• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.347-358
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• 2020

He purpose of this study is to design and apply a pilot assessment tools for scientifically gifted and talented elementary school students with lower grades. The assessment tool consists of three parts: homeroom teachers' recommendation, paper and pencil test and performance tests. The tools are verified whether they are suitable for unique characteristics of young children and enable to attract active participation. For suitability check, students' performance tests were inductively analyzed and 30 behavioral patterns were shown which were included and partially exceeded the level of lower elementary students' performance expectation in NGSS. As a result, we concluded that assessment tool developed in this study will be effective in discriminating young pupils' scientific talents. Then for participation check, we compared the number of coding references as an indicator of participation. Two cases were found that students with high interest participated passively in performance tests. We found these 'passive participants' had excessive scientific experiences and extremely narrow region of interest, during the process of complex interpretation between the results of this assessment tool and in-depth interviews with homeroom teachers. We found out in this study that newly developed tools can be used in school scene after modifying and elaboration through accumulation of more case studies.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.717-728
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to analyze the argumentation of gifted students in the perspective of rebuttal. Rebuttal is a significant indicator of argumentation quality; it is also an essential component for science learning through interaction. However, most previous research point out insufficient use of rebuttal in student's argumentation. The argumentation of 37 8th grade students, enrolled in institutes for the scientifically gifted in Seoul, are observed and recorded for 4 hours. The argumentation topic is about how to measure the brightness of the sun. Based on Verheij's (2005) five types of rebuttal patterns, the features of rebuttal are analyzed. It is found that students' argumentation include all of the five rebuttal types: rebuttal of the data, the claim, the warrant, warrant's applicability, and connection between data and claim. It is also found that these five types can be categorized in two groups. The first group consists of first three types and is characterized by the disagreement with the validity of what has been said. The second group consists of the last two types and is characterized by the suggestion or additional information for missing links in argumentation.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.567-592
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to investigate effective teaching and learning method for teaching decision-making on Socio-Scientific-Issues(SSI) in science classroom. So we carried out new teaching and learning trial for decision-making about Global Warming issues. Our new trial focused on self-directed and cooperative learning in decision-making about SSI. And our participants were science gifted or science high-achieved students in middle school. We analysed students' written decision-making of the last process in our new trial. We can find our instruction made progress in informed decision-making, structure of argumentation, reflective thinking stage, using the scientific information and understanding of the nature of science. As a result, self-directed and cooperative learning in decision-making on SSI leads students to the meaningful decision-making scientifically.

• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.529-540
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• 2014

We propose an efficient information science teaching-learning method to improve information-scientific creativity of mathematically and scientifically gifted students. The students are able to improve their creative problem solving and team-work abilities through team project work to resolve a variety of application problem in real world. In the pursuit of this purpose, we designed a new two-stage information science learning method consisted of the standard stage and the application stage, and a new systemic project process. Moreover, we applied small-scale cooperation learning strategies and a multi-dimensional assessment system. The analysis on our proposed model shows that there is a remarkable achievement of educational objectives on cognitive capability, social and affective ability of information science creativity.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.591-606
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to develop the argumentation program to build scientific concepts on natural selection for science-gifted elementary students and to know how to implement this program. For this study, nine key concepts about natural selection such as the overproduction of offspring, limited resources, population stability, competition, variation, heredity of variation, differential survival, change of the population and speciation were selected through the literature study. The programs were developed by learning cycle instructional model. Argument writings and discourses have been collected, analyzed and compared before and after the program. Two questionnaires to compare pre and post concept change consist of multiple choice questionnaire and open-ended response question were developed and applied to 19 science-gifted elementary students. Sufficiency of the explanation and conceptual quality of the explanation were used to assess the quality of their arguments before and after the program. Discourse and visual models collected from the highest and lowest group about score improvement were compared. The scores of the gifted statistically improved significantly in multiple choice questionnaire. Students' alternative conceptions about natural selection at the beginning of the program decreased and changed scientifically after the program. Visual models drawn by the students supported the results as well. This study asserts that elementary science-gifted students are able to explain evolutionary perspectives about organism change and use the key concepts of natural selection. The study means that evolutionary perspective is possible to be reflected in elementary science curriculum for the gifted.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.6-14
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• 2006

The study investigates mental models of scientifically gifted, middle school students when it comes to tides. This was done by analyzing facet of conceptual types for two contexts. We carried out two performance tasks of tide with different context. A large number of students showed different conceptual types by context. As a result of analyzing facet of conceptual types by context, there was a slight difference in content-specific facet, but a remarkable one in strategic facet. We classified four mental models about tide by configuring facets of conceptual types: (1) Tide model (2) Force model (3) Phase model (4) Hybrid model. The Tide model is scientifically accepted model, but Force model and Phase model are incorrect models, and Hybrid model is mixed model. In cases of Force model and Phase model, conceptual types concur with each other, but these types of students comprehend tides as a result of joined forces of Moon & Sun and phase change of Moon, respectively. Arranging low mental models in proportional order, Tide model (45.0%), Hybrid model (30.0%), Force model (12.5%), and Phase model (7.5%).

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.58-71
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to categorize preconceived notions by elementary science gifted students about the reason why only one side of the moon is visible and develop an instructional module to correct these notions scientifically. The effectiveness of these modules will then be tested. The participants of this study were 15 (5th and 6th grade students) from Gwangju Metropolitan City and Chonnam Province who passed a gifted student assessment test developed by J university. The student's notions about the reason only one side of the moon is visible were assessed through questionnaires, interviews, and reenactments. Instructional modules to minimize these notions were developed and then improved upon by class reenactments. And then these modules were used to teach a real class with cameras recording the students. Protocols were analyzed using this footage, and emphasis was placed on how the developed class module changed student's misconceptions. The instructional module developed in this study was: student conception assessment writing materials exploration activity stage 1 (moon's orbit) exploration activity stage 2 (moon's rotation) - exploration activity stage 3 (moon's orbit and rotation) - exploration activity stage 4 (verbalizing the moon's orbit and rotation) - exploration activity stage 5 (thinking about moon movement considering earth's rotation - exploration activity stage 6 (relating the earth and moon's movement) and verifying student conception change. An important conclusion of this study was that all 15 students had misconceptions that could be divided into categories A, B, and C. Category A could be separated with more specifics into A-1 and A-2, and C into C-1 and C-2. After the instructional module was utilized, the student categories show positive change in the following stages: Category A at exploration activity stage 1 and 2, Category B at exploration activity stage 3, Category C-1 at exploration activity stage 4 and 5, and Category C-2 at exploration activity stage 6. Category C-1 students immediately changed to Category C-2 after going through a few stages, and their misconceptions were finally corrected after going through exploration activity stage 6. The misconceptions of students in all categories were corrected scientifically after completing stage 6 education. This study proposes that a combined education of reenactments, exploration materials development, and exploration activities by stages will effectively correct misconceptions about the Earth and moon's movement.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.425-443
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• 2013

We developed problem-solving type inquiry learning programs reflecting scientists' research process and analyzed the activities of science-gifted high school students, and the understanding and the effects of the programs after implementation in class. For this study, twelve science-gifted students in the 10th grade participated in the program, which consisted of three different modules - making a cycloidal pendulum, surface growth, and synchronization using metronomes. Diet Cola Test (DCT) was used to find out the effect on the improvement of the ability to design experiments by comparing pre/post scores, with a survey and an interview being conducted after the class. Each module consisted of a series of processes such as questioning the phenomenon scientifically, designing experiments to find solutions, and doing activities to solve the problems. These enable students to experience problem-solving type research process through the program class. According to this analysis, most students were likely to understand the characteristics of problem-solving type inquiry learning programs reflecting the scientists' research process. According to the students, there are some differences between this program class and existing school class. The differences are: 'explaining phenomenon scientifically,' 'designing experiments for themselves,' and 'repeating the experiments several times.' During the class students have to think continuously, design several experiments, and carry them out to solve the problems they found at first. Then finally, they were able to solve the problems. While repeating this kind of activities they have been able to experience the scientists' research process. Also, they showed a positive attitude toward the scientists' research by understanding problem-solving type research process. These problem-solving type inquiry learning programs seem to have positive effects on students in designing experiments and offering the opportunity for critical argumentation on the causes of the phenomena. The results of comparing pre/post scores for DCT revealed that almost every student has improved his/her ability to design experiments. Students who were accustomed to following teacher's instructions have had difficulty in designing the experiments for themselves at the beginning of the class, but gradually, they become used to doing it through the class and finally were able to do it systematically.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.1-18
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• 2004

This study attempted to survey the present status of the eight students who, 17 years from now, had participated in a special program for 170 days preparing for early entrance to the KAIST. With six students who responded to the questionnaire previously sent, the study focused on each participant's achievement at present, his evaluation on Accelerated Education, his personal opinions on early entrance to university and Gifted Science Education. From the survey, we could find out that three participants had received a doctorate and they are currently working as researchers at research center or professors at university. The other three participants are working as researchers at research center after receiving the M. S. Academic achievements vary according to each participant, but three of them, who ranked high in research achievement, had their articles published in international journals of the SCI level even when they were between 25 and 28 of age. Two of them in particular showed outstanding engineering and developing the commercial modem for IMT 2000 for the first time in Korea. One participant entered Harvard University to major in physics and afterwards studied the law in UCLA. He is now a professor in the law department. Concerning the evaluations on Accelerated Education and early entrance system, four participants answered positively while two participants expressed negative attitudes. When asked their opinions on the Gifted Education in Korea, such problems were pointed out as too much pressure of entering the first-class universities, the tendency to avoid choosing science-related major at universities, the lack of education system that encourages creative thinking, etc. It is necessary that the accelerated education play an important role to maximize their hidden potentials. It remains to be seen in what places these six participants will find themselves and of what ideas they will come up within the next 17 years. It will be worthwhile to wait until then for another survey.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.201-207
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• 1997

This study was performed to survey the achievements in problem solving by the inquiring experiment, which was done by the superior group in the traditional cocepts-centered written tests. The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics of inquiring experimental assessment by analyzing differences between concepts-centered written and inquiring experimental tests. The subjects of this study was 211 applicants. They are the superior group of the 9th grade students, and score in the top 1% of total achievements percentage in school. They also have passed the primary entrance examination. The inquiring experimental test was developed according to the curriculum in school, and is composed of 5 subcategories: problem-perception and formulating hypothesis, designing an experiment, carring out an experiment, recording data and drawing conculsion, and generalizing conculsions and communicaton. The checklists of each subcategory were made and testing methods were divided into observation and report. The major results of this study are as follows: 1. The achievements in each subcategory of inquiring experimental performance were very low in the superior group who took the concepts-centered written tests. 2. The results of factor and correlation analyses in this study confirmed the abilities measured by inquiring experimental assessment differed from abilities measured by existing tests. These results indicated that even students who achieved high in scientific knowledge, these abilities were not automatically transformed inquiry process which many other abilities were integrated into. Therefore, problem solving ability requires integrated abilities which are fostered by inquiring experimental tasks. This suggests that new instrument for assessment must be developed to measure integrating ability especially where scientifically gifted students are selected, or where entrance examinations to the science schools are administered.