• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.144-152
• /
• 2007

In this study, high school science teachers' and students' various conceptions related to osmosis phenomena were compared with and analyzed in relation to the content of science textbooks used in high school science classrooms and college science courses. The questionnaires developed by the researchers were administered to science teachers and students. Differences can be found between the explanations of science textbooks on osmotic pressure and semi-permeable membranes. Many science teachers and students thought of osmotic pressure as 'membrane pressure occurred by the movement of a solvent'. Moreover, the types of teachers of semi-permeable membranes were similar regardless of their academic majors. Many of the teachers thought of a semi-permeable membrane as a membrane that 'passes small-size particles'; however, many students thought of this type of membrane as being 'selectively permeable'. Also, the salt-pickling cabbage phenomenon seemed to cause significant confusion to science teachers and students. These study results show that teachers and students possess various conceptions related to the osmosis phenomena. These different conceptions related to osmosis phenomena might cause confusion and diverse conceptions including misconceptions among teachers and students.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.371-384
• /
• 2008

The purposes of this study were to investigate perspective teachers' conceptions of liquid-state and get implications for the direction of science curriculum or professional development. The instrument was composed of seven questions focusing on aspects of liquid-state phenomena. The results showed that the participants have various alternative concepts about liquid-state. The problem revealed in almost every question was their macroscopic explanations for the phenomena. In addition, it appeared that the participants seemed to understand phenomena in terminology level, but they didn't know basic reasons or fundamental concepts about the phenomena. It is required to change the curriculum or instructional methods in secondary school and teacher education programs to anchor the scientific concepts on molecular or microscopic level.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.15-31
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary student teachers' conceptions about the mechanism of the greenhouse effect, the greenhouse gases, the global warming, and their learning experiences of the greenhouse effect and the global warming. Participants were 82 student teachers in their second year of studies (science education: n=28, not science education: n=27) and in their fourth year of studies (science education: n=27). The open-ended questionnaire was used to examine the teachers' spontaneous ideas depicted by their drawings and/or writings. The results of this study are as follows: First, the student teachers' scientific response rate about key concepts related to the mechanism of the greenhouse effect was low (6.1%~28.0%); Second, although there are various greenhouse gases, it was only carbon dioxide that the student teacher's response rate was more than 80%; Third, only 17.1% of the student teachers clearly distinguished the greenhouse effect and the global warming; Fourth, there was a tendency that the student teacher group in the fourth year of studies and science education showed higher scientific response rate about the concepts than the other two groups.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.231-243
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate misconceptions regarding the structure of flowers and the function of the course based on the 'Flower' section of 5th grade elementary school science courses. It also sought to investigate how misconceptions are changed before and after the application of a Driver learning model, and finally analysing any differences in the correction of misconceptions. A questionnaire was created for 199 5th grade elementary school pupils. The major results before and after using an applied Driver learning mode teaching plan are as follows: In the response for questions, 13.6% and 14.5% of misconceptions were corrected for male and female pupils, respectively. For rural and urban pupils, 14.8% and 11.2% of misconceptions were corrected, respectively. In the comparison of male and female pupils according to the reasons for selection of responses before and after using an applied Driver learning model teaching plan, 27.8% of male and 30.0% of female pupils scientific conceptions showed improvement. For rural and urban schools, 26.6% and 32.2% of scientific conceptions were improved, respectively. Data from this study may help teachers to reconsider their own conceptions regarding the study of the flower as it is presently conducted in elementary school.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.105-119
• /
• 2007

Several studies have attempted to test students' misconceptions of physics and to provide teaching strategies in order to repair them. The results from these studies have revealed that the diagnosis of students' misconception is crucial, although they often failed to grasp the practice of its implementation. In terms of being a type of methodology for science education, the Internet allows large-scale surveys and investigations to be carried out in a relatively short period of time. This paper reports the results of the development, implementation, and evaluation of a WEb-based SYStem for TEsting students' Misconceptions in physics (WEBSYSTEM) aimed at three groups (science educational researchers who study students' physics conceptions using the system as a detector, school science teachers who practice it as an instructional material, and students who benefit from it for their self-directed learning). The web-based testing system is based on a review of the instructional development strategies of ADDIE (Gustafson, Branch, 2002; Rha, Chung, 2001). Results showed that WEBSYSTEM could work effectively as a multi-purposed tool for the three target groups with a further partial revision, providing educational researchers with resourceful data to study students' misconceptions in physics. Issues of administrative strategies, reexamination of questionnaires, and international collaboration via WEBSYSTEM are discussed.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.385-398
• /
• 2008

The purpose of this study is to understand the effect of The Model of Phases of the Moon on conception changes for preservice teachers. The researcher interviewed two preservice teachers under the agreement with them on their participation in the research just before he performed a class using The New Model of Phases of the Moon. The post-interview with the same content as the pre-interview was preformed one month later. The main content of the interview is as follows; 'Explain the shape of the Moon by drawing it.', 'Explain the relative different position among the Sun, Earth, and Moon depending on phases of the Moon by drawing them.', 'What do you think of the cause of phases of the Moon?', 'Draw a picture to explain why we always see only one side of the moon.' The results of the research are as follows. First, the class with New Model of Phases of the Moon was able to perceive the relationship of Sun, Earth, and Moon in three-dimensions rather than in two-dimensions and it helped to change their misconception that the Moon's shadow causes the Moon's shape. Secondly, the class with New Model of Phases of the Moon helped preservice teachers understand better the different positional relationships among the Sun, Earth, and Moon depending on the Moon shapes. Third, the class adopting the New Model of Phases of the Moon help preservice teachers form scientific conceptions on the causes of phase change of the Moon. Fourth, the class with the New Model of Phases of the Moon is not appropriate for explaining the reason why only one face of the Moon is seen. Based upon the results above, the researcher realized the limitation of this model and suggested that this model would help learners understand phase change of the Moon and increase space perception ability.