S. Kurahashi's Methodology in Early Childhood Education (I) : Growing Process of "Indirect Education" Theory

Abstract

In 1912 (45th year of Meiji), Sozo Kurahashi wrote a literary work "MORINO-YOUCHIEN (Grove Kindergarten)" which he started his pedagogical study with, and practically made his debut in the world of kindergarten pedagogy as well as in the practical world of early childhood education. In this work which he drew up figuers of idealistic kindergarten, he proposed his "indirect education" as the method of early childhood education. The "indirect education" in "Grove Kindergarten" has schematically a structure of "educator-material-child" relation ("educator-thing-child" relation in generalized terms) which can be categolized as the first pattern of his "indirect education". In other articles, he proposed the second and the third patterns of relationship which were respectively "educator-child-child" ("educator-man-child"), and "educator-play-child" relation ("educator-phenomenon-child" relation in generalized terms). Like this, Kurahashi's "indirect education" has triple meanings.[table]Recently the method of "education through environment" has been recognized to be important in early childhood education. "Education through environment" that is "education through things, men and phenomena" mediate between educator's intention and child. In this sense, "education through environment" can be said to be the same as "indirect education" that was proposed by Kurahashi. The term of "indirect education" which explain the structure of "education through environment" will become a key-word in the methdology of early childhood education.