2015 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Japanese Children's Books as Intercultural Learning Resource
| Project/Area Number |
26381274
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| Research Institution | Kyushu University |
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Principal Investigator |
J・I Pollack 九州大学, 学内共同利用施設等, 教授 (50403910)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
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| Keywords | children's books / enculturation / socialization / cultural learning / inter-cultural learning / cross-cultural learning |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Year One (FY 2013) of the project, involving the administration and analysis of a city-wide survey, resulted in the identification of a large number of children's books most favored for instructional purposes by hundreds of Fukuoka elementary school teachers. The survey also elicited teachers' views on the edifying qualities of each book, yielding a substantial, authentic, representative database of professional judgments on the didactic virtues of an accessible literature of considerable potential learning benefit, for the insights offered into normative foundations, to students of Japanese culture.
Year Two (FY 2014) effort comprised 1) the acquisition and initial review of 40 books named in the survey, followed by a reduction of the number to be featured on the planned website to 25, selecting those more appropriate to novice language and culture learners for reading accessibility and illustrative effectiveness; 2) a careful examination of the communicative devices, textual and visual, of each book, extracting the critical enculturative content (core values) to be highlighted eventually in synopses; 3) further refinement of the value inventory and glossary with which the books will be interlinked; 4) obtaining of publisher approval to use cover images for a conference poster presentation and the website display; and 5) selection of a website design and platform.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
PI and research associate (学術研究員) continue to review children's books to be included in the website, with roughly one third of the titles remaining. Progress generally has been as expected, but PI's limited Japanese proficiency has sometimes made the process slower than hoped for.
PI has recently begun to develop explanatory content for the website, with specific sections addressing the site's cultural learning objectives, the critical values inventory and glossary, and the process through which the children's books were selected.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
PI and research associate together will 1) finish the remaining analyses and synopses of books to be featured (roughly two-thirds are done); 2) build the website, work on which has already begun; 3) complete and launch it by the end of Project Year 3 (FY 2016); and 4) announce the start-up to relevant Japan-interested audiences.
PI will give an initial demonstration of project results to date--discussing the website's prospective development and cultural learning potential with professional colleagues--through a poster presentation (a competitively awarded opportunity) at the upcoming (May 30-June 4) NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference (in Denver, Colorado), by far the most important and well-attended, annual global convening of those who work in inter-cultural and cross-cultural education.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Funding is needed to pay research associate to 1) help PI (who does not read Japanese) complete careful analysis of remaining children's books selected for synopsis as cultural learning resources, and 2) help PI build planned cultural learning website. It is needed also to fund PI's attendance of international education conference in U.S. for professional presentation on project purpose and results.
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| Expenditure Plan for Carryover Budget |
Remaining grant funds will go to 1) compensating research associate, who is working 15 hours a week on project responsibilities, up to the maximum grant allowance; and 2) covering costs associated with PI's travel to, attendance of, and presentation at the upcoming (May 30-June 4, 2016) NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference in Denver, Colorado.
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