This research study attempted to reveal the relationship between science self-efficacy and term examinations in the first grade of lower secondary school. The participants, first-grade lower secondary school students (N=106), completed a questionnaire a total of 4 times: once before and once after each of two term examinations (Research 1). Semi-structured interviews on the background of self-efficacy changes due to the term examinations were conducted with the eight students sampled from the participants of Research 1 (Research 2). The results of both Research 1 and Research 2 indicate that 1st term examination at lower secondary school lowered the students’ science self-efficacy. The results also suggest that students experience negative feelings and cognitions when scoring lower than expected on the test. This study revealed one cause for the lowering of science motivation. Based on these results, we can attempt to provide new approaches to improve students’ motivation for learning science.

In elementary school science instruction, teachers are now required to foster the problem-solving abilities of students. However, it is reported that the problem-solving abilities of university students in the elementary school teacher-training course are weak. In this study, we investigated whether problem-solving abilities in university students studying to acquire an elementary school teacher’s license were affected by lessons that required the students to test a hypothesis using a biological data set. We selected the density effect as the subject, and provided the question, “What traits of individuals change when population density increases?” The students created hypotheses in response to the question and selected variables for testing their hypothesis. Then we provided a data set of population density and several individual traits in Callosobruchus chinensis. The students selected appropriate data for testing their hypothesis from the data set, drew a graph, and discussed results. We measured students’ “ability to design an experiment”, “ability to define variables”, “ability to predict the result of an experiment” before the class and 2 weeks later. The results showed that, 2 weeks after the class, students’ “ability to define variables” and their “ability to predict result of experiment” improved compared with those before the class. Learning using a provided dataset has several advantages, for example, that preparations or apparatus for experiments are not necessary, and students can discuss an experimental subject regardless of their level of experimental skill. Therefore, we believe that learning using a provided data set contributes to enhance pupils’ understanding of the process of scientific inquiry and improves the problem-solving abilities of university students who will acquire elementary teaching licenses even where time and experimental facilities are limited.

Changes in the aims, objectives, contents of learning, and teaching approaches in American high school botany during the 19^th century were examined in this study. Textbooks and publications of the period, as well as literature concerning historical research of American science education, were used for the historical analysis. Nineteenth-century botany textbooks were divided into three terms, the early 19^th century, mid-century, and the end of the century, based on the above examination. The following points of view which characterize each term were identified: a transition of the aims and objectives of learning, from cultivating religious belief to developing mental ability, a change in learning contents from many kinds of plants to familiar kinds of plants, a reduction of the description about the influence of plants on the human body (the toxicity and efficacy), and an increase in the use of experimental approaches in teaching. These changes were interpreted by such factors as the maturity of academics, the separation of science and Christianity, formal discipline, and the effect of higher education. In conclusion, it was discussed that botanical contents treated in “zoology” and “physiology” and the process of the formation of American high school “biology” should be clarified through further study.

The aim of this study is to prove the importance of the ‘teachers’ utterance approach’, which promotes students’ Independent and Interactive Deep Learning. At first, we selected two experienced science teachers using the same teaching plan, the same teaching materials, and the same teaching aids, which comprise the ‘collaborative learning’ system in elementary science classes. Then each teacher undertook a ‘collaborating learning’ style lesson at each school. Secondly, we compared these two lessons, focusing on the effect that the ‘teachers’ utterance approach’ mentioned above, had on these respective lessons. We did this by analyzing the ‘teachers’ utterance approach’, the students’ comprehension of ‘the stones of the riverbank’ topic taught in the lessons, and the students’ awareness of the possibility to collaborate with their classmates in each school. The result of this analysis suggested that the ‘teachers’ utterance approach’ was useful in, among other things, teaching students how to come to a shared observation. We found that the teachers urged the students to learn on their own initiative, for example, to call out with an investigating group, to talk with an outing, and so on. We also found that the teachers need to let the students know the importance of teamwork, for example, to talk with each other, to advise each other, and so on. Further, when students discuss their results after experiments or observations, it was suggested that the ‘teachers’ utterance approach’ leads to positive cooperation, for example, students’ sharing their results, students’ joining discussions, and the flow of these discussions becoming more logical.

This research aimed to clarify causal factors affecting “spatial perception ability” relating to elementary school students. Using factor analysis, the following six factors were extracted: “natural & science experience”, “interests & concerns of science”, “subjective & exploratory activities”, “favorable impression of science learning”, “favorable impression of astronomy learning”, and “favorable impression of mathematics learning”. From the results, I constructed a causal model of how the six factors influence the students’ “spatial perception ability”. That model is constructed of four stages. The first stage is that “natural & science experience” is covariant with both “interests & concerns of science” and “subjective & exploratory activities”. The second stage is that “interests & concerns of science” and “subjective & exploratory activities” had affected both students’ “favorable impression of science learning” and their “favorable impression of astronomy learning”. The third stage is that “favorable impression of science learning” and “favorable impression of astronomy learning” had affected students’ “favorable impression of mathematics learning”. The last stage is that “favorable impression of mathematics learning” had directly affected students’ “spatial perception ability”.