能動的学修を可能にするケースメソッド教育の実現過程

―高等教育における四事例から―

抄録

Through review of the case method of instruction, which is often mentioned in discussions of active learning, this study aims to identify the realization process at education sites based on cases at institutions of higher education. For this purpose, four practice cases were selected from higher education institutions in Japan; cases which individually satisfy both the essential criterion of having observable outcomes while also as a whole represent diverse examples. In this study, the realization process of the case method in individual cases is investigated by means of reports, on-site observation and interviews. Analysis reveals that the process of individual instructors mastering the case method lies at the core of realizing case method of instruction. The process of becoming proficient closely relates to the process of establishing the case method in education programs. The study also clarifies that such processes are supported by instructor teams' initiatives at education sites following decisions by organizations to adopt the case method as well as by highly competent team leadership. The difficulty of realizing the case method of instruction lies in interrelated factors that must be put in place at educational institutions intending to practice the method. Unless these interrelated factors are continually and comprehensively satisfied, successful educational practices cannot be established.