Collaborative study between Japan and US on development of teaching materials and evaluation method concerning problem-solving skills in Geography

2002 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 13480063
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 教科教育
• Research Institution: HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: HIRAKAWA Yukiko Hiroshima University, Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Associate Professor, 大学院・国際協力研究科, 助教授 (80314780)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NAKAYAMA Shuichi Hiroshima University, Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Professor, 大学院・国際協力研究科, 教授 (30084122)
• Project Period (FY): 2001 – 2002
• Keywords: Geography education / Teaching material / Classroom observation / Problem-solving skills / Geographical views and Geographical way of thinking

Research Abstract

The research aims to develop curriculum, teaching plan and material, and method of evaluation in secondary school Geography for problem-solving skill in cooperation with American researchers, and with Japanese and American teachers.
Through analyzing students' reports written in experimental teaching in Japan, the researchers clarified problems of problem-solving skills common to many Japanese students. Those are: a) many students have no habit to clarify where the problem is happening and do not understand that the problem has different causes and results according to the place, that is the very basics of geographic views and geographic way of thinking, b) students are weak in finding necessary information for problem-solving, c) few students have habit to note the reference, etc.
At the same time, two teaching materials were developed : "Building a new school- A geography lesson in locational analysis" by American side and "Thinking the problem of poverty through Human Poverty Index" by Japanese side. The both materials were experimented in Japanese and American classrooms in March and May 2002.
Through classroom observation, it was found that in Japan, students are shy and rare to answer teacher's questions, but they are participating the lesson. When they answer, they are careful about what the teacher wants them to answer, and carefully organize the answer following teacher's intention. However, they are not positive in applying basic conceptions they have learned in the real situation. In the other hand, American students are very active in answering the questions, and sometimes propose beyond teacher's intention or expectations. They are positive to apply basic geographical concepts they have to the real situation.