In this research, we carried out class practice and inspected the effects of mutual evaluations by using students’ own video clips in a 6th grade science class on “the proper way to use a microscope”. As a result, learners evaluated the contents of each others’ video clip, and improved their microscopic operation skills and knowledge. Since the reliability of mutual evaluations improved and the evaluation can be entrusted to a teacher who is evaluating the learner, this research becomes a learning design which can be practiced on a daily basis. In addition, it is considered that this research which mainly concerns the learners’ subjective, active, and collaborative learning will prompt decision making by the earners themselves, so it is suggested that this research can be a class practice that includes important elements of active learning.

Young children acquire ‘Number Sense’ through daily life. Number sense refers to ability which represent and manipulate numerosities on a mental number line. Recently, the development of the mental number line has been investigated using the number-to-position task. The previous study showed that many preschoolers used the counting strategy involving the index finger on the number line to estimate the position, and this strategy potentially influenced the type of estimations. This study examines whether the estimations of young children were influenced by the counting strategy or the numerical representations. The results show that the type of estimation reflected the mental representation of a specific unit despite the counting strategy. Therefore, it was suggested that young children used the mental representation of the specific unit while estimating, and that it affected their mental number line.

In this action research, the learning records of female students’ PBL (project based learning) in high school biology were compared qualitatively and quantitatively with the learning records of boys’ PBL. The results show that girls chose ornamental flowers for a plant to cultivate, whereas boys chose vegetables. There was developmental learning with the girls, who arranged flowers in a vase and used them to decorate many places in the school. These activity of the girls is recognized as Art in the view of STEAM education. From the analysis of their learning records, the girls also displayed characteristic studying with their sensitive descriptions. There were also many expansions in the girls’ studing with Art on their learning records. So, it was suggested that it would be effective to examine girls’ science education in the context of STEAM rather than STEM.

The aim of this study is to propose ways of assessment and evaluation that emphasize the ability to think and express oneself in high school chemistry. First, we compared chemistry questions from the Japanese university-specific examinations and the GCE A-Level examination in England. We found that the characteristics of the GCE A-Level examination are such that the essay-type questions use various sentence expressions which are used in easy questions, and that most of the calculation questions require students to describe the derivation process. Based on the above, we conducted a case study of a GCE A-Level essay-type calculation question with Japanese high school students and investigated the characteristics of their answers and their causes. The following findings were gained. When we set essay-type calculation questions, giving independent marks with 1 mark increments was effective. This is because when the marks for the questions are low and there is not enough time left, students tend not to answer them, which makes it difficult to evaluate the students’ ability to think and express themselves. It is preferable to make students understand the assessment and evaluation method by using an evaluation rubric and informed assessment when we introduce essay-type questions.

For the unit “weather and its change”, studied in second grade of junior high school, we developed teaching materials with AR technology, changing isobars that are displayed on the weather map in order to facilitate an understanding of the regularity of the blowing of the wind. It has a function that can display superimposed isobars listed on the weather chart paper and display them three-dimensionally from the numerical value of the pressure of each isobar. This function is intended to enable students to understand the regularity of the strength of the wind, in which lesser intervals of isobars rapidly lead to a pressure change, and the regularity of the wind direction, where the wind is blowing from greater pressure isobars to less pressured ones. As a result of teaching practice with the teaching materials, the proportion of students increased in terms of acquisition of scientific concepts and understanding of regularity. From these findings, it became clear that AR teaching materials are valid to understand how the wind blows in relation to isobars.

In this study, we qualitatively investigated the activity processes and learning outcomes of undergraduate students who supported high school students working on astronomical research in MosiTen, an outreach event held by Tohoku University and Sendai Astronomical Observatory. Through semi-structured interviews with two undergraduate students, we found that the undergraduate students found and played their roles through repeated observations of their situations and through self-reflection, in addition to building relationships with high school students and other undergraduate students. Appropriate support by teachers is also important for undergraduate students to promote their learning activities and find their roles. Because of the close interaction between these processes, the undergraduate students developed psychologically and learned about observational astronomy and its research methods.

A simple tool for producing and observing artificial snow was developed. The tool was made of familiar and inexpensive materials such as a foamed polystyrene block, a gel ice pack (Frozen Sheet) and a plastic case to store them. Since the tool does not require dry ice but a gel ice pack which can be frozen repeatedly in a refrigerator, the running cost is almost zero. In addition, no special technique nor caution for safety is needed in handling the tool. By controlling the temperature of water to supply vapor into the observation chamber, different types of snow crystals were produced and observed. This paper presents a detailed structure of the tool as well as typical results obtained using it.

A portable teaching tool for observing simple harmonic motion in vertical direction was fabricated using a coil spring. A photo-sensor and an X-T recorder were used to detect the oscillation. The regular intervals between the signal wave forms drawn on the recording paper were in good agreement with the period in the theory of simple harmonic oscillation. On the basis of the experimental results, this article describes the applicability of the teaching tool to student practice and demonstration lectures. The discussion includes a qualitative approach to amplitude from the angle of pedagogy of simple harmonic motion.

The purpose of this research is to clarify a causal model of factors constituting students’ proactive learning in science classes in lower secondary schools as well as to gain hints about the establishment of a new method for establishing proactive learning among them. A questionnaire survey comprising 65 items was administered to 503 lower secondary school students (165 first-year students, 160 second-year students, and 178 third-year students) in a public lower secondary school in Gifu Prefecture. Seven factors were extracted from the analysis: logical thinking necessary for problem solving, interactive learning for the refinement of thinking, relationships and classification of learning contents, summary of learning contents, recording and organizing learning contents, motivated research activities, and proactive learning attitude. A path diagram was then constructed on these seven variables, and a path analysis was conducted. As a result, it was shown that in lower secondary science classes, students’ acquisition of proper learning strategies contributes to stimulate their motivated research activities and proactive learning attitude as well as to improve logical thinking and interactive learning.

Recently, affordable desktop digital fabrication tools such as 3D printers and laser cutters, and design data sharing via the Internet have been maximizing the potential for personal production. The purpose of this study is to elucidate an overview of Fab Labs in Japan and the extent of their support for beginners in digital fabrication. We conducted field research at 8 Fab Labs in Japan, the first research of multiple Fab Labs conducted by an external research team. The research included site visits, interviews with the managers of Fab Labs, and observations of instructor-led lessons and “open labs”. Field research results showed the current state of difficulties for beginners, support activities for them, and knowledge sharing practice in Fab Labs in Japan. Regarding the first difficulty, “preparing design data”, instructor-led lessons and guidance on reuse of shared data appeared to be useful to them. Regarding the second difficulty, “developing a plan of work”, reference to work produced by others and sharing knowledge generally, provides hints for beginners. Communication amongst participants at the “open lab” was also recognized as a support for beginners.