2015 Volume 25 Issue 2 Pages 2_28-39
This study analyzed support activities for an elementary school’s nature education classes to clarify the features of the reflections of the people conducting the support activities. University students and the community group members involved in nature conservation were interviewed about the support activities they had conducted for classes offering nature education activities for third-grade students. Further, interviews with teachers and three questionnaire-type surveys with children were carried out to know the effects of the support activities.
It was clear that the support activities by the university students and the community group contributed to the children’s acquisition of knowledge of living things, development of feelings of intimacy toward them, and successful progress of subsequent inquiries of children. The university students and community group members reported similar narratives, such as recognition of children’s sensitivity and abilities, self-evaluations to their activities through support activities, and respects for and evaluation to other members having profound knowledge of nature and living things. The university students reported that they acquired the knowledge of living things through the preparation of class support. There were different narratives on educational methods due to different learning styles in educational activities.
