| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥1,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥1,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000)
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| Research Abstract |
For assessment of moral education I proposed a method of association to show results of a class activity numerically and visually. An association map of words is made by a free association test from a cue concept. Association maps before and after the class activity can show a change of consciousness of pupils during a lesson on 3 levels :
1) level of structure of a concept,
2) level of feeling aroused by a concept, and
3) level of clarification of a hidden change in thinking in pupils.
To clarify the base of morality in each cultural area, association tests using the cue word "death" were carried out at High Schools and Universities in Germany (149 students in Leipzig, Osnabrueck, Koblenz and Bonn), China (102 students in Wuhan) and Japan (165 students in Nagasaki). The results show the following points :
1) Reactions expressing feeling are less common in China (p<.01). In the Asian cities, the feeling of 'fear' comes at the top of response words, as opposed to 'sorrow' in Germany.
2) Recal
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ling words about ceremony is frequent in Germany (p<.01), but not in Japan (p<.01) or China (p<.01).
3) The cause of death is frequently recalled in Japan (p<.01) but less in Germany (p<.01). It is particularly notable that 'suicide' is the most frequently recalled word as a cause of death in Japan.
4) Explanations about death are frequent in Germany (p<.01), but less in Japan (p<.01).
Characters of one word association test can be summed up in the following four points :
1) Moral education needs total assessment, not only of knowledge but also of thinking, feeling and motivation. Recalled totality in mind is the greatest strength of the association method.
Our team has already developed software which takes input of response words to form an association map. Input of response words of answerer leads easily to an association map.
2) By exchanging knowledge, thinking and feeling, a class activity creates an atmosphere for learning. Processes of communications occur in a learning space, which could be seen as an information space. Also a cultural area consists of a relatively identical information field, which reflects in consciousness as a whole. Therefore a class activity and also a consciousness in a cultural area should be assessed and examined collectively as a whole.
3) Association test takes 50 seconds for one cue word. So by association method it needs a matter of minutes to gather the response words. Volume of information in the case of 50 seconds is about 5.6 times more than that of written sentences by questionnaire. By association many recollections come to mind, which are not always written as a sentence.
4) Association maps can be used as a kind of collective radiographic photograph of consciousness concerning a moral class activity and cultural group. The method is valuable to see a change of consciousness before and after a class activity, as well as differences by cultural areas. Differences and universality of knowledge, thinking and feeling of a cue word form the basis for international discussion about morality.
This collective and information theoretical way of analyzing associations treats quantitative relations of words and there still remains the question of interpretation of meanings. The information theoretical method of analysis provides the numerical and visible field of collective association for interpretation. To interpret qualities of consciousness of a group, the method of association needs categorical analysis of words and dialogue between interpreters, between a classroom teacher, researcher and if possible, answerer. Less
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