부산시내 중고등학생의 시력과 안경착용실태에 따른 생물교육학적 고찰

Abstract

Previous studies on the application of biological science education to the incidence of eyeglass use in middle and high school students focused primarily on the relationship between visual acuity and eyeglass use. There are few studies which focus specifically on the regional features of Busan. The aims of this study are (1) to conduct a fact-finding survey of eyeglass use based on the visual acuity of middle and high school students in Busan; (2) to investigate and analyze understanding and knowledge of biological science for these students; (3) to illustrate the necessity for biological science education; (4) to provide research data for further study in this area. A total of 821 middle and high school students from four different schools in Busan participated in this study between July 1st and July 30th, 2007. Surveys were conducted with these students and the results were compared and analyzed. The results are as follows: 1. In the fact-finding survey of eyeglass use and visual acuity of middle and high school students in Busan, 66.26% of the respondents reported that they wore eyeglasses while 74.3% of the respondents were found to have deteriorating eyesight. Among those respondents with deteriorating eyesight that did wear eyeglasses, 15.26% had an incorrect prescription. 13.77% of the respondents with deteriorating eyesight did not wear eyeglasses at all. Questionnaires were given to these two groups to investigate why they did not wear eyeglasses or why they did not have their eyeglass prescription changed. The major reason given was that they did not feel any inconvenience in living. This observation shows that increasing numbers of students have limited spheres of activity and do not feel any inconvenience even with their bad eyesight. 2. In the survey of the students' attitude toward the necessity of undergoing a routine eyesight exam, 72.47% of the respondents did not take such an exam while 52.98% of the respondents reported limited awareness of the necessity of the exam. 47.59% of these respondents indicated mass media as their primary source of information while only 4.83% of them indicated their school as a source of such information. These results illustrate the need for more educational approaches in schools. 3. In the survey of the understanding about the eye in the biological science curriculum, the results indicate that increased study of the eye in biological science classes lead to increased understanding of the workings of the eye. The difference in understanding between students who studied the eye in Biological Sciences classes and those who did not was significant (p<0.001). This result illustrates that education is a major factor in understanding the workings of the eye. 4. In the survey of the knowledge of the eye in biological science education, students were unfamiliar with such concepts as short-sightedness, astigmatism, and weak eyesight. These results suggest that it is necessary to include more information about such concepts in the curriculum of biology.