Characteristics of the Life-Centered Curriculum for Kindergarten at the Kindergarten Attached to Tokushima University Tokushima Normal School in Post-war Japan

Abstract

The present study clarifies the characteristics of the Life-Centered Curriculum for Kindergarten, published by the Kindergarten Attached to Tokushima University Tokushima Normal School in 1949, one year after the publication of the "Hoiku Yoryo"(National Curriculum Standards for Early Childhood Education: 1948). One trend that has been pointed out among the kindergarten curricula of post-war Japan has been the creation and expansion of curricula that adopt approaches prevalent in elementary school and above. In this study, we attempt to present and analyze the Life-Centered Curriculum for Kindergarten established from a standpoint that recognized the unique aspects of kindergarten education. The study revealed the following three characteristics of this plan from the perspective of life-centered childhood education. First, the plan laid the foundation of an education of nature perspective, or an education specific to the developmental demand of the child. Second, it attempted to select and develop educational content focusing on direct experiences from which children's curiosity stemmed, Third, it proposed education through the environment, where teachers aimed to create a setting in which children were encouraged to play freely under their guidance. These characteristics give the Life-Centered Curriculum for Kindergarten historical significance, as they provide a new perspective from which to understand the character of Japan's post-war kindergarten curricula.