As seen in Table 8.1, astronomical subjects in the elementary schools are mostly
limited to the Solar System and the visible sky. In the secondary schools, astronomical subjects expand to stellar systems and the Universe.
8.1.1.2 Problems in the Course of Study
In the elementary and secondary schools, many teachers and students experience
difficulties in the study of astronomy based on the Course of Study. In 1988, Owaki
Naoaki and Isobe Shuzo conducted a survey of teachers that contained two questions: First, according to teachers, how do children feel about their difficulties with
respect to studying astronomy? Second, what kind of difficulties do teachers have in
teaching astronomy? Owaki and Isobe prepared several selective answers to each
question. They collected responses from 471 teachers around the country (Owaki
and Isobe 1988).
The main points of the answers are summarized as follows, with the response
percentages.
Answers to Question 1 for the children’s feelings in the teachers’s perspective
were the difficulties on the following points:
(a) Three-dimensional aspect of space (54%)
(b) Very large scales of space and time (47%)
(c) Shortage of basic mathematics and physics (60%)
(d) Separation of daily life from astronomical phenomena (33%)
(e) Understanding celestial phenomena by students’ observational experiments
(34%).
Answers to Question 2 on teachers’ feelings were as follows:
(a) Astronomy does not receive sufficient hours in the classroom (47%).
(b) Only indirect observations are feasible (66%).
(c) Astronomical phenomena cannot be explained with laboratory experiments
(33%).
(d) Teachers themselves have a hard time understanding astronomy (33%).
(e) It is not easy to select and manage astronomical material and instruments (22%).
Similar surveys of teachers of astronomy were also conducted by Miyawaki
Ryosuke in 1990 (Miyawaki 1990). These surveys revealed the following problems
in astronomy education in schools:
(a) Astronomical phenomena are explained merely indirectly during school hours.
(b) There is a gap between students’ interests and the curriculum.
(c) Not enough observations are made.
(d) The number of teachers who have never studied astronomy at schools of
education is gradually increasing. This reflects the insufficient state of general
education in astronomy at the universities (Sect. 8.1.2).
8.1 Astronomy Education
251
limited to the Solar System and the visible sky. In the secondary schools, astronomical subjects expand to stellar systems and the Universe.
8.1.1.2 Problems in the Course of Study
In the elementary and secondary schools, many teachers and students experience
difficulties in the study of astronomy based on the Course of Study. In 1988, Owaki
Naoaki and Isobe Shuzo conducted a survey of teachers that contained two questions: First, according to teachers, how do children feel about their difficulties with
respect to studying astronomy? Second, what kind of difficulties do teachers have in
teaching astronomy? Owaki and Isobe prepared several selective answers to each
question. They collected responses from 471 teachers around the country (Owaki
and Isobe 1988).
The main points of the answers are summarized as follows, with the response
percentages.
Answers to Question 1 for the children’s feelings in the teachers’s perspective
were the difficulties on the following points:
(a) Three-dimensional aspect of space (54%)
(b) Very large scales of space and time (47%)
(c) Shortage of basic mathematics and physics (60%)
(d) Separation of daily life from astronomical phenomena (33%)
(e) Understanding celestial phenomena by students’ observational experiments
(34%).
Answers to Question 2 on teachers’ feelings were as follows:
(a) Astronomy does not receive sufficient hours in the classroom (47%).
(b) Only indirect observations are feasible (66%).
(c) Astronomical phenomena cannot be explained with laboratory experiments
(33%).
(d) Teachers themselves have a hard time understanding astronomy (33%).
(e) It is not easy to select and manage astronomical material and instruments (22%).
Similar surveys of teachers of astronomy were also conducted by Miyawaki
Ryosuke in 1990 (Miyawaki 1990). These surveys revealed the following problems
in astronomy education in schools:
(a) Astronomical phenomena are explained merely indirectly during school hours.
(b) There is a gap between students’ interests and the curriculum.
(c) Not enough observations are made.
(d) The number of teachers who have never studied astronomy at schools of
education is gradually increasing. This reflects the insufficient state of general
education in astronomy at the universities (Sect. 8.1.2).
8.1 Astronomy Education
251