• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.267-275
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to find out the effect of the role-playing analogy activity-based class on the academic achievement in science and the science process skills of elementary school students. One experimental group and one control group of 4th grade students were selected to perform a prior investigation on the academic achievement in science and the science process skill. Then the experimental group attended science lessons that were based on the role-playing analogy activity and the control group attended the traditional science lessons based on the text book and teacher's guide. After conducting lessons, a post investigation was performed for each group and the results were analyzed to produce the following conclusions. First, the role-playing analogy activity class was more effective to improve students' academic achievements than the traditional science class. And the role-playing analogy activity class was more effective to learners in the high-level group, which made a scores above the average in prior investigation on the academic achievement, whereas it was little effective to those in the low-level group. Second, the role-playing analogy activity class was effective to enhance students' science process skills than the traditional science class. And the role-playing analogy activity class was more effective to the learners' in the high-level group than those in the low-level group.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.1063-1073
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• 2017

This study analyzed the difficulties elementary school students have in role-playing analogy activities for concept learning of heat transfer. Eleven fifth graders were given an orientation class on role-playing analogy activity, a class for concept learning of heat transfer as presented in a textbook, and then they performed the role-playing analogy activity with concepts of heat transfer. After the classes, researchers investigated the difficulties students encountered through questionnaires and interviews. The following are results of the research: Difficulties that students faced in role-playing analogy activity can be classified into five types. First, students encountered difficulties in expressing the analogy. The students who had difficulties in expressing the analogy focused on expressions outside the science concepts or lacked understanding of the science concepts. They also had difficulties in expressing the analogy because they lacked the expressiveness of analogy or abilities in mapping errors. They had difficulties in expressing the planned role-playing analogy in a narrow space. Second, students also experienced difficulties in performing activities due to lack of understanding on activities or lack of experience. Third, students experienced difficulties in selecting roles because they preferred the specific role or unwanted the specific roles. Fourth, the members of group experienced difficulties in group activities because they did not concentrate on activities, failed to perform roles, or showed attitudes of an onlooker. Fifth, they experienced difficulties in communications due to unilateral communication, conflicts of opinions, and lack of opinions.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1044-1059
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• 2010

In this study, we investigated the influences of the method of using analogy on concept understanding, mapping understanding, and mapping error by analogical reasoning ability level. We also investigated students' perception of a role-playing analogy activity. Seventh graders (N=152) at a middle school were assigned to the comparison and the experimental groups. The students of the experimental group were taught about 'the relation between pressure and volume of gas' with experience-based role-playing analogy, while those of the comparison group were taught with explanation-centered analogy. Analyses of the results revealed that the instruction using roleplaying analogy was more effective in concept understanding and retention of mapping understanding than explanation-centered analogy instruction, regardless of analogical reasoning ability level. It was also found that the students of the experimental group had fewer mapping errors than those of the comparison group. However, there was little difference in t pes of mapping errors by the method of using analogy. The students of the experimental group answered that they did not have difficulties in performing the role-playing analogy activity and they actively engaged in the activity. They perceived that the role-playing analogy activity was interesting. Educational implication of these findings are discussed.