• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.19-37
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• 2021

Objective: This study aimed to explore the effect of the national preschool curriculum on children's development in Korea, focusing on teachers' daily practice. By comparing the effect of the teachers' curriculum practice to that of quantitatively measured free play, it tried to add practical implications beyond the statistical significance. Methods: Participants were 512 three-year-old children who participated in the Panel Study of Korean Children and their teachers. National curriculum practice and free play time at the age of three was put in the hierarchical linear regression models to discover children's developmental outcomes at the age of four, in domains of language, cognitive development, and social development. Results: Results demonstrated the significant positive influence of national curriculum practice on every domain of developmental outcomes. However, no facilitative influence of free play time was observed. Conclusion/Implications: The importance of teachers' practice of the national curriculum was emphasized. It was implied that the quantity of free play time itself did not assure the sound development of children. Policy implications were discussed regarding teacher practice and education.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.105-121
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• 2017

This study determined the reality of how middle school students are doing with their free learning semester and what they think about it. Also, the study looked at how many parts of Home Economics and the area of clothing curriculum are being taken and, especially, how many parts of this curriculum content are being required as free learning semester activities. This study aims to not only develop free learning semester activities according to student demand but also at providing a basic resource that can help activate the area of clothing curriculum in subject of Home Economics. In short: 1) Middle school students are attending activities such as career exploration activities, student selection activities, club activities, arts activities and physical education activities thoroughly through the free learning semester. These mostly take place in school and most of the students were taught by teachers from their own school. 2) The students are aware that the free learning semester's activities are helpful for them. The most helpful part was that it reduces the load they get from the school's exam and also the fact that they can investigate areas in which they are interested. 3) The number of students who have already taken or are taking activities related to Home Economics were 145, which is about 1/3 of the 451 students overall. The area where the most of the activities were held out of those activities related to Home Economics was the domain of food while the clothing curriculum accounted for a very small part compared to it. 4) The study found that need for a clothing curriculum for middle school student free learning semesters was about 2.79 on a scale from 1 to 5. The areas of most interest in this topic were highly related to 'making and mending clothes'.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Educational Facilities
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.11-20
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• 2014

A total of 2,325 schools including all of the middle and high school have operated variation type since government announced the "Variation Type classroom System Promotion Plan" in May 2009. New education policy, free learning semester of middle school, was introduced after current government took office, followed by extended application of educational policy. Korean students have a low level of happiness and interest in the school due to admissions intensive competition and the investment memorize education and cramming education. Therefore, in consideration of youth development stage, free learning semester system introduction commitment was announced in November 2012, and free learning semester was operated by way of showing an example in 2013, and then expansion implementation plan of 2015 was established, because free learning semester introduction in middle school stage is increasing. This study considers concept and operation method to free learning semester of middle school which are newly introduced, based on the policy documents of Ministry of Education. Also, through the example of Japanese schools, this analyses creativity, personality, social skills, and healthy corresponding to a free learning semester curriculum of middle school, and present method to apply for Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.12-24
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• 2015

This study aimed to investigate how middle school teachers perceived major features of the 'Free Learning Semester'. In 2013, the Free Learning Semester has been proposed by Korean government to provide students with the educational programs which deals with various activities in classroom in order to increase student's learning ability. The Free Learning Semester helps students to figure out their dreams and develops their talents. The government plans to expand the Free Learning Semester to all middle schools by 2016. Since teacher's perception is an important matter in the application of the Free Learning Semester, this study seeks to document the changes in curriculum by observing the perception of teachers in the school that implemented the Free Learning Semesters and those that did not implemented the Free Learning Semesters. 172 teachers from nine middle schools in Busan that their school schedules allowed were surveyed. Two school which operated the Free Learning Semester were compared to seven schools which did not operate the Free Learning Semester. The results are summarized as follows: First, almost all (97.7%) teachers in the Free Learning Semester schools have completed a training whereas 74.6% of the teachers in the non-Free Learning Semester schools have not. The usefulness of the training was satisfactory, but the teachers in the Free Learning Semester Schools wanted more practical help with the curriculum. Second, the result, which was statistically significant(p<.05), revealed that the first grade second semester of middle school was the best time to implement the Free Learning Semester. In order for its successful establishment in schools, there needs to be a reliable and effective evaluation system. However, the results regarding the introduction and management of the new system were not statistically significant. Lastly, in the Free Learning Semester Schools, the changes in teachers' perception were statistically significant (p<.05). The results show that the teachers need the training and the teacher's community to implement the curriculum and set a basis for valuation.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.119-141
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• 2023

Objective: This study aimed to investigate Pre-service early childhood teachers' perceptions and roles regarding young children's free play time. Methods: The study utilized the photovoice method and involved 21 pre-service early childhood teachers who expressed interest in participating. Participants were enrolled in an infants teaching methodology class in B city. The study involved four virtual meetings conducted via untact teams, and the automatic recordings of these meetings were transcribed for analysis. Results: The results revealed that pre-service early childhood teachers recognized young children's free play time as a period to enjoy full freedom, develop as the main agent of their lives, and express their imagination. Furthermore, pre-service early childhood teachers perceived their roles during young children's free play time as a specialist infant observer, a connector between play and learning, and a versatile supporter. Conclusion/Implications: The findings suggest the need for a systematic curriculum to provide pre-service early childhood teachers with a balanced perspective and awareness of the meaning of free play and teacher roles. The study highlights the importance of expanding pre-practice courses for observation of play and field-oriented curriculum for incumbent teachers.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.1172-1183
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• 2015

The purpose of this research is to analyze the recognition of the curriculum experts on 2015 integrated liberal arts and natural sciences curriculum revision. Research method is a delphi survey and the subjects are curriculum experts. The research results are as follows. Firstly, experts suggested common education for all students and students' opportunities to choose subjects. Secondly, the direction of curriculum revision was different by school level. The elementary school needs to foster convergence thinking. The middle school needs to educate common basic literacy education and the high school needs both the common education and the free choice of subjects by students. Thirdly, the separation of the liberal arts and natural sciences was caused by the separate thinking of custom, tradition and study and the separate exam application on liberal arts and natural science of college scholastic ability test. The solution about separation problem of liberal arts and natural sciences have been proposed to improve mathematics education and teachers' convergence education competency. Lastly, for the establishment of an 2015, integrated curriculum the reduction of the CSAT test area and the introduction of qualifying examination for English were required.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.23-37
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• 2014

This study critically appraised the accumulated articles based on the critical science perspective on Korea's home economics education. The 55 articles published from 1993 to 2011 were identified and placed into three categories: Critical science paradigm, practical problem-focused curriculum, and systems of action. The common result across categories was that some authors did not fully understand the concepts of practice, a practical problem-focused curriculum, the practical reasoning process, and the systems of action. A positive outcome of including a critical science perspective in the Korean national curriculum will be seen when systems supporting this perspective, such as those providing more specific information on a critical science perspective and the relevant textbook accreditation standards, are available. We present a proposal based on considerations of a national curriculum, teacher education, relevant philosophical perspectives, and classroom practice.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.122-131
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• 2002

Recently, performance assessment that makes growing use of free response items in a large scale assessment has been emphasized. This study is an empirical examination of the effectiveness of free response items in comparison with multiple choice items. Using the information function in Item Response Theory (IRT) framework, item information of free response items and multiple-choice items from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study-Repeat (TlMSS-R) were obtained. Test information of the whole science area as well as each area of science contents was computed. On average, free response items yielded more information than multiple choice items, especially in earth science, physics, chemistry, and life science. This study also showed that free response items were appropriate for students in high science ability. Also, free response items estimated students' science ability more accurately than multiple choice items with smaller number of free response items.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.69-89
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• 2014

The purpose of this paper was to understand the outlines of 1) common and free curricula implemented by the first pilot schools and 2) Home Economics related programs from both curricula. This study analyzed the 42 reports from the first pilot schools which implemented the free learning semester in 2013. The results showed that more than half of schools set two or more emphasis models of the free learning semester. In 15 out of 28 schools, the lesson hours of Home Economics were reduced by one to three hours. Various common curricula were implemented in many aspects of teaching-learning methods, curriculum, evaluation, and subject related career lessons. Free curriculum was implemented in four areas such as career exploration, student optional program, club activity, and art sports activity. In common curriculum, Home Economics was carried out in 17 out of 39 schools. The Home Economics class included subject related career lessons and improvement of teaching- learning methods. Various interesting activities and programs as a free curriculum were implemented in career exploration, students' optional program, and club activities in 38 schools. The most frequently implemented was the activity program related to food and nutrition. Further research was proposed to develop students' optional programs related to Home Economics subject, responding to their needs.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.27-32
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• 2001

The paper describes some principles how we design the mathematics curriculum through mathematical Modelling. since the motivation for modelling is that it give us a cheap and rapid method of answering illposed problem concerning the real world situations. The experiment was focussed on the possibility that they can involved in modelling problem sets and carry modelling process. The main principles could be described as follows. principle 1. we as a teacher should introduce the modelling problems which have many constraints at the begining situation, but later eliminate those constraints possibly. principle 2. we should avoid the modelling real situations which contain the huge data collection in the classroom, but those could be involved in the mathematics club and job oriented problem solving. principle 3. Analysis of modelling situations should be much emphasized in those process of mathematics curriculum principle 4. As a matter of decision, the teachers should have their own activities that do mathematics curriculum free. principle 5. New strategies appropriate in solving modelling problem could be developed, so that these could contain those of polya's heusistics