Sachiko Tosa
Department of Physics 
Joint appointment in Teacher Education
Wright State University

Title:Inquiry-Based Teaching for U.S. and Japanese Elementary School Science: Two Views, Two Practices

Abstract: With the release of internationally benchmarked Next Generation Science 
Standards, it is becoming more important to identify characteristics of US science 
education in comparison with those in other countries. This study examined similarities 
and differences between US and Japanese elementary teachers' attitudes and practices 
towards inquiry-based science teaching. Teachers' attitudes were measured through a 
survey instrument in US and Japan (N=112). Factor analysis revealed characteristics 
of teachers' beliefs in both of the countries. Teachers' practices were examined 
through observations of science lessons in US and Japan (N=22). US and Japanese lessons 
were coded and compared with the use of a rubric. In this talk, I will show how the 
observational data indicate the evidence of less inquiry learning in US elementary 
science lessons than in Japanese lessons. The findings are compared to the results 
found in the middle-school level, and possible reasons for the difference will be 
discussed. Furthermore, I will discuss how useful an international comparison is 
in order to identify characteristics of education of a particular country, especially 
in science education where concepts are universal.