2021 Volume 31 Issue 3 Pages 3_33-42
This study explored the possibilities of educating junior high school students and building community ties through a project in which the students interviewed elderly residents of a small farming town in Fukui Prefecture as cultural resources. The 16 students collected children’s plays known in the town of Ikeda approximately 60 years ago by interviewing local elderly residents, which led the students to learn about lifestyles in the past and wisdom at that time. The study concluded that, through the interviews the students were able to: 1) build relationships with members of older generations in the community, 2) gain confidence to interact with others, 3) discover things about their own community, which inspired them to want to learn more, 4) learn lessons drawn from stories in the past, and 5) improve their academic skills. What the students learned included some aspects linked to contributing to a sustainable society. The results of this study suggest that experiential learning opportunities interacting with different generations has the potential of being able to pass down cultural resources from generation to generation. It also revealed issues regarding young people in depopulated areas. It aims to contribute to discussions regarding how to support children in depopulated societies, as well as how to utilize the knowledge and experiences of elderly residents in building community ties.
