Abstract
This paper investigates difficulties faced by high school teachers when teaching science research activities to high school students and discusses the utilization of former university teachers in these research activities. Recently, promoting science research activities for high school students, including the Super Science High Schools, has been a trend. However, it is evident that high school teachers who lead such research activities experience problems. Hence, various efforts have been made to encourage the participation of teachers with doctoral degrees as well as university professors. However, the participation of teachers with doctoral degrees is hampered because they lack a teaching license, while university professors have limitations because they need to secure time for their research. This paper proposes a novel approach, i.e., employing former highly experienced university teachers in conducting research in teaching science. Further, sufficient instruction is possible even in the short period (< 3 years) that students attend high school. Developing an organization that acquires the services of such teachers is expected to foster activities such as selecting appropriate leaders for students and collaborating research among high schools. This paper puts forth a proposal to introduce an organization that arranges for such leaders within and outside the university. It is recommended for future research to investigate the usefulness of the endeavor and issues in actual high school settings.
