Theoretical and Empirical Research on Student Learning and Career Development in Higher Education

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K17367
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Education
• Research Institution: Ritsumeikan University
• Principal Investigator: KAWAI TORU 立命館大学, 教育開発推進機構, 嘱託講師 (20706626)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 大学生の学びと成長 / 経験学習 / キャリア形成 / リフレクション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project aimed to clarify the relationship between student learning and career development and focused on the process of deepening reflection through experiential learning. First, this research project reviewed the literature on active learning and experiential learning in higher education. Second, it conducted a student survey in the course entitled “Contextualizing Self in Society.” Based on the analysis of the survey results, the research project produced practical tips such as prompts to instruct and facilitate students’ creation of narratives. Deepening reflection was caused by relating the experience to their emotions, other persons’ emotions, and social contexts/backgrounds/structures. Deepening reflection led to personal understanding of the experience, themselves, and social relationships, thereby developing life purpose/perspectives. Thus, deepening students' reflections through experiential learning resulted in their life career development.

Free Research Field

大学教育学