to investigate how science and engineering integrated (SEI) lessons affect science-gifted students' perceptions about engineers and engineering practices. Twenty elementary science gifted students participate in this study, and they reflect what engineering practice means such as managing limited time and budget. The SEI lessons with 24 hours class time are used as an intervention. The main data are collected with 'engineer and engineering drawing test', open-ended questions and interviews about the drawing, and focus group interviews about the lessons. The transcribed interview data are analyzed using mixed methodology of quantitative (descriptive and paired t-test) and qualitative methods. The result shows that the SEI lessons have positive impacts on the science-gifted students' perceptions about engineers and engineering practices such as engineering design. After the lessons, the students perceive engineering and engineers in a desired way such as engineering as a social practice that many experts work collaboratively, the interaction between engineering and society, and the importance of ethics and social values in engineering practice.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.15-29
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the educational factors on career choice of science-gifted students to science and technology bound universities and the difference of perception in regards to group factors. In addition, this study aimed to examine the effects of science-gifted education and critical events in relation to career choice to science and technology bound universities. For the study, 104 university freshmen, 75 males and 29 females, were sampled from UNIST (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology), that many science high school graduates entered this year. The survey was conducted with questionnaires to do with the perceptions concerning career choice and educational factors that cause them to choose such career directions. The educational factors on career choice to science and technology bound universities were classified as 3 main categories such as educational environment factor (teaching-learning factor), human factor, attitude towards science factor and the subcategories within each category. The research findings are as follows: First, the factors were closely connected with each other and 'the project centered classes' were highly interrelated with other educational environment factors such as 'the experiment activity and environment for the activity' and 'influence of teachers (professors).' Second, the female students and graduates of the science high school were more positively influenced by the educational environment and human factors on their decision for career than male students and graduates of the general high school. Third, this research found that historical scientific knowledge, perception of scientists' social status and job applications in the science field gave less influence rather than other factors on their decision for career. As a result of examining critical events for science-gifted education in relation to career choice to science and technology bound universities, numerous students mentioned that the extracurricular science activities such as science camps and field trips gave significant effects on students' career choices to science and engineering fields.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.141-151
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• 2009

Inquiry has been emphasized in science classrooms, but the problems shown in the inquiry are somewhat different with ones that students usually meet and experience in everyday life. The purpose of this study is to investigate how attitudes toward the task and thinking skills affect students' problem solving process, especially, the way of creating a problem space and elaborating problem solving strategies when they have little schema. The difference in students' problem solving strategies of Lego Robotics class, one of the summer programs for $4^{th}-6^{th}$ grade gifted students, which is new to them, was investigated. The results are as follows: (1) The difference in attitudes toward the task, or selection and identification of the missions, and the perception of operators, affected creating a different problem space. (2) Different level of thinking skills, or analytical and flexible thinking, efficient elaborative skill, and application of schema affected a different level of elaboration of the problem space and resulted in asuccess rate of problem solving. (3) Different initial problem space resulted in different problem solving strategies. But without thinking skills, students could not elaborate problem solving strategies efficiently. Several instructional recommendations to promote scientific inquiry were suggested based on the results.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.191-202
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• 2019

This study investigated the relationships among 'integrative creativity', 'creativity in scientific humor', and 'perceptions of educational benefits for making scientific humor' of elementary students. To do this, five graders (n=42) at an elementary school and five graders (n=38) at a gifted science education institutes in Seoul were selected. Tests for 'integrative creativity', 'creativity in scientific humor', and 'perceptions of educational benefits for making scientific humor' were then administered. Analysis of the results revealed that the scores for some subcategories of 'creativity in scientific humor' were positively correlated with those for 'integrative creativity', especially for 'creative motivation (e.g., curiosity and playfulness)' and 'creative potency (e.g., knowledge, imagination, sensitivity, flexibility, and fluency)' more than 'creative attitude'. The subcategories of 'integrated creativity' that were significantly related to 'creativity in scientific humor' were somewhat different according to the subcategories of 'creativity in scientific humor'. The scores for all subcategories of 'perception of educational benefits for making scientific humor' were not significantly correlated with those for almost all subcategories of 'integrative creativity' and 'creativity in scientific humor'. Educational implications of these findings are discussed.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.396-404
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• 2010

This study aimed to investigate a perception of teachers engaged in special education for scientifically gifted regarding nature of science and identify attitudes toward teaching nature of science. The sample of this study consists of 122 science teachers who are teaching or taught students attending gifted classes of any primary school in Korea and any gifted education center of every District Office of Education. We made a partial amendment of a VOSE that was developed by Chen(2006) and then used. We tested their perception and attitudes in regard to nature of science. In terms of nature of science, we devide it into 7 sub-areas to analyse. For attitudes toward teaching nature of science, we investigate and analyse following 5 sub-areas; tentativeness of scientific knowledge, nature of observation, scientific methods, theories and laws and subjectivity and objectivity. The result showed that the generally teachers have a desirable recognitions about a nature of science. For attitudes toward teaching nature of science, the teachers showed that they have positive attitudes. However between degrees of teachers' recognition about a nature of science and attitudes toward teaching nature of science showed a low correlation. To increase their understanding of nature of science and develop attitudes toward teaching nature of science, there should be more training time for the teachers and training contents also should be changed. In addition, we hope that this study contribute to develop contents and direction of training for the teachers as a basic reference.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.217-236
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that affected achievement of socially succeeded people, and to draw ways to improve gifted education. To do this, we interviewed 60 achievers. The interview was administrated as semi-structured deep interview about 6 areas - education, major, family and parent, personal relationship, leisure time activity, achievement and motivation of success. The results showed that achievers were active students during their school days. They thought differentiated education and student-centered lessons are important. Many achievers answered they do not have any personal mentee, and decision of majors and education should be matched with the perception of one's potential and interest. Exercises, music, and reading books were strongly suggested as leisure time activities, and the key inner factors for success were curiosity and self-confidence. Beneficiaries of gifted education perceived their experience of gifted education had a positive influence on their achievement. Based on the these results, ways to improve gifted education were discussed.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.106-119
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• 2012

In order to promote national competition on knowledge based-society in 21centuries, it is important for us to train talented people who have much creativity. Comparing curriculums and contents studied in SECG (Science Education Center for the Gifted) and other organizations is object of this thesis. Finding implications of proper GATE(gifted and talented education) by understanding the present conditions is also a part of this thesis. We select 5 Science Education Centers for the Gifted and devise framework for analysis in order to analyze chemical textbooks in GATE programs. The framework consists of 6 categories including the contents, the level of activities, the opening extent of experiments, and the ability to think creatively. In our study of textbooks, we have found that the contents of chapters are divided properly but lacked the field of frontier and convergence science. Their activity types will have to develop programs which consist of various activities such as lectures and experiments. Precedent studies and study activities to promote scientific thinking were rated highly in general ratio. The level of studies that we analyzed lacked creative activities very much. In the opening extent of experiments, activities in the level 2 and the level 3 were low-rate. And in our study of thinking creatively, activities of promotion for expanded and related-ability to think seemed to lack. In order to achieve specific education for the gifted children, developments of GATE program is required. In the in-depth analysis from the questionnaires of Likert's method's descriptions, narrations, and interviews, it is divided into two answers in depth: contents of program, management of program. These also divided into two answers by attitude: positive answer or negative answer. According to the responses of the contents of program, the result of analysis shows that most respondents have positive reactions to not only contents and the managing method of SECG programs, but also to individual enhancing-abilities overall.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.107-122
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to explore the perception of the observation and nomination system for the identification of the gifted and to find out the importance and practice level perceived by the gifted education teachers using the concept mapping approach. For this, twelve gifted education teachers brainstormed and gathered ideas for the ideal ways of observation and nomination system and the gathered statements were solicited. Multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis were also used. In addition, 112 gifted education teachers rated the importance of and the practice level for the suggested ideas of observation and nomination system. Results were as follows: First, 36 statements were solicited and as a result of concept mapping the suggested observation and nomination system were categorized as 'attainment of professionality', 'attainment of administrative support', 'attainment of fairness', and 'considering points for recommendation.' Second, there were significant differences between the perceived importance levels and the practice levels. Based on the results, imlications of the study were discussed in depth.