The Effects of High School-University Collaboration During Period for Inquiry-Based Cross-Disciplinary Study

Abstract

This study examined the effects on student competencies of providing opportunities that investigate academic truth and understanding methodological expertise through five seminars given by university researchers as a high school-university collaboration during period for inquiry-based cross-disciplinary study. We conducted a web survey targeting first and second-year students of high school A, in which the "University Collaboration Seminar" involving high school-university collaboration was introduced during period of inquiry-based cross-disciplinary study. The results showed that: (1) regardless of the seminar theme, the university teacher's field of study, or seminar management method, awareness of logical thinking, objectiveness, and utility for entrance examinations and employment significantly improved equally; (2) the students most actively involved in this practice improved their awareness of logical thinking; (3) in terms of the objectives of the period for inquiry-based cross-disciplinary study, "the ability to think, to make decisions, to express themselves" and "an attitude of proactive learning and developing students' individuality" improved. These findings suggest that providing opportunities that investigate academic truth and understanding methodological expertise by university researchers as a high school-university collaboration during period for inquiry-based cross-disciplinary study may effectively improve student competencies.