Restructuring High School Inquiry Learning and School Reform to Implement the New Courses of Study

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K02293
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 09010:Education-related
• Research Institution: Nanzan University
• Principal Investigator: Takahashi Akiko 南山大学, 人文学部, 教授 (90431387)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 和井田 清司 武蔵大学, 人文学部, 教授 (50345542)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 高校 / 学習指導要領 / 内発的 / 学校改革 / 探究 / 探究学習

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The research focus on case studies of two high schools that have implemented inquiry-based learning as part of their endogenous school reform. Japan's new high school curriculum guidelines starting in 2022 emphasized inquiry-based learning, but for schools accustomed to subject-based learning. The research, conducted between 2018 and 2022. The first case study examined High School A, a private high school that introduced inquiry-based learning within its premises in 2018. The second case study looked at High School C, a regional public high school, which underwent a transformation into an integrated middle and high school from 2011 to 2018.From the findings of these two case studies, it became evident that facilitating dialogue among teachers, formulating a comprehensive school reform plan, and designating a key person responsible for implementing the plan were crucial for successful adoption of inquiry-based learning and overall school reform.

Free Research Field

教育方法学　教育学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

探究学習の実施において政策と高校の現状にギャップがあり、加えて、短期間での対応が求められた。その中で、探究学習のカリキュラムの開発はとても間に合わず、探究学習は受験産業が請け負い、外注される傾向が強まるのではないかと危惧される。
しかし、学校の教育理念や学校文化と接合しない形の探究学習は、いずれ形式化し、カリキュラムからも剥がれ落ちてしまう。内発的学校改革の枠組みの基に各高校が、外界の状況や教育政策の変化に対応しつつも各学校文化との連続性や同一性を保った形で、教師が主体的にカリキュラムを構築した事例やその要因を分析した本研究は、今後探究学習のカリキュラムを形成する各高校への示唆を持つ。