A study of Methodology of Art Education in the First Half Era of Showa

1988 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 62510141
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Educaion
• Research Institution: Fukuoka University of Education
• Principal Investigator: INOUE Seisaku Fukuoka University of Education, Faculty of Education, Associate Professor, 教育学部, 助教授 (70159979)
• Project Period (FY): 1987 – 1988
• Keywords: Art Education / Methodology of Education / teaching plan, teaching materials / Arbeitserziehung / Training the people of Empire / Training / oneness of body and soul / 身心一如 / 美的感受性

Research Abstract

To make clear the Methodology of Art Education in First Half Era of Showa, the author studied the methodology of Art Education, teaching plans, teaching materials, children's drawings and watercolour paintings during the Japanese school years 1987-1988. The main points made clear in this study are followings: The idea of Arbeitserziehung was proclaimed by progressive thinkers; and by the first half era of Showa, these ideas came to fruition in the field of art Education. But these ideas had been perverted under the influence of educational and socio-econo-mic policy of nation. In that political system nation became to be forced to their individual sensibilities make uniform, like a kind of cogs in the system, under the idea of training people the Empire. In the process of Art Education, the most important is self-determination: the consent of the individual was necessary for any judgment. A national elementary school had the art course of drawing and manual training. And the teaching m ethod were "Rensei," "Gyou" which mean training, eagerly, and training with paines, those pupils were made to draw and paint pictures over and over again, concentrationg their mind on their own works, although the theme of each were the same. Shogo Kinbara dwelt that "rensei" was the training of sensation, under the condition of the oneness of body and soul, in another word, the cultivation of his mind that was suposed to do before he actually pay attention to try to express. "Rensei" is the refinement and training on the bases of Japanse culture, and "Rensei" is the method and Methodology, According to this method "Rensei" children's sense of beauty was made standardiged, children could be easily influenced, and children whose need can be anticipated. This method was not geared to the psychic need and capacities of the child. "Rensei" has failed to become what it was intented to be. The author will continue to study on this theme. In this school year, will be adop by the Bulletin of Fukuoka University of Education.