11:10 AM - 11:35 AM
[O05-06] Postwar changes in geoscience education: Cultural geology and geocience around us
★Invited Papers
Keywords:Geoscience education, High school curriculum guidelines, Geoscience around us, Cultural geology
Based on the nine revisions of the high school curriculum guidelines, a survey was conducted to extract "cultural geological" elements from the curriculum guidelines and textbooks to examine changes in the content and background of geoscience education after the war. The results showed that there were differences in the quality and quantity of cultural geological elements at each stage: "the beginning of geoscience", "the establishment of geoscience", "diversity of geoscience", and "selection of geoscience".
At the time of the "establishment of geoscience", the country was in the period of high economic growth, and cram education became prominent in the field of education. As a result, as seen in S45 (labeling of the revision year the curriculum guidelines; S, Showa; H, Heisei), a reform of the science system that could be described as a pursuit of efficiency appeared. This was the idea of "comprehensive science". It was a style of study that could be described as a minimum for science. However, in S53, a new style of science began to be pursued. Socially, the economy was in a period of stable growth and the bubble economy was in full swing, and memorization-based education with no time for relaxation became widespread. In contrast, in S53, there was a gradual demand for "relaxation". Even under these circumstances, cultural geology does not seem to have changed much from the beginning of geoscience. As a result, it can be said that this created a tendency for some students to turn away from science.
"Diversification of geoscience" meant that science and geoscience that were relatively uniform up until then were required to be tailored to the students' inclinations. This was the case in H01's "geoscience around us" and "regional landscapes and scenery", and H11's "before the beginning of science". These can be said to be composed of cultural geological elements. "Geoscience around us" deals with the origins of rocks and minerals through familiar objects such as "stones and gems" and "landscapes and scenery." The latter in particular is based on the fundamental idea of geology that regional geology creates familiar landscapes and scenery. "Before the beginnings of science" in H11 points out that modern advances in science and technology are based on the classical science of ancient Greece, and that the foundations of that Greek era were largely due to the culture of the Stone Age several thousand to tens of thousands of years before that. This revision of the curriculum guidelines is a measure to stop students from turning away from science, but "geoscience around us" and "geoscience of landscapes and scenery" are rich in cultural geological elements and are also meaningful as a measure to prevent the current dislike of science and geoscience.
In the stage of "selection of geoscience," cultural geology, which appears to have diversified geoscience, was lost. This is likely due in large part to the influence of the "PISA shock," which could be described as "anti-relaxation." The "PISA shock" refers to the sudden drop in the reading comprehension of Japanese students in the 2003 test, which is conducted by the OECD every three years. As a result, it is said that the relaxed education prompted a change of course from the relaxed education to moving away the relaxed education. In other words, the shift to improving academic ability is the exact opposite of the relaxed education seen in the diversification of geoscience up to that point.
The current rate of high school students taking basic geoscience is said to be in the 20% range. Reasons for this low rate of geoscience enrolment include the low rate of geoscience courses being offered and a shortage of geoscience instructors, but as is clear from the history of geoscience education, future geoscience education will require a "geology around us" approach, which once disappeared. Furthermore, it goes without saying that geoscience education plays an important role in disaster prevention education, but we must not forget the positive perspective of "the natural blessings of the Japanese islands". I believe that geoparks are one way of realizing this.
At the time of the "establishment of geoscience", the country was in the period of high economic growth, and cram education became prominent in the field of education. As a result, as seen in S45 (labeling of the revision year the curriculum guidelines; S, Showa; H, Heisei), a reform of the science system that could be described as a pursuit of efficiency appeared. This was the idea of "comprehensive science". It was a style of study that could be described as a minimum for science. However, in S53, a new style of science began to be pursued. Socially, the economy was in a period of stable growth and the bubble economy was in full swing, and memorization-based education with no time for relaxation became widespread. In contrast, in S53, there was a gradual demand for "relaxation". Even under these circumstances, cultural geology does not seem to have changed much from the beginning of geoscience. As a result, it can be said that this created a tendency for some students to turn away from science.
"Diversification of geoscience" meant that science and geoscience that were relatively uniform up until then were required to be tailored to the students' inclinations. This was the case in H01's "geoscience around us" and "regional landscapes and scenery", and H11's "before the beginning of science". These can be said to be composed of cultural geological elements. "Geoscience around us" deals with the origins of rocks and minerals through familiar objects such as "stones and gems" and "landscapes and scenery." The latter in particular is based on the fundamental idea of geology that regional geology creates familiar landscapes and scenery. "Before the beginnings of science" in H11 points out that modern advances in science and technology are based on the classical science of ancient Greece, and that the foundations of that Greek era were largely due to the culture of the Stone Age several thousand to tens of thousands of years before that. This revision of the curriculum guidelines is a measure to stop students from turning away from science, but "geoscience around us" and "geoscience of landscapes and scenery" are rich in cultural geological elements and are also meaningful as a measure to prevent the current dislike of science and geoscience.
In the stage of "selection of geoscience," cultural geology, which appears to have diversified geoscience, was lost. This is likely due in large part to the influence of the "PISA shock," which could be described as "anti-relaxation." The "PISA shock" refers to the sudden drop in the reading comprehension of Japanese students in the 2003 test, which is conducted by the OECD every three years. As a result, it is said that the relaxed education prompted a change of course from the relaxed education to moving away the relaxed education. In other words, the shift to improving academic ability is the exact opposite of the relaxed education seen in the diversification of geoscience up to that point.
The current rate of high school students taking basic geoscience is said to be in the 20% range. Reasons for this low rate of geoscience enrolment include the low rate of geoscience courses being offered and a shortage of geoscience instructors, but as is clear from the history of geoscience education, future geoscience education will require a "geology around us" approach, which once disappeared. Furthermore, it goes without saying that geoscience education plays an important role in disaster prevention education, but we must not forget the positive perspective of "the natural blessings of the Japanese islands". I believe that geoparks are one way of realizing this.