Evaluation of Simulators to Promote the Understanding of Bioaccumulation among Elementary School Students

Abstract

This study introduced four simulators developed by Matsuyama et al. (2023) into sixth-grade science classes to educate students about bioaccumulation of pufferfish toxin. The simulators helped students understand how the concentration of pufferfish toxin increases as predators approach the top of the food chain. Results of a survey of “students’ usability” indicated that all 12 of the questions received a positive rating. In “students’ understanding,” the number of creatures that students thought would be affected by DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) bioaccumulation increased in part pre- and post-transfer test. Particularly, the answers of aquatic creatures showed a significant improvement, and it was found that the simulators helped students understand “the food chain and bioaccumulation in the water.”