Developing a Science Simulation Program to Teach the Concept of Balance in Physics: Its Development and Application for Gifted Korean Elementary Students of Science

In this study, we focused on the development of a simulation program for a Gifted Education Center in South Korea. We introduced our simulation program, which focuses on the concept of balancing concept in physics, and analyzed students' reasoning and perceptions. According to Brunner's EIS (Enactive, Iconic, and Symbolic Representation) theory, the simulation was designed to be abstracted gradually from iconic to symbolic. A simulation in three stages was developed, including game-like, indirect questions such as finding the number of all cases of balance. Three classes of students in grades 5 and 6 consisting of 44 gifted students in Korea participated in this study, and their reasoning and perceptions were analyzed. The results of the analysis of students' reasoning indicated that more than 70% of students predicted the phenomenon using mathematical models. Some students (17 out of 44 students) used particular strategies to count all cases of balance. Students perceived that the simulation program helped them to understand the phenomenon, considered that the simulation was not difficult and that the lecture, feedback, and teaching materials were satisfactory. Regarding self-participation, students perceived that they experienced new methods for exploring, were made keenly aware of phenomena and principles, made efforts to engage in creative thinking, and actively communicated with their peers through the simulation program. Through this study, we suggest an example of a gifted student program using a simulation and describe its successful application. Simulation activities, which form the context of this research, can lead to research related to computational thinking, which is crucial for our future society. We hope for more discussions to elaborate on and systematize context and methods of computer simulations.