• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.183-203
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factor for improving elementary and secondary students' positive experiences about science (PES). In-depth interviews with 32 students and 8 teachers from 8 elementary and secondary Science Core schools were conducted to explore the factors for improving the student's PES. The analysis of the results reveal that the eight key factors which had a decisive impact on a student's PES were 'practice-centered exploratory activities', 'student-led class', 'positive and professional feedback', 'construction of knowledge through exploration', 'class considering student's interest and aptitude', 'use of materials related to real life', 'smooth communication and collaboration in group activities', and 'appropriate difficulty in learning content'. There were also five environmental factors that affected these key factors: 'teacher's professionalism for science classes', 'science class environment', 'teacher community in unit schools', 'change in curriculum', and 'scientific activities other than regular classes'. Based on these results, the practical implications for improving the student's PES are suggested.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.443-453
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• 2014

Observation is the base of creativity and inquiry. The purposes of this study were to analyze the characteristics of observation of middle school students, and to investigate their creativity by observation activities. The subjects of the study were 25 students for characteristics of observation and 144 students for both observation activity group and non-observation group, as a control, in a middle school. As a result, 25 students wrote 206 cases for the characteristics of observation. The cases were mostly classified in visual ways, such as color, figure, and movement. Students analyzed in primitive ways, observed in the given-limited situation, and confirmed with teachers or other students, The results of this study for creativity by observation activity were analyzed by ANCOVA and this study showed that observation activity was found to be effective in increasing students' creativity (p<0.05).

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.66 no.4
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• pp.323-332
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of science classes using smart devices that combine augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) on the scientific attitude of middle school gifted students. In addition, it is intended to find out the perception of science classes using these smart devices. In addition to actual experiments, a science class program that allows students to experience science experiments virtually using AR and VR was applied to 15 middle school gifted students. Before and after the application of the program, the questionnaire is to investigate the interest in scientific classes, the attitude toward science exploration, and the professional interest in science, and the recognition of classes that combine AR and VR. In addition, through in-depth interviews, the perceptions of gifted students was accurately investigated. As a result of this study, the content of science classes and instructors showed high class satisfaction, but the smart devices and applications used during the science classes showed lower class satisfaction than others. As a result of comparing and analyzing the pre-post of gifted students, interest in science class, attitude toward science inquiry, and professional interest in science increased significantly among the sub-areas of the scientific attitude test. As a result of analyzing free responses and indepth interviews, gifted students responded with the advantage that classes using smart devices that combine AR and VR can be tested quickly and safely for a short time compared to actual experiments. On the other hand, they responded with low completeness of the application and dizziness when operating virtual reality. Based on this, implications for the development of applications and instructional programs using advanced technologies that can experience realistically limited scientific experiments such as experimental preparation, class time, and risk factors were obtained.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.337-346
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• 2020

In this study, we investigated the characteristics of students participating in Science Core high schools classes and their relevance to Positive Experiences on Science (hereinafter, PES), and factors causing PES, presented by the students of Science Core high schools. A total of 20 students and five teachers in four regions across the country participated in the in-depth interview, which were conducted with the focus group of students first, and then in-depth interviews with teachers. Based on the interview results, we explored teaching and learning experiences helpful to the PES, assessment experiences resulting in the PES, and ways to support Science Core high schools to enhance their PES. Students and teachers of Science Core high schools argued that students' participation will increase only if they engage in classes while drawing attention within the range that students can understand, students' PES such as scientific interest can be improved through experiments in which students choose topics or design their own exploration process, science competencies such as science problem solving ability and scientific thinking ability should be developed through exploratory experiment activities that fit the nature of science, etc. In addition, regarding ways to improve and support Science Core high schools to enhance PES, securing science class hours, restructuring the contents of science elective courses, and necessity of maintaining Science Core high schools are suggested. Based on the research results of science high school students' PES, ways to improve the PES of general high school students are discussed.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.327-333
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• 2017

The purpose of this research was to analyze characteristics of verbal interactions of each homogeneous group in the learning of the 6th grade's 'Use of Lenses' Unit. For this research, six learning sessions were conducted in one 6th grade class composed of a high-academic-achievement group, an intermediate-academic-achievement group, and a low-academic-achievement group. All lessons were recorded, to analyze the verbal interactions of each group, and the transcribed data were analyzed using the verbal-interaction analytic framework. Results included: In the upper group, although opinions were presented more frequently, there were many negative verbal interactions in completing the tasks. The middle group was observed more specifically to accept peer opinions critically in their observational activities. The middle group's members were more active in presenting their opinions than listening to others' opinions. The lower group had difficulties in drawing conclusions because of a lack of ability to persuade peers or to respect the opinions of peers, even though the frequency of verbal interactions was higher than in other groups. Therefore, a homogeneous group structure is good for a simple activity involving a simple inquiry or an exchange of opinions, while a heterogeneous group structure is more effective in activities focused on understanding scientific concepts and knowledge.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.146-158
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• 1999

Since 1960' s. aims of science education have changed from attainment of scientific concepts. principles and laws to improvement of science process(or inquiry) skills. According to the science education philosophy like this. our nation has adopted improvement and evaluation of science process(or inquiry) skills in science education. The purpose of this study was to examine the performance of high school students on 4 types of multiple choice items used to access students ability to identify independent and dependent variables. Stimulus materials were either a question focusing on the relationship between two variables. a hypothesis. a description of an experiment. or a description of results of an experiment. Student performance on these item types was compared to this performance on a standard Piagetian interview task of variable identification. The results of the study included: (1) the "hypothesis" type was the most difficult, while the "question" type appeared to be the easiest; (2) the "procedure" item type had a higher correlation with the total interview than any other item type. Among conclusions reached in this study was that although all four item types operated similarly. they did not correlate very highly with the performance assessment by interview.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.825-832
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• 2004

In this study, the history of science (HOS) presented at the chapter of "Inquiry of science" in high school science textbooks developed under the 6th and 7th national curriculam was analyzed and compared. A total of 57 sections from 19 textbooks (6th: 12 textbooks, 7th: 7 textbooks) were analyzed in terms of the domain and the presentation level of the HOS described. The results revealed that the frequencies of HOS per page of the textbooks under the 7th curriculum tended to be higher than those under the 6th one in all the domains (conceptual, procedural, and contextual), of which the difference in conceptual domain was statistically different. Regarding the describing level (limited and extensive) at the presentation of the HOS, the frequencies of extensive descriptions per page for the textbooks under the 7th curriculum were also significantly higher than those under the 6th one. The improvement of frequencies and presentation level of HOS in 7th national curriculum could help students to understand scientific concept and nature of science and to have an interest about science.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.729-750
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to develop science education content standards, to guide in developing k-12 national science curriculum, and to provide guidance for local districts and schools to effectively apply the national science curriculum to their school curriculum. We suggest ideas for science education content standards, describing how science education content standards would look through reviews of literature for background research, surveys, and interviews to set the frame, developing standards for each sub-component, and examining and revising. The science education content standards consist of situation, components, and performance. Situation refers to when, where, and how science was needed. Components refers to what kind of knowledge and what kind of process and understanding should be taught in school science, like Nature of Science, Scientific Creativity, Scientific Inquiry, & Disciplinary Core Ideas. Performance refers to what we would like to achieve through science education.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.66 no.6
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• pp.493-508
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• 2022

Chemistry is the subject which includes properties, change, and composition of matter. Chemistry has the system which explains observable properties and change with microscopic level, it explains them using scientific theory and laws. In the national-level curriculum, the properties and changes of matter are continuously dealt with from elementary school to high school, and the curriculum are organized so that students could strengthen their understanding about matter. In other words, understanding of the properties and changes of matter is the base to explain everyday life with the view of chemistry, and these two are classified as domains of chemistry in the 2015 revised science curriculum. In this study, we confirmed students' understanding about properties of matter and change of matter, through the analysis about results of the National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA). For that purpose, this study analyzed the 12 items about properties of matter, and 19 items about change of matter, which were used in the NAEA from 2015 to 2019. According to the results of classifying and analyzing questions according to the core concept, the understanding about the two domains significantly changed between the proficient achievement-level students and basic achievement-level students. Depending on the achievement-level, there was a difference in explaining the phenomenon by using the perspective of particles, and by associating scientific concepts and models, or there was a difference in understanding the inquiry related to these two domains. Based on this analysis, this study discussed some implications to be improved on teaching-learning for 'properties of matter', and 'change of matter'.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.617-627
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• 2012

We investigated pre-service science teachers' understanding of and problem-solving ability with regard to chemistry concepts in the high school curriculum. For this purpose, we used related certain items and analyzed the results. We found that in the case of all items, some pre-service science teachers, who do not have clear concepts, selected incorrect answers. The in-depth interviews we conducted with the participants revealed some of the causes for the results obtained. First, although pre-service science teachers have better concepts as compared to high school students, they have the same misconceptions as students with regard to some concepts. Second, although they are familiar with the general definitions or meanings of scientific concepts, they do not understand the specific content that is emphasized in the curriculum. Moreover, they tend to solve problems by the information visually conceived. Third, although they know the necessity of general concepts related to problem solving, they sometimes fail to apply inquiry skills and tend to suggest concepts from the higher education curriculum that are not helpful for solving problems.