Abstract
First of all, in this study, we examined the significance of integrated study based upon the current situation of Japanese children and their education. Then, we investigated the content of integrated study programs, and summarized the characteristics of successful programs. Finally, we discussed the methodological principles for setting the learning processes of integrated study. 1) The significance of integrated study lies in the deepening of children's understanding, and nurturing "the zest for living", which can be thought of as integrating the competences of structuring, executing, and problem-solving. 2) There are 334 practice lesson cases reported in 45 professional books published between 1995 and 1998, and we put lesson themes into four categories: "themes taken from current social problems", "themes based upon interests among children", "themes applying regional features", and "themes derived from subject areas". The first theme accounts for 38.9% of all the cases, the second for 12.3%, the third for 11.1%, and the last for 37.7%. 3) Regarding necessary characteristics which a course of integrated study should include, six conditions were proposed from this study: "problem-solving"; "comprehensiveness"; "empathy/ interaction among people"; "developability"; "intensity"; and "practicality". 4) The meaning and six conditions of integrated study were structurally analyzed as seen in Fig.3. It is inferred that those six conditions need to be placed at the core of this study in order to nurture "the zest for living" among children. 5) The basic learning process of integrated study would include the following five steps: Step 1. Forming problems; Step 2. Solving problems; Step 3. Expanding and integrating on what has been studied, Step 4. Summarizing activities and sharing/exchanging information, Step 5. Confirming and applying knowledge obtained through problem solving, and forming new problems. Given these results, we suggest that six conditions for the content of integrated study could become the principle for methodology in setting the learning process of integrated study lessons.
