On March 8 and 9 2008, National Institute for Educational Policy Research(NIER) , co-hosted with Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(MEXT) and British Council, held the International Symposium on Education Reform 2008, of which the theme is "Science Literacy through School Education: the Present and Future", in United Nations University "U Thant Hall".
The symposium aimed to gather professionals, widely analyze information, and make a discussion, based on the result of 2006 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) which focused on science literacy and made public in December 2007, the trend of Japan’s teaching guideline ”Course of Study” revision, and what science technology literacy future Japanese should gain.
Six speakers from the USA, the UK, Finland, and Canada, including Rodger Bybee, chair of the Science Expert Group for the OECD PISA 2006, made a speech on their challenges and participated in the following panel discussion.
In the symposium, there were as many as 300 guests from various areas like institutions, schools, the government, and private sectors, and they listened to the speeches and panel discussion and asked questions enthusiastically to the guest speakers and showed high interests in this theme. On the two days, displayed were science materials of those countries, and many people touched them and exchanged their points of view.
２ Date |
Saturday 8- Sunday, 9 March, 2008
Saturday, 8 March: 10:00 ～ 19:30
Sunday, 9 March: 10:00 ～ 17:30
３ Venue |
United Nations University “U Thant Hall”
･ five-minute-walk from Omotesando station
(Tokyo Metro, Chiyoda, Ginza, and Hanzomon lines) Exit B2
･ ten-minute-walk from JR Shibuya station.
４ Speakers & Panelists（titles omitted） |
Keynote speaker
Akito Arima
Chairman of the Japan Science Foundation
Yukihiko Nunomura
Deputy Director-General, Elementary and Secondary Education Bureau, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(MEXT)
Panelists
Rodger W. Bybee
Executive Director Emeritus of Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS), Chair of the Science Expert Group for the OECD PISA 2006, USA
John Holman
Professor at York University, Director of the National Science Learning Centre, UK
Merike Kesler
Special coordinator, Centre for School Clubs, Finland
Robert Laurie
Director of assessment and evaluation, Ministry of Education, New Brunswick, Member of the Science Expert Group for the OECD PISA 2006, Canada
Robin Millar
Professor at York University, Member of the Science Expert Group for the OECD PISA 2006, UK
Hugh Williets
Head of Science Faculty Settle College, UK
Kazuo Kitahara
Professor at International Christian University,
Chair of the Science Council of Japan’s 21st century Science and Technology Literacy Project
Special Panelists
Yoichi Kiyohara
Specialist for Curriculum, MEXT,
Senior Specialist for Curriculum, Department of Curriculum Development, NIER
Toru Amano
Executive Director, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
Coordinator
Yasushi Ogura
Senior Researcher, NIER, Member of the Science Expert Group for the OECD PISA 2006
Note: Simultaneous English-Japanese interpretation was provided.
５ Organized by |