Japanese upper secondary schools have two educational systems: “Grade system” and “Credit-based system”. The grade system requires students to meet the given credits every year. The credit-based system requires students to organize their own class schedule within tertiary years. Japanese future upper secondary school education is expected to change due to appearance of schools on the Internet. The credit-based system is important for spreading independent learning or diversifying students. Moreover, there are two course systems in Japanese upper secondary school: “Full-time course” and “Part-time course”. “Full-time course” is organized during daytime while “Part-time course” sets multiple short time period from morning to evening. In architectural perspective, “Full-time course” provides classrooms where students spend most of their time for classes, "Homeroom", and the other “lecture room” except the "Homeroom". “Part-time course” does not have “Homeroom” because students always move from one lecture room to another. There might be helpful knowledge in facility planning of “Part-time course” if flexibility in education of upper secondary schools expands. The knowledge would be useful for future whole schools planning. In school architectural plan field in Japan, the studies of elementary and junior high schools are researched with great efforts. On the other hands, 15 years have passed since the same category’s study of upper secondary school reported. In addition, the study focus on flexible operation of part-time course has never been conducted.
Therefore, to obtain the knowledge for the future facility planning, objectives of this study are followings.
1) To grasp current educational contents of both of the courses in credit-based system
2) To uncover usage states and problems of each kind of classrooms
3) To consider how to provide the other required functions such as teacher’s space and the corridor width
Results of the study by interview with teachers and analyzing materials of 20 schools, which was published on architectural magazine, are below. 1) Full-time course, there are many subjects to choose from subdivided general subject. 8 schools out of 10 prohibits to have vacant time in students’ class schedule in order to secure learning time of students. “Part-time course” provides special technical subjects, even though the schools are general course. Among “Part-time course”, 7 schools out of 10 allows vacant time of schedule for self-study of students. 2) The utilization ratio of 12 schools that shares the data of usage of classroom were analyzed. In full-time course, attaches great importance to “Homeroom”, if its regulation prohibits the vacant time, the result shows that “Homeroom” was high utilization ratio more than 80%, however the other lecture room except the "Homeroom" was low value. Part- time course does not have the "Homeroom"; the utilization ratio of lecture room of part-time course was within range between "Homeroom" and lecture room of full-time course. It suggests the surplus of classroom in full-time course and the flexible use by part-time course. If full-time course might correspond even more student’s diversity and various interest by increasing small group teaching, rather than staying students in “Homeroom” in the future; then behavior of student will change to be spread. Current low utilization ratio room will be also able to reconsider the usage. 3) Teacher’s space: when the vacant time is allowed, the decentralized arrangement enable the teacher's eye could reach student and do immediate response. The corridor width: the 6m width corridor as open-space is seen from in the latter part of 2000’s in some schools of full-time course. However, these common space are not used effectively. It suggests the importance of realizing to follow up recognition and usage of spaces.
