Oyo-Buturi International

Interviews What happens if you heat water in a beak- OBI: And do you actually let them do the er? Will the volume change just by heating? experiment? The topic of this issue is science education Will it become larger or smaller – or will Mr Oguro: Yes. The 4th graders do their for children at the primary and high school there be no change whatsoever? So I experiments in small groups. I explain how level. We now report conversations of in- “throw” them a problem. They each make the main equipment is to be used, such as terviews with Mr Kiharu Oguro of Tama- a choice and write down why they decided alcohol lamps and in some cases I demon- gawa Gakuen Primary School and Mr Hi- on a particular answer. The answers are strate the use of the particular pieces of roshi Masuko of Azabu High School. They usually based on personal experiences, such equipment. both teach science to children: Mr Oguro as the pupil who remembered that when OBI: What do you do when they have fin- teaches children from ages 6 to 11 and Mr his mother filled a saucepan with water it ished the experiment? Masuko teaches children from age 12 to boiled over into the cooker. So he thought Mr Oguro: First, I ask the children to 17. We hope that their ideas about teaching that the volume would increase and his present their results and compare them and their hopes and concerns for with their forecasts. Then I ask the future of science education for them to write down their interpre- children will make a positive contri- tation based on their actual results, bution to the current debate on ed- whether the results were right or ucation at primary and secondary wrong. After that, I speak for a few school levels. minutes about the experiment and give them examples of everyday sit- uations where similar results can Mr Kiharu Oguro readily be seen. For example, “Air Tamagawa Gakuen also expands when heated: the size Primary School, Tokyo of a bicycle or car tire is different in the summer and winter; the tyre OBI: How do you interact with children who have only just left tube life-buoy when that you play kindergarten? with at the seaside becomes much Mr Oguro: Children in the first harder if you leave it in the sun. grade and second grades are only 6 Have you noticed?” As a finale I or 7 years old, so they are at the leave a them with a few questions to stage of learning how to behave as think about. How does heat travel part of a social group. They have through the water? What would lived with their parents and broth- happen if a metal was heated? Re- ers or sisters, but they have yet to lated topics... experience living as member of any OBI: Have you found that children other kind of group. They must like or dislike any particular kinds practice what they have been told at of experiments? home about good manners, eating Mr Oguro: Yes. Children like ex- properly in company and so on. So periments where rapid changes can the first couple of years are spent es- be seen and the results are easy to tablishing the basic foundations of attain. They dislike experiments everyday life outside the home. The where changes are slow or results 3rd and 4rd grades are then devoted difficult to get. Chemistry experi- to studying particular subjects. ments are popular but biology ex- periments, such as looking at differ- OBI: In your experience, for what length of time can 1st and 2nd ences in the growth rates of plants graders concentrate on listening to you forecast and reason were based on that ob- in the dark and daylight, are not so well during class time? servation. Or there was the boy who wrote liked. They take too long before results can Mr Oguro: If I only talk, then about 15 to that the volume should decrease because he be seen! 20 minutes! But when I teach science and remembered that when his mother boiled OBI: Do you have any explanation as to use a variety of interesting equipment, they some water and left for a while he came why children are keen to think and play will quite often listen for 40 to 50 minutes back to find that it had “disappeared”. with science at primary school age, but at and time goes by very quickly. OBI: What else do you ask the children to 18 or so they tend to move more towards write? the arts subjects? The rika-banare. OBI: Do you have a particular method of teaching science to such young children? Mr Oguro: I ask them to write down how Mr Oguro: One problem is that many Mr Oguro: I do not really “teach them” sci- they would experimentally check their teachers at primary and high school teach- ence; I encourage them to think about why forecast results; the most efficient method; ing science subjects do not have a back- particular things happen the way they do to how long it would take; what aspects would ground in science themselves; they are try to solve problems by themselves and be dangerous, such as when using fire, and mostly from arts backgrounds. I must add, not to be afraid of making mistakes. so on. That is when I ask them to write though, that this is not the case at my down the whole procedure for carrying out school, Tamagawa Gakuen. These teachers OBI: Can you give an example? Mr Oguro: Yes, let’s take this example. an experiment. went on to study arts because they them- selves disliked maths and science in their Mr Hiroshi Masuko of science education in this country? younger days. The result is that they do not Azabu High School, Tokyo Mr Masuko: The trends are quite clear. teach children in a way that makes the sub- Firstly, the percentage of class time allocat- ject interesting and enjoyable. As a result OBI: Why did you decide to become a high ed to science is such that the 6-8 age group children lose interest in the subject at an school teacher? is 0%, 8-9 is 11%, and 9-15 is 10%. At early age. The problem lies with teachers Mr Masuko: When I finished my under- senior high school only 4 hours per week is who rely too much on videos, photographs graduate degree at Waseda University I was required and all science subjects, physics, and text books with very little experimental not too sure what I wanted to do, so I de- chemistry, biology, and earth sciences are work to back it up. cided to stay on and do a Master’s degree. selective. OBI: What aspect of science or technology It was during this time that I first thought Next, most science teachers at the ele- do you think has had the most affect on so- about becoming a teacher. I then had to mentary level disliked science when they ciety in the 20th century? pass an examination to get the qualification were students but went on to become Mr Oguro: That is a difficult question, but to become a school teacher and here I am. teachers and now have the responsibility of I think computers have really changed the OBI: Can you tell us a little about the his- teaching science to youngsters. Few schools world a lot. The people responsible for de- tory of your school, the number of students have specialist science teachers and in some veloping computers have changed society. and so on? cases the teachers do not know how to use OBI: How to do think computers will be Mr Masuko: Azabu High School is a pri- equipment properly. used in educating primary school children? vate school. It was founded in 1895 by Mr At at the junior high school level, there Mr Oguro: As a tool for learning, and for Ebara and we have a total of 1800 students are not enough allocated class hours to communicating. At Tamagawa we at the moment. It’s a boys’ only school and teach the curriculum as required. have an exchange programme with Pupils tend to treat scientific topics a similar school in California and as a test of memory and as the pu- we use computers to hold regular pils progress up in years the discussions about the environ- number of students who like sci- ment, using video cameras over the ence goes down and those who dis- Internet. This helps the children like it goes up. experience the English language at At the senior high school level, first hand. We have also started a the is a dramatic decrease in the new network called “Chat-Net” number students who take up sci- for communication between the ence, especially physics. school, parents and children via Young people are interested in the Internet using electronic mail. the fruits of science but they are We teach the children the basics not interested in being part of the about how to use computers. Be- process of advancing science. ing children, they absorb new ideas OBI: What do you think are the quickly and the 10-11 year-old main reasons for young children’s children are already quite compe- dislike of scientific subjects? tent. Mr Masuko: “Efficiency!” Chil- OBI: What do you do in your spare dren want the best possible results time? Do you have any particular with the minimum of effort. The hobbies or past-times? process of “thinking” is quite tire- Mr Oguro: I enjoy sports, espe- some, especially thinking about cially basket ball. I am head of the science. When you do not under- school Basket Ball Club, so it does stand something it is usually easier occupy a lot of my time. But I en- to go and ask someone rather than joy most sports- and popular mu- try to resolve it yourself. We adults sic, too. Above all, I enjoy watch- do it constantly. I think it reflects ing people “doing their best” (isho- the society we have created where ken-mei) in whatever activity it happens to the basic philosophy behind our education we often do not have the time to step back be! is to encourage the students to think and and think slowly and carefully about any- OBI: Finally, a difficult question. What act according to their own judgement of a thing at all. The children are in certain re- would you like to have with you if you were situation. We provide a relatively free and spects enmeshed in a system where there is stranded on a desert island, always assum- open environment with very few regula- simply not enough time to think let alone ing that you had sufficient provisions? tions. contemplate. Mr Oguro: I think fishing tackle, and div- OBI: What percentage of your students go OBI: Do you think that the rapid growth of ing equipment; things that would be seem on to study science at university? the economy in this country has been the to suit the atmosphere of a desert island. Mr Masuko: It’s half and half; 50 percent cause of this lack of time? But the most fascinating thing about a go onto science and the others go onto oth- Mr Masuko: Yes. If we consider just Japan, desert island for me would be that there er fields. then the sudden economic growth over the would literally be nothing there! OBI: What are the main characteristics of last two or three decades certainly changed the science curriculum at your school? our society. There are some interesting sta- Interview by Adarsh Sandhu Mr Masuko: The main feature is that we tistics which show the extent of this change try to include as many practical experi- in terms of junior and high school educa- Further information: ments as possible in order to help students tion. For example, in 1950 only about 40% http://www.tamagawa.ac.jp/ to understand scientific concepts. of children chose to go from junior high OBI: How would describe the present state school to high school. Yet, by 1975, about 92% of children advanced from junior students in greater depth about more spe- develop a cadre of technology specialists high school to high school. There seemed cific topics and subject areas. who can strengthen technical interaction to be no choice but to go to high school, OBI: Finally, I know that you are a very and communication with Japan. Original- even for those who didn’t want to... busy person, but do you have any particu- ly, advance training for the interns was in- OBI: How did the high schools deal with lar hobbies or pastimes? formal and serendipitous, but over the this sudden increase in the number of high Mr Masuko: Mountains. I enjoy all forms years it has matured to the level where pro- school students? of activity related to mountains. I spent a spective interns receive training in two Mr Masuko: The final result is that only lot of time in the mountains during my years of Japanese, a one-semester seminar 40% of children want to be at high school; student days. I didn’t study a lot! on Japanese society and culture, and a two- the remainder, and it is the majority do day off-campus retreat for intensive cultur- not. They are attending because going to Interview by Adarsh Sandhu al training. In addition, interns after arriv- high school has become a norm. So it has ing in Japan remain in contact with a local become extremely difficult to teach and, Further information: mit-Japan program representative who also from the perspective of genuine students, Azabu High School, 2-3-29, Motoazabu, arranges for chances to socialize and keep difficult to learn. Minato-ku, Tokyo 106, Japan in contact with earlier interns who have re- OBI: Do you have any suggestions for re- mained in Japan! solving these issues? Although the training of interns and Mr Masuko: I think that our educational Science and Technology their subsequent experience in Japan re- system has already started on the road to Information mains the main focus of the mit-Japan pro- insolvency. It has become difficult to help gram, it has contained a large research pupils to develop their talents because of The mit-Japan program is the largest, most component from the beginning. Professor the imbalance because of the teacher-to- comprehensive, and most widely copied Richard Samuels, the founder of the pro- pupil ratio that exists in the average school; centre of applied Japanese studies in the gramme, is well-known for his work on it is difficult. The teachers do their utmost world. In 1991, the us government hon- Japanese policy. The interdisciplinary na- to cope with this situation but it’s difficult oured the program by designating it as one ture of the research undertaken at the pro- to change without making changes in soci- of the first four United States-Japan Indus- gramme helps allow for greater under- ety as a whole. The phrase kisei-kanwa try and Technology Management Training standing of the interrelationships among [OBI: deregulation] is used in economic af- (jimt) Centres in the country. the Japanese defence, industrial, and scien- fairs, I think a form of educational kisei- Established in 1981, the original impe- tific sectors. For example, one project un- kanwa will also have to take place. tus was to bridge the us-Japan knowledge der the direction of Prof. Samuels is “Max- OBI: What do you think are the roles of gap through the process of mit interns re- imizing us Interests With Japan in Science high schools and universities? siding for a year in corporate, government, and Technology”, a policy study being con- Mr Masuko: Well, high school is the best and academic institutions. This internship ducted with the support of the National place to learn the basics about one’s coun- program has had two main goals from the Research Council. Another recent project try and world affairs. The role of the uni- beginning: to invest in students’ careers by has been the “Survey on us-Japan Technol- versities is to take over from there and teach fostering vital international skills, and to ogy Cooperation”, just completed recently and disseminated through working papers The final aim of the mit-Japan pro- (sevt). and a meeting sponsored by the pro- gramme, in the words of Prof. Richard sevt entered the race in a borrowed car gramme in cooperation with Keidanren. Samuels, is: “We really believe that the only to get used to the track in preparation for Currently, the programme is working with way in which we can have a mutually ben- the World Solar Car Rally on the same Keidanren to create a scenario-building eficial relationship with Japan, in which racetrack later on this summer. project in which time lines for the evolu- both nations remain technologically ad- As the sun sank slowly in the West, we tion of bilateral defence technology rela- vanced and innovative nations, is to be able noted our unexpected sunburns and gath- tions will be prepared and related political, to create professionals who interact with ered in front of the bandstand for the regulatory, and budgetary decisions will be professions as global engineers. That’s the awards, which included a case of coke and catalogued. business that we’re in – that’s the business 10 kg of rice for each team. (I was told that One interesting aspect of the mit-Japan that the jimt programme – the jimt Initia- melons would be given in summer). Top programme has been its link to industry tive – is trying to nurture.” prize was won by the zdp team from To- and government sponsors. The programme kyo, which drove a total distance of 65.592 disseminates its knowledge to its sponsors km; the Nagata team from Waseda Univer- through the Sponsor Training Retreat, Ja- The “Economove Race”, 1998 sity were second having covered a total dis- pan Target Seminars, and the mit Japan tance of 61.216 km. Other solar car races programme Video Series. The semiannual The 1998 Golden Week (3rd to 5th of July, held in Japan: Sponsor Training Retreat provides an in- 1998) was made special by the Economove tensive view of a current business or tech- Race held in Ogata-Mura, Akita Prefecture, • World Solar Car Rally, Ogata Mura, nology issue in Japan and Asia, bringing to- with 78 electric cars competing to cover the Akita Prefecture gether academics and business and longest distance in two hours. www.ogata.or.jp/english/wsr/) government sponsors. The Japan Target The Race was originally inspired by • Dream Cup Solar Car Race, Suzuka Seminars are offered as a three-part training Hisahiro Yamamoto; vice-chairman of the www.yomiuri.co.jp/solar/ programme in culture and negotiation, Energy Promotion Club Japan and head of corporate organization, and dissemination. the Jona Sun Solar Car project. His idea is Reported by Tanya Sienko They are routinely tele-conferenced to to stimulate the development of better and multiple sites for wider dissemination. The more efficient electric motors. mit Japan programme Video Series contain Each team is provided with an “equal .dot amount of energy” in the form of a lead- the above information, for perusal by spon- http://www.kt.rim.or.jp/~snoo/ acid battery pack (with a total output of 48 sors at their leisure. Wide ranging information about Noh and volts) and the object of the race is to drive In addition, the programme has de- Kyogen. Contents include tips on how to as many laps around the race track as pos- signed its Executive Seminar on Japan and enjoy Noh performances; synopses and sible during two hours; the total length of East Asia, which is an intensive five-day im- highlights; a glossary: kokata – role for chil- one lap of the circuit is approximately 6 mersion in the “core values” of Japanese dren, ai-kyogen – narrator played by kyogen km. culture, business, and technology. The actors, usually representing local people; a Optimum efficiency requires a trade-off course uses an interactive multimedia ap- theatre guide and lists of performances in between speed and the capacity of the bat- proach, including lectures, role play, exer- Tokyo. cises, and cd-rom. Participants come away tery. Participants who try to drive as fast as from the course with new understanding possible too early, find their batteries dis- and strategic ingests for their Asian busi- charging much more rapidly than they may OBI Debate ness. have wished. The cars ran the gamut from minimalist (four wheels, a motor, a seat, and a battery Glass is a Liquid – Fact or Fiction? pack) to carefully designed monocoque structures out of resin-impregnated carbon At high school it is taught that “glass is a fibre that glide along the road in eerie si- liquid” and often examples are given to lence. However, all cars share the same prove the case with the most famous one characteristic: it is almost impossible for being that, “window glass is thicker at the spectators to imagine that a human being bottom than the top because glass has can fit into the small space available for the flowed from the top to the bottom”. driver. Have you ever made a measurement to This year’s race was made special, first of verify this? Is it true or just a myth? all by the immense amount of rain that fell This topic is the subject of lively debate the first day – which caused many entries to over certain Internet networks in Europe simply give up and hope for a better chance and the usa. later. (Their optimism was rewarded with What do the readers of obi think? Join blue skies the next day). Second, the field the debate and let us have your views and was livened-up by the presence of the team comments in either English or Japanese: I went up with, the mit Solar Vehicle Team [email protected]

Oyo-Buturi International Editorial Committee: Adarsh Sandhu, PhD, Tokai University (Chair) • Johan Bergquist, PhD, Asian Technology Information Program • Tim Ernst, Cartoonist • Govind Pindoria, PhD, Nippon Novellus Systems • Francis Saba, PhD, Toshiba R&D Centre Tanya Sienko, PhD, • Sumitomo-3m Ltd. • Robin E Sowden, PhD, TARA, Tsukuba University

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