An Analysis of the Education Environment of a High School Life Science Class in Daejeon for the Development of a Bio-medical Science Experience Program

Cho, Dong Heon; Hwang, Hong Eik; Park, Jong Il; Shin, Sung Jae; Lee, Ji Young; Jeon, Byeong Hwa; Kim, Hwa Jung; Lee, Young Ha; Park, Jeong Kyu; Lee, Jung Un

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to understand and analyse the actual education environment of the subject, life science, and how it is taught in high school, and thereby make a realistic assessment of whether a medical life science experience program is necessary.
METHODS
The test method to assess the actual curriculum was developed by Life Science teachers, medical school faculty and education specialists. The subject was divided into 4 areas consisting of 6 items each. Our survey was mailed out. The analysis consisted of frequency analysis, chi-square analysis, correlation analysis, and variance analysis using SPSS 13.0 for Windows.
RESULTS
Over 90% of Life Science class teachers agreed that teaching should be done through lectures and lab experiments in parallel. However, currently the class is heavily lecture-oriented due to the lack of lab facilities, the lack of budget and the difficulty of organizing lab courses. Due to the nature of the subject, lab experiments are crucial. Therefore, it is recommended that a biomedical science experience program be included in the curriculum. This program should be offered during vacation and geared toward high school freshmen and sophomore students.
CONCLUSION
This research clearly showed the need to develop a high school biomedical science experience program. In order for the program to be successful, one must take into consideration the safety of experiments, the capability of the instructors, the development of a variety of experiments, the accessibility of the location of the lab, securing interest in education at a community level and the compilation of an experience program at every educational level.