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The purpose of this study is multifold: First, to develop an educational program using artificial intelligence (AI) in middle school free semester system of South Korea. Second, to verify the program's effectiveness, the study clarified the definition of AI and AI education and considered their meaning in technology education. This study used three steps: preparation, development, and improvement. In the preparation step, this study set the theme and purpose of the AI program and selected the free semester activity type "theme selection activity." After analyzing the technology curriculum and extracting AI-related elements in the development step, this study laid out the program for 16 h of class time. In the improvement step, to augment the program's validity, the researcher revised and supplemented it as a whole through expert consultation. This research differentiated the developed program from the AI education program of other subjects and specialized it, focusing on the specificity of technology education. The study emphasized the social impact of the latest technology, ethics of AI, physical computing using AI, and technological problem-solving activity using AI. The final developed program was applied to the students, and students participated in a pretest and posttest. The study used the PATT and AI competency test tools. The PATT results showed a significant increase in the mean of both constructs in "interest in technology" and "career aspirations in technology." In AI competency, the mean of two constructs increased significantly in "social impact of AI" and "AI performance." In particular, "AI performance" showed the largest increase. There was no statistically significant change in "interaction with AI." The study results confirmed that the developed AI program was effective in technology education and career exploration, which is the primary purpose of the free semester. In addition, it was possible to confirm the technology educational value of the AI education program centered on technological problem-solving. These research results have implications for bringing AI into technology education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to develop a program that incorporates computational thinking into technology education classrooms and to investigate its effect on students. Software (SW) education and physical computing education are frequently addressed topics in technology education, but education about computational thinking (CT) lacks interest and research. Therefore, it is necessary to further develop educational programs in technology. In this study, we developed a program integrating CT, which centered on technological problem-solving processes. The program comprised 12 total hours of hacking a remote control (RC) car using Micro:bit development tool. This study investigates the effects of the developed program with a single group pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design. Nineteen students participated in the study, completing survey instruments that measure CT competency and attitudes toward CT and technology, answering an open-ended questionnaire, and voluntarily took part in semi-structured interviews. The results showed that the technological problem-solving program positively affected participants' CT-related competencies. Moreover, we observed improvement in participants' attitudes toward technology due to the integration of CT into their technology education classes. This study provides a strong case for incorporating CT into technology education. It also suggests future research direction regarding the development of students' CT competencies in various technological problem-solving contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to investigate—using text network analysis—how key Korean mass media outlets present issues of maker education. To accomplish this goal, 1303 news articles (associated with maker education) were collected as issued by 54 Korean mass media companies. Based on this data, this study reports the frequency and network analyses using keywords gaining the following findings. First, the findings of a yearly trend in issues indicated an increased volume of issues related to maker education. In particular, there were sharp increases when the Korean government announced its maker education policy in 2017 and 2018. The monthly trend within this time period indicated that there were many news articles in May, June, October, and November. Second, the frequency analysis showed predominant keywords like education, student, maker education, maker, and school. TF–IDF analysis finalized the following keywords: maker, school, student, makerspace, support, and work. Third, network analysis of the keywords showed categorized terms such as future education, school curriculum-linked maker education, maker education for youths, diffusion of maker culture, maker education support project, direction on maker education policy, fabrication, and start-up. The following recommendations are derived from these findings. First, maker education policy should be expanded to the public: in particular, the target and projects for maker education should be expanded to diverse people and places. Second, full recognition of technology and design education are necessary to help settle maker education. This study will provide an outline for research regarding maker education and its implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One distinguishing feature in terms of national curriculum revisions is the emphasis on invention education in the subject of technology. This study investigates how South Korean middle school students perceive inventors. A manufactured tool for testing and a checklist for evaluating images of inventors were created to assess drawings of 115 8th grade students. The final 108 surveys (from 52 male and 56 female students) were analyzed, and the results were quite similar to those of prior studies that examined how students picture scientists. This research confirmed that students had stereotypical images of inventors. Stereotypical elements that were not depicted in prior studies were also discovered. For example, tools such as spanners, hammers, and screwdrivers, which are used for building and fixing things, were proposed as symbols of research by students. Overcoming such stereotypical representations requires improving stereotypical images of inventors as they are presented in photos and figures of textbooks, developing and implementing educational programs that introduce relevant images of inventors, and changing teachers' recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted with the aim of creating a new introductory course emphasizing the development of technological literacy for elementary school pre-service teachers. This study also aimed to investigate elementary school pre-service teachers' attitudinal transition toward elementary school technology education (ESTE) and its implementation. An introductory ESTE program within Practical Arts Education was developed through a procedure consisting of preparation, development, and improvement. The program was implemented among 127 elementary school pre-service teachers for 7 weeks in South Korea. The learning contents based on the ESTE research and national curriculum included (1) technology learning units in the Practical Arts textbooks, (2) technology and invention, (3) drawing and design, (4) wood products, (5) basic electricity and electronics, and (6) integrative science, technology, engineering, and mathematics/science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics education. These contents were delivered via an instructor's lecture, hands-on activities on technological design, and cooperative learning. A pre- and post-test on the study participants' attitudes toward ESTE and on their knowledge, competency, and anxiety in relation to the six learning contents were conducted. The research results indicated a stable improvement in the study participants' attitudes toward ESTE, their level of knowledge about ESTE, and their competency to teach ESTE. The developed program also decreased their anxiety in relation to teaching ESTE. The study findings may provide useful insights into the professional development of elementary school teachers in connection with ESTE, and into the implementation of technology education in the elementary school setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to identify trends of integrative approach in South Korean technology education. A literature review was completed from 131 selected research journal papers published in South Korean academic databases from 2010 to 2018. The review identified four trends. First, research on technology education within STEAM education has steadily increased since 2010, with student-targeted studies comprising the largest share. Second, program development and implementation type was the most frequent regarding the research types. Third, the analysis of school subjects integrated with technology for integrative approach in South Korean technology education showed the most links to science. Fourth, invention was the most common focus in analysis of the content area of technology education, while creation constituted the most common core concept of the new Korean national curriculum. The results of this study shed light on the place of technology education within STEAM education in South Korea and has implications for research and practice for integrative STEAM education in future Korean technology education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined U.S. construction industry perceptions regarding key competencies for construction graduates using a survey of recruiters for over 100 construction companies located in the eastern United States. The survey asked recruiters to rate 14 key competencies for construction graduates that were identified as important in the literature: ethical issues, problem-solving skills, interpersonal skills, leadership, adaptability, collaborative skills, safety issues, interdisciplinary application, practical awareness, technical skills, computer skills, estimating/scheduling skills, communication, and environmental awareness. A descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis revealed that ethical issues, problem-solving skills, and interpersonal skills were considered by recruiters to be key significant competencies for construction graduates, whereas communication and environmental awareness were ranked lowest. Clustering the 14 key competencies using factor analysis identified four classes of competencies for construction graduates: (1) general competency, (2) affective competency, (3) cognitive competency, and (4) technical competency. These key competencies were compared with accreditation content areas for two major accrediting bodies of construction degrees, and gaps were identified for further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vulnerability assessments can provide useful information for the establishment of climate change adaptation strategies. We performed spatial vulnerability assessments for multiple plant species that incorporate potential range shifts to areas of future suitable climate. We conducted the assessments at a national level for plant species organized into vulnerable species groups. We then identified a climate meta-corridor for each vulnerable group that could potentially be a pathway for multiple species., We estimated climate suitability for 2297 South Korean terrestrial plant species under current climate conditions and climate projections for 2050 using the Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines multiresponse species distribution model. We classified the plants into five groups based on their current spatial distribution patterns: centrally located species, wide-range species, coastal mountain species, montane species, and lowland species. Three vulnerability assessment components - exposure, spatial disruption, and dispersal pressure - were used to calculate the spatial vulnerability of each species. Vulnerability values were averaged by group. We identified climate meta-corridors that would link current suitable areas to future climatically suitable areas, and tested the corridors for multi-species accessibility., The vulnerability assessment indicates that coastal mountain, montane, and lowland species groups, comprising 37% of all modelled species, are the most vulnerable to climate change. The climate meta-corridor for each group overlaps at least some portion of 83% or more of its species' current modelled ranges. The current and future climate-suitable areas for the lowland species group have very little spatial overlap, suggesting a high priority should be placed on the corridor identified for these species. We found that the destinations of the climate corridors converge, raising questions about large numbers of species moving to limited areas, and that transboundary corridor modelling is needed on the Korean Peninsula., Policy implications. Each of the three meta-corridors has unique policy implications: assisted migration for the highest elevation species for the montane; significant conservation and restoration work for the lowland; and perhaps no direct intervention but monitoring to evaluate effectiveness of the relatively intact habitats of the coastal mountain meta-corridor. Overall, implementation policies for climate connectivity will be context-dependent, requiring different approaches dependent on local and regional conditions and the species targeted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]