A STUDY OF PERCEPTIONS ON KENDO HELD BY KENDO INSTRUCTORS: COMPARISON BETWEEN ACADEMIC INSTITUTION INSTRUCTORS AND DOJO INSTRUCTORS

Abstract

The survey was carried out using questionnaires composed of 63 questions regarding perceptions about kendo. Subjects of this survey were dojo (private kendo club) instructors and academic institution instrucors nationwide. The survey was conducted in April 1998 and questionnaires were mailed out with prepaid postage return envelopes for the return of completed surveys. Total responses were 2,715 and the response rate was 46.4%.
Twelve factors were extracted by factor analysis, and cumulaive percent of communality was 49.8%. The names of the extracted factors were as follows:
“Disciplinary Instruction”,
“Importance or Stress Placed upon Winning”,
“Expectations of Favorable Treatment at Academic Institution”,
“Expectations about Popularization of the Sport Overseas”,
“Instructors' Dissatisfaction with Pupils”,
“Expectations Held b y Predecessors about Successors to the Sport”,
“Considerations Regarding Differences Between the Sexes”,
“Suggestions about Improving Kendo-gu (gear and protective equipment for kendo)”,
“Heavy Burdens Felt by Kendo Instructors”,
“Desire to Obtain a Higher Dan-i (grades of kendo expertise)”,
“Insufficient Ability to Instruct”,
“The Chance for Various Opportunities”.
The relationships between the differences in the instructional environment and the differences in perception were examined with multiple comparison of factor scores by Scheffe's method.
With regard to three factors, the difference in instructional environments were related to differences in perception in every dan-i.In terms of “Disciplinary Instruction” and “Expectations of Favorable Treatment at Academic Institution” factors, academic institution instructors view these factors less positively, while dojo instructors view them more positively.
In “Importance or Stress Placed upon Winning” and “Expectations Held by Predecessors about Successors to the Sport”, academic institution instructors have more positive views about these factors than dojo instructors within some dan-i. With regard to the remaining factors, perceptual differences were seen according to differences in dan-i.
The instructors who own lower than fifth-dan have markedly different perceptions from other instructors.40 However, with regard to the factors of “Suggestions about Improving Kendo-gu” and “The Chance for Various Opportunities”, significant differences were not seen at all.