Japan’s R&D capabilities have been decimated by reduced class hours for science and math subjects

The number of published scientific papers and patent applications are indicators of a country’s research and development (R&D) capabilities. Since the 2010s, these indicators have declined in Japan. One important reason for this decline is the change in science and mathematics education provided...

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Published in:Humanities & social sciences communications Vol. 9; no. 1
Main Authors: Nishimura, Kazuo, Miyamoto, Dai, Yagi, Tadashi
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London Springer Nature B.V 23.06.2022
Subjects:
Age differences
Economic growth
Education
Education policy
Learning
Long term
Mathematics
Mathematics education
Middle schools
R&D
Research & development
Schools
Science education
Student attitudes
Japan
ISSN:2662-9992, 2662-9992
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Abstract The number of published scientific papers and patent applications are indicators of a country’s research and development (R&D) capabilities. Since the 2010s, these indicators have declined in Japan. One important reason for this decline is the change in science and mathematics education provided in schools. Education in school can greatly impact the quality of future researchers in science. To examine the impact of the number of class hours in science and mathematics that researchers received in school over the past 50 years, this study analysed data from two surveys conducted in 2016 and 2020. The results show that there is a decline in the number of patents for the younger generation that cannot be explained by age differences, and it is highly correlated with a decline in the total number of hours of science and math in junior high school. Educational policies influence student attitudes towards learning. Changes should be implemented only after validating their effects from a long-term perspective because education policies may have unintended negative impacts on a country’s economic growth.
AbstractList The number of published scientific papers and patent applications are indicators of a country’s research and development (R&D) capabilities. Since the 2010s, these indicators have declined in Japan. One important reason for this decline is the change in science and mathematics education provided in schools. Education in school can greatly impact the quality of future researchers in science. To examine the impact of the number of class hours in science and mathematics that researchers received in school over the past 50 years, this study analysed data from two surveys conducted in 2016 and 2020. The results show that there is a decline in the number of patents for the younger generation that cannot be explained by age differences, and it is highly correlated with a decline in the total number of hours of science and math in junior high school. Educational policies influence student attitudes towards learning. Changes should be implemented only after validating their effects from a long-term perspective because education policies may have unintended negative impacts on a country’s economic growth.
ArticleNumber 210
Author Yagi, Tadashi
Miyamoto, Dai
Nishimura, Kazuo
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Snippet The number of published scientific papers and patent applications are indicators of a country’s research and development (R&D) capabilities. Since the 2010s,...
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SubjectTerms Age differences
Economic growth
Education
Education policy
Learning
Long term
Mathematics
Mathematics education
Middle schools
R&D
Research & development
Schools
Science education
Student attitudes
Title Japan’s R&D capabilities have been decimated by reduced class hours for science and math subjects
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