3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
[MIS11-P07] Features of Elementary and Junior High School Students' Independent Research and Educational Effects of Geopark Learning
Keywords:hometown education, independent research works, subject of independent research work, attributes of exhibitors, educational effects of Geopark Learning
1. Introduction
In elementary and junior high schools in the Shimabara Peninsula, the demand for Geopark Learning (Geo-Learning) and the number of Geo-Learning programs conducted by the Council of Unzen Volcanic Area Geopark have been steadily increasing, reflecting the promotion of hometown education and diversifying curriculum contents. However, the Council has rarely analyzed or discussed the educational effects of Geo-Learning.
Since 2012, the Council has held an annual exhibition of independent research works on Geoparks by local elementary and junior high school students, to present attractive features of the region and raise awareness of preservation of local resources. These works, produced by many of the students who have participated in Geo-Learning, could be one indicator for evaluating the effects of Geo-Learning. Therefore, this presentation will analyze the subjects of the works and the attributes of the exhibitors over the past 11 years and discuss the educational effects of Geo-Learning.
2. Trends and Features of the Works
The total number of works for 11 years was 650. While the number of works by elementary school students (ES) exceeded 100 in all of the 3 cities in the region, the number of works by junior high school students (JHS) was small in Unzen City (U-City) and Minamishimabara City (M-City) except Shimabara City (S-City).
The works were categorized into 13 subjects: 1) Volcano; 2) Earthquake/Tsunami; 3) Strata/Rocks; 4) Weather/Climate/Ocean; 5) Disasters in General; 6) Environmental Issues; 7) Wildlife; 8) Springs/Onsen; 9) History/Culture/Industry; 10) Disaster-Management/Welfare; 11) Tourism; 12) Other Regions; and (13) Others.
The subject with the largest number of works was 1) Volcano in all 3 cities, while the second and the third were different in each city: 8) Springs/Onsen and 3) Strata/Rocks in S-City; 8) Springs/Onsen and 9) History/Culture/Industry in U-City; 5) Disasters in General and 3) Strata/Rocks in M-City.
The school grades of the exhibitors from S-City ranged from 3rd grade ES to 3rd grade JHS, while 70% of the exhibitors from U-City were 5th-6th grades ES and 70% of the exhibitors from M-City were 3rd-5th grades ES, showing differences in the grades of exhibitors in each city. The number of 1st-2nd grades ES was small in all 3 cities.
3. Discussion
It was found that the subjects of the works tended to be selected from the local resources found in each city, that are also intentionally included in the content of Geo-Learning.
The number of works on 8) Springs/Onsen was large in S-City and U-City where springs and onsen are mainly located. In M-City, the numbers of works on 5) Disasters in General and 3) Strata/Rocks were large, and it is considered to be due to the fact that many disaster sites from the Heisei Eruption and major geological sites of the Geopark are located in the city and are frequently visited during Geo-Learning for the schools of M-City. In all 3 cities, 1) Volcano, that is always a main theme in Geo-Learning, was chosen as the most popular subject.
It was also revealed that there were few JHS exhibitors from the 2 cities other than S-City, and few 1st-2nd grades ES exhibitors from all 3 cities. This can be attributed to a small number of Geo-Learning conducted for JHS in those 2 cities and 1st-2nd grades ES in all 3 cities over the past 11 years. On the other hand, the trend of certain grades with a large number of exhibitors appears to be related to the grades of students who participated in Geo-Learning, thus, indicating a direct educational effect of Geo-Learning
4. Future Prospects
The findings that many exhibitors were from the grades having Geo-Learning opportunities and that the themes covered in Geo-Learning tend to be selected for the subjects of their works confirmed the educational effects of Geo-Learning. Therefore, it is important to continue Geo-Learning and to create more opportunities for the grades that had little involvement in Geo-Learning.
In elementary and junior high schools in the Shimabara Peninsula, the demand for Geopark Learning (Geo-Learning) and the number of Geo-Learning programs conducted by the Council of Unzen Volcanic Area Geopark have been steadily increasing, reflecting the promotion of hometown education and diversifying curriculum contents. However, the Council has rarely analyzed or discussed the educational effects of Geo-Learning.
Since 2012, the Council has held an annual exhibition of independent research works on Geoparks by local elementary and junior high school students, to present attractive features of the region and raise awareness of preservation of local resources. These works, produced by many of the students who have participated in Geo-Learning, could be one indicator for evaluating the effects of Geo-Learning. Therefore, this presentation will analyze the subjects of the works and the attributes of the exhibitors over the past 11 years and discuss the educational effects of Geo-Learning.
2. Trends and Features of the Works
The total number of works for 11 years was 650. While the number of works by elementary school students (ES) exceeded 100 in all of the 3 cities in the region, the number of works by junior high school students (JHS) was small in Unzen City (U-City) and Minamishimabara City (M-City) except Shimabara City (S-City).
The works were categorized into 13 subjects: 1) Volcano; 2) Earthquake/Tsunami; 3) Strata/Rocks; 4) Weather/Climate/Ocean; 5) Disasters in General; 6) Environmental Issues; 7) Wildlife; 8) Springs/Onsen; 9) History/Culture/Industry; 10) Disaster-Management/Welfare; 11) Tourism; 12) Other Regions; and (13) Others.
The subject with the largest number of works was 1) Volcano in all 3 cities, while the second and the third were different in each city: 8) Springs/Onsen and 3) Strata/Rocks in S-City; 8) Springs/Onsen and 9) History/Culture/Industry in U-City; 5) Disasters in General and 3) Strata/Rocks in M-City.
The school grades of the exhibitors from S-City ranged from 3rd grade ES to 3rd grade JHS, while 70% of the exhibitors from U-City were 5th-6th grades ES and 70% of the exhibitors from M-City were 3rd-5th grades ES, showing differences in the grades of exhibitors in each city. The number of 1st-2nd grades ES was small in all 3 cities.
3. Discussion
It was found that the subjects of the works tended to be selected from the local resources found in each city, that are also intentionally included in the content of Geo-Learning.
The number of works on 8) Springs/Onsen was large in S-City and U-City where springs and onsen are mainly located. In M-City, the numbers of works on 5) Disasters in General and 3) Strata/Rocks were large, and it is considered to be due to the fact that many disaster sites from the Heisei Eruption and major geological sites of the Geopark are located in the city and are frequently visited during Geo-Learning for the schools of M-City. In all 3 cities, 1) Volcano, that is always a main theme in Geo-Learning, was chosen as the most popular subject.
It was also revealed that there were few JHS exhibitors from the 2 cities other than S-City, and few 1st-2nd grades ES exhibitors from all 3 cities. This can be attributed to a small number of Geo-Learning conducted for JHS in those 2 cities and 1st-2nd grades ES in all 3 cities over the past 11 years. On the other hand, the trend of certain grades with a large number of exhibitors appears to be related to the grades of students who participated in Geo-Learning, thus, indicating a direct educational effect of Geo-Learning
4. Future Prospects
The findings that many exhibitors were from the grades having Geo-Learning opportunities and that the themes covered in Geo-Learning tend to be selected for the subjects of their works confirmed the educational effects of Geo-Learning. Therefore, it is important to continue Geo-Learning and to create more opportunities for the grades that had little involvement in Geo-Learning.