New trends in physics teaching, v.4; The ... - unesdoc - Unesco

Japan
The teaching of energy in Japan
K. HIRATA.
It is barely one hundred years since modern scientific thought was introduced into Japan. Nevertheless
Japan today is not only at a high level in the scientific and technological fields, but is
also having a great impact on Western society in many ways. We can assume that many people
all over the world are interested in the sort of science education going on in Japan. The present
situation in Japanese science education is described in several science education journals, but this
is not enough. It wil therefore be appropriate to touch on some features of science education in
relation to the theme. In the first section, some unusual characteristics of elementary science
education are discussed briefly in connection with the teaching of energy.
In the succeeding two sections, the outlines of energy teaching in lower and upper secondary
schools are discussed. In Japan elementary and secondary education are controlled by the Ministry
of Education which announces the course of study and revises it every ten years or so. In these
sections, the content concerning energy described in the revised course of study is reviewed and
some problems are discussed.
Although the course of study is rather rigid, the teachers have considerable freedom in terms
of methodology. Some teachers are trying to develop new teaching methods, some to devise new
experimental apparatus; some study groups try to develop new curricula, while others investigate
the process of understanding of important scientific concepts.
In the final section, an example of curriculum development related to the teaching of energy
is reviewed.
SOME IMPORTANT FEATURES OF ELEMENTARY SCIENCE EDUCATION
(1) Science is taught in all grades at primary school.
Science is taught for two periods per week for the first and second grades (ages 6 and 7 years),
and three periods for the grades from three to six. Each period lasts for 45 minutes. Language
and arithmetic are basic subjects in Japan as in other countries, but a notable feature in Japanese
education is that science is provided for all children at primary schools, even in the first grade.
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