Analysis of Science-related Experiences and Changes in Perceptions of Science of Middle School Gifted Students Who Participated in ASEAN+3 Junior Science Odyssey

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of six science gifted students in Korea who participated in ASEAN +3 Junior Science Odyssey through an in-dept interview. Through this, we tried to find an educational implications for the global science experiment and inquiry contest, which can change the perception of science and provide positive experiences about science for gifted students. As a result of this study, before participating ASEAN+3 Junior Science Odyssey, gifted students who had no experience in international exchange or science-related competitions, had a typical image of scientists, and had no experience conducting experiments autonomously at school. Through the experimental activities held in JSO, they realized the joy of the experiment to reveal knowledge and principles, and showed changes in their perception about science, such as changing image of scientists and showing confidence and interest in their careers in science and engineering. However, it was found that experience in terms of science-related self-concepts, such as self-efficacy and self-esteem was somewhat insufficient. Based on the result of this study, we proposed the appearance of the global science experiment and inquiry contest to change gifted students’ positive experiences related to science and their perception of science.