Abstract
The purpose of this study is to clarify the characteristics and significance of Keishi Chikatsu’s educational practices at Seisoku High School by examining their relationship to the theory of independent curriculum organization that formed their background. At the time, Seisoku High School faced the challenge of independently organizing its curriculum. Chikatsu’s practices were influenced by the theory of independent curriculum organization advocated by the then principal, Mantarō Kido. However, Chikatsu’s practices cannot be regarded simply as a concrete implementation of Kido’s theory; rather, they developed in distinctive ways and possessed their own educational significance. This study first examines Kido’s theory of independent curriculum organization and its underlying ideas. It then analyzes Chikatsu and his colleagues’ educational practices, focusing on practice records published between 1977 and 1980. The analysis reveals that their practices were characterized by a unique emphasis on restoring students’ motivation to learn and their sense of purpose in learning. While Kido’s theory emphasized scientific understanding, scientific methods, and the “integration” of knowledge across subject areas, Chikatsu and his colleagues’ practices, though aligned with Kido’s theory as a necessary condition, cannot be fully equated with his ideas. Nevertheless, their efforts to recover students’ motivation and purpose in learning demonstrate a distinctive educational contribution. Furthermore, this distinctiveness retains relevance and significance in contemporary educational contexts.
https://ror.org/02gn38d51 
