An Investigation into the Method of Education on Radiation and Radioactivity in Primary and Lower Secondary Schools.

Research Project

Project/Area Number	09680197
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Science education
Research Institution	Ritsumeikan University
Principal Investigator	ANZAI Ikuro Ritsumeikan U.College of Int'l Relations, Prof., 国際関係学部, 教授 (40010045)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	MEGUMI Kazuko Osaka Pref.U.Inst.Dev.Sci., Professor., 先端科学研究所, 教授 (60090437) TADA Jun'ichiro JASRI,Safety Office Head, 安全管理室, 室長 (40163464) SHIMO Michikuni Nat.Inst.Rad.Sci.Div.Int.Exp.&Protec., Dir., 内部被曝・防護研究部, 部長 (90023209)
Project Period (FY)	1997 – 1998
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1998)
Budget Amount *help	¥2,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,300,000) Fiscal Year 1998: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000) Fiscal Year 1997: ¥1,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000)
Keywords	radiation / radioactivity / elementary education / junior highschool education / teaching method / school textbook / questionnaire / 教材開発
Research Abstract	School textbooks of all subjects currently used in primary and junior high-schools in Japan were investigated regarding the descriptions about "radiation" and "radioactivity". It was revealed that the schoolchildren are first exposed to those concepts in the textbooks of social studies dealing with historical events such as the atomic bombing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the hydrogen bomb test at Bikini Atolls in 1954, and the accident of Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986, without being taught about scientific concepts of radiation and radioactivity. Later in junior highschool, students learn some introductory knowledge about radiation and radioactivity in the textbook of natural science, but they learn more about tragic social events regarding the utilization of nuclear energy as introduced above. Almost no coordination was observed between the textbooks of different subjects. A questionnairing was conducted on the teachers of social studies and natural sciences of 500 junior highschools, which suggested that many teachers have a feeling that it is appropriate to first present minus image of radition or radioactivity because they think these factors are actually risky. The present research also pointed out a number of inappropriate descriptions about radiation and radioactivity, and tentatively proposed some examples of scientifically more appropriate explanations. A report of some 200 pages was published including some commendable examples of educational practices in the fields of radiation and radioactivity.