A Comparative Analysis of Experts’ and Elementary and Secondary School Teachers’ Perceptions of the Intrinsic and Utilitarian Importance of Science Simulation

초록

This study aims to analyze the perceived gap between the educational value (intrinsicimportance) of science simulation content and its practical value (utilitarian importance)required in actual classrooms within the rapidly changing educational environment ofthe digital transformation era. Based on this analysis, the study proposes directions forthe effective development of science simulation content. A survey was conducted with 81science education experts and K–12 teachers, and the data were analyzed using Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA), analysis of variance (ANOVA), and independent-samples t-tests. The key findings are as follows. First, perceptions of intrinsic importance in the developmentof science simulations differed across participant groups. Experts prioritized alignment withthe curriculum and virtual inquiry activities, whereas elementary teachers emphasizedexperience with variable manipulation and repeated trials, and secondary teachersidentified support for concept visualization as the most critical element. Second, significantdifferences were observed between elementary and secondary teachers in their perceptionsof utilitarian importance during classroom implementation. Elementary teachers, reflectingthe characteristics of activity-centered instruction, placed high value on diverse variablemanipulation and Dialogic (interactive) feedback. In contrast, secondary teachers, influencedby concept-centered instruction, tended to perceive simulations primarily as supplementarylearning materials rather than inquiry tools. Third, the IPA results identified several coreteaching and learning elements requiring priority consideration, including the scientificaccuracy of conceptual visualization, the diverse manipulation of variables, and the userfriendlinessof digital device operation. Conversely, diverse assessment types and dialogic(interactive) feedback were perceived as relatively lower in both intrinsic and utilitarianimportance, suggesting that these elements may warrant further consideration in futuredevelopment. In conclusion, science simulation content development should move beyond uniform,developer-centered dissemination. Instead, differentiated development strategies arerequired that reflect grade-level instructional goals—such as activity-centered learning forelementary education and logical rigor for secondary education—along with the integrationof intelligent assessment and feedback systems.

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