A new compulsory course in Geography for Japanese senior high schools: its impact on the academic societies of Geography and Earth Science
Abstract
In Japan, Geography has not been a compulsory subject in senior high schools over the last few decades. The Japanese Government, however, has decided to launch a new compulsory Geography course in 2022. The reasons include a need for training in modern geospatial technology especially GIS, and the importance of geographical methods and thinking in coping with natural disasters and environmental problems. In Japan, Geography is usually regarded as a field of social sciences rather than physical sciences. Nevertheless, Geography taught in Japanese senior high schools includes elements common to Earth Science such as Geomorphology and Climatology, and the new Geography course contains greater emphasis on the physical sciences, such as natural hazards, ecology, and information technology. Japanese senior high schools currently offer two courses in Earth Science, which are not mandatory, and are taken by only about one-third of students. The new compulsory Geography course therefore provides an opportunity to expand high school education in Earth Science as well as Geography. Japanese universities and research institutes are working together to discuss how to capitalize on this opportunity to enhance high school education, and to inspire future generations of Geographers and Earth Scientists. A special committee for this purpose was launched within the Science Council of Japan (SCJ) in 2018, and is forging closer cooperation between scientists involved in higher education and high school teachers. The committee plans to make an official proposal to promote broad educational collaborations encompassing different scientific disciplines and educational levels, after approval by the SCJ.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMED21E1064O
- Keywords:
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- 0850 Geoscience education research;
- EDUCATION;
- 0855 Diversity;
- EDUCATION;
- 6620 Science policy;
- POLICY SCIENCES & PUBLIC ISSUES