1993 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
A Sociological Research on Educational Reform and Restructuring the Educational Process
| Project/Area Number |
04610139
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Educaion
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| Research Institution | University of Tokyo |
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Principal Investigator |
FUJITA Hidenori University of Tokyo School of Education, Professor, 教育学部, 教授 (30109235)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1992 – 1993
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| Keywords | educational reform / restructuring of education / youth structure / secondary education / schooled society / information age / privatization / public space |
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| Research Abstract |
Since 1980s, radical educational reforms have taken place in many advanced countries, trying partly to solve various contradictions and functional inefficiencies of the expanded educational system and partly to cope with the new educational demands which emerged along with such social changes as the rise of information age and the globalizing economy. Japan is no exception. This research intended to investigate what kinds of reform policies and programs have been adopted in Japan, what kinds of philosophy and ideology there are behind them, how those policies and programs have changed and will change the forms, functions and daily practices of teaching and learning, and what kinds of impacts those reforms will have on life environments of children and youths. Some of the major research results and findings are as follows :
(1)The current educational reform movements since 1980s, which may be considered as third major educational reform in the Japanese history of modern schooling, have been guided by the peculiarly mixed ideology of individualism, elitism and progressivism. The guiding principles and slogans of reforms are individualization of learning, expansion of choice, and deregulation.
(2)Ther are similarities and differences among current reform movements in Japan, UK and USA.There are common tendencies toward privatization and marketization of education in these three countries. Individuality is emphasized and efficiency is devalued in Japan ; whereas excellence and efficiency are emphasized in other two countries.
(3)The research examined theoretically how these reforms and changes may restructure the practices of teaching/learning and undermine the community of school and region and the public nature of schooling.
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