抄録
In this paper, I examine the status of the teachers' understanding and practices of 'life unit' at the Elementary School Attached to Akashi Women's Normal School in 1920's. For that purpose, I analyze the features of a teacher, Nishiguchi Tsuchitaro's one year records about the practice of the life unit, which was titled The Construction and Practice of the Life Unit Curriculum for the First Grade at the Jinjo Elementary School in 1930. In addition, I evaluate the status of the practical research by referring to a chair teacher Heiji Oikawa's leading research group's achievements. As a result, it is pointed out as follows: 1) The life unit research started from the lower grades; 2) The teachers freely studied and practiced on the basis of the information brought by Oikawa; 3) Nishiguchi Tuchitaro was a leader of practical studies. Nishiguchi attempted to constitute experience units called 'life unit' by organizing the sequence adopting Ovide Decroly's theory of 'center of interest.' Moreover, Nishiguchi's theory was characterized in terms of consistency between kindergarten and elementary school. A Conduct Curriculum for the kindergarten and First Grade that Oikawa transmitted to the kindergarten and the elementary school attached to Akashi Women's normal school was the same type as the curriculum of the kindergarten linking with the elementary school that was developed at the laboratory schools of Teachers College, Columbia University. The teachers of both the elementary school and the kindergarten studied together A Conduct Curriculum, and respectively developed the individual life unit curriculum. Finally, I point out that Oikawa was a great leader advocating the efficiency of their practical studies and teachers achievements of developing the life unit curriculum.
