The purpose of this study is to help 10th grade students learn their science course more efficiently through an Earth System Education (ESE). ESE may contribute in the right view of nature and human by mitigating interdisciplinary in science and accomplishing harmonious tuition-studying. In this study, subject in 'Volcano explosion and Global climate change' is chosen by the ESE program and corrects are made so that it becomes suitable in 'Science' subject of the 7th curriculum and supplements this and inspects the application possibility. As a result of the analysis, the experimental group showed a positive change in almost all area; whereas, the control group was so only in cognition of science (p=0.003), interest toward science (p<0.001), attitude about science (p<0.001), etc. Experiment group in which ESE programs were applied shown higher accomplishment drawing in study accomplishment degree than the control group, which progress traditional class (p=0.038). Students from the experimental group were active, serious in attitude, self-directed in their studies during class. We can expect that the application of ESE programs has a good effect on scientific interest, curiosity enhancement of students, scientific talent and right view of nature height in science subjects on the basis of these result.

Students' affective attitude not only influences their achievement in a meaningful way but is also an important educational goal in its own right. This research investigated how students' interest in science varies among elementary, middle, and high-school students based on surveys and reviews of previous research results. We analyzed students learning attitude in terms of (1) interest in and enjoyment of science, (2) instrumental motivation in science, (3) science learning anxiety, and (4) self-concept in science. Major findings are that students showed more negative attitudes in intrinsic motivation, instrumental motivation, value perception of science, and confidence in science as they move in to a higher school level. According to the students' explanation, science classes get boring in higher grades because of difficult contents, lack of experiments and activities, and the teachers' monotonous explanations. Based on the results, recommendations on how to improve students' attitudes towards science are suggested. First of all, we need to secure more science instructional hours in the school curriculum than the 7th national curriculum to implement improved science teaching and learning methods.

In this study, we used Virtual Reality (VR) materials on an introductory earth science course consisted of thirty six pre-service science teacher program students. Before and after class an instrument of Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) was administered. The main focus of the CLES was to evaluate how the classroom was prepared for student centered learning environment. The pre and post tests of student perceptions regarding their learning environment were compared in six domains: personal relevance, critical voice, shared control, student negotiation, scientific uncertainty, and attitude. Questionnaire regarding the general perception of the VR materials was administered as well. How future science teachers valued the use of VR materials in their classrooms was found from this study. Based on these results, we intend to contribute for a more complete understanding of the potential of VR materials in achieving better learner-centered classroom environment.

We incorporated cooperative learning focusing on the 'Crustal Deformation' in five classes of second grade students, at an all-girls' middle school of Gimje city. The groups of cooperative learning were composed of four members of students each, according to the heterogeneous level. We conducted a pretest on the students' preference before incorporating the cooperative learning. After ten weeks of cooperative school work, the students took a post test with the same questions as the pretest. The result of this method greatly impacted the change on the students' scientific preference. It means that the students showed a positive change in their awareness of and participation in science classes, compared to before. However it is difficult to distinguish the differences in their scientific attitude on the recognition about scientists and habits which make them think scientifically. This resulted from the short period of ten weeks which is not sufficient to carry out the study strategy effectively. Surveys of the students on cooperative learning indicates that the middle level students prefer this method unlike the higher or lower level students. we are convinced that they can learn from the students of higher level and are able to help the lower level with the interaction through cooperative learning. According to the result of the survey, the method has some weaknesses; it arouses the high noise levels and consequent disturbance due to verbal interaction and of conflicts due to disagreements when they discuss the process. On the contrary, advantages are developing the students's interest in science class, helping them to learn, creating positive participation in class, and fostering mutual collaboration with other students through cooperative learning.

The purpose of this study is to investigate beginning secondary science teachers' teaching practices in terms of motivating and understanding students. Six first-year teachers participated in this study. Data were collected by classroom observations and structured interviews. Instructional materials used during the class were also collected to understand teaching practice. Lessons observed were video-tape recorded and the teachers were interviewed. Video- and audio-tape recording were transcribed. The framework, developed by Knowles Project Team of Michigan State University, was adopted and revised according to Korean classroom context and employed as an analytical tool for teaching practices. The beginning secondary science teachers intention ranged from 'Managing Work' to 'School Science.' No teachers revealed 'Reform Science Teaching' orientation. For the execution of science lessons, one teacher with 'Managing Work' orientation showed 'expert' level of execution, but the others executed at a 'novice' level. Beginning science teachers need to be guided and informed about 'Reform Science Teaching' for motivating and understanding students to develop professionally.

This study has investigated the effect of Arctic Oscillation (AO) on cold surge through atmospheric circulation and heat source analysis for the past winters from 1979 to 2004. The number of occurrence of cold surge in the negative AO phase is about 14.3% larger than that in the positive AO phase. The number of occurrence of cold surge per a month in the negative (positive) AO phase is about 1.33 (1.05), respectively, indicating that the negative AO phase has about 26.6% larger occurrence than the positive AO phase. It means that the cold surge has occurred frequently in particular months with the negative AO phase. And it also shows that surface temperature in the negative AO phase is about lower than in positive AO phase. As a result of the analysis for the difference of heat source according to the intensity of AO, it shows that surface air temperature around the Korean peninsula in the negative AO phase is more lower than in positive AO phase by the intensification of cold advection term. However, heat source term cancels out the cooling effect by cold advection term, indicating that it suppresses the decrease in surface air temperature. It results in a small difference of in surface air temperature between the positive and negative AO phase in spite of the significance of atmospheric circulation change.

This study investigated the geochernical characteristics of Mn scale formed in groundwater wells at the Damyang area. The composition of Mn scale consists mainly of MnO and . The content of Mn ranges from56.61wt.% to 68.69wt.%, and content ranges from 1.56wt.% to 10.45wt.%. The contents of Mo and Ba in Mn scale increased with increased depth; whereas, the content of Zn and Pb decreased with increased depth. Birnessite, quartz and feldspars were identified in Mn scales using x-ray powder diffraction studies. The IR absorption bands for Mn scales show major absorption band due to OH stretching, adsorbed molecular water, and birnessite stretching, respectively. In the SEM and EDS analysis, the Mn scale consists of botryoidal, spherical, spherulite, and empty straw structure. Those structure may be precipitated simply due to oversaturation with concentrated Mn content or may be formed through biogenic precipitation by Lepthothrix discophora. Under microanalysis using EDS on those structure surface of Mn scales, the Mn atomic percent range from 28 to 44, and such elements revealed the presence of Si, K, Na, Ca, Cl, Cu, Zn, and Ba.

In Janghwa-ri of Kanghwa Island morphological changes in four transects, 112 surface, and 2 core sediments were analyzed to understand the seasonal variation of the muddy tidal-flat environment. Sedimentary of facies can be classified into four facies; sand, muddy sand, sandy mud, and silt. During winter, the coarse-grained sediment facies expanded seaward. In the subsurface part of the core sediments, poorly sorted silty sediments dominate the area. According to the Pb-210 isotope analysis, accumulation rates of the tidal flat in Jangwha-ri appear to be . In the study area, the result is suggestive of a rapid change in depositional environments in recent years.

Focal mechanisms were analyzed for the seven earthquakes which occurred in the southwestern part of the Korea Peninsula from 2001 to 2005. Grid searches are performed to fit distributions of P-wave first-motion polarities and SH/P amplitude ratios for each event. The focal mechanism solutions imply that most of the events have strike-slip sense including partially thrust component. The compressional axes of the solutions are predominantly ENE-WSW or NE-SW indirections. This result is similar to the directions of the principal compressional axes for major earthquakes occurred around the Korea Peninsula.