This study explored, from the perspective of pedagogical content knowledge, how pre-service science teachers’ cognitions on science lesson change through teaching practice. We conducted pre (N=224)post (N=226) survey (years 2015, 2016, 2017) before/after teaching practice on prospective science teachers at National University A. Consequently, we pointed out following two points: (1) student teachers do not fully identify differences between to understand students’ reality and to instruct them, (2) at preparation of lesson, they became able to make a lesson based on the topic/subject matter that they try to teach, considering strategies that they utilize.

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In this study, we aimed to explain how children perceive and sense the various types of “beats” in dance music by experiencing the physical activity of dance in an elementary school music department. To achieve this objective, we planned classes to focus on the appreciation of dance music with two different rhythms of folk and court dances. First, the participants listened to two types of dance music, and chose a dance photograph to match that music (Step 1); next, they tried two dance steps (Step 2); they then spoke to another person about the difference in the “beat” attributes (Step 3); finally, the participants evaluated the two types of dance music (Step 4). The class was conducted with 234 fourth and fifth graders of two public elementary schools. Using the Grounded Theory Approach, we structured the theory about the children’s perception and sensitivity based on the description of the children’s worksheets. In addition to the fact that children were able to describe their perceptions and sensitivity to the beat, we found that they gained empathy for folk and agrarian culture; their concept of “beat” was expanded to in-depth knowledge of emotions regarding society and traditional culture.

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The purpose of this study was to clarify, via actual implementation, whether the children’s naive concepts of learning units can be ascertained before classroom learning via“ essential questions,” established for the formation of scientific concepts. A further aim was to propose a method for diagnostic assessments using these “essential questions.” The results of implementation were that, regarding items previously learned, it was difficult to observe the naive concepts of children; that is, some kind of “essential questions” may only elicit previously learned items. This suggested the need for revisions of“ essential questions” to draw out first-person descriptions. To perform diagnostic assessments, after gaining an understanding of the naive concepts of children using “essential questions,” a supplementary arrangement and revision of questions are needed for each specific topic.

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Under the present Course of Study in Japan, it has been emphasized that students should be instructed to put their English grammar knowledge into practical use. However, we can hardly say that sufficient opportunities to use English through language activities are given in the English classroom. One of the reasons for this is that language activities on targeted grammar items are not provided sufficiently in the textbooks. The present study focuses on English textbooks used in Finnish schools where English language education is said to be successful and aims to analyze what kind of practice is provided in the textbooks to foster students’ communication abilities. Based upon the results of the analysis, the present study finds that Finnish textbooks offer 1) qualitatively and quantitatively abundant practices, 2) practice that allows students to repeat previously learned grammar items throughout that school year and proceeding school years, 3) practice in which vocabularies and grammar are systematically linked. Through these practices, students are given opportunities to use English, which fosters their English communication abilities in the English classroom.

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This paper aims to show that curriculum research and development as a product cannot be established and to propose a new view of our discipline as a process beyond Dr. Manabu Sato’s criticism against our discipline. This paper mainly consists of the following four contents: 1) questioning the domain-specificity of our discipline from perspectives of educational psychology and domain-general educational research in Japan; 2) considering the role of domain-specific educational researchers based on discussions on the role of mathematicians in mathematics education research and on mathematical knowledge for teaching; 3) proposing a new view of our discipline as a process with reference to international discussions on social justice and on adult mathematics education; 4) from the philosophical perspective of inferentialism, showing that curriculum research and development can be a creative process of providing new insights and new perspectives both into existing disciplines of general education and of specific subjects as an interdisciplinary activity.

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Ensuring the quality of teaching training programs and the fairness and validity of their evaluation is becoming an issue. This study explores a rubric suitable for improving the social studies class planning skills of student teachers. Adapting another university’s rubric, a rubric with the following four standards was developed: 1) premise for planning a class; 2) class planning; 3) class practice, and 4) class observation, review meeting, and reflection. The results indicated that junior high school social studies class planning skills improved among student teachers at the routine expert stage, depending on the standards. However, rubrics were not understood by student teachers when beginning teaching practice, and there were criteria that they understood gradually. Criteria with descriptions that could not be understood were seldom applied and did not promote the improvement of skills measured with that standard. This study offers suggestions for effective methods of creating and using rubrics. To ensure that rubrics are understood and used right from the beginning in student teaching, they should be collaboratively created by the advising teacher and the student. They should then jointly apply these rubrics proactively in order to achieve their goals.

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To examine teacher’s growth by home economics lesson study, this research explored how elementary and junior high school teachers evaluate their lesson study experience and what they recognize from the experience regarding subject understanding and class improvement. A survey was conducted in October and November 2015 for five teachers who did a research lesson at a conference of a study group or a university attached school, and data on their responses to questions and interview transcripts were analyzed. As a result, in addition to all teachers getting a change in correspondence to learners, some teachers had been aware of the importance of teaching materials selection and how to use them, and had understood the necessity of the teaching materials to promote thinking. Furthermore, they had acquired a unique view of the subject, such as the need to grasp the scientific view of life. Teachers who have a certain teaching background referred to the motivation and communication of knowledge transfer in lesson study, and nurtured leadership qualities of the subject. On the other hand, schedule adjustment, an increase of overtime work, influence to other classes coming from schedule priority on the research lessons were pointed out, and the necessity for time management were shown.

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The purpose of this study is to clarify “Dialogic aspect of the dialogue,” which appears in the problemsolving process of elementary school science and the transition. To begin with, as “Dialogic aspect of the dialogue” 1) the creation/relational position setting of Doksa → 2) the encounter with the unexpected event/ the transformation of the relational position → 3) the destruction of Doksa/the confirmation of the relational position → 4) the creation of truth/the challenge to the problem are decided. Next, the utterance assumed in the scene of “Setting of prediction and hypothesis” and “Consideration” of the elementary school science was simplified, and it was related to the expression of “Dialogic aspect of the dialogue,” while it was encoded in utterance type A 〜 C. Main utterances were extracted by sampling actual lesson cases, and the protocol was prepared and analyzed. As a result, it was confirmed that the expression of “Dialogic aspect of the dialogue” was observed in the scenes of “Setting of prediction and hypothesis” and “Consideration” and that they changed in almost the same manner in both scenes. It was also indicated that the expression of utterance type B, which broke the phase became an opportunity for the transition.

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