The Council of Science Education Related Societies (CSERS) has proposed the establishment of a compulsory integrated science course for upper secondary school students. Nevertheless, except for the current “Science and Human Life” subject, each revision of the Courses of Study has established a new comprehensive subject with a different name and content. In recent years, there has not been any evidence of a consensus on the discussion of compulsory integrated science courses. In this study, we asked the following questions: “Why have compulsory integrated science courses not been established? Moreover, why do such courses not take root even after numerous discussions have been realized?” The reasons progress has been lacking may be clarified by searching for articles related to CSERS. The results revealed the following five issues: (1) The philosophy of “compulsory and integrated”that CSERS aimed for had become ambiguous over time; (2) While there were societies that gathered opinions and proposed the establishment of compulsory and integrated science courses, these actions did not result in continuous movement of CSERS as a whole; (3) The academic backgrounds of the high school science integrated subject and “Science and Human Life” were not discussed at the Society for Science Education; (4) There needs to be more discussion on the objectives and goals of establishing the integrated subject as one of the reasons why it did not take root; and (5) Discussions on university entrance examinations related to compulsory integrated science subjects were limited to individual-level proposals and could not be transformed into wider organizational recommendations.. In order to resolve the above issues, the need for further curriculum research and action on the required integrated science subjects became clear.

The importance of developing students’ critical thinking skills from a relatively early stage in elementary and secondary science education in Japan has been pointed out many times in the literature, and there have been several calls for further development. Many studies have been conducted with the aim of cultivation critical thinking skills. However, none of them have been comprehensively reviewed, nor their results and issues clarified. Therefore, in this study, we conducted a review to clarify the trend of research aimed at fostering critical thinking skills in science classes in elementary and secondary education in Japan. The results revealed that the method has been practiced in various school types, mainly elementary schools, and that many of the practices provided instruction from the perspective of “reworking” and “skills” and were able to successfully cultivate the components of critical thinking skills such as “rationality” and “reflectiveness”. On the other hand, there are few practical lessons in the middle grades of elementary school and in the secondary field, and it would thus be desirable to clarify the developmental stages of critical thinking skills and to cultivate the ability to think critically based on the characteristics of domain-specificity by accumulating research in the future. It is also desirable to develop teaching methods that cultivate various components of critical thinking skills, such as “skepticism,” while also taking into consideration the “infusion” approach. A parallel test to measure critical thinking skills has not yet been developed, but its development is expected in the future.

Articles about science teacher education published in the Bulletin of Society of Japan Science Teaching were compiled to review teacher education research by the Society during the late Showa era, to facilitate our future efforts. The 48 issues contained 55 articles specifically related to science teacher education. Data were collected for every year since 1977. They were organized into the following categories: (1) 26 studies of situations of students wishing to become teachers; (2) 12 studies of the situation of incumbent teachers and the actual science classes; (3) 10 studies of practice for students wishing to become teachers; (4) 2 studies of practice for incumbent teachers; (5) 14 studies of other countries; and (6) 2 other studies. (Multiple counts were recorded when any category was included in an already counted article.) Furthermore, every third issue of volumes 21–27 included “Science Education Abstracts” that included bibliographic information related to science teacher education. Regarding the characteristics of research examining science teacher education during the Showa era, as in the more recent Heisei era of the late 20^th and early 21^st century, most were about aspiring and in-service teachers. Numerous studies (34 in all) examined elementary schools. Fourteen articles on physics stood out, which differed markedly from those of the Heisei era. Furthermore, some studies were conducted to examine phenomena in the early to mid-20^th century, including pre-World War II Japanese studies, post-World War II American and other international studies, as well as research into special needs education, gifted education, and the use of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in education. Results reported during the Showa era are expected to be future-oriented: pioneering reports confirmed difficulties that ensuing science teacher education had intended to solve through future efforts.

This study aimed to develop a science classroom design strategy that promotes scientific problem-solving learning by enhancing the association between modeling and metacognitive functions in elementary science. Specifically, we examined the relationship between the modeling learning cycle pointed out by Halloun (2006) and problem-solving activities in elementary science. Furthermore, by focusing on the two metacognitive functions of Inoguchi et al. (2018) as cognitive functions related to modeling, and by analyzing the transformation process of models, we attempted to concretize a classroom design strategy to promote scientific problem solving. The results of the case study analysis clarified that in the modeling learning cycle, children construct a dissolving concept in conjunction with the scientific transformation of the model via metacognitive function. Furthermore, it became clear that using the cycle promoted understanding of models and metacognition among the students, and it became possible to develop a lesson design framework based on the association between the modeling learning cycle and metacognitive functions.

In this study, we developed a method for conducting indoor magma formation experiments in junior high school science classes to improve pupils’ understanding of the relationship between the different shapes of volcanoes and the viscosity of magma. The developed method can be conducted indoors, and the heating time can be as short as 10 minutes, making it easy to incorporate into classes. The students were able to observe differences in the viscosity of the magma by magmatizing basic rock and acidic rock and hanging the magma on slopes and flat surfaces. In addition to the difference in viscosity, the students were able to see that magma that cooled and solidified rapidly became glassy by observing rocks that formed when the magma was cooled and solidified rapidly. As for the educational effects, it was confirmed that students’ understanding of magma deepened by observing the properties of the magma formed themselves by melting crushed rocks in the classroom.

The purpose of this study was to create classroom observation videos based on the video-type classification proposed by Kamakura et al. (2023), to examine the discourse of both incumbents and graduates in lesson study discussions after viewing these videos, and to compare the number of comments with what was observed after face-to-face class observation. The analysis revealed that, after the face-to-face class observation, both incumbents and graduates made significantly more comments related to knowledge domains involving learners, whereas when watching fixed-camera type lesson videos, they made significantly more comments related to knowledge domains not involving learners. On the other hand, in learner-oriented type videos, while incumbents made significantly more comments related to knowledge domains involving learners, graduates, although demonstrating a tendency toward more comments on knowledge domains involving learners compared to those not involving learners, exhibited no significant difference in the number of their comments between the two domains.

Embodied cognition is a theory that deals with cognition rooted in the interaction between the body and the environment. There is also a distinction between online and offline embodied cognition. Consideration of science experiments and observations is deeply related to offline embodied cognition. The purpose of this study was to develop an offline embodied design to support reflection on observations and experiments and to clarify its effectiveness. The target study was the phases of the moon in 6th grade elementary school Science class. The method of the off-line embodied design was the creation of slides of photographs of celestial bodies. Specifically, photographs of body movements showing angular distances and visual information about celestial bodies were stored in chronological order in presentation software. The results clarified the following points. First, it is suggested that the use of slides of celestial body photographs showing the progression of their movements through the cosmos may facilitate reflection on the recall of sensory-motor information in the photographs. Second, it is suggested that the use of slides of celestial body photographs has a positive effect on learners’ reflection and retention of what they have learnt. In the methods and subjects developed, the use of sensory-motor information for off-line considerations can be expected to have certain benefits. The effects on inference and retention were shown for children with higher spatial skills, but the details of these effects remain to be determined.

Educational programming materials were developed and implemented in sixth grade science lessons on Izu Oshima Island, located in the northern part of the Izu Islands, to promote the pupils’ understanding of volcanic observation equipment and volcanic eruption phenomena. These topics were explored under a STEAM education program related to volcanic disaster prevention. The educational effects were examined by setting up volcanic observation equipment using MESH blocks that detect vibrations and temperature on a model that represents a volcanic eruption via popping corn, and by conducting programming education to detect vibrations and changes in temperature before the eruption and the popping corn. The results showed that learners were able to successfully link their knowledge of volcanic features with their knowledge of volcano observation equipment. It was also found that the pupils nimbly utilized this knowledge in situations where they thought about, exercised judgement, and expressed opinions about ways to reduce damage caused by volcanic eruptions. Furthermore, possibilities for developing the ability to learn about and consider ways to reduce damage from disasters by correctly communicating information about volcanoes was demonstrated in a situation involving the installation of MESH blocks with LED and button functions to convey and receive information.

This study was a case study of the effectiveness of a ‘Kagaku No Jikan’ activity that focuses on students’ construction and understanding of ideas about the elements of the Nature of Science (hereafter referred to as NOS) from their own perspectives, focusing on students’ thinking processes observed in the practice at the time. Kagaku No Jikan is an activity in which students create consensus ideas about ‘important things when conducting inquiry’ through reflection on the process of scientific inquiry, and is centered on group and classroom discussions. Through Kagaku No Jikan, students acquired a perspective of reflection on the process of scientific inquiry, and from this perspective, they evaluated their own and others’ ideas about the elements of NOS, and gradually built up their own ideas. In order to create more valid ideas, the students followed a series of thought processes: (1) acquiring a new perspective for reflection based on discussions with others and the teacher’s guidance, (2) making comparisons with the previously used perspective, (3) deciding which perspective is more effective for reflection, and (4) conducting reflection again. Kagaku No Jikan not only encouraged this thinking, but also had the effect of fostering its repeated occurrence, further reinforcing it. Furthermore, as an effect of the repeated reflection on the process of scientific inquiry and the emphasis on constructing ideas about the elements of NOS from the students’ own perspectives, the effect of flexibly relating the elements of NOS, leading to integrated understanding, was also thus confirmed.

The purpose of this study was to foster children’s interest in science through the improving the ability of science teacher. We therefore carried out a program that introduced a micro lesson in elementary science on the basis of Adult Learning for hopeful teacher undergraduates in a humanities’ course. The undergraduates were able to conduct many positive elementary science experiments for year two pupils. They emphasized reflection and cooperation in micro teaching in elementary science and performed self-assessment and mutual assessment by a measuring competencies and skills. The school of graduate studies totaled the data according to objective measures of performance with attention to particular checkpoints, and judged the attainment level of undergraduates’ competencies and skills. They also adjusted and analyzed the tendencies revealed in the data. We defined a subcategory of difficult competencies, skills to master through assessments by a measure of performance, and we found an improvement in the students’ competencies and skills, abilities, their positive regard toward science, and their confidence in science education from the result of totaling and recording the micro teaching and reports. The results of our evaluation show that the program proved to be effective for hopeful-teacher undergraduates to foster an increase in their knowledge to teach and support elementary science in elementary school via repetition in practice teaching the micro lesson.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between scientific modeling and scientific explanation, using the 6th grade elementary school lesson on “water pathways of plants” as a case study. Regarding the process of creating scientific models, we focused on scientific modeling as structured by Zangori (2018). After classifying the scientific explanations described by the children, we were able to capture the reality of the reflection of evidence and claims of scientific explanations in their scientific models. The relationship between the content of self-assessment in scientific modeling and the transformation of the model was also examined. From the results of the case study analysis, the actual situation of reflecting the evidence and claims in the model for each type of scientific explanation structure was clarified. In addition, the content of the pupils’ self-assessments in scientific modeling were classified. Further analysis revealed that children who were able to analyze and assess the elements lacking in the developed model and to explain the phenomenon in the process of scientific modeling were also able to modify their models to reflect their claims.

This study investigated the effects of promoting empathic behaviors on the performance of low achievers in elementary school science classes. The same teacher carried out reciprocal science teaching for the unit “How Things Melt” in two classes of 65 students in the fifth grade of elementary school, one that included the promotion of empathic behaviors, and a control class that did not. Low achievers in the class that promoted empathic behaviors attained higher test scores than those in the class without such promotion. They also received more empathic behaviors from the questioner and this encouragement appeared to produce more effective utterances in their communication that helped improve these pupils’ performances. These findings suggest that promoting and fostering empathic behaviors in class may improve performance and learning among low achievers by encouraging effective utterances and fostering an atmosphere of positive communication.

Against the background of the diversity of children, new learning in “Society 5.0” and the post-pandemic era, and the shortage of teachers, the competencies of teachers are being redefined and a new system for teacher training is required (Central Council for Education, 2022). In science education, there have not been many previous studies on teacher education, including research on the competencies of science teachers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the competencies of science teachers in relation to teaching and learning. We conducted an attitude survey to determine whether the 28 items in Naumescu’s (2008) list of “good practices related to competencies” were also recognized as good practices by science teachers in Tokyo, and then analyzed the relationship between the beliefs of science teachers in Tokyo and the teaching experiences that formed their beliefs. As a result, Analysis of the survey results clarified the following points: 1) Naumescu’s proposal of “Good Practices Related to Competencies” were accepted as the ideal standard of competencies of science teachers in Tokyo who responded to this survey. 2) One of the key features of the way science teachers in Tokyo perceive the competencies of science teachers is their awareness of the second axis, which is about the teaching-learning process (T-S). 3) There is a certain relationship between “matters that may influence or change teaching practices and beliefs about education”, “teaching career” experiences and “good practices related to competencies”.

The primary purpose of this study was to clarify the actual state of lower secondary school students’ “scientific inquiry ability” from the perspective of integrated process skills. The secondary objective was to clarify the causal model of various factors, assuming that “Indices for proactive attitude” and “Critical thinking” are factors that influence students’ “scientific inquiry ability”. The survey targeted 345 students at two public lower secondary schools in Niigata Prefecture, using survey questions and questionnaires created based on TIPS (Test of Integrated Process Skills). The results of the survey revealed, that the score rate for “Hypotheses”, “Controlling variables”, “Identifying variables”, and “Reading/Constructing graphs” were low and that there were problems in recognizing variables. In addition, it was suggested that if these skills are not fully utilized, it may negatively affect other aspects of pupils’ “Scientific inquiry ability”. Furthermore, regarding the structure of the various factors that affect “Scientific inquiry ability”, it was clarified that “Indices for proactive attitude”, being fundamental, comes first and influences students’ scientific inquiry ability directly or indirectly through “Critical thinking”.

We investigated a simple and safe method to observe flame reactions using a cotton swab. By mixing commercially available fuel alcohol with a metal reagent and using a large cotton swab, the duration of the flame reaction can be extended to about 20 seconds, long enough to allow for sufficient observation. Achieving a flame reaction using a cotton swab is simple for the pupils and can be performed on one sample in a short time, so it can be easily incorporated into a one-hour class. Using this experimental method, it is possible to safely conduct exploratory science activities, such as easily comparing the colors of flame reactions, that are effective and engaging for the students.

Citizen participation methods have been developed to promote social dialogue on social issues. Several science teaching materials exist that utilize this citizen participation method. However, there are still some issues in the field such as the cost of preparation and the timeliness of information used. Therefore, the purposes of this study are teaching practices wherein citizen participation methods are greatly simplified and used as science teaching materials, and to clarify issues that arise in a timely manner. The study determined that even a simplified process of consensus conference structured so as to not be dependent on the cost of introducing educational materials or the timeliness of information would have some positive effect on the arguments presented and the quality of the dialogue. All instructional materials in this practice were supplemented by use of ICT rather than paper. In addition, there was some room for improvement on teaching practice issues.

The purpose of this study is to present a curriculum design that promotes children's active learning. Centering around living environment studies of playing with soil, we have developed lessons that relate Japanese language to arts and crafts and nutritional education, while also considering connections with science and social studies from the middle grades. The results were promising from an engagement perspective: in surveys administered after the teaching practice 96.7% of children answered that they enjoyed playing in the soil, or at least liked it a little. The children were able to feel close to the soil and become familiar with it. The behavior of children and survey results of their parents also suggested that pupils’ expressiveness and critical and creative thinking abilities can improve through such active classes conducted in nature.

The acquisition of time scales for five Earth science phenomena related to “changes in the Earth’s interior and land surface,” which are covered from elementary to lower secondary school, was surveyed among students wishing to become science teachers. The results showed that the percentage of correct answers was generally less than 20%, except for “weather changes” that occur on everyday time scales, and the time scales of the answers varied widely. There was a histogram peak in the correct answer for “Formation of plateaus and terraces”. As for “rate of strata deposition,” respondents tended to regard it as significantly longer than the reality. Although the respondents tended to view the time scale of geological phenomena as being longer than the human time scale, 43.2% of the respondents cumulatively answered that the activity period of active faults was less than 100 years, suggesting that they may be confused with that of ocean-trench earthquakes. Other than “strata deposition,” we assumed that the phenomena were related to the Japanese Islands. However, about 10 to 20% of the responses exceeded 100 million years, suggesting that the students perceived the phenomena as requiring a longer time than the formation of the Japanese Islands, which is another issue for future study.

A survey was conducted to determine the level of understanding of buoyancy among university students aspiring to become science teachers. The results showed that approximately 50% of the respondents grasped that the volume of an object determines its buoyancy, and about 60% correctly recognized the change in the magnitude of the buoyancy force acting on an object submerging from the air into the water. Most of the students understood that buoyancy force also acts on an object that sinks into the water. However, about 40% did not understand that buoyancy is determined by the underwater portion of the volume of an object. These students incorrectly believed that buoyancy was proportional to depth, and that the maximum buoyancy force occurred at the moment the bottom of the object touched the water surface. Those who had not studied high school physics tended to believe that buoyancy force increases in proportion to water depth, while those who had studied physics tended to believe that buoyancy force is always constant regardless of whether an object is submerged or not.