Institutionalization of Teachers' Academic Instruction in Educational Organizations: A Case Study of Public High Schools in the Tohoku Region of Japan

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K20755
• Project/Area Number (Other): 16H07394 (2016-2018)
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund (2019); Single-year Grants (2016-2018)
• Research Field: Sociology of education
• Research Institution: Ohtsuki City College
• Principal Investigator: Tomita Chiyo 大月短期大学, 経済科, 准教授 (40783725)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-08-26 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 地方公立進学高校 / 大学受験 / 教師の行為 / 新制度派組織社会学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study clarified how top-ranking rural academic public high schools teachers' actions aimed at increasing the number of students entering prestigious universities located in urban areas was institutionalized in the 1990s through a case study of public high schools in the Tohoku Region of Japan. In the 1990s, the number of students entering higher education institutions increased, and the local education boards in rural areas focused on the academic performance of their high school students. The local education boards assisted the teachers’ actions as well. However, in the 2010s, they mainly focused on decreasing the population of the younger generation living in the prefecture and implemented a policy to let them stay in their hometown. Partly as a result of this policy, the teachers’ actions have been deinstitutionalized since around 2010.

Free Research Field

教育社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義は教師の行為を理解する「文化-認知的制度モデル」を提供したことにある。このモデルでは教師の行為の「行動原理」として、ミクロレベルで構築される認知枠組みの存在をとらえ、それが、時間・空間を越えて広く影響を与える制度となることを示した。本研究の社会的意義は、事例とした受験請負指導が内包する、教師間の競争システムの危険性を示した点である。受験請負指導は難関大学合格者数の向上という「成果」を得られれば教師の達成感の源泉となる。しかし、「成果」を得られなくなったとしても、教師間の競争システムは稼働を続けるため、教師たちは過剰な負担感にさいなまれることを明らかにできた。