In this study, the authors have surveyed the students' conceptions of the changes of state of matter in order to clarify the understanding of the nature of particles of matter in the lower secondary school by the interview method and examined the results from the point of view of the generative learning model. The main points arising from this study are as follows: 1) Their views of the nature of particles of matter are categorized into four clusters. • Phenomenological theory: macroscopic responses with no mention of particle ideas • Pre-particle theory: application of macroscopic ideas to particle • Pseudo-particle theory: addition of irrelevant properties to ultimate particle persistence of a continuous view • Particle theory: addition of relevant properties to ultimate particle confidence of vaccuum between the particle 2) Their views are tenacious and resistant to change despite instruction. The changes of percentage from 1st grade to 3rd grade in each category are as follows. • Phenomenological theory: 53% ➔ 33% ➔ 7% • Pre-particle theory: 33% ➔ 40% ➔ 47%• Pseudo-particle theory: 13% ➔ 20% ➔ 33% • Particle theory: 0% ➔ 7% ➔ 13%

On the decomposition of anionic surfactants on the soil, some experiments were developed as a subject matter for environmental education. As the anionic surfactants, sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and sodium linear alkylbenzenesulfonate (LAS) were used; as test soil, sea sand, red-yellow soil and humus rich soil were used. Fifty grams of test soil was added into 500ml of the surfactant solution (initial concentration: 50mg/l) and the mixture was incubated in a water bath controlled at the temperature of 30°C. The change in the surfactant concentration of the solution was measured by the colorimetric method. From the experimental results, the following facts were clarified. (1) Concerning the decomposing ability of soil, we have humus rich soil, red-yellow soil and sea sand in order of decrease. (2) SDS was readily decomposed, compared with LAS. (3) The decomposition rate of LAS by humus rich soil decreased remarkably by sterilization of the soil. This shows that the biochemical action of microorganisms in humus rich soil contributes to the degradation of surfactants. (4) The decomposition rate of SDS by the sea sand, which was treated with nitric acid or sodium hydroxide solution, decreased significantly. From this, it is clear that the chemical degradation of the surfactants occurred on the surface of the soil. The reagents used are low in price, and precious instruments are not used in these experiments. The procedures are simple and can be easily performed by secondary school students. When these experiments are carried out, they can fully recognize the importance of environmental protection and the great ability of self-purification of pollutants in nature itself. From the results and discussion mentioned above, we can conclude that our experiments can be considered a valuable subject matter for environmental education in the secondary school level.

The present paper describes the microcomputer-based teaching material which is useful and effective in the learning of the electric circuits at the elementary school level. In this material, the computer shows animated illustrations of the flow of currents and the lightness of bulbs to help form the image of current for children. The software package has eight programs: (1) Direction of currents by means of the compass needle. (2) The reason why bulbs light up. (3) Method of connecting bulbs. (4) Method of connecting cells. (5) Currents in the circuit of parallel cells. (6) Seemingly different circuits. (7) Weakening of cells in different circuits. (8) Search of the pathways of currents. These contents have been found to be necessary for teaching electric circuit in the fourth grade class.

The purpose of this study is to examine the children's understanding of everyday natural phenomena. The notion of mental model is introduced to represent their undersatnding. We design to focus on the rainfall process. The method used in this study is the clinical interview. The subjects were 116 children selected from two elementary schools. The subjects included 40 first graders, 36 third graders, and 40 fifth graders. Each subject was asked a series of questions about his or her understanding of the rainfall process within 20 to 25 minutes. The interviews were tape recorded and later transcribed verbatim. The protocol data from the subjects were analyzed to present the construction of mental models for the rainfall process. The results show that at least 81 of all the subjects have constructed wellarticulated mental models. Moreover, we found that four kinds of mental models are typically constructed by the subjects in the understanding of the rainfall process.

The purpose of this study focused on elucidating how lower secondary school students are able to solve the problems in physics and in chemistry based on the "advance organizer" as well as what causes them to fail to solve problems. Three kinds of problems from the teaching unit "electric current" were given to each of the students and the correlations among the results were examined. The three kinds are: first problem which require the students to find out the solution procedure and to apply the basic concepts successfully, second problem which is provided with a sub-test as clues for the solution procedure, and third problem which asks an independent basic concept. The results have revealed that more than 60% of the acquisition of basic concepts should be necessary to solve the first and the second problems. Furthermore; they also have revealed that not a few students, though they had acquired the basic concepts, could not apply the knowledge to solve the first and the second problems. Three kinds of problems, described above, suggest that it is necessary for them not only to learn declarative knowledge but also to structurize this knowledge and the teaching strategies through tackling complicated problems. Thus, by giving three kinds of tests, it is possible to identify the causes of the students' failures and to make clearer the gradual steps for the study of physics. It is hoped that this diagnostic method will be much more appropriate than the more conventional method based on one-dimensional evaluation.

We usually give both practical test and paper-pencil test to evaluate experimental skills. I tried to clarify the correlation of these two tests mentioned above and the teaching method by its result, using the tests of filtration. The major findings are as follows: 1. About the correlation of experimental knowledge and skills of filtration. (1) The achievement scores of the skills are different from the knowledge and science achievement scores. (2) The practical test is more effective than paper-pencil test to evaluate the experimental skills of filtration. 2. About teaching method of experimental skills of filtration. (1) It is important that a teacher should be free from achievement score of each pupil, but should consider his experimental skills. (2) By acquiring the knowledge of filtration, the students make progress in the skills of theoperations of "folding filter paper" and "position of glass stick and beaker." (3) A teacher trains pupils to learn how to operate, so they make progress in the operations of "position of glass stick's end" and "position of filter's leg."

Regarding lower secondary school students' ability to understand the biological names of familiar plants and animals (24 varieties) in relation to their living environment (the proportion of those students who knew the habitats and correspondingly knew the vernacular names of organisms). We examined the differences between one student group which had direct experiences with the plants and animals (experiences of catching and handling) and the other group without direct experiences. These results are clarified as follows: 1) The group of students who had direct experiences significantly exceeded the group without direct experiences. It was clarified that the understanding of the biological names was associated with knowing the habitats. 2) The degree of students' direct experiences with plants and animals based on how common or familiar they are was categorized according to 3 types-high, middle and low. 3) In the case of animals, where the degree of the students' direct experiences was high, many indicated middle or higher degrees of ability to understand their names. However, in the case of plants, where the degree of the students' direct experiences was high, the ability to understand the names, comparatively, tended to be quite low. 4) Since it is possible to easily allow students greater contact with familiar plants and animals in their natural environment, I think that from the standpoint of achievement, having students comprehensively and correctly understand nature in this way would serve the goal of science education as an extremely effective educational aid.

When the "Shougakkou-Rei" was revised in 1900, Gentaro Tanahashi, who was then a teacher at the attached Primary School to Tokyo Higher Normal School, put into operation the taking of the course entitled "Jikka" by the 1st ~ 4th primary school graders in the school where he was teaching under permission issued by the Ministry of Education of Japan. The "Jikka" as a primary school subject was actually a combination of the courses known at that time as "Chokkan-ka" and "Kyodo-ka" (Heimatkunde). "Chokkan-ka" was taught to the 1st and 2nd primary school graders by utilizing teaching materials mainly extracted from Social Studies and Science Courses. It is very similar to the subject termed "Seikatsu-ka" that is being envisioned to be taught to the 1st and 2nd grade pupils at the elementary school level throughout the country form 1989. In this study, the author attempted to examine the "Chokkan-ka" as stipulated by Tanahashi based on the aspects listed below so that the characteristics of the subject could be clarified fully. 1. The principles used in content construction. 2. The measures made in order to cope with the problems arising from the teaching situations using science and social studies materials in integrated form. 3. Matters related with language teaching. 4. Method of teaching and learning employed in "Chokkan-ka."