RESEARCH ARTICLE
Analysis of Inquiry Activity and Required Equipment in the 2022 Revised Science Curriculum
Jaehee Cho, Hyunjung Kim*
Kongju National University
Correspondence to chem95@kongju.ac.kr
Brain, Digital, & Learning. Volume 15, Number 1, 77–92, March 2025. https://doi.org/10.31216/BDL.2025.15.1.5
Received on February 4, 2025, Revised on February 28, 2025, Accepted on March 4, 2025, Published on March 31, 2025.
Copyright © 2025. Institute of Brain based Education, Korea National University of Education This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the types and characteristics of inquiry activities in the 2022 revised science curriculum. To achieve this, inquiry activities were categorized into five types, and those presented in the curriculum were classified accordingly. Based on this classification, differences across school levels, variations among science sub-disciplines, and characteristics of digital-related inquiry activities were examined. Additionally, the required laboratory equipment and materials for supporting inquiry activities were identified and analyzed. The key findings are as follows: First, as students progress to higher school levels, the proportion of direct experiments decreases, and a more diverse range of inquiry activities emerges. Notably, digital technology integration becomes more prominent at the high school level. Second, physics and chemistry exhibit a high proportion of direct experiments, emphasizing precise experimentation with real-time measurement tools. Earth science focuses on investigation and data analysis using digital tools, while biology highlights field observations and ecological studies, necessitating portable equipment. Third, the proportion of ICT-based inquiry activities is particularly high in physics and earth science. In physics, ICT is utilized for precise data analysis, while in earth science, it provides indirect experiences for topics such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and celestial phenomena, which are difficult to experience firsthand.
Keywords
Inquiry activity, digital technology, 2022 revised science curriculum, laboratory equipment and materials