Analysis of New Zealand science curriculum for factors of constructivism to be extracted and introduced to the subject matter for environmental studies

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(1) In constructivism, which has been lately attracted in science education, children's concepts obtained through their daily experiences are recognised as starting lines of learning in schools whether the concepts are right or wrong. The innovation of New Zealand curriculum in the l990's is said to be supported by constructivism. This project was started from our recognition that constructivism is also important for environmental studies.In order to find ways to introduce ideas of constructivism into environmental education, the New Zealand science curriculum was examined and analysed in comparison with that in Japan from the view of environmental education, using curricular materials of both countries [Science in the New Zealand Curriculum (NZ Ministry of Education 1993), Course of study for elementary schools in Japan, Course of study for lower secondary schools in Japan (Japanese Ministry of Education 1989a, b)]. For analysis, the children's activities which are exemplified in the … More above curricular materials were classified into "the three stages for environmental studies." [Stage 1 : Studies on natural things and phenomena. Stage 2 : Studies on the relation between human life/society and nature. Stage 3 : Studies on search for reasonable ways in spending life and administering society in consideration for the relation between human life/society and nature (Hiroki 1996)]. The results obtained are as follows. In the case of Japan most of children's activities exemplified in the above materials are classified into stage 1. Very few activities are into stage 2 and 3. In contrast in the case of New Zealand there are activities classified into every stage of the three (eg. Stage l : Measuring temperature in different places on different days, Stage 2 : Study on eatable plants, Stage 3 : Investigation for improvement of water pollution)..(2) On the basis of the above results, more than ten items of subject matter were developed corresponding to each stage for enviromnental studies of the three (eg. Stage 1 : To leave water in a container outdoors ; Stage 2 : To estimate air pollution caused by dust in a simple way ; Stage 3 : To find ways of using acorns as a resource for human life. Less