- 著者
-
清水 一彦
- 出版者
- 日本教育行政学会
- 雑誌
- 日本教育行政学会年報 (ISSN:09198393)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.16, pp.239-254, 1990-10-05 (Released:2018-01-09)
This paper aims to clarify the structural characteristics and problems of the credit system in Japanese universities by analyzing its transitional process. First of all, the author tried to settle the definition of the credit system and to set up the following 5 areas for studies : "one credit", "total credits", "distribution of credits", "optional registration", and "evaluation". Then, focusing on these five points, the author analyzed the transitional process of the credit system, especially during the period from the enactment of "the Standard of the University Establishment" in 1956 up to the present time. As a result, the study has yielded two findings as follows: 1. As for the standard of the credit system, there appeared to be two big tendencies. One is bringing to completeness the meaning of the credit system during the time from the enactment of the present standard to the period of university strife in the late 60's. The other is the trend of the flexibility of the system after that time until now. As to the former, the regulations enforced at the beginning were not properly applied due to traditional teaching methods, the lack of readiness of libraries and other facilities. Therefore, there was an attempt to include the significance of the credit system in the standard and to initiate the method of credit calculation and the addition of the number of credits. As to the latter, the problem of general education came to the surface amid the university strife and, in relation to this, each university was largely entrusted with autonomous judgment. Further, more flexible steps were taken to promote independent self-reform in each university and its faculties. However, in the process there were increasing conditional clauses and a more complicated standard was created. 2. According to the framework set for this analysis, the special characteristics of the credit system and its concrete problems are found as follows: "one credit": This expression was somewhat changed. However, the fundamental principle was maintained. The credit calculation method of teaching methods with more conditional clauses remained. "total credits": No particular problems existed. However, the upper limitation of increased credits was set up. "distribution of credits": With the introduction of fundamental education subjects, problems surfaced about the credits of general education subjects, while there was a tendency to put emphasis on professional education subjects. "optional registration": Flexible steps were taken, which was the biggest change. There was also a plan for subdividing the number of credits for each subject, and it had little regard for the opportunity of students in choosing subjects and their annual registration. "evaluation": Although many problems were pointed out, there was no change in the regulations and it still had little view of the educational effects. Finally, considering the actual situations and variety of the universities nowadays, the author would like to point out that the direction of the standard revision is not yet satisfactory. It is time that there should be an establishment of a new credit system which is particularly applicable to Japanese universities.