2017 Volume 57 Issue 4 Pages 369-385
The purpose of this study was to review the Japanese science curriculum materials to determine their potential for promoting teacher learning. In this study, curriculum materials for sixth-grade elementary science on “The Moon and the Sun” provided by six elementary science textbook publishers were evaluated from the viewpoint of design heuristics for educative curriculum materials. The research questions that guided this study are: (1) What kinds of contents of professional knowledge for teacher learning are supported intensively in the curriculum materials? (the contents of support); and (2) What kind of forms of support for teacher learning are contained in the curriculum materials? (the forms of support). Based on the results, some characteristics of the Japanese elementary science curriculum materials were identified. First, there was strong support for pedagogical content knowledge for science topics and scientific inquiry, especially with regard to support for teachers in using scientific phenomena, support for teachers in engaging students in questions, fostering data collection/analysis, and explanations based on evidence. However, there was weak support for teachers in helping students design investigations and in promoting scientific communication. Second, the materials contained several forms of support that help teachers improve their use of instructional approaches and activities in productive ways, i.e. implementation guidance. However, the materials contained only a few forms of support that present explicit justification for using particular instructional approaches by explaining why these approaches are pedagogically and scientifically appropriate, i.e. rationales. The article concludes by discussing the strengths and limitations in teacher learning supports within existing Japanese curriculum materials.
