A Sociological Study on School Life of Japanese High School Students Focuising on Club Activities : Based on a Questionnaire Survey in two Prefectures and the Tokyo Metropolitan Area

In this research, we will endeavour to illuminate the factors that affect high school students\u27commitment to their schools; their future educational goals and career trajectories. Examining how they have been involved in various club activities at school will provide the basis for this evaluation. In doing so, we will propose "a plural model of school culture." The research is being carried out within a context of significant educational change. The implementation of the new national curriculum (course of study), a five-day week school system, and the co-operative linkage of schools, homes, and communities are likely to have some form of impact that will need to be assessed. This leads us to adopt a methodological approach that makes extensive use of a series of research surveys. These will seek to identify the effects which the new national curriculum will have upon students\u27school lives, especially in relation to club activities. So far, we have carried out two extensive questionnaires in 1999 and 2001 along with additional participant observation in a limited number of schools. Our target group has been junior high school students. In light of the above and in view of our proposed new series of research surveys for high school students we will construct a hypothetical analysis in order to prepare a survey for use in the reinvestigation of the matter in 2004. This series of research surveys on high school students aims to propose an agenda for school education which should take account of what form club activities should take in the future. To date, we have analysed data stemming from 4,500 questionnaires. These have been collected from high-school students in two (Shizuoka and Niigata) different prefectures and the Tokyo metropolitan area in March 2002. In this paper we will deal with the following four issues. 1, Using four clusters which based on the levels of commitment to their various aspects of the school life, classes, official events, and club activities, we discuss the students\u27adaptability to school life. 2, Focusing on the differences of the opportunities in sports/culture activities being influenced by the students\u27family backgrounds, we argue the significance of club-activities for students in their junior high school days. Besides we explore the issues so as to realize "the lifelong sports-society", focusing on the sports club-activities. 3, We examine students\u27behaviours from the viewpoint of whether they are an active club member or whether they have withdrawn from such activities. This will be used, in part, as a predictor for the various path-ways that students take as they adapt themselves to the changing nature of life during their high school experiences