卒業研究過程における高校生の継時的な変化 : 生徒から見た高校総合学習の意義と課題

This study is a two-year longitudinal examination on how a senior high school used integrated studies in order to motivate students, and on the problems that students faced during the course of their studies. It is based on "Sotsugyo-Kenkyu" (graduation research / final projects), a form of integrated studies that has been used in one senior high school over the last 20 years. Integrated learning was adopted in senior high schools throughout Japan in 2003. There have been difficulties in implementing the program because teachers have found it difficult to develop a new curriculum in addition to performing their ordinary tasks. In order to examine the effects of integrated learning, we investigated how senior high school students perceive integrated studies, what kind of problems they encounter during the course of their studies, and what the program means to them. Hundred four students who conducted their final projects between year 2000 and 2002 participated in this study. They completed three questionnaires: pre-study, interim study, and post-study. The study found that: 1) Initially, the students were very interested in "Sotsugyo-Kenkyu" because they expected to develop as mature individuals through this program. However, the students' interest in their study decreased as they faced problems during research. 2) The main problems were the "burden of research" and the "dilemma between undertaking the research and preparing for the college entrance exam". 3) As the research progressed, the students gradually divided into two groups: a highly satisfied group and a dissatisfied group. The highly satisfied group had positive experiences from meeting many people and gaining considerable amounts of knowledge. By contrast, the dissatisfied group felt only fatigued by their study. In conclusion: a) Some of the students considered integrated learning burdensome, because they had to undertake numerous tasks simultaneously. These tasks included preparing for college entrance exams and being involved in school festivals. Nevertheless, 77% of the students were satisfied with their research, and reported that they had learned much from their study and gained valuable experience, b) Generally, integrated learning appears to have considerable significance for senior high school students. It is important to develop a balanced curriculum and to support the students' research, especially those students who are relatively poorly motivated.