Philosophical study on the concept of equality of educational opportunity: Toward a reconstruction of history of the concept

2024 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13841
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 09010:Education-related
• Research Institution: University of Toyama
• Principal Investigator: Kojima Hironori 富山大学, 学術研究部教育学系, 講師 (50821542)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2025-03-31
• Keywords: 教育機会の平等 / コールマン / 教育の正義 / 教育の平等 / 適切性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

First, this research project examined the theories of equality of educational opportunity in the 1960s, focusing particularly on an argument by J. S. Coleman. As a result of this, two goals of educational opportunity need to be distinguished: educational achievements, and racial integration. This distinction of the goals may be useful to understanding the debates concerning equality of educational opportunity. Second, this research project focused on contemporary debates on educational justice, and examined two positions of educational justice: educational equality and adequacy. A point of this controversy can be found in the difference of views concerning whether both goals should be pursued or not in the name of equal educational opportunity. In addition, these results are expected to be complemented and be detailed as a more comprehensive history of the debates and the concept.

Free Research Field

教育哲学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

教育格差などの問題をめぐる規範について論じる際に、一般的な言説や教育学の他のさまざまな領域（教育行政学、教育法学、教育社会学など）にとって参照することが有益であるような、教育機会の平等概念に関する理解や議論の視点をもたらす可能性があることである。また、教育をめぐる概念について、政治哲学や倫理学の知見を用いた研究のさらなる展開につながることが期待できる。