In this study, the authors investigated the children’s construction processes of metaphors was useful in related to the children’s cognitions of nature. It was clarified that the concept of “affordance” was useful in interpreting the children’s constructions of metaphors. The processes ware examined in science lessons on “electrolysis of an aqueous solution and an ion” at lower secondary school. The details found are summarized as follows. (1) The representations of metaphors are constructed by children’s own commitment. This is the beginning of their cognitions in science. (2) The representations of metaphors arise from children’s “cognition of situations”. These are generated by both “object of cognition” and “prior knowledge” with the agency of cognitive “vehicles” That is, the construction processes of metaphors are related to reconstruction of the context by utilizing various cognitive “vehicles” toward new cognitions. (3) The meanings of the words in metaphors or the factors making up “cognition of situations” are expressed by “affordance” which has arisen through the interaction of the learner and the presented situation. This seems to show that children have arbitrary thought through their own rationalities in cognitions in science.

The aims of this research are as follows: 1) With the STS approach, develope the method of teaching, which is to advance students’ understandings of the relationships among science, technology and society. 2) Investigate the state of students’ understandings of science and technology, and examine how thier understandings change. 3) Make clear the benefits and problems of taking the STS approach. The hypothess of this practical research are as follows: 1) The best way to understand the nature of science is to understand researchers, We can advance students’ understandings of science by having them attend lecture meetings delivered by researchers. 2) We can advance students’ understandings of the relationships among STS by having them investigate the fact that companies apply the fruit of science to the process of producing products. 3) We can advance students’ understandings of the nature of science by letting students choose subjects for themselves that interest them and by giving them a chance to “be scientific” themselves actually. The principles for guiding students are as follows: Have students select subject which stimulate them, and give them opportunities to gather information on their own accord in the process of solving the problems. Extend the field of learning beyond the classroom and the school into the local area. Give them the experience which is necessary for them to become a scientifically literate citizen in the future, and so on. The results of this practical research are as follows: 1) Through their attendance to the lecture meetings, students got interested in the “researchers” lecture, and from examining the reports which were submitted by students after each lecture, I could see part of the students’ cognition about science. 2) The investigation of companies had a strong impact on students and it was effective for advancing their understanding on the relationships among science, technology and society. I succeeded in proving the hypotheses. 3) So far as research projects were concerned, all of the experiments which were planned succeeded.

In this sudy, episodic memories that university students have concerning their past laboratory work in school science were surveyed. The results show that university students retain in memory many of the scientific experiments they performed at elementary school inter alia, and that more affirmative episodes in experiments are retained than negative ones. In particular, they remember very well experiments on the properties of gasses carried out at elementary and lower secondary schools, and they enumerated experiments using chemicals and dissection of living things as negative episodes. Generally, elementary school children store many of the episodes concerning laboraroty work in school science in their long-term memory. It is therefore important for teachers to know of childrens’ past episodes as well as concepts they already have, so that they could make children recognize the aims and the values of experiments, and cultivate their metacognitive strategies. It is necessary to conduct scientific classes with a joyful atmosphere which assure retention of affirmative memories.

This study aims at clarifying the educational effects of STS module learning in the context of upper secondary school science classes. Concretely, the educational effects of science learning through the STS module on ‘Soap & Synthetic Detergents,’ developed by the authors, were examined in comparison with those of the usual science learning through the chemistry textbook. The results indicate that: (1) There was no singificant difference between the STS class and the usual calss with respect to the acquisition of scientific knowledge relevant to soap & synthetic Detergents.’ (2) The STS module learning made students highly aware of learning chemistry in general as well as learning of the topic itself. (3) The STS module learning broadened students’ image of “Soap’ and also changed their image of “Synthetic Detergents.’ (4) Students had an impression that the STS module learning was easier than usual learning with respect to contents of science learning. (5) The STS module learning made students learn both the value of soap and that of synthetic detergents, and reach a thoughtful decision making.