身近な生物に関する調査報告　-平成15年度第4四半期「理科授業研究A」受講生の場合-

平成15年度第4四半期「理科授業研究A」受講生を回答者として、「多様な生物」に関する意識と現行の小中学校理科（生活科を含む）教科書に示されている「身近な生物」の身近さの程度とを問うアンケート調査を実施し、回答結果を分析・考察した。小学校教員になろうとする学生として、例えば、教科書で示されている生物の1/3は身近な生物ではなく、1/5は聴いたことさえない生物であること、また、「生物多様性条約」「生物多様性国家戦略」を誰一人として聴いたことがないことからわかるように、環境教育に関わる新しい課題「生物の多様性」に対処していくために必要な知識や関心があるとは言い難かった。教科書で示されている生物に対する検討だけでなく、教員養成に関しても検討が求められるものである。

The survey was conducted in the class of "Study of Science Instruction A." This course was offered by one of the authors (Tanaka) in the 4th quarter of 2003 academic year, to the students who were in the pre-service teacher education program for elementary school. Data were gathered from students on their attitudes, interests, characteristics, etc. of different living things, which were picked out from the science textbooks (including the Life Environmental Studies) of elementary/lower secondary school. The results are as follows. One-third of living things mentioned in textbooks were not so familiar to the respondents. The respondents had never heard of one-fifth of living things mentioned in texbooks. The terms "Convention on Biological Diversity" and "National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan" are totally unknown to all respondents. From these facts, it was found that students don't have sufficient knowledge and interest to cope with the Biodiversity, which one of the challenges for environmental education. Much consideration must be paid not only to the living things in the textbooks, but also to the pre-servicee teacher education program.