日本における教育開発研究の系譜

―過去、現在、そして未来への展望―

抄録

Drawing on a thorough biographical review of key literature recently published in Japan, this essay discusses how the study of educational development in Japan has emerged and matured as a distinctive academic field and outlines key areas for future study. The evolution of this field in Japan can be classified into three periods: a pre 1990 period; a formative decade triggered by the World Conference on Education for All in Jomtien, Thailand, in 1990; and a developmental period since the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal, in 2000. In addition, the year 2003 is emphasized as a pivotal year in which several important books on educational development were published, advancing this area of study in Japan to an international stature.

Key areas for future study, as suggested in recently published books on educational development, include: going beyond the paradigm debates of the mid 1980s to early 1990s on the relationship between education and development; shifting emphasis from an overview of educational development and cooperation to more specific areas and issues; scrutinizing the methodology as a social science field; expanding the geographical coverage and comparing the experiences of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Arab world; examining new foci and approaches in education such as a sector-wide approach. The field of educational development in Japan has matured to a peer status with North America and Europe. If the recent rate of advancement continues, Japan may in the foreseeable future attain a leadership role in this area of study, owing to the productivity of Japanese researchers and professionals in numerous international undertakings.