Historical examination of the jiyu-hoiku "movement" from 1964 to 1989

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K02323
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 09030:Childhood and nursery/pre-school education-related
• Research Institution: Hirosaki University
• Principal Investigator: TAKEUCHI Hiroaki 弘前大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (50583019)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 自由保育 / 『保育の手帖』 / 『保育専科』 / 平井信義 / 集団主義の保育 / 個と集団の関係

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Through this research, it has become clear that, as a preliminary step to the Jiyu-Hoiku "movement", consideration of collectivist childcare practices was heavily involved. In this environment, not only the desirability of the group but also the thoughts of the individual became increasingly important. The Jiyu-Hoiku "movement" during the research period was not only based on child-centered principles such as Nobuyoshi Hirai's, but also practices that was conscious of the relationship between the individual and the group and valued the thoughts of the individual. The idea of Jiyu-Hoiku functioned effectively as a way to loosen the constraints on childcare practices that are task-centered or group-centered. On the other hand, in childcare practices that are already based on a child-centered approach, it has served to hinder childcare workers from providing specific guidance.

Free Research Field

保育学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究を通じて，自由保育「運動」が集団主義的な保育実践などの中で生じた，個の思いをより重視する立場に始まり，集団主義的な，あるいは課業中心の保育の強い制約を緩める際に大きな貢献をしてきたことが明らかになった。当時の保育に影響を与えたのは単純な個人中心，子ども中心の主張ではなく，個と集団の関係の中での個の育ちを重視する保育実践に裏打ちされた子ども中心の原理であった。そのため，批判すべき現状がないままにより自由な保育が志向された場合には，自由保育の発想は保育者の指導を妨げ，放任に近い状況を誘発することにつながる。自由保育の発想が放任に近づく原因を歴史的に明らかにした点に本研究の重要な意義がある。