The purpose of the present study was to investigate consumer knowledge and attitudes toward consumer education of college students in secondary teacher education preparatory programs in Korea. Specifically, this study was aimed to 1) measure the degree of consumer knowledge of college students in secondary teacher education preparatory programs, 2) assess the influences of socio-demographic variables such as academic level, academic major, sex, total family income, urban/rural background, and previous coursework in consumer economics on consumer knowledge, 3) evaluate attitudes of college students in secondary teacher education preparatory programs in Korea toward consumer education, 4) assess the influences of socio-demographic variables on attitudes toward consumer education, 5) examine the relationship between the degree of total consumer knowledge and attitudes toward consumer education when other socio-demographic variables are controlled. The sample was 388 freshmen and seniors in secondary teacher education preparatory programs, with majors in home economics, social studies, and business education, in the five randomly selected colleges in Korea. They were tested during May, 1991. The mean score for consumer knowledge was 30.18 which represented 75.4 percent correct. The relationships between consumer knowledge and selected socio-demographic variables were investigated using a one-way ANOVA. The results were as follow: 1) The degree of total consumer knowledge differed significantly by academic level, 2) The degree of total consumer knowledge and knowledge of the subarea of economic principles, consumer advocacy and buying practices differed significantly by academic major, 3) Only the degree of knowledge of the sub-area of buying practices differed significantly by sex, 4) There was no significant difference in the degree of total consumer knowledge and any sub-areas of consumer knowledge by total family income, 5) The degree of total consumer knowledge and knowledge of the sub-area of economic principles differed significantly by urban/rural background, 6) There was no significant difference in the degree of total consumer knowledge and any sub-areas of consumer knowledge by previous coursework in consumer economics. The mean score of attitudes toward consumer education was 2.94 on a scale of 1 to 4. The relationships of attitudes toward consumer education and socio-demographic variables were examined using a one-way ANOVA. Attitudes toward consumer education differed significantly only by previous coursework in consumer economics. To examine the relationship between the degree of total consumer knowledge and attitudes toward consumer education when other socio-demographic variables are controlled, a stepwise multiple regression anaysis was used. There was a significant positive relationship between consumer knowledge and attitudes toward consumer education. The results indicated that students majoring in home economics, female students, students who have taken consumer economics coursework, and students who have a higher degree of consumer knowledge have more favorable attitudes toward consumer education. / Graduation date: 1992

The main objectives of this research were to determine the perspectives of South Korean educators regarding the inclusion of environmental education into the curriculum of South Korean schools and to establish the educators’ level of knowledge of environmental education. The research was conducted using a translated questionnaire, which was administered to the educators. The findings of the research showed that few South Korean educators have had any training in environmental education. While most have had no exposure to environmental education it was found that they would appreciate training in the subject. The study highlights the importance of, and discusses the implementation of, environmental education in some Asian countries, as well as the constraints experienced during implementation. On the basis of the research findings, it is recommended that South Korea draw on the knowledge of other countries in both improving the current curriculum so as to include environmental education at all levels, and in the professional development of its educators, in order to bring about the effective inclusion and implementation of environmental education in South Korean schools. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Environmental Education)

The purpose of this research was to study the attitudes of Korean and American early childhood educators concerning gifted children and programs aimed specifically at meeting their needs. The study examined general attitudes towards giftedness and gifted education programs and factors that might affect those attitudes. The study also examined desirable environments for young gifted children. Twenty-item questionnaires were developed and logically divided into six sections (identification, teacher environment, classroom environment, parent environment, educational rights, and program). A systematic process of development, analysis, and refinement of the questionnaire was done. The questionnaires were given randomly to American educators attending the 1996 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference. A random Korean sample included early childhood educators listed in the Korean Association for Early Childhood Education Directory (1995-1996) and the Korean Association for Child Care Directory (1995-1996). All subjects were members of one of three groups: (a) teacher educators, (b) teachers, and (c) administrators/directors. The surveys found agreement between Korean and American early childhood educators on the importance of knowing the strengths of individual gifted children, the need to stimulate higher order thinking skills, the rights of gifted children to an appropriate education, a perception of more work for the teacher to add these options, and a feeling that gifted programs would be difficult because of the large number of children in classes. The teachers also agreed that it is not difficult to assess or identify gifted preschoolers and having programs for the gifted is not elitist, but that parents should have the main responsibility for meeting the needs of gifted preschoolers and that many gifted strategies are good for all children.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an inservice workshop on the attitudes and perceptions of South Korean educator participants toward community based instruction for students with mental retardation. Thirty South Korean educator participants from EMI, TMI, SMI, and SXI focused on classrooms were asked to respond to a questionnaire containing items that demographics, importance of community based instruction, necessity of community based activities for their students' adult lives, required instructional time for community based activities, satisfaction with their current instructional time for community based activities, and potential barriers to community based instruction. For the treatment procedure, an extensive in-service workshop on community based instruction was given to all educator participants. Results indicated that in general, educator participants expressed overall positive attitudes toward community based instruction and showed strong support for the necessity of community based activities in their students' adult lives. Interestingly, all of the 13 community based activities provided in this questionnaire received at least one rating of "never would be needed" in the adult lives for students with mental retardation. In general, these educator participants appeared to be dissatisfied with the current amount of instructional time allocated for community based activities. In addition, these educator participants perceived limited staff, transportation, scheduling, cost, and administrator reluctance factors as the major potential barriers to community based instruction. Further, differential responses between EMI educator participants and TMI, SMI, and SXI educator participants were noted for the questionnaire items related to necessity of community based activities, and satisfaction with the total amount of instructional time in community based activities. EMI educator participants indicated community based activities were more necessary and more satisfied with current amount of, time allocated in community based instruction than TMI, SMI, and SXI educators. Implication concerning the future prospects for community based instruction in South Korea for students with mental retardation were also presented. / Department of Special Education

The main objectives of this research were to determine the perspectives of South Korean educators regarding the inclusion of environmental education into the curriculum of South Korean schools and to establish the educators’ level of knowledge of environmental education. The research was conducted using a translated questionnaire, which was administered to the educators. The findings of the research showed that few South Korean educators have had any training in environmental education. While most have had no exposure to environmental education it was found that they would appreciate training in the subject. The study highlights the importance of, and discusses the implementation of, environmental education in some Asian countries, as well as the constraints experienced during implementation. On the basis of the research findings, it is recommended that South Korea draw on the knowledge of other countries in both improving the current curriculum so as to include environmental education at all levels, and in the professional development of its educators, in order to bring about the effective inclusion and implementation of environmental education in South Korean schools. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Environmental Education)

Physical education is important to promote physical activity of adolescents with and without disabilities, but many adolescents are not active during physical education classes. Innovative instructional strategies are imperative to change this phenomenon, but it will be challenging to develop effective instructional strategies without thorough understanding of students' physical activity behavior in physical education settings. Two studies were conducted to comprehensively understand physical activity behavior of adolescents with and without disabilities in inclusive physical education classes at middle schools. The first study investigated the utility of the integrative theory to predict students' physical activity intentions and behavior at the intrapersonal level. A total of 577 participants, including 24 adolescents' with disabilities, were recruited from 8 middle schools in Korea. In a prospective design, participants' psychosocial constructs and physical activity data were collected by survey questionnaires and electronic pedometers. A multilevel (design-based) structural equation modeling using maximum likelihood estimation with robust standard error correction found that students' attitudes, subjective norms, and barrier-efficacy significantly predicted students' goal intentions. Students' implementation intentions and task-efficacy were significant predictors of physical activity behavior. In addition, implementation intentions completely mediated the relationship between goal intentions and physical activity behavior. The second study investigated three conceptual models, including process-product model, student mediation model, and ecological model, to predict students' physical activity behavior at the interpersonal and environmental levels. A total of 13 physical educators teaching inclusive physical education and their 503 students, including 22 students with disabilities, were recruited from 8 middle schools in Korea. A series of multilevel (model-based) regressions with maximum likelihood estimation showed that the ecological model was the most effective model in prediction of students' physical activity behavior. Specifically, it was found that teachers' teaching behavior and students' implementation intentions were significant predictors of the students' physical activity behavior when interacted with gender, disability, lesson contents, instructional models, and class locations. In conclusion, findings suggest that intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental predictors provide a systematic account in the understanding of students' physical activity behavior in physical education settings. Future studies should consider all three factors simultaneously to effectively develop instructional strategies that promote physical activity of adolescents' with and without disabilities in physical education classes. / Graduation date: 2013

During the past few years, Deaf culture has emerged as an important philosophy that could lead to a radical restructuring of Deaf education methods. The purpose of this study was to determine attitudes concerning Deaf culture from teachers of residential based schools for the Deaf who are Deaf and Hearing.Prior to initiating direct contact with the teachers, the superintendents or principals of the selected residential schools were contacted via mail, and their permission secured. In the United States, 279 teachers (69 teachers who are Deaf, 210 teachers who are Hearing) from seven midwest residential based schools for the Deaf and in South Korea 310 teachers (26 teachers who are Deaf, 284 teachers who are Hearing) from all eleven residential based schools for the Deaf participated.Two-factor ANOVA procedures with repeated measures on one factor were utilized to analyze the teachers' attitudes toward Deaf culture in America and South Korea from a 30-question survey using a five-point Likert scale.This study concluded that: (a) Deaf culture was a subculture in mainstream society whether it was a multi- or singular cultural society--although attitudes toward Deaf culture were accepted more negatively in a singular society than those in a multi-cultural society; (b) Deaf culture was accepted by teachers of schools for the Deaf who are Deaf more readily than those who are Hearing in both multi- or singular cultural societies; and (c) there was no significant correlation between attitudes of teachers who were employed at different levels of instruction, such as elementary and middle or secondary school. / Department of Special Education