著者

樋口 とみ子

出版者

日本カリキュラム学会

雑誌

カリキュラム研究 (ISSN:0918354X)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.21, pp.43-55, 2012-03-31 (Released:2017-10-17)

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This paper examines the development of literacy theory in UNESCO. Since its creation in 1946, UNESCO has taken a key role for promoting literacy in the world. Now in the United Nations Literacy Decade (2003-2012), the initiative of UNESCO is highly valued. Previous research on UNESCO's literacy has clarified the changes of its concept from the late 1940's to the 1990's. But are there any developments of literacy theory after that? And how the recent concept of literacy is embodied to concrete curricula? In this paper I describe the way in which UNESCO has engaged to literacy education from its beginning to now and clarify the new perspectives on literacy by focusing on the innovative Reflect approach, which is referenced by UNESCO. At the time of UNESCO's founding, literacy was considered as the skills to read and write, such as decoding and encoding letters in written language. In the late 1950's, UNESCO took a functional view of literacy to increase practical effectiveness. At that time promoting economic productivity was considerably emphasized. It is said that such literacy did not take into account of the needs of individual learners, thus in the 1970's UNESCO adopted the theory of critical literacy asserted by Paulo Freire, who declared emancipation of the learners. In 1990, World Conference on Education for All was implemented. UNESCO and other international agencies marked literacy as the one of the basic learning needs. Recently UNESCO has begun to take the concept of "multiple literacies". It means that literacy is not normative to be spread for all, but always embedded in various social contexts. Literacy education must be considered in broad situations for individual learners. The Reflect approach is one of the programmes which set much value on "multiple literacies". Key to Reflect is linking the literacy education to various social developments. Reflect combines the political philosophy of Freire with the methodologies of Participatory Rural Appraisal. The existing knowledge and experience of individual learners are respected and the learner's active participation to the local development is encouraged. From the perspective of designing curriculum in Reflect, it is clear that there is no sequence previously decided. Learning always takes place through learners' active engagement in their own contexts. It also integrates the skills to read and write and a process of their reflection and action. The focus of Reflect is to encourage an environment where literacy can be used in various ways, such as to analyze power relations critically and to adapt effectively in one's life. These ideas of designing curriculum reveal the new concept of "Literacy as Freedom". It means literacy may contribute to a wider struggle for social justice and expand the real freedom people enjoy. The idea of "Literacy as Freedom" echoes the book of Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen. Reflect develops curricula which link multiple literacies to "Literacy as Freedom". This study concludes UNESCO develops the recent concept of "multiple literacies" into the "Literacy as Freedom".

著者

山住 勝広

出版者

日本カリキュラム学会

雑誌

カリキュラム研究 (ISSN:0918354X)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.24, no.1, pp.041-053, 2015 (Released:2017-01-17)

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How can academic subject matter be integrated with children’s agentive learning? This is a persistent problem in curriculum and lesson studies. In traditional schooling, the core activity is classroom-based teaching that is intended simply to transfer the contents of the textbook to children. The dominant classroom discourse in this case is focused on low-level academic tasks. This kind of discrete teaching limits the knowledge available to both the teacher and student to that which the teacher can control and thus minimizes the level of ambiguity, uncertainty, and cognitive demand in their academic relationships. The transfer of agency from teacher to student is also minimal in discrete teaching. To move beyond this narrow idea of schooling and create learning activities that foster greater agency among students, and to determine whether an educational innovation helps children become agents of their learning activity, this article examines art-integrated science and social studies learning activities called inquiry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Lab School, which is part of the university’s Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Inquiry encourages students to accept responsibility for their own learning, namely, to have a learner’s sense of agency. In order to analyze the process of implementing such an innovative and experimental pedagogical practice at the Lab School, this article draws on cultural-historical activity theory. Activity theory offers a conceptual framework that views the object-oriented collective activity system as the basic unit of analysis of human practices and development. It also focuses on ideas and tools for transforming activity and expanding the agency of participants. Based on the activity theory framework, this article explores how instructional practice can break through segregated activities and facilitate joint learning between teachers and students to foster greater children’s agency; achieving this entails analyzing ethnographic research data on inquiry-based learning activities from the Lab School. The following two questions highlight key issues related to exercising children’s agency over inquiry-based learning in pedagogical classroom practice: 1) What kind of learning activity in which students participate as they learn can provide children with opportunities to expand their agency for the practice of inquiry and scientific concept formation? 2) How can children’s engagement in creating multiple representations of their experiences and learning be meaningfully integrated into an inquiry practice such as exercising one’s agency over concept learning?(View PDF for the rest of the abstract.)

著者

西岡 加名恵

出版者

日本カリキュラム学会

雑誌

カリキュラム研究 (ISSN:0918354X)

巻号頁・発行日

no.14, pp.15-29, 2005-03-31

被引用文献数

2

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This paper aims to describe in detail the theory of "backward design" advocated by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. They maintain that the process of curriculum development should follow these three stages: (1) to "identify desired results", (2) to "determine acceptable evidence" that shows whether those desired results are achieved, and (3) to "plan learning experiences and instruction". This paper examines the significant points and remaining issues to be discussed in the theory. Stage 1 is to clarify desired results, taking into consideration content standards, regional topic opportunities and teacher expertise and interest. At this stage, the object is to establish curricular priorities. There are three levels of importance: (1) "enduring" understanding, which should remain for the rest of the student's life, (2) important to know and do, and (3) worth being familiar with. For Wiggins and McTighe, "To understand a topic or subject is to use knowledge and skill in sophisticated, flexible ways". They identify six facets of understanding: explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy, and self-knowledge. In order to establish curricular priorities, four filters are to be used: enduring (i.e. representing "big ideas"), at the heart of the discipline, needing uncoverage (i.e. students tend to have misconceptions), and potentially engaging. They also put importance on "essential" questions as the "doorways to understanding". There are two kinds of "essential" questions: overarching "essential" questions; and "essential" and "unit" questions. Stage 2 is to determine acceptable evidence that shows the desired results are being achieved. Wiggins and McTighe argue that it is necessary to use performance tasks and projects in order to assess and promote "enduring" understanding. They make much of assessment methods in which students demonstrate the six facets of understanding. They also say that recurring tasks and longitudinal rubrics should be used in order to assess students' understanding of "big ideas". Stage 3 is to plan learning experiences and instruction, where also the six facets of understanding should be embedded. In order to design good learning experiences and instruction, Wiggins and McTighe suggest design guidelines and self-assessment criteria summarized in the acronym WHERETO. The acronym WHERETO stands for where we are going, hook student interest, equip the student, give opportunities to rethink, self-evaluation, tailor learning to various needs, organize and sequence the learning. Those three stages are to be used at both micro and macro levels of curriculum development. They believe that a focus on units (micro design) is helpful to build more robust and high-quality curricula. But the process of "backward design" also has elements which promote consistency between units and a curriculum as a whole (macro design). Such elements include a nesting structure of essential questions, recurring tasks and longitudinal rubrics. The theory of "backward design" represents a sophisticated version of Tyler Rationale, and it is significant in that it integrates various good ideas on curriculum theory. It makes use of new ideas from research on assessment, such as performance tasks and rubrics. By clarifying the relationship between objectives and various assessment methods, the depth of understanding which should be achieved is clearly defined. The six facets of understanding are useful in designing a curriculum that promotes "enduring" understanding. To build a curriculum around "essential questions" is the key strategy to bring "big ideas" into focus. Elements such as a nesting structure of essential questions, recurring tasks and longitudinal rubrics are particularly helpful to coordinate the macro and micro design of a curriculum. Lastly, the remaining issues to be discussed are examining the applicability of the six facets of understanding, specifying "big ideas", developing tasks and rubrics, and reestablishing the standards on the basis of school-based curriculum development.

著者

藤岡 信勝

出版者

日本カリキュラム学会

雑誌

カリキュラム研究 (ISSN:0918354X)

巻号頁・発行日

no.5, pp.31-39, 1996-03-31

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In this aricle I will analyse the education of history, particuraly of modern history in Japan as an example in order to show several reasons of necessary change of the paradigm in school curriculum and teaching. In general, many of us have been taught that the Meiji Restoration does not make us change so much in life and society and people were still oppressed after the Meiji Era had begun. Most Japanese historians and the textbooks which they wrote are too much influenced by the theory based on the United States' policy of the occupation of Japan and the historical viewpoints of the Soviet Union, both of which intended to destroy the Japanese ultra-nationalism and nationalism. However, now some Japanese historians have wanted to review the Japanese modern history, and so we need to look over those reviews openly and properly. Therefore, I would like to propose the new standpoint to look our modern history in Japan as a "Liberalistic Standpoint in the Study of History". As a result, our educational paradigm of modern Japanese history should be changed. We need to be liberated from the old paradigm of Japanese education of history from now on.

著者

濱谷 佳奈

出版者

日本カリキュラム学会

雑誌

カリキュラム研究 (ISSN:0918354X)

巻号頁・発行日

no.17, pp.59-71, 2008-03-31

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The purpose of this paper is to clarify the characteristics of the curricula in the subjects of 'religion' (Religionslehre) and 'practical philosophy' (Praktische Philosophic), through the example of gymnasium in North Rhine-Westphalia in the Federal Republic of Germany. According to German Basic Law, religious instruction in state schools is provided as a part of the regular curriculum. The Basic Law also grants parents and guardians the right to decide whether their child shall receive religious instruction. With this regulation, 'ethics' (Ethikunterricht) was established as a substitute for 'religion' in each state. In this paper, we are focusing on the program of 'practical philosophy', an example for 'ethics', as it was introduced in North Rhine-Westphalia. In both catholic and protestant 'religion' as well as 'ethics', curricula are being re-examined. This trend shows that new educational contents have been developped in all subjects, as a reaction to the challenges raised by the coexistence of various cultures and confessions in a pluralized society. The aim of this paper is to analyze the effect that the curricula of 'religion' and 'practical philosophy' have upon the individual student. The study is based on a questionnaire survey done among students, with special emphasis on the coexistence of different cultures and confessions. The data for this research was collected by the author in four schools in North Rhine-Westphalia in June/July 2005. A total of 531 students from 9^<th> and 10^<th> grade, who attended catholic, protestant 'religion' or 'practical philosophy' participated in the survey. This paper first examines the general characteristics of the aims, methods, and contents of catholic and protestant 'religion' and 'practical philosophy'. Then, an analysis of the results of the questionnaire survey follows. Through the analysis, the following three points became evident. Firstly, the contents of the curricula are in several ways in the interest of the students. By securing the right to choose which subject to attend, the curricula are composed variously by parallel instruction. As a result, students are learning actively, supported by their own confessions and interests. Secondly, concerning the understanding of various cultures and confessions, the self-evaluation of students attending 'religion' is better than the one of students attending 'practical philosophy'. This shows that curricula based on confessional or religious learning enhance the interest and awareness of students in that respect. It would be necessary for each subject to consider how to organize the correlated curricula on their own level. Thirdly, the teaching and learning methods of each subject influence the way students shape their own values in life. This shows that 'religion' and 'practical philosophy' give a different sense of value to students at the secondary education level. In addition to the original teaching and learning methods of each subject, a steady use of common teachings seems necessary and should be devised.

著者

溝口 和宏

出版者

日本カリキュラム学会

雑誌

カリキュラム研究 (ISSN:0918354X)

巻号頁・発行日

no.15, pp.29-41, 2006-03-31

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The purpose of this paper is to examine a theory and characteristics of Justice in Urban America Series, which was developed in 1970's by Robert Ratcliffe with Law in American Society Foundation as a material for law-related education of social studies in junior high school, and to grasp the possibilities of social studies curriculum focusing on law. The material is a part of the comprehensive law-related education curriculum that covers from mid- elementary to late-secondary, and is composed with an another series which is called "Trail marks of liberty series" based on the historical survey of the development of legal system in the U.S.A. I. The theory of curriculum organization is described as follows: 1) The curriculum, which is named Justice in Urban America Series, is organized as a series of legal study that is covered various fields of social problems in urban America. 2) Legal study in each unit is constructed not only with the analysis of the legal process dealing with social problems, but with inquiring the causes of problems. 3) Analyzing the legal process that is focused on "the planning of the legislature," "the enforcement by the administrative organs," and "the assessment by the administration of justice" can be realized for students to grasp the functional relations in the public system of problem solving. 4) Analyzing the judgments of legal cases in each lesson, which are issued the justification of planning or enforcement by the government with laws, also can be realized for students to form their own criteria on the public issues concretely based on the constitutionalism as a flame of reference. 5) Therefore, Justice in Urban America Series can be defined as "Social Studies curriculum based on Law" that ensures students to recognize the legal process in the constitutional democracy objectively. II. The characteristics of curriculum organization are described as follows: 1) Because Justice in Urban America Series ensures students to have a dynamic and structured viewpoint on the systematic way of problem solving in our society through the law, it can be evaluated as an alternative organizing theory against with the law-related education which is based on the positive law or general ideas of law teaching laws as themselves. 2) Though the series has no chance for students to evaluate the values of American democracy comparing with other countries critically, it can be evaluated as an eminent proposal of curriculum theory to develop student's ability of discernment on public concern in the flame of law and constitutionalism.

著者

金井 香里

出版者

日本カリキュラム学会

雑誌

カリキュラム研究 (ISSN:0918354X)

巻号頁・発行日

no.10, pp.113-124, 2001-03

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The influx of "newcomer" children into classrooms in Japanese public schools brought Japanese teachers to deal with the difficulties and problems these children face in learning and participating in classroom communication. The teachers tend to regard the children's difficulties and problems in classroom as the children's handicap in the Japanese language and so to focus their own efforts on improving the children's language ability. The teachers' treatment helps the children adapt to the life in classroom somehow. However, it has been pointed out somewhere (Tsuneyoshi, R. 1998) that such a way of treating "newcomer" children functions in a way to situate them in a lower position or even marginalize them in classroom. The stress on improvement of "newcomer" children's language ability is observed not only in teachers' practice in classroom but also in the current research trend. Researchers have focused on improving the children's Japanese ability in addressing the issues on "newcomer" children learning and participating in classroom. It should be noted, however, that the "hidden" issue in classroom would not be addressed if the research focuses only on the children's language ability. In other words, there is some limitation in the current way of teachers' practice in multicultural classroom as well as the current research trend. In this paper, the author attempts to show a theoretical framework to conduct case studies on teachers' role in Japanese multicultural classroom. As the author's interest is in the way teachers deal with various cultural differences, either implicit or explicit, in a communication process, and the effects of teachers' treatment on the relationship between "newcomer" children and other children in classroom, the concept of border is referred to. The concept has been developed by some sociolinguists and educational anthropologists in the United States (i.e. McDermott, R. P. & Gospodinoff, K., Erickson, F. etc). According to them, a border is an arbitrary line formed by somebody along some cultural difference. A person is treated differently, depending on which side of the border he/she is located in. The author's discussion is twofold. First, the aspect of implicit/covert/invisible culture as well as explicit/overt/visible culture (Hall, E. 1959) is important in exploring teachers' cognition and treatment of cultural differences in classroom. Teachers tend to deal with "newcomer" children's explicit cultural traits (e.g. language). Yet, even a slight difference in implicit culture (e.g. standards of judgment according to which one's own behavior is shaped and the other's evaluated) may have a great effect on the "newcomer" children learning and participating in classroom communication. Furthermore, such difference may cause some conflict or tension between the "newcomer" children and other children. Second, the concept of border helps to analyze the influence teachers' treatment of cultural differences has on the children in classroom. Teachers' treatment of various differences among children means the formation of and the arrangement of borders. It is emphasized that in the teaching practice are formed not a few borders, which a teacher attempts to arrange. A teacher's treatment of cultural differences in classroom possibly has such an influence on the children that the teacher has not expected, i.e., some children may form a culture border and locate the "newcomer" children beyond the border. In conclusion, the author suggests that for exploring teachers' role in multicultural classroom, case studies need to be conducted with the theoretical framework shown in this article.

著者

亘理 陽一

出版者

日本カリキュラム学会

雑誌

カリキュラム研究 (ISSN:0918354X)

巻号頁・発行日

no.16, pp.71-84, 2007-03-31

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The purpose of this article is to illustrate an approach that can be used to describe and organize the content in the area of teaching grammatical knowledge. This article proceeds as follows. First, it points out the latent problem with a framework for task-based language teaching in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) environment, and suggests the need for an explicit grammar teaching. In this article, the main purpose of foreign language teaching is considered to be the development of communicative language ability in the language concerned. It seems that this is much the same objective of the Course of Study for foreign languages or several approaches proposed by second language acquisition studies. But both are different in that the latter basically presumes syllabus content would be specified in terms of learning activities or tasks. This article suggests that apart from language activities, it is necessary to teach grammar explicitly with reference to the framework for foreign language teaching curriculum which is based on the theoretical consideration of what constitutes communicative language ability in a foreign language. Second, it points out that currently employed ways of teaching lack explanations of the syntactic and semantic character of the English comparative expressions, reviewing some text books and grammar teaching books. Third, it proposes a basic structure of the teaching process, based on a theoretical examination of the system of the English comparative expressions and on a hypothesis of a possible learning process on the part of the learners. And it extracts "a module of the teaching content" from it, viewed from what could be contrasted with regard to choosing an appropriate expression in context. Finally, it proposes an approach to organize the module as a lesson plan in consideration of the differences of three pragmatic aspects: ideational, interpersonal, textual rhetoric (cf. Leech 1980). According to the character of these aspects, each question in the lesson plan presented partly is designed to ask which expression is appropriate in the present situation. For example, when we are talking about our trip, and one person proposes going to Okinawa but you want to go to Seoul, then I think Seoul is nicer than Okinawa and I think Seoul is as nice as Okinawa is presented to ask which is appropriate to express your wish, not being in discord with them, namely, as a question of the interpersonal rhetoric.