An Investigation on the Methods to Foster Learners' Thinking Skills in School Science at Primary and Lower Secondary Schools Levels

本研究的目的在于提出培养小学生思维能力的策略，特别是在小学和初中阶段的学校科学中培养学生的科学思维能力。在本报告所述期间，取得了以下调查结果。研究人员在个人电脑上建立了由美国和英国各种科学教科书中的句子组成的“材料科学”数据库。利用该数据库，对其中的教科书内容进行了分析。对教材的范围和顺序进行了比较。结果发现，日本的教科书中的内容与日本的教科书中的内容基本相同，而日本的教科书中的内容与日本的教科书中的内容有很大的不同.教科书中关于科学性质、科学方法、科学探究、过程技能等的描述，收集并分析。美国的几本科学教科书对这些项目都有详细的介绍。另一方面，日本人根本没有。美国教科书中对科学思维技能的解释最多，其次是英国教科书。调查了小学九年级学生和大学生对“学校科学”和“科学”的概念。根据研究结果，指出了科学思维技能中存在的几个问题.编写了培养科学思维能力的教材。他们被允许尝试上小学。实践证明，这些材料是有效的。进一步评估正在进行中。

The purpose of this study is to suggest the strategies to foster pupils' thinking skills, especially scientific thinking skills in school science at primary and lower secondary schools levels. The following findings have been obtained during the proposed period.1. Researchers have constructed "material science" database which is composed of the sentences in various American and British science textbooks on the personal computer. Using this database, contents of textbooks were analyzed among them. Scopes and sequences of teaching materials in textbooks were also compared. It was found that their contents described in each science textbook are quite different each other, but that ones in Japan are similar.2. Descriptions in textbooks on nature of science, scientific methods, scientific enquiry, process skills, etc., were collected, and analyzed. Several American science textbooks have entered into details about these items. On the other hand, Japanese ones have not at all.3. Explanation on scientific thinking skills in textbooks are seen most often in American's, and then British ones.4. Ninth grade pupils' and university students' conception of "school science (RIKA, in Japanese)" and "science" were surveyed. From results several problems on scientific thinking skills were pointed out.5. Teaching materials to foster scientific thinking skills are developed. They have been allowed to try to pupils. It has been proved that these materials are effective. Further assessment is in progress.