All issues
Volume 40, Issue 1
Displaying 1-11 of 11 articles from this issue
- |<
- <
- 1
- >
- >|
-
[in Japanese]2016 Volume 40 Issue 1 Pages 1-2
Published: 2016
Released on J-STAGE: April 28, 2017
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSDownload PDF (510K)
Research Article
-
Chihiro ARAI, Yutaka ICHIWARA, Shodai TANAKA, Yoshiaki MIZUOCHI2016 Volume 40 Issue 1 Pages 3-11
Published: 2016
Released on J-STAGE: April 05, 2016
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSIn this research, in the context of learning about a familiar region in elementary school 4th grade social studies, we evaluated how the learners reacted when they utilized tablet-type digital devices for their textbooks. The classes were conducted with devices which the learners created by themselves.
The results indicate that learners improved their information literacy throughout the process of creating the digital tablet textbooks.View full abstractDownload PDF (1214K) -
Shuichi YAMASHITA, Jennifer YEO2016 Volume 40 Issue 1 Pages 12-20
Published: 2016
Released on J-STAGE: April 05, 2016
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe purpose of this study is to acquire basic information in order to develop a fourth grade science lesson about how water is heated in a beaker. First, we investigated how university students enrolled in either the Science course (N=30) or the Liberal Arts course (N=28) expressed their thoughts about how water is heated. Second, we developed a trial lesson based on the findings and investigated whether the trial lesson would be acceptable to university students taking the Science Education course (N=79) and elementary school teachers (N=51). The newly developed trial lesson used both Thermo Ink and Thermo Ikura heat detectors to measure the temperature of water. The Thermo Ikura also shows the convection current produced when water is heated.
The major findings of this study are that
(1) The university students in the Science Course could not correctly explain how water is heated.
(2) The newly developed trial lesson was acceptable to both the university students in the Science Education course and to the elementary school teachers.
(3) The Thermo Ink heat detector is convenient for showing the temperature development of water, while the Thermo Ikura detector shows both water temperature measurements and convection currents. As a result, both Science Education students and elementary school teachers were able to correctly explain how the temperature of water changed and how the convection current developed during the course of the experiment.View full abstractDownload PDF (1249K) -
Jin-Ichi OKUMURA, Yoshisuke KUMANO2016 Volume 40 Issue 1 Pages 21-29
Published: 2016
Released on J-STAGE: April 05, 2016
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSAccording to the course of study for high school biology, the purpose of study is to develop inquiry ability and positive attitudes toward science through experiments and observations. However, because of increased access to the virtual world, modern high school students have had less contact with nature in their childhood. Therefore, it has become harder for them to have an concrete understanding of biological concepts. This makes it difficult to see the relevance of living things and biological phenomena in class.
Many high school students would not believe that egg embryos could become fully hatched birds with only a 34- or 46-hour incubation period, even with careful observation. Therefore we developed lesson plans not only to observe avian embryos, but also to continue incubation until the eggs hatched. We also made students study about egg incubation methods themselves using Bio-STEM ideas.
As a result, these inquiry lessons did not only encourage expansion of the students’ biological knowledge, but also generated ideas connected to STEM fields. We found them to be effective in the promotion of learning aims in the context of Japan. They also brought cross-cutting scientific thoughts, similar to the context of United States STEM education, to our local classrooms.View full abstractDownload PDF (1929K) -
Koichi MORIMOTO2016 Volume 40 Issue 1 Pages 30-38
Published: 2016
Released on J-STAGE: April 05, 2016
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThis study reports two practices for enhancing science-teaching ability in a university-level primary teacher training course. First, project-based work was introduced to science lessons. Students could choose various types of theme, performed project work, and acquired data by themselves. Students became more familiar with the perspective of theme selection, how to acquire data based on the control conditions, and scientific processes such as forming a hypothesis and interpreting results; students were also able to confirm their competency by successfully carrying out their project. Second, making science toys was introduced to science lessons. Students became interested in and enjoyed making science toys that they could construct by themselves, studied electric circuits, and experienced trial and error. Results showed that introducing project work and making science toys are effective practices for enhancing the ability to teach science in a university-level teacher training course.View full abstractDownload PDF (1392K) -
Kazutoshi UEDA, Kazuhiko ITO, Seiichiro UEHARA, Hiroki SATO2016 Volume 40 Issue 1 Pages 39-45
Published: 2016
Released on J-STAGE: April 05, 2016
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSWe produced a pure Si substance directly from a SiO2-Mg system using the solar furnace in the air. After the reagent of SiO2-Mg system was melting for 2–3 minutes under the solar furnace, Si grains (~1–3 mm) surrounded by forsterite (Mg2SiO4) were produced as the reaction product. From the phase diagram of MgO-SiO2 system, it is considered that the reaction, 2 SiO2 + 2 Mg → Si + Mg2SiO4, occurred. In this reaction, the existence of Mg2SiO4 melt might have protected Si reduced from SiO2 against O2 in the air, and might have made Si grain grow larger in the melt. In the reduction of SiO2 by Mg, we could have obtained Si grains visible to the naked eye within a few minutes under the solar furnace. Being a simple and short experiment this experiment is suitable for science students.View full abstractDownload PDF (1657K) -
Akihiko SAEKI, Masafumi KANEKO, Daisuke SAITOU2016 Volume 40 Issue 1 Pages 46-62
Published: 2016
Released on J-STAGE: April 05, 2016
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe purpose of this study is to investigate how graduate students’ practical teaching abilities as science communicators improved and how their awareness of integrated learning with mathematics and fine arts were transformed through active learning class lessons.
They discovered geometrical figures in paintings, and demonstrated them to visitors at the Otsuka Museum of Art. Specialists at the museum, a supervisor of school education and university teachers collaborated to help students’ develop their demonstrations.
The following results were obtained:
(1) The graduate students were able to raise the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) for science communicators by themselves through science communication activities.
(2) The graduate students were able to transform their awareness of PCK for mathematics teachers by themselves through science communication activities.View full abstractDownload PDF (1984K) -
Tomoko KAZAMA, Masakata OGAWA2016 Volume 40 Issue 1 Pages 63-75
Published: 2016
Released on J-STAGE: April 05, 2016
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSWhile exhibitions in science centers and museums are tacitly believed to represent science (scientific theories, methods, and explanations of natural phenomena), there are few studies examining their scientific authenticity from contemporary sciences’ viewpoints, because it seems to be self-evident to professionals of such institutions that their exhibitions do represent relevant sciences. However, since there exist various kinds of constraints (derived from the institution’s mission, exhibition concepts, finance, space, human resources, etc.) affecting exhibition design and development processes, finished exhibitions do not necessarily represent the intended or planned sciences with authenticity. This exploratory study attempts to propose a new concept, ‘scientific systematicity’ showing how and to what extent a group of (or a set of) science exhibitions reflects a kind of ‘systematicity’ of the relevant sciences. The study starts with theoretical deliberations on its definition, necessity and usability for the use of museum staff’s self-evaluation of their science exhibitions (before, during, and after the exhibition development processes), and then proceeds to case studies using the newly developed evaluation tools for life exhibitions. The ideas presented here still remains at the preliminary level, but they seem promising for quality development and/or revision processes of science exhibitions.View full abstractDownload PDF (709K) -
Yoko YAMAMOTO2016 Volume 40 Issue 1 Pages 76-91
Published: 2016
Released on J-STAGE: April 05, 2016
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSIn this study, we developed an environmental ethics education program to introduce the idea of environmental ethics into the field of ecology in “basic biology” taught in high schools, with an emphasis on the perspective of deep ecology. During the trial introduction of the program, we observed students’ responses and changes in awareness toward environmental ethics and examined the increase in students’ awareness of the importance of ecological conservation and environmental ethics through the provision of education on biology carried out through the perspective of deep ecology. Three findings were obtained from the trial introduction of the program: (1) In the field of ecology in high school “basic biology,” the fieldwork “vegetation survey of herbs in the school yard,” along with the deep-ecology work “experiences of identification with familiar nature in the school yard,” were effective in increasing students’ awareness of the importance of ecological conservation and environmental ethics; (2) The introduction of “experiences of identification with familiar nature in the school yard” to the field of ecology was an effective measure for achieving “self-realization through identification with nature,” a core idea of deep ecology; and (3) The program encouraged the actions of some students toward the conservation of ecology, signaling the final stage of “self-realization.”View full abstractDownload PDF (1294K)
Research Data
-
Takashi TODA2016 Volume 40 Issue 1 Pages 92-97
Published: 2016
Released on J-STAGE: April 05, 2016
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSPersonal affairs systems of prefectures and ordinance-designated cities concerning assigning teachers away from schools were investigated. Results of a questionnaire survey show that about one third of the target authorities reassign teachers as teaching staff, another third as general administrative staff, and lastly on a case-by-case basis. Where teachers are reassigned to facilities under the jurisdiction of the prefectural governor, most of the target authorities assign them conventionally to some division on the editorial board and concurrently to the target division.View full abstractDownload PDF (1138K) -
Ryanghyok IM, Megumi HAYAKAWA, Satomi NEGISHI, Naoki MATSUMOTO, Hirosh ...2016 Volume 40 Issue 1 Pages 98-112
Published: 2016
Released on J-STAGE: April 05, 2016
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe 2008 report “Science for All Japanese“ is generally recognized as the first major step toward ambitious national standards in science education in Japan. We have attemped to evaluate the educational effect of a training program that combined lectures with hands-on experimentation, inquiry-based learning, and group work to foster “scientific sense” as per “Science for All Japanese”. At a college of nutrition, students studying genes participated in an experiment using actual foods (a genetically modified soybean and Koshihikari rice). Pre- and post-questionnaire surveys of students show that inquiry-based learning and group work served to significantly improve students’ understanding of the principles of gene experiments and gene diagnosis. By focusing on the experimental process, trainees also significantly improved their ability to describe situations. In addition, inquiry-driven article searches improved students’ skill at selecting pertinent information. Further, we found that this practical training program raised students’ interest and encouraged novice dieticians to try to apprehend the problems around them scientifically. In terms of scientific literacy, this approach seems to hold promise to foster the ability of dietitians; however, definitive support for the findings will depend on additional evidence gathered over a longer period.View full abstractDownload PDF (899K)
- |<
- <
- 1
- >
- >|