1998 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
An Investigation into the Method of Education on Radiation and Radioactivity in Primary and Lower Secondary Schools.
| Project/Area Number |
09680197
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Science education
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| Research Institution | Ritsumeikan University |
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Principal Investigator |
ANZAI Ikuro Ritsumeikan U.College of Int'l Relations, Prof., 国際関係学部, 教授 (40010045)
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| 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)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1997 – 1998
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| Keywords | radiation / radioactivity / elementary education / junior highschool education / teaching method / school textbook / questionnaire |
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| 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.
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