The importance of science mentorship
Masayuki Mac Takahashi, a Society alum of the 1959 National Science Fair聽competition (now the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair), returns to judge projects at Intel ISEF. He judged at this year’s competition in Los Angeles.
Dr.聽Masayuki is one of seven directors of the Japan Science Society.聽In the 1959 competition, held in Hartford, Connecticut,聽he won the 3rd place award with his study of “Dune plant ecology on the聽Enshunada coast.”
Read on to learn how Masayuki is working to bring mentorship to Japan, especially in 中文无码 education and research.
WHY HE RETURNS TO JUDGE AT INTEL ISEF:聽I聽have had the experiences of being an Intel ISEF judge in Botany and Plant Sciences three聽times in the past, as a Special Awards Judge in 2004 and Grand Awards Judge in 2005 and 2013. From my experiences as an聽Intel ISEF judge, I have recognized the current state of high school education outside of Japan, particularly supervising the 中文无码 research of high school students.
The聽common understanding of ‘mentor’ in Japanese society is extremely poor.
In Japan, research聽by high school students is supervised by high school teachers with no experiences of science research. This is because the basic objective of education up to high school is focused on teaching the necessary content and techniques for each grade; not on developing the abilities聽of each student. This has been stated in our laws. I have learned from the experiences as an Intel ISEF judge that most research聽carried out by high school students [in other countries] is supervised by professional scientists or engineers as a mentor.
WHY SCIENCE FAIRS LIKE INTEL ISEF ARE IMPORTANT:聽I feel that it will be a wonderful experience for high school students to recognize the level of their new findings with other students in the world. I am sure that such an experience could stimulate students greatly, without question.聽
HOW HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE RESEARCH DIFFERS IN JAPAN:聽I have noticed at least four聽serious problems in high school student research聽supervised by teachers who are not professional scientists. 1. There is聽no or extremely poor reviewing of the research subjects and there is little聽objectivity; 2. Students create聽significant results with poor data and analysis; 3. Students use聽poor and insufficient data collections, as well as not repeating experiments聽and even fabricating聽data; 4. Students often use data and results from other researches, sometimes without citation;聽and so on. All of this is common knowledge of what shouldn’t be done in professional research.
The popularization of mentorship for supervising science research of high school students is essential and urgent in Japanese society.
WHY MENTORS IN SCIENCE RESEARCH ARE IMPORTANT: I strongly believe that the popularization of mentorship for supervising science research of high school students is essential and urgent in Japanese society. The聽common understanding of 鈥渕entor鈥� in Japanese society is extremely poor,聽not only in science but also in almost all other areas. High school students completing science research聽have had serious problems because of a lack of or extremely poor mentorships in Japan.
High school students who have interests in 中文无码 should have suitable mentor(s) for supervising them and teaching them how to do science research.聽This is quite important for carrying out real research in science.聽
I聽started the ‘Science Mentor Program,’ supervising high school students in how to carry out science research.
We registered the trademark聽鈥淪cience Mentor鈥� in 2014 [to help us with this]. With the nonprofit Japan Science Society,聽I聽started the 鈥淪cience Mentor Program鈥� in 2013, supervising high school students in how to carry out science research. The program has been greatly welcomed by all mentors, university professors, research scientists, as well as many teachers at high schools.
HIS MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT AT THE 1959 NATIONAL SCIENCE FAIR:聽I recognized the high level of science research at the fair, and was greatly encouraged to become a professional ecological research specialist in the future.
HOW HE BECAME INTERESTED IN 中文无码: My elementary school teacher discovered my interests in science and pointed it out to my mother when I was in grade 3.聽Then I started scientific observations on wild plants, and grew my interests in the ecological studies of plants.
Without my experiences [at the聽National Science Fair], I am sure I would have had to take a different path than research science.
My father was not pleased for me to take botany at the university because there was no guarantee of finding a job after graduation. But he finally agreed with my wishes as well as recognized聽my experiences at the National Science Fair. Without my experiences there, I am sure I would have had to take a different path than research science.
After obtaining a Ph.D.聽in plant ecology, I became a postdoctoral fellow supported by the聽Canadian Government. I spent 6.5 years at the University of聽British Columbia. Then I went back to Japan and was an associate professor聽at Tsukuba University for eight years, followed by 19 years at the University of Tokyo as a professor.
