Japan: Panasonic Cycle Technology Aids Secondary School Students in Inquiry-Based Learning
Students taking a close look at an electric-assist bicycle
Members of Panasonic Cycle Technology Co., Ltd. (PCT) visited Asae Junior High School (Hikari City, Yamaguchi Prefecture) on September 19 to teach a class on addressing community issues with electric-assist bicycles. The students thought about the attractions of and issues facing their communities, then tried riding on the electric-assist bicycles. They were amazed at how powerful the assistive function was for the bicycles and experienced first-hand how they could be used as tools to solve everyday problems in communities, coming up with their own ideas to achieve this.
Though the lesson ended on this day, Asae Junior High will continue to summarize ideas from its students.
At one of the school visits
PCT endorses the concept of periods for inquiry-based cross-disciplinary study* established under the revised curriculum guidelines of 2022 and supports the Community Support Idea Connect 2024 program that from FY2023 has sought ideas from secondary school students to solve community issues through the familiar means of bicycles. In the final judging committee in March, the students will present their ideas to the PCT management team and gain the opportunity to put them into practice. An actual electric-assist bicycle will be offered as a supplementary prize for the top award winners. PCT also visits schools to support them and plans to reach around ten schools nationwide in FY2024.
The company will continue to actively support career education to enable as many secondary school students as possible to become creators of the future.
*The curriculum guidelines revised in April 2022 have created periods for inquiry-based cross-disciplinary study from the previous periods for integrated studies.
Related websites:
Website of the Community Support Idea Connect 2024 Program (Supported by Panasonic Cycle Technology)
