일본 과학교육의 문제점 고찰 및 개정 과학교육과정에 미친 영향 분석

Abstract

This study reviewed the overall issues of Japanese science education based on (i) an analysis of research on domestic and international academic achievement and the academic curriculum, and (ii) on on-site research of elementary, middle, and high schools. It has also looked into the fundamental principles of the newly revised Japanese science curriculum and the influence and relevance of the issues of Japanese science education with respect to a revision of the science curriculum. In this study, an analysis of research on domestic and international academic achievement and curriculum, which is concerned with science subjects conducted under the current Japanese curriculum, is categorized into international and the domestic research results. These are further categorized into (i) aspects of scientific learning achievement and scientific learning content, (ii)aspects of student attitude toward science, and (iii) aspects of the environment for science education. The following results have been obtained from this study. Firstly, Japanese students have shown good results in the research of the domestic and international academic achievement, but were found to have inadequate basic knowledge and understanding in some areas. To overcome such inadequacy, new learning content has been introduced into the curriculum of elementary schools for international compatibility, and the time frames for completion of some education contents have been adjusted. Secondly, Japanese students in elementary, middle, and high schools generally have shown inadequacy in the ‘induction’ and ‘explanation’ aspects of the research into domestic and international academic achievement. To resolve such issues, several revisions - in which enough time for science education is secured through an increase in class hours, problem-solving and inducting activities are emphasized, and the curriculum is organized in consideration of the connectivity between the education content of the elementary school and the middle school - have been introduced into the new science curriculum. Thirdly, the willingness of Japanese students to study science has been shown to be decreasing as they move from the elementary through to high school. The students’ recognition of the importance of science was very low, and they had very little confidence in science study. To address these issues, the science curriculum has been changed to attract more interest from the students; that is, more content related to everyday life is included than in the past. Fourthly, research into the circumstances of education found, in the education of elementary,middle, and high schools, that scientific experiences in nature and everyday life – which is the foundation of science education - were insufficient. To cope with this issue, science class hours have been increased in elementary and middle schools, and ‘scientific subject research’ class has been added to the curriculum of high schools to facilitate the study of nature and experiential activities during the increased class hours. This study hopes to have clarified, through an examination of the blueprint for the recent amendment of Japanese curriculum of education, the relationship between the principles of the current amendments to the Japanese science curriculum and the content of the documented revision of the science curriculum.