Abstract
This study aims to investigate the development of research trends and policies of Japan's creative education. The study uses content analysis, database analysis, and interviews as the primary research methods.On the policy aspect, the study addresses the development of the policies related to creativity education. The study focuses on the post-war Japanese educational reforms and the launch of "The Period of Integrated Study (PIS)," which centralized creativity in educational practice. This study collects and analyzes scholarly articles related to Japanese creativity and creativity education published in three top-tier SSCI journals that have a specific focus on creativity in the research aspect. Doctoral theses and journal articles related to creativity education published in Japan are also analyzed. The numbers, research types, and research subjects/participants are also analyzed.
The results of this study are summarized as follows:
1. Policy development: The development of Japanese education is categorized into four phases. 1946-1983 was the first phase; some scholars and governmental sectors had discussed the features of creativity 1984-1995 was the second phase; the government began to recognize the importance of creativity education. 1996-2007 was the third phase. The launch of the PIS centralized creativity into educational practice, which regarded creativity as an essential component of so-called "survival ability." The fourth phase started from 1998 until the present. During phase four, the PIS's teaching hours have been reduced, and creativity has not been prioritized in the revised guidelines published by the Central Council for Education in 2016.
2. International journal papers: This research collects and analyzes scholarly articles related to Japanese creativity and creativity education published in three top-tier SSCI journals (Thinking Skills and Creativity, Creativity Research Journal, and Journal of Creative Behavior) that have a focus on creativity. Most studies published in Thinking Skills and Creativity belonged to "Thinking Style" studies, most studies published in Creativity Research Journal were "Personality" studies, whereas most studies published in the Journal of Creative Behavior were "Knowledge" related studies. In international journal papers, many studies helped deepened the understanding of the creativity of the Japanese people, the impact of Japanese culture on creativity, and the comparison of Japanese creativity with other countries. Regarding the research subjects/participants, university/college students were the most studied participants in all papers published in the three international journals.
3. Doctoral theses and Japanese journal papers: the study collects and analyzes the numbers, types, and subjects/participants of publications by year. Evidence reveals that educational reforms, before and after the revision of curriculum guidelines, the numbers of theses/papers tended to increase. For instance, since the PIS's launch in 1996, the amounts of theses/papers increased significantly. However, the number of theses/papers declined after the reduction of teaching hours of the PIS in 1998. Regarding the types of research conducted, most theses/papers belonged to "intellectual skills," "knowledge," and "environment" studies. Regarding the research subjects/participants, most doctoral theses selected "university/college students" and "labors of working places" as research subjects/participants. Differently, most Japanese journal papers selected "university/college students," "primary school students," and "high school and higher vocational school students" as participants.
| Date of Award | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Original language | Chinese (Traditional) |
| Supervisor | Hsu-Chan Kuo (Supervisor) |