Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
of fi eld research. Students observe and investigate topography and land use in their
local areas, and there are opportunities for them to note local differences in the state
of a district (geographic characteristics). In another study, a survey showed that
95.9 % of third-grade teachers in the city of Yokohama conducted fi eld research in
social studies (Matsumura
2011
). The rate of fi eld research implementation tends to
be higher in elementary schools than at higher levels, because teachers in the former
schools have more discretion to change the curriculum. Given this fl exibility, they
can decide to allot many uninterrupted hours to Social Studies.
Nevertheless, according to Shinohara (
2000
), many teachers believe that they fail
to meet children's' demands for and keen interest in outdoor activities, owing to
their own lack of skills. Many teachers are at a loss at how to teach geographic char-
acteristics through fi eld research. Thus, they often rely on Social Studies supple-
mentary reading material prepared for the
Machi
-
tanken
class by each municipality.
These reading materials, which put emphasis on learning development, have been
popular recently. The demand comes from teachers who have insuffi cient content
and pedagogical knowledge about a local area, especially for instruction in fi eld
research (Ike
2008
). These teachers often lead outdoor activities with unclear goals
and teach only superfi cial skills, such as how to take a compass bearing and recog-
nize map symbols. Some teachers appear to shun the fi eld research needed to under-
stand the state of a district. This causes concern that fi eld research, although included
in the National Curriculum Standards, is not followed in the classroom.
7.2.2
Junior High School
Social Studies in junior high school consistently stress the implementation of fi eld
research, at the least the study of a local area. The latest National Curriculum Standards
also set a goal to “enhance students' interest in geographical phenomena through
concrete activities such as fi eld research and to develop abilities and attitudes that
enable them to think from various perspectives, judge fairly geographical phenomena
by selecting and making use of various materials and express them properly” (MEXT
2008b
, p. 29). In particular, the “investigation of a local area” primarily aims to deepen
student understanding and interest in a local area through observation and investiga-
tion, and to help them master the perspective and method for investigating an area on
the scale of municipalities (MEXT
2008b
, pp. 66-67).
There are few teachers, however, who actually conduct fi eld research even
though it is expected that students actively implement it during their investigation of
a local area. Empirical support comes from a questionnaire that surveyed 67 public
junior high schools (128 teachers) in Miyagi Prefecture. Approximately 75 % of
teachers answered that they only teach students how to read a map without going
outdoors, and only about one-third of teachers lead students in conducting fi eld
research (Miyamoto
2009
). This survey revealed that the major reason teachers
failed to undertake fi eld research was that they did not have enough time to prepare
for and implement that research. This fi nding highlights the reality of teaching in
