A Historical Study on Educational Evaluation of Moral Education—Focusing on the Subject of Morals in Prewar Japan—

2024 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K02476
• 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: Tottori University
• Principal Investigator: YAMANE Toshiki 鳥取大学, 教育支援・国際交流推進機構, 特任教員 (70240067)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2025-03-31
• Keywords: 道徳科 / 教育評価 / 修身科 / 試験 / 考査 / 操行 / 行状 / 個性調査

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study reveals some of the facts and features of educational evaluation of moral education in Prewar Japan by analyzing evaluations of demeanor, character and behavior descriptions including personality surveys. The subject of morals emphasized the importance of knowledge of this subject as well as manners while affective aspects such as emotions and intention were evaluated as part of behavior and demeanor. Certificate of completion of the subject of morals was given and the seat order was determined based mostly on the grades of demeanor, paying less attention to other aspects.
Examinations of the subject of morals centered on individual morality up until the middle of Meiji Period. Toward the end of Meiji Period more examination questions encompassing nationalism were added.As a result, the subject of morals in Prewar Japan proves to be inadequate as a well-developed, integrated evaluation measure of the subject, and demeanor and personality surveys of the students.

Free Research Field

教育学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現代の学校は、知育だけでなく市民性、社会性の一部である道徳性の形成に寄与することが期待されている。2015年、道徳教育の機能の充実のため特別な教科として道徳科が設けられ、そこで何をどのように評価するのか、指導要録の行動の評価との関係を含めてそのありかたが問われることになった。道徳性の評価は動もすれば、人物査定に陥りがちである。こうした原理的困難をどのように乗りこえるか。戦前の修身科を中心に、操行査定、個性調査など、道徳性の診断、評価、査定の実態を考察し、道徳教育の評価の困難性を乗りこえる基礎的な知見を得ることができた。