Model Eliciting Activity(MEA)를 통한 초등 과학영재들의 문제해결 특성 분석

The purpose of this study is to analyze elementary science gifted students’ characteristics of the thinking in the problem solving process through a MEA(Model Eliciting Activity)activity. The subjects of this study are 40 elementary science gifted students who passed the first screen for the admission to the science gifted education institute in P university in 2018. The MEA activity was 'Coffee cup challenge', which is to find the best way to place cup side and bottom to save paper in a given material. Three drawings from each student and explanations of each drawing through out the design process were collected as the main data source. The data were analyzed by statistically (correlation coefficient) and qualitatively to find the relationship between; 1) the intuitive thinking and visual representation and 2) analytical thinking ability and communication skills that reflect MEA activities. In conclusion, first, intuitive thinking plays an important role in the ability of visual representation through pictures and the whole problem solving process. Second, the analytical thinking and elaboration process which are reflected through reflection on the arrangement of the drawings have a great influence on the communication skills. Therefore, this study investigated that MEA activities are useful activities to stimulate both intuitive and analytical thinking in elementary science gifted students, and to develop communication ability, by organizing their own ideas and providing learning opportunities for various solutions.