2021 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Do East Asian Students Achieve Highly at the Cost of Well-Being? Critical Analysis Utilizing PISA
| Project/Area Number |
20K02606
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| Research Institution | Kyoto University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | education achievement / (well) Being / PISA / Large Scale Achievement / Cultural Psychology |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Progress on the project continued to be negatively impacted by the on-going coronavirus pandemic, particularly in the first half of the fiscal year (April - August). As most of East Asia continues to restrict overseas travel, it has not been possible to carry out the fieldwork or collaboration with local researchers initially envisaged in this project. That said, we were able to focus on the differing impacts of the coronavirus pandemic between East Asia and other countries to highlight issues surrounding difference in outlooks on well-being. In the second half of the year (August - March) I was able to travel to the United States, working with leading international researchers there on how to conceptualize these issues. These connections will be crucial for conceptualizing and publishing future work, once the data from East Asian countries can be collected. In the United States, I was also able to set-up several new joint researchers endeavors, including one with Chinese scholars. In summary, while data collection was hampered by COVID, there was progress in the project in terms of theorization, conceptualization, and international collaboration.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
The on-going COVID pandemic has made it difficult to travel to the target countries (Korea, Taiwan, China). The quarantine restrictions are too heavy, and schools are heavily disrupted by the pandemic. Although desk based studies are being conducted, these only go so far. Facing the pandemic, the planned observation and in-country collection of well-being related materials is much more difficult. As the final year of the project approaches, and depending on the opening of countries in the region, I may need to reposition the research. Specifically, I may need to find an infrastructure to reach teachers, school leaders, and students.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Due to the pandemic, and the inability to travel to Taiwan and Korea. I may need to shift strategies. In the coming months, if the current trends hold, it will be travel to some countries, albeit with some time spent in quarantine. Another strategy is to collaborate with UNESCO Asia-Pacific Offices in Bangkok, Thailand and their affiliated schools (found across the region). Their on-going project entitled "Happy Schools!" provides a way to (i) explore the relationship between achievement and well-being in the region, (ii) access schools, school leaders, and students, and (iii) a forum for dialogue around how to improve student well-being. Many factors (including the future of the pandemic) make it difficult to predict if this strategy will make it possible complete the initial research plan, but it is one promising way of working around the obstacles created by the pandemic.
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| Causes of Carryover |
I plan to use the remaining money to carry out the planned research. Given the difficulty of getting to Taiwan (given the pandemic), I plan to reposition some of the research to UNESCO's Asia-Pacific offices (located in Thailand). It is possible to travel to Thailand, and UNESCO Asia-Pacific offices have embarked on a Happy Schools! project that attempts to take up issues around happiness and well-being in an Asia-Pacific context. In Bangkok, it will be possible to link up to practitioners from many countries across East and Southeast Asia, and work to develop the core focus of the project. As the project enters its final year, I will seek to link closer to practitioners, and thus seek to conduct more travel to undertake focus groups, interviews, and consultations.
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