The purpose of this research was to consider the research of the cognition of nature by introduction of the concept of the analytical processing and the holistic processing. Therefore it was thought that the following issues were necessary. The investigation method of the cognition of nature is not suited for the method of information processing. The research of the cognition of nature by holistic processing has not progressed. Only the analytical processing or the holistic processing is researched. The complementary formation of the analytical processing and the holistic processing is not researched. It was thought that the following improvements were necessary for the above issues. Carry out the method of the information processing and the investigation method of the adapted the cognition of nature. Progress the research of the cognition of nature by holistic processing. Carry out the cognition of nature research by the analytical processing and the holistic processing unitarily investigate the design of class promoting complementary formation of the cognition of nature most effectively substantially.

Currently, research program in science education widely carried out as homework during the summer vacation, and many methods of its guidance and explanation are described in the school textbooks. However, the research on both the works of research program and the description in the school textbooks were not conducted, and only few attempts have so far been made at the survey to the research program in lower secondary school. Then, how to deal with the research program in the school textbooks was examined in detail. As a result, it was clarified that the method of research program and showing many of the concrete case in the school textbooks. Through questionnaires for 237 lower secondary school students, their consciousness for research program is affirmative or negative, and examined the difference of both grade and gender. Consequently, in an investigation school, although the student's consciousness of "achievement" and "endurance" to research program were strongly affirmative, "pleasure" and "usefulness" were not affirmative. A science teacher will need to teach and support for research program in science education to "pleasure" and "usefulness".

In this study, we discuss the method of supporting learners, through the analysis of metacognition (logical reasoning processes to construct the concept of the matter) of students at lower secondary school. Through the science lessons "chemical-change, molecule and atom," we found three elements in the expressions of the students as follows. In the student's expressions, 1. Using keyword of theme 2. Explaining to give reasons 3. Using Original model on self-expressions of the students Moreover, we classified these elements into four stages of reasoning processes as follows. Stage1: They can' t express the idea. Stage2: They have the idea, but there are no sentences and no model expressions. Stage3: They can describe the idea but can't show the model expressions. Stage4: They can describe the idea and show model expressions. From these elements and stages, we could verify efficacy of teaching-learning process in this study by analyzing logical reasoning processes of the students.

When junior high school students study the unit on "Force and Motion", an experiment in which an object slides down a slope is often used. This experiment is intended to help students understand that the motion of an object on a slope is a motion caused by constant force. Many students, however, do not understand this idea because they think that a larger force works on an object that moves faster. In this research, we adopted an experiment to pull a trolley by constant force as the verification experiment aiming to promote the students' understanding of the correct idea and evaluated the effect of the experiment. The result of the evaluation showed that this experiment was effective for those students who believed before the experiment that "a larger force works on an object that moves faster".

A new problem-solving learning model for science education is proposed owing to applying the W-style problem-solving model proposed by Jiro Kawakita. It is comprehensively considered from the experience to thinking how the science education should be to foster the science literacy, and the contents and methods were proposed. The outline of the paper is described as follows: 1. Some issues of the previous linear learning model for fostering problem-solving ability were discussed by applying such a process as problem proposal → exploration → observation → discovery → setting up hypothesis → inference → design of experiment → observation and experiment → verification → generalization to a series of scientific inquiring process for fostering science literacy. One of them is the previous model of science education without doing fieldwork systematically. The new model shows a series of problem-solving process to think highly of problem acquisition that should be considered for fostering the problem-solving ability for children from the overlooking viewpoint. 2. Two tasks of the science education in Japan have been considered on the basis of the W-style problem-solving model among three scientific abilities such as "Acknowledging scientific questions", "Using scientific evidence" and "explaining phenomena scientifically" which are appointed in the PISA 2006 survey. 3. 5 learning models are categorized on the basis of the W-style problem-solving model as a policy to fostering the science literacy for children. The examples for each category were proposed.

Understanding of scientific concepts is based on two natures that are conscious and deliberate characters. Vygotsky suggested the "zone of proximal development" as an instructional principle of scientific concepts. In this study, we analyzed the processes of teaching and learning in science classes based on the idea of "zone of proximal development" and demonstrated the function of the "zone of proximal development" as an instructional principle. As a result, we observed that the children were able to pursue internalization of scientific concepts and feel the conscious and deliberate character of concepts, by designing science classes which let children become conscious of the process of constructing scientific concepts.

The purpose of this study was to examine important factors for collaborative learning in small group discussion activities in elementary science class. As the result of analyzing the protocol of the discussion activities and students' work-sheets, the rate of "the utterance to point out differences of experiment results or ideas of members" was high in the small group where collaborative learning was confirmed. It became also clear that it was important for collaborative learning in small group discussion activities that each member made "the utterance to try to find out causes for the difference of experiment results", and that group members discussed to solve problems sharing "the utterance to find out new viewpoints for problemsolving". In addition, it was recognized that plural students in the collaborative learning group tended to speak with same words by turn more frequently than in other groups.

This study introduced a method of the reciprocal teaching strategy into the science learning of the lower secondary school and investigated the effect. The learning contents are digestion and absorption of an animal in the second grade. From the description of the student after the class, it was confirmed that the reciprocal teaching strategy was effective for the formation of the scientific concept. By the reciprocal teaching, a lot of utterance to insist on one's thought was seen. And it was admitted that activeinteraction was performed by analysis of the utterance.

This paper investigated 20 cases of increase and decrease in nature experiences in childhood, in subjects ranging from their teen to their 60's. Based on this investigation, we examined the best ways to achieve nature experiences for children in the future. Overall, there has been a tendency for nature experiences to decrease among younger subjects, but a more detailed analysis reveals 5 basic categories: (1) a large decrease; (2) a small decrease; (3) a small increase; (4) polarization; and (5) gender differences. Regarding the best ways to give children more exposure to nature in the future, we suggest first improvement of nearby natural environments, then complementing childcare with natural experiences and finally stressing the role of the adults in the children's environment.

A unit program of three class hours with an experiment using a nitrogen dioxide purifier to examine materials that purify automobile exhaust was applied to the third grade students of a public lower secondary school in Nagano Prefecture. By finding that organic materials derived from woods have the purification ability, students understood how natural materials can be utilized by human' s wisdom and technology. After studying the program. students have transformed their initial pessimistic view of environment into a view filled with hope, and moreover, they were motivated to show a positive behavior for environmental conservation. Thus, it is suggested that this program is useful to environmental education.

Recently, some studies focus on the metacognition in collaborative learning. In order to examine the method for fostering metacognition in collaborative learning, we considered that the research on the aspect of metacognition in the group discussion was required. So, the purpose of this study was to clarify the situation where students' metacognition activated in the science class group discussion. We conducted the research by recording the utterance of 7th-grade students in science class group discussion and analyzed metacognitive utterances. Secondly, we clarified the phase of discussion (Maruno et al., 2002) in order to analyze the situation where students' metacognition activated. As the main results of this research, we found out the triggers for changeover to "argument phase" where students' metacognition activated as follows: 1) argument of different thought, 2) request from friends, 3) others' metacognitive utterance, 4) literation.

The aim of this study is to clarify how the first-grade upper secondary school students in Japan understand the celestial sphere by the questionnaire method. The followings are the major findings: 1) more than 30% of the students have never heard the celestial sphere: 2) None of the students who have heard about the celestial sphere had a scientifically correct understanding of it; and 3) The students had a variety of ideas about the celestial sphere, and the students' ideas could be classified into 13 categories.

The Thai education system is based on 12 years of free basic education of which 9 years are compulsory. The Ministry of Education formulated the Basic Education Curriculum B.E.2544 (AD. 2001). Science is one of the principal subject groups in the Basic Education Curriculum. The Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST) provides learning units, descriptions of the basic science courses and lesson plans. All these comprise the core of the Basic Education Curriculum as stipulated in the National Education Act B.E. 2542 (A.D. 1999) to help Thai people achieve scientific literacy.

This paper reveals learners' recognition of mud, sand and stones, and shows the actual condition of 5th grade elementary school students who have not yet studied it as well as of 1st grade junior high school students who already have. The result showed that almost half of the junior high school students could not even properly understand the difference between mud and sand. For this purpose, a simple grain size scale was developed as a teaching material, using everyday food as samples. The 5th grade elementary school students were able to make the scale easily and quickly. The scale was also useful for the 5th grade elementary school students as it allowed them to recognize the grain size of sedimentary rocks, enabling them to distinguish these rocks without difficulty.

Up to now the teaching of astronomical observation in school was quite difficult. Since the constellation camera and the Internet telescope have been developed (they produce images through on the screen of personal computer) astronomical observation can be learned in real time. Previously the Internet telescope was used and it only produced monochrome picture. Today, however, telescope performing astronomical photography can produce color images with one shot. As a result it is now possible to observe enlargement of parts of color image in real time. It is now suggested that the use of color images, rather than monochrome images, will stimulated much more interest among pupils and help them increase their understanding of the differences produced in these color stellar images.