Issue of the New Courses of Study and the View of New Academic Ability in Japan

• Main Authors: Yeh Hsin-Ni, 葉欣妮
• Other Authors: Chen Bor-taur
• Format: Others
• Published: 2004
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/70584065145678139534

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 日本研究所碩士在職專班 === 92 === Educational reform is a worldwide trend today. Since 2002 Japan has drastically changed its curriculum that emphasized facts and memorization. The new curriculum, called “New Learning Guidelines,” stresses students’ ability to self-learn and effectively make decisions in real-life situations. Within the new guideline emerges a new conception to increase students’ “academic ability” that suffers from public examination and criticism. What does the “New Learning Guidelines” affect Japan’s education? What is the new conception of students’ “academic ability”? And, how will Japanese students’ “academic ability” evolve? Through literature review and analyses, this thesis explores these questions pertaining to Japan’s educational reform. First, I will explain and define what “academic ability” means in the first chapter. The second and third chapters will discuss post WWII and current Japanese conceptions of “academic ability” and their criticism. The fourth chapter will analyze debates over “academic ability” with survey studies on students’ academic abilities. How will students’ “leaning power” be increased? Exist behind students’ “academic ability,” there lies more fundamental problems. I conclude this thesis with arguments on the importance of family education.