TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Course description and aims

- This lesson takes up the current issues of science education at secondary schools level as topics, and perform exercises of practice research on education while utilizing the following techniques: 1) setting up the hypothetical model about acquisition of scientific domain-specific knowledge and ways of viewing and thinking, 2) collecting logs by means of ICT to control student's cognitive process.
- The aims of this lesson is to learn the procedure for the practical research on education based on the warp and the woof model of problem solving, and the ways of viewing and thinking as well as domain-specific knowledge that should be utilized in such activities. The model is common to that for cultivating student’s problem-solving ability in school education. Because informed instruction is important for this purpose as Bruer stated, students experience it while carrying out active learning on the e-portfolio system developed for practice research on education and utilizing IAG system. Students also acquire self-learning ability necessary to become a teacher who continues life-long learning.

Student learning outcomes

Students are required to achieve following objectives:
1) Can self-discover the current issues of science education at secondary schools level, formulize it as a theme of practical research on education, and master the method of educational technology to solve it effectively.
2) Can explain the warp and woof model of problem solving while including its processes, ways of viewing and thinking and domain-specific knowledge necessary to be utilized in each process, then can carry out practical research on education based on it as problem solving for a teacher.
3) Master the practical use of ICT as reproducible method of instructions and log analysis to find a common cause of changes in each learner in order to conduct reliable and effective research.
4) Master the method of utilizing scientific method, including the observational and experimental methods, for own familiar problem solving, and can explain usefulness of science learning.

Keywords

Methodology of practical research on education, science education in secondary school, literature review, lesson design, development of instructional materials, experimental design, statistical test, log analysis

Competencies that will be developed

Class flow

The purpose of each class is focusing on explaining knowledge and methods necessary for homework assignments as well as discussion for problem-solving. Tasks necessary for homework assignments should be performed on the e-portfolio system that supports practical research on education. Therefore, students are required to perform necessary tasks before the next class in order to discuss their reports.

Course schedule/Required learning

Textbook(s)

・National Course of Studies for the Lower Secondary Schools (in Japanese)
・National Course of Studies for the Upper Secondary Schools (in Japanese)
・Guidebooks of National Course of Studies for the Lower Secondary Schools: Science (in Japanese)
・Guidebooks of National Course of Studies for the Upper Secondary Schools: Science (in Japanese)
・Science textbooks for the secondary schools (in Japanese)

Reference books, course materials, etc.

・Information resources provided by e-portfolio system developed in my laboratory

Assessment criteria and methods

・Students will be assessed based on end-term examination, the lesson plan and the instructional materials of the practice lesson, and the final report.
・Students who did not submit homework until each deadline lose their credit at that time.

Related courses

• LAT.S101 ： Method of Teaching Science I
• LAT.S102 ： Method of Teaching Science II
• LAT.S301 ： Method of Teaching Science III
• LAT.S302 ： Method of Teaching Science IV
• LAT.S303 ： Exercise of Practical Research on Science Education I
• LAT.A203 ： Educational Technology
• LAT.A206 ： Curriculum Design and Management
• Teaching Practice
• courses certified as "Sciences"

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

・Students are required to earn all credits (or have successfully finished in the same term) of related courses of LAT.
・Students are required to earn more than 20 credits (or have successfully finished in the same term) of related courses certified as "Sciences" from every necessary area.
・Students who do not intend to take teacher’s license of the lower secondary school cannot take this course.
・Students are required to send an application e-mail that includes ID-number, name, major program, and e-mail address to e-mail address shown below until the end of April. A person who wants to apply as a part-time student is required to contact to the following e-mail address before applying to admission office (until the end of July).
・Part-time students who can take this course are only graduates of Titech.

Contact information (e-mail and phone)    Notice : Please replace from "[at]" to "@"(half-width character).

sci-ask[at]et.hum.titech.ac.jp

Office hours

Please send an e-mail for appointment.

Other

・Students are required to have own facilities and abilities to perform homework by means of Office software.
・Students need to make instructional materials with paying attention to intellectual property rights enough.