National project activities of technical and vocational education for the young throughout the era of the Asia Pacific War in Empire of Japan

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K02658
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 09040:Education on school subjects and primary/secondary education-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Gakugei University
• Principal Investigator: Sakaguchi Kenichi 東京学芸大学, 教育学部, 教授 (30284425)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: プロジェクト活動 / 技術・職業教育 / 農業教育 / 総力戦 / 創意工夫 / 現代的農業 / 問題解決能力

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In Empire of Japan, throughout the era of the Asia Pacific War, young people were tasked with technical project activities to solve public problems. A typical example of these project activities was technological development aimed at improving the workplace. This became clear when examining the content and methods of technical and vocational education for young people who have completed compulsory education, that is, the masses. It is probable that young people in rural areas have acquired the problem-solving abilities necessary to carry out modern agriculture in the areas where they live through learning technical and vocational education. In rural areas during the Asia Pacific War, the realization of multifaceted and complex agriculture was ideal. In order to carry out such modern agriculture, farmers need a high level of problem-solving ability.

Free Research Field

技術・職業教育学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究を通して、第1次世界大戦以降の日本の総力戦体制化は、アジア・太平洋戦争の時代に至って、戦後「新教育」と事実上地続きの、プロジェクト活動に近い経験単元学習型の技術・職業教育的活動を国民教育の新たな要素として構築するに至ったと考えられた。こうした研究成果は、学界の従来の定説に修正を迫るものとなっている。日本の旧学制下のプロジェクト活動は、子どもの自発的な活動を重んじる大正自由教育の中で一時勃興したが、総力戦への準備が本格化した1930年代には衰退してしまったとの見方が定説になってきたからである。日本の大衆的な青年期教育の歴史及び技術・職業教育の進歩的側面へのより一層の着眼が必要である。