The Effect of Learning Activity in Science on the Formation of Humanity (Part 1) -A change of personality through integrated-subject instruction in lower grade elementary science-

Abstract

Recently, the importance of the formation of humanity in science education has received emphasis. It is the formation of humanity in science education that children acquire a high competence of cognitive and affective aspects including the development of knowledge-understandings, skills, and attitudes. Until now, many studies concerning cognitive aspect in the process of the recognition of nature were made. There is, however, little research relating to affective aspect. In the present study, affective aspect of the competence is concentrated upon. The purpose of this study is to identify what part of affective aspect can be developed in the process of investigating nature and how affective aspect relates to the formation of the recognition of nature or cognitive aspect. When scientific competence is divided into two aspects, i.e., objective aspect of knowledge-understandings and (problem solving) skills and subjective aspect of attitudes, this development of scientific attitudes is deeply concerned with the affective aspect of the formation of humanity. To be concrete, it is expected that the development of scientific attitudes of independency, indefatigability, and ingenuity in science learning greatly influence traits of character of independency, indefatigability, and ingenuity as personality. In this study, lower grade children in elementary school have learned intensive integrated-subject course for about half a year. Because, it is anticipated that the development of scientific attitude and the change of personality can be obtained while children mJ.ke suitable learning [activity such as modeling, painting, and body expression for their own traits, investigate nature with interests, and deepen their recognition. The main results obtained from the study, all of which agreed with these ideas mentioned above, may be summarized as follows : 1. Through integrated-subject learning desirable change of scientific attitudes and traits of character as personality were found at statistically significant level. 2. It was proved at statistically significant level that the more participation and understanding of the learning activity children showed, the greater they changed in scientific attitude and personality. 3. It was also found at statistically significant level that the rise of scientific attitude caused the rise of personality.