PS COLUMN ARCHIVE

March 27, 2008

How to make children like science

The other day, I happened to come across with the book titled “Knowledge and skill for life” (published in December 2007) compiled by National Institute for Education Policy Research (NIEPR). This is the report by NIEPR, sub-organization of The Ministry of Education and Science, which has orderly analyzed “Programme for International Student Assessment” (PISA) conducted by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2006.

The report was picked up in various newspapers as raising the problem of “decline in scholastic standards of the first grade high school of Japan”. PISA was first carried out in 2000 when each level of scientific literacy (interpreted as “scientific application skill” in most of papers) as ranked second then, mathematic literacy as first and reading comprehension ability as eighth all declined to sixth, tenth and fifteenth respectively in 2006. The report says that the then top-leveled scientific and mathematic application ability were remarkably lowered, together with still further decline of reading ability that was at low level even in the first PISA. Tone of argument of most papers was that the possible cause might be related to “relaxed education policy” that lessened the classroom hours.

I have a doubt, however, if the lowering of academic level is really so much serious as reported. It might be true that scientific literacy dropped from second to sixth, nevertheless, it is still far above the average level of the member nations of OECD (30 countries including USA, UK, France and Germany) and higher than any of the countries above mentioned. The same thing can be said to mathematic literacy and reading ability. Considering accidental errors of statistics and variance of exam questions, decline in academic level seems to me not so much serious as to reconsider educational policy.

The above-said book implicitly revealed much more important data for science education of Japan than just mere academic level. Let me show below three statistic data that I consider very grave and important.

There is an item called “index of enjoyment of science” in PISA examinations. This is statistic result of the answers from students to the next five questions. (a) It is enjoyable to obtain knowledge about science. (b) In most cases, it is enjoyable while learning topics of science. (c) Interested in learning science. (d) Fond of reading the books on science. (e) It is a fun when solving science questions.

It is clear from the result that the ratio of Japanese students who think, “science is enjoyable” is far lower than the average of OECD member countries. For example, the ratio of answering “yes” to the question (b) is 51% for Japanese students while it is 63% for OECD average. In almost all items Japan is lower than OECD average by 10%. By the result of total index Japan is 56th place (second from bottom) out of 57 countries.

Let’s look at another item called “index of action related to science”. This is the research result of answers from: (a) Watch TV program on science. (b) Read newspapers and magazines about science. And others totaling five questions. Only 8% of Japanese students answered “yes” to (a) and (b), which is remarkably lower than the average 20% of OECD. In all exam items this is the lowest percentage in all countries.

Another index result is also very much worrisome. This is about the index “understanding ability of students from science lesson”: (a) Well aware of possibility of applying scientific knowledge taught from teacher to many other things. (b) Make teacher’s lesson of thinking scientific way closely related to daily life. And other three questions. The average of OECD’s answer “yes” to (a) and (b) is 59% and 46% while that of first grade Japanese high school students is only 26% and 19%, which is at the lowest bottom by far in all countries.

From the research result, it seems to emerge that Japanese young students do not take liking in science, do not take an interest in science class and do not think it is useful. In the countries other than Japan, the statistic data of PISA indicates that students go out of door to make contact with nature in open-air classroom, meet with wonders of nature, visit museum to listen to curators and participate in various scientific fairs, while Japanese students seem to be taught in a classroom from teachers who think, “science is not very enjoyable”.

In considering future education of Japan, the statistic data above-mentioned contains far more important meaning than mere academic level of “scientific literacy” and “mathematic literacy” raised as serious problems in newspapers. In considering the importance for students to learn the scientific way of thinking, we hope for children to take more liking in science. There may be many ways to make them like science, but what is important, I think, is that adults in favor of science spend more time in playing around with children together. My personal opinion of the most effective way to lead them to science is to increase the number of teachers who think “science is enjoyable”, to support such teachers, to take children out of classroom to open-air, and to increase, by so doing, the opportunity for children to experience the wonders of nature and science. What do you think?

(Translated by The Planetary Society of Japan)

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