Study on discussion activities in Science Classes

Abstract

In these studies, opportunities for discussion were constantly provided in science, Japanese, and math classes at an elementary school. The discussions were videotaped and recorded by cassette tape recorder over a long period, and pupils' discussion activities were analyzed. In Study 1, it was clarified that the communication skills pupils used varied depending on the subject. The results of Study 2 indicated that the teaching methods which each teacher independently established for each subject, based on the instruction guides, significantly affected the pupils' communication. That is, the pupils' discussions reflected the old teaching methods used by instructors who had not changed their ways. This suggests that teaching methods need to be restructured. In Study 3, a self-monitoring system was introduced. As a result, a discussion culture in which pupils exchanged knowledge and experience was formed. Furthermore, the study revealed that the communication skills observed in science classes were applied to discussions in other subjects. This result showed that drawing on students' existing cooperative learning skills enabled them to communicate effectively in other subjects.