A Case Study on the "Period for Integrated Study" at elementary school

Among rapid change in global environment and socio-economy, including progress of globalization, declining birthrates and aging society, and declining populations, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) established Period of Integrated Study in 1998. MEXT says that the newly established Period of Integrated Study aims, in accordance with situations of each region, school and child, to: (1) foster childrenﾕs ability and quality to find a theme, think, judge and solve a problem on their own; and (2) enable children to think about their own life, urging them to explore subjects with creativity and subjectivity and to solve problems through their own ways of learning and thinking. To this end, the Period of Integrated Study actively introduces experiential learning such as experience in nature, social life experience, observation, experiments, field study and investigation as well as problem-solving learning to learn about cross-sectional, comprehensive subjects like the environment, international understanding, information, health and welfare as well as subjects that interest students. The purpose of this paper is to explore the examples in the Period for Integrated Study. Following the research by the contents: International Understanding, Information, Environment, Region, Health and Welfare, and children's activities. Findings are as follows. First, 58 elementary schools among 60 elementary schools, are to learning, including individual instruction, teaching by group and Team Teaching. Second, the main subjects of the Period for Integrated Study are Local Communities, senior citizens' home, international educational exchange, Environment, and agriculture. The Period for Integrated Study are successful as a whole. Children develop intellectual curiosity and inquiring mind and cultivate their own desire to learn, will they truly acquire academic ability