Research interest

#1. Pre-service and in-service science teacher education with ICT and Web 2.0

Promoting pre-service and in-service science teacher education program with the help of Web 2.0 technology like blog and wiki. Recently I used SNS like Facebook and Youtube for supporting teaching practicum. I believe this kind of technologies will be helpful to teacher’s reflective thinking skill.

• Baek, S., Cha, J., & Oh, J. (2014). Perceptions of secondary pre-service teachers and their faculty advisors on e-mentoring during the teaching practicum. Korean Education Inquiry, 32(1), 1-22.
• Cha, J. (2013). An exploratory study on the use of clickers in preservice chemistry teacher education. Journal of the Korean Chemical Society, 57(4), 499-506.
• Noh, T., Cha, J., Kang, S., & Scharmann, L. C. (2004). Perceived professional needs of Korean science teachers majoring in chemical education and their preferences for online and on-site training. International Journal of Science Education, 26(10), 1269-1289.

#2. Science education for the disabled

Daegu University originated from the school for the blind 50 years ago. We have a powerful infrastructure of the research and development system for special education. Currently my colleagues and I are struggling to broaden research area to science.

• Kim, H. B., Pak, S. J., & Cha, J. (2015). Science Educators’ Perceptions About the Learning Situation of Visually Impaired Students through Scientific Inquiry in the Darkroom. Journal of the Korean Association for Science Education, 35(4), 609-618.
• Kim, H. B., Baek, S., Cha, J. (2013). A case study on the visually impaired elementary students' conception of dissolution. Journal of the Korean Chemical Society, 57(4), 507-514.

#3. Informal science education 

As a member of Science Education Research Institute at Daegu University (SERI-DU), I joined many out-of-school science education projects including science field trip to Korean traditional historic sites, “Life Science Class Comes to School” project. Recently we are educating prospective planners & developers of science exhibition.

• Kim, C., Cha, J., Kim, I., Choi, J., & Hwang, B. (2011). Development and application of practice-centered science camp programs. Journal of Science Education, 35(1), 102-118.

#4. Science teaching methods

I have many research experiences on teaching methods – cooperative learning, computer-assisted instruction, Web-based learning, using analogy and anomalous data.

• Kan, S.-Y., Cha, J., Chia, P. W. (2015). A case study on using uncritical inference test to promote Malaysian college students’ deeper thinking in organic chemistry. Journal of the Korean Chemical Society, 59(2), 156-163.
• Cha, J., Yi, H., Kim, Y., & Noh, T. (2007). The Effects of cooperative problem solving learning by bender in middle school science class. Research in Open Education, 15(1), 113-127.