초등학교 5학년 ‘작은 생물의 세계’ 단원은 생물의 5계(kingdom)를 모두 포함하고 있는 단원으로 차시의 기본 구성이 인위 분류에 기반을 두고 있고, 일부 익숙하지 않은 생물들이 제시되어 있기 때문에 교사와 학생들이 수업에서 여러 가지 어려움을 겪을 수 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 ‘작은 생물의 세계’ 단원에 대해 교사와 학생들이 느끼는 교수・학습 곤란도와 이해도, 그리고 그 원인을 분석해 봄으로써 수업 개선을 위한 시사점을 도출하고 교육과정 및 교과서 개선을 위한 기초 자료를 확보하고자 하였다. 연구 대상으로는 서울, 경기도 소재 초등교사 50명과 경기도 초등학교 5학년 학생 101명이며, 이들을 대상으로 교사의 교수 곤란도와 원인, 학습자의 학습 곤란도와 원인, 단원의 핵심 개념에 대한 이해도에 대한 설문을 분석하였다. 연구 결과, 교사들은 ‘작은 생물의 세계’ 단원을 구성하는 총 10차시 중 물에 사는 작은 생물, 작은 생물 키우기, 작은 생물 생태 지도 만들기 등에서 상대적으로 높은 어려움을 겪고 있었으며, 그 원인으로는 생물재료 확보의 어려움, 실험기구와 자료의 불충분, 학습자의 실물 경험 부재 등을 들고 있다. 학습자의 경우는 물에 사는 작은 생물, 땅에 사는 작은 생물 등에서 상대적으로 높은 학습 어려움을 겪고 있었으며 그 원인으로는 실험기구 조작의 어려움, 작은 생물에 대한 낮은 이해도와 흥미 등으로 나타났다. 이러한 분석 결과를 바탕으로 해당 단원을 지도하는 초등교사들은 수업 준비 과정에서 교사와 학생들이 겪는 교수・학습 곤란도를 미리 인지하고 이에 대처하며 문제점을 적극적으로 보완하는 노력을 통해 수업 운영의 내실을 기할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.
‘The world of small living things’ unit for 5th grade of elementary school science is the one which includes all of 5 kingdoms creatures. The basic structure of instruction is based on artificial classification and shows some unfamiliar creatures so that teacher and student can undergo various difficulties in classes. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to draw implications for class improvement by analyzing levels of difficulties in teaching & learning felt by teacher and student about this, and to secure basic references to improve curriculum and textbook. As results of the research, teachers were undergoing relatively high level of difficulties for ‘small living things in the water’, ‘raising small living things’ and‘making the ecology map of small living things’. The causes were because of difficulty in securing small living things, insufficient experiences of observing creatures, and insufficiency of experimental equipments and materials. In students cases, they were undergoing relatively high difficulties for ‘small living things in the water and on the ground’, and the causes were because of incompetence of controlling microscope, low level of understandings and interests for small living things. The correlation between teachers’ and students’ difficulties was relatively high (r= .670), but the correlation between students’ learning difficulties and understandings for concepts was negative (r=–.402). Based on the results of these analysis, elementary school teachers can be expected to ensure internal stability of class operation through the efforts to recognize teaching & learning difficulties which teacher and student undergo while preparing classes, to deal with them and to make up for the weak points aggressively.
‘The world of small living things’ unit for 5th grade of elementary school science is the one which includes all of 5 kingdoms creatures. The basic structure of instruction is based on artificial classification and shows some unfamiliar creatures so that teacher and student can undergo various difficulties in classes. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to draw implications for class improvement by analyzing levels of difficulties in teaching & learning felt by teacher and student about this, and to secure basic references to improve curriculum and textbook. As results of the research, teachers were undergoing relatively high level of difficulties for ‘small living things in the water’, ‘raising small living things’ and‘making the ecology map of small living things’. The causes were because of difficulty in securing small living things, insufficient experiences of observing creatures, and insufficiency of experimental equipments and materials. In students cases, they were undergoing relatively high difficulties for ‘small living things in the water and on the ground’, and the causes were because of incompetence of controlling microscope, low level of understandings and interests for small living things. The correlation between teachers’ and students’ difficulties was relatively high (r= .670), but the correlation between students’ learning difficulties and understandings for concepts was negative (r=–.402). Based on the results of these analysis, elementary school teachers can be expected to ensure internal stability of class operation through the efforts to recognize teaching & learning difficulties which teacher and student undergo while preparing classes, to deal with them and to make up for the weak points aggressively.
