Basic Research on Developing Useful Writing Materials and Lessons for Left-handers based on a Study of Learners

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K04419
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Education on school subjects and activities
• Research Institution: Shinshu University
• Principal Investigator: KOBAYASHI Hideyo 信州大学, 学術研究院教育学系, 教授 (10631187)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 書写教育 / 書字 / 左利き / 利き手 / ＮＩＲＳ / Handwriting / イギリス / 学習指導要領

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The relationship between the dominant hand and brain activity has been examined in detail by employing a brain activity-measuring device to measure the differences in the area of brain activity while using the dominant and non-dominant hands in writing activities. Specifically, I considered what differences occur at the place the brain activates when right-handers write letters with their right hands and with their left hands, and also when left-handers write letters with their right hands and with their left hands. The validity of writing with the non-dominant hand was also speculated upon.
Furthermore, in order to formulate hypotheses for this basic research, I analyzed what guidelines are in place in the hand-writing education for left-handers in other countries; in particular, what hand-writing education for left-handers is like in the UK and France.

Free Research Field

教育学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでの書写教育において、左利きに関する研究が充実していたとは言い難い。現在の学習指導要領や書写用教科書でも、左利きの書字及びその指導に関する事項には触れておらず、保護者や指導者からの疑問や不安は後を絶たない。
本研究では、左利き者の書字に関して、書写教育研究で初めてとなる、利き手及び非利き手での書字行為時における脳活動の計測と解析を試み、非利き手での書字行為の妥当性について検討した。また、他国の書字教育の研究には本研究課題の基盤となる要素が含まれていることから、日本以外の国における左手書字者への学習指導の詳細を考察し、左手書字の児童生徒に具体的な示唆を与えるための基礎研究を行った。