Abstract
The purposes of this study are : 1) to investigate how preservice elementary teachers in Japan recognize sunlight radiation ; and 2) to propose an essential knowledge about sunlight radiation which preservice elementary teachers (including the elementary teachers in active service) should have. The findings of this study are as follows : 1) there are many different thoughts about sunlight radiation among prservice elementary teachers, 2) most preservice elementary teachers could not fluently use the technical terms (e. g., nuclear fusion, photosphere, electromagnetic waves, visible rays, γ-rays, X-rays), when they intended to explain sunlight radiation, and 3) it is necessary for preservice elementary teachers, including the elementary teachers in active service, to have knowledge about visible rays (the rays leaving at each single point in the photosphere of the sun) and related matters.
