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Article of Volume 1, Issue 2, June 2006

Knowledge-building activity structures in Japanese elementary science pedagogy

Authors: Jun Oshima, Ritsuko Oshima, Isao Murayama, Shigenori Inagaki, Makiko Takenaka, Tomokazu Yamamoto, Etsuji Yamaguchi, Hayashi Nakayama

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to refine Japanese elementary science activity structures by using a CSCL approach to transform the classroom into a knowledge-building community. We report design studies on two science lessons in two consecutive years and describe the progressive refinement of the activity structures. Through comparisons of student activities on-and off-line, it was found that the implementation of a CSCL environment facilitated students’ idea-centered activity. The task requirement for students to engage in collective and reciprocal activities reflecting on their own ideas was also effective if it required students to use their conceptual understanding for producing something concrete.

Keywords: CSCL, Japanese elementary science, Knowledge building, Design studies

Citation: Oshima, J., Oshima, R., Murayama, I., Inagaki S., Takenaka, M., Yamamoto, T., Yamaguchi, E. & Nakayama, H. (2006) Knowledge-building activity structures in Japanese elementary science pedagogy. ijcscl 1 (2)

DOI: 10.1007/s11412-006-8995-8

Preprint: oshima_1_2.pdf

About this article at link.springer.com [http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11412-006-8995-8] including a link to the official electronic version.