2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Cross-Cultural (Japan-UK) Quantitative/Qualitative Comparative Study on Children's Self-Perception and Agency
| Project/Area Number |
24653252
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Sociology of education
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| Research Institution | Yamaguchi Prefectural University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2012-04-01 – 2014-03-31
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| Keywords | 比較教育 / 自己肯定感 / draw-and-writeインタビュー / 主体性 |
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| Research Abstract |
A multi-faceted quantitative/qualitative research project was carried out with 11-12-year old pupils in Western Japan (n=188) and 10-12 year-olds in England (n= 135) exploring the topic of children's own sense of"agency." The central question aimed at identifying factors that enable or encourage some children to develop a strong sense of helpfulness and the ability to notice and contribute to improvements in their social environments, be that home, school or community.Initial findings show a tendency for British children to display, overall, a higher sense of agency and independence, while Japanese children show a higher willingness to contribute in group efforts motivated by "enjoyment of being with others" rather than external rewards. Few differences were found in gender, or socio-economic status. But children with higher "agency" levels tended to consider the role of children in a wider context as helping to build a better world.
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