May 14, 2012

Activity for improving the high school chemistry and

science education in Japan utilizing experimental tasks

loaded in International Chemistry Olympiad

May 14, 2012

Committee for Proposition to Future of National Chemistry and Science Education

Kihara, Nobuhiro, Prof., Kanagawa University, Japan

The Committee for Proposition to Future of National Chemistry and Science Education inaugurated to deliver world class chemical education, utilizing the examination tasks loaded in International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) in April, 2011.

Kihara, 2012 Intel ISEF Educator Academy, Pittsburgh, PA, May 14, 2012

Key point:

Committee for Proposition to Future of National Chemistry and Science Education Details of organization and members of the committee Objectives

Facts/social meaning of the project Problems of Japan and national capability in chemistry and chemical technology Mismatch of the required capability and the educational goal

Facts/background in science education in Japan General characteristics of Japanese domestic education system Japanese high school education system Japanese high school education of chemistry and chemical technology Present conditions in Japan Actions to solve the problems already started

Activities and plans of Committee for Proposition to Future of National Chemistry and Science Education


Agenda


Details of organization and members of the committee

• Chairperson of the committee: Prof. Noyori, Ryoji, Nobel Laureate

• The 20 members of the committee are mostly university chemists with experience of operating at International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) as organizers, mentors, supporters etc.– IChO is a world-wide contest of high school

students competing in chemical science.• When IChO42 was held in 2010 in Tokyo, many

chemists involved in this project realized the big difference between the secondary education system of Japan and IChO syllabus.

• The members of the committee commonly have consensus that the national chemical and scientific education should change for corresponding to various needs of present world.



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Details of organization and members of the committee

• One of the needs is scientific education for life and modern technology.

• The principle of the senior high school in Japan has been denoted as preparative stage for university study for over half a century. So the contents of the scientific education remains that for fundamental pure science.

• However, our life has changed significantly in the past century, especially in material and energetic senses.

• In addition, almost all of 16-year old youth enter senior high-school now a day, which means the scientific education in high school corresponds to the national standard of scientific literacy.

• Under such environment, some university chemists concerned with IChO have build up the committee and started the activity aiming to improve the high school chemical and science education utilizing IChO tasks such as extension of the style of science study and sophistication of the contents of it. Kihara, 2012 Intel ISEF Educator Academy, Pittsburgh, PA, May 14,

2012


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Problems of capability in chemistry and chemical technology in Japan

• Discrepancy of expected individual capability and actual ability in science and chemistry.

• Necessity of capability in chemistry and chemical technology is underestimated.

• Self-evaluation of Japanese capability of science including chemistry is overestimated.

• Self-evaluation of Japanese education of science including chemistry is overestimated.

Facts/social meaning of the project


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Objectives of the committee

To improve chemistry and chemical technology education at high school in Japan in order to contribute the requirement from the society in terms of the following perspectives:

1. Suitable contents for present technological world

2. Flexibility in quality and quantity for individual study

3. Acquirement of individual capability to decide life affairs reasonably

4. Sophistication of social leaders to decide public affairs on the basis of chemical and economical rationality

Aims


Expected individual capability and actual ability of science and chemistry are largely

disagreed in Japan

• Rather large disagreement between expectation and fact in national capability of chemical science and technology: recognition, evaluation, and education

　• unsuitable recognition for capability in chemical

science and technology retards national decision against change of the world



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Characteristics of national recognition for capability in chemistry and

chemical technology• Daily decisions are made without

comparison of risk and benefit of artificial and natural products on the basis of chemistry and chemical technology.

• Social decisions are made without scientific and economical bases.

• Determinations are postponed on the basis of “absolute safety”.

• Insufficient understanding of “materials and chemical substances” and “energy” prevent rapid and proper decisions in private life and in national affairs.



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Characteristics of present high school education for chemistry and chemical

technology in Japan:• The science education was designed to train

the specialized researcher in pure science• The education remains unchanged without

interactive study with other natural and social subjects

• The education remains unchanged without study of relation to life and economical activity

Facts/educational background


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Characteristics of high school education in Japan

• Flat contents all over the country• Flat contents for every student• Government determines the contents and

amount of each subject– The direction is reviewed and modified every

one decade. Changes are hardly made.• Entrance examination for University/College

– Essentially undertaken in almost same days all over Japan

– National entrance examination center undertakes the uniformed multiple-choice tests for applicants.

– Competition of attained points for knowledge within the range of government direction.



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Mismatch of contents and procedure in present high school education of chemistry and chemical science

• Education of science and chemistry at high school in Japan is unsuitable for present technological world.• Education methods are retained and

essentially same with those used in era of reconstruction from World War II and high-growth era (1945–1970’s).

• Public decision making system without exact scientific and technological consideration is maintained over one and half centuries.



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Drastic change in science and chemistry education at high school in Japan is

indispensable

• Essential for nations in the present world

• Scarcely proceeds, however• What factor prevents it?



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Position and role of high schoolscience and chemistry education

• Students starts study along divided manner for the humanities or the natural sciences in high school ages.

• Not only the students of the humanities but also those of the natural sciences do not study wide range of natural science disciplines or technologies.

• High school students are required to achieve all of scientific and technological literacy needed for life and business.

• High school is requested to give both fundamental education of science and chemistry for daily life and further university study.



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Science subjects at high school education in Japan

Four subjects:

• Physics/Chemistry/Biology/Earth science– Four subjects are clearly divided in teaching.

• These subjects have been taught as pure science style.– Contents of biology largely altered in

recent years with retention of pure science style.

• Combination of three or four subjects are hardly accepted in high-school education.

• Quite few students learn four subjects.Kihara, 2012 Intel ISEF Educator Academy, Pittsburgh, PA, May 14, 2012


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Expected features for science and chemistry education at high school in

Japan• Education affording sufficient science and

chemistry capability for citizen in Japan• Education of contents and composition

corresponding to the present technological world

• Scientific understanding with various standpoints such as social and life aspects

• Flexibility in study adjustable by the ability and will of the students


Present conditions in Japan

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Factors that make the change of science and chemistry education rather

tough in Japan• Contents and principles of teaching

direction of government• Entrance examination for

university/college• Prohibition of setting question of items not

included in the direction• Attitude of the high school teachers

– Rather exclusive thinking against subject-combined style teaching

– Rather preferable thinking of pure science over practical or applied technology

• Relief by uniformed systemKihara, 2012 Intel ISEF Educator Academy, Pittsburgh, PA, May 14, 2012

Present conditions in Japan

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Novel wave for change in high school education in Japan

Some trials started for improvement

• Differentiation attitude to change the uniform educational contents over the country– partial trials yet

• SSH (Super Scientific High school)– advanced placement education– for capable students

• Science competition (regional and nation-wide)– Opportunities to encourage superior students, such

as Math Olympiad, Chemical Olympiad, ISEF…..• Rather individual action• Slow and low efficiency

– unexpected effects– abandonment within short time

Present conditions in Japan to action


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Action of Committee for Proposition to Future of National Chemistry and Science Education

• The major missions of the committee are set as following two items:– The first one is to announce the contents

and levels of world-class scientific education to induce the move for changes through the supporting work for IChO participants.

• Especially to attain the support by non-scientist citizen.

• Training of representative students, co-working with high school teachers, meeting with high school/university teachers, regional education officers have been held in many cities in Japan.

Action of the committee


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red circle: training of the representative studentsblue circle: meeting with high school teachers and regional education officersgreen circle: co-working with high school teachers

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– The second one is co-working of the committee with high school teachers via studying of experimental tasks of IChO and transformation of them into teaching materials.

• The committee holds the seminar for high school teachers on science experimental classes employing the IChO experimental tasks.



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Experimental Task 2 of International Chemistry Olympiad in Tokyo 2010 (IChO42)

Original Task: Determination of Fe(II) and Fe(III) by visual colorimetry

With the aid of Visual colorimetric measurement using Nessler tube and LED light, the concentration of solutions are determined.

http://www.icho2010.org



Modification of The task

In addition to the original visual colorimetry, instrumental measurement (UV–Vis) of the solution is added.

Two methods, visual and instruental colorimetric determinations are undertaken against one solution system.



The Lambert-Beer law is inspected by two different standpoints, concentration and light-path length. The principle can be used to estimate the transparency of lake waters.

Like the style of The International Baccalaureate (IB) education, the combined inspection in chemistry experimental class at high school shows the possible useful approach to fix the present style.




• Like shadow cabinet, the committee will prepare an alternative education syllabus of chemical science and technology for the future, which is able to promote national education system changes without drastic confusion.

• The presentation gives the audience some hints for alternation trial of traditional chemistry and science education into up-to-date one.

Conclusion: Action of the committee


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May 14, 2012

Documents

scientific education

future of national chemistry

science education kihara

high school chemistry

chemical science

national chemical

science educationkihara

world class chemical