Unrequited Love for Germany? : Paradigm and Ideology in Educational Research in Japan until 1945

Abstract

Since the Meiji Restoration (1868), Japan's educational studies first began by receiving theories of practical education from the UK and U.S. Later, together with the political trends around 1890, there began a trend towards receipt of German educational studies. Along with the spread of elementary education, there were experiments with building school educational studies based on Germany's Herbart educational studies. Development of various types of educational practices began in the 1920s under the name of Taisho period progressive education, along with systematization of scholarly educational studies. Sukeichi SHINOHARA (1876-1957) is noted as the most important pedagogist of this period. Around 1930, systematic education theories appeared which are still studied today. However, during wartime from 1940 on, these education theories faced the problem of separation of theory from practice. That is, on the one hand, educational studies must ensure its scholastic aspect as theory. But on the other hand, it was in danger of being held captive to the militaristic ideology it was forced into, which was the foundation of education practice during wartime.