Development and Evaluation of Teacher Education Programs in the Society for Science and Technology Communication

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This study researched on the development and evaluation of teacher education programs, which are to be operated in cooperation with universities/graduate schools and scientific museums, with a view to nurturing scientific teachers with the skills required for "Science Communicators.The Central Group discussed determining basic requirements for developing "Science Communicator" teacher education programs based on linkage with scientific museums. The issues addressed by the group ranged from purposes and goals, through learning and methodology, to contents and assessments, all of which form the foundation of the planned program.The five regional groups defined concrete contents of teacher education programs in cooperation with scientific museums in their respective regions. Major outcomes of this study, by regional group, are as follows: The activities addressed by the Aichi group included: planning and implementation of a workshop through co-sponsorship with a museum in Aichi Prefecture … More ; research on hands on exhibits in museums; and practical study of supporting teachers in their efforts to link Japanese and scientific education via a museum. The Miyazaki group addressed a joint practical study with the Miyazaki Prefectural Museum of Nature and History, aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of junior-high scientific teachers as "Science Communicators" by providing them with opportunities to perform class lessons about volcanic ash. The Hiroshima group developed a draft proposal of a teacher education program, with the focus on analysis of science popularization classes for children at the Hiroshima Children's Museum and the Hiroshima City Forest Park's Museum of Insects, as well as the development of class lessons conducted at these facilities in collaboration with elementary schools. The Hyogo group built a virtual museum that is accessible by cell phone and experimentally evaluated its effectiveness as a means of education. The Kochi group conducted a feasibility study for the development of teacher education programs, targeting the Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden and other similar facilities.The outcomes of this study were actively publicized both in and outside Japan. Worthy of special note is that some of the achievements of this study received two awards: the Best Paper Award from the Japan Society for Science Education (JSSE) (August 2007) and the Presentation of the Year Award, also from the JSSE (August 2006). Less