早稲田大学 人間科学部 浅田匡研究室

Undergraduate seminar will be held at the elementary school after the supporting activities. The characteristic of this seminar is that graduate students participate in undergraduate seminar and they provide good effects to the undergraduate students. Every week other person who is in charge of the specified paper and literature shall create a resume and give a presentation. Then we discuss about the theme with the teacher.

    Also we ask a student to give an opinion about the theme because we focus on ‘students’ opinions and comments’ more than just ‘simply create resume’. Supporting activity in elementary school will help students to realize their real opinions and deeply understand about the research contents. On the other hand, by using the theory and knowledge during the supporting activity, we practice the cycle between theory and application. A problem of academic education is the gap between theory and practice at the field. By studying about education practice that prefers convergence of application practice, it adds more meanings to the studies of education in Human Science. 

In this laboratory, we do education volunteer activities in local elementary schools (the supporting activity) on every Thursday. This supporting activity started from 2010 until now, which indicates that it has been six years.

Our aim is to concentrate on the issues of elementary school and work closely together with the schoolteachers by continuously participating in supporting activities. Each of us take part in each of the selected grade of the elementary school students.

We are participating in variety of works in the school. For instance, we enthusiastically help and answer to the children’s questions during the class, and organize groups and take care of students on a field trip. Moreover, spending lunch time with children is our responsibility and a part of our supporting activity.

In addition, we have a meeting after the supporting activity with each of the homeroom teachers who take charge of the certain grade and we share opinions together about children’s learning attitude in order to utilize the information in child guidance and activities.

Thus, by performing activities that are closely associated with the educational realm, we could not only pursue higher possibility of providing good educational system, but also assist students to learn and understand the concepts and theory.

As a part of seminar activities, ever since 2001, we have been communicating with the students from University of San Diego regarding the exchange of opinions, tour of schools, and various events. For example, once a year, students from the University of San Diego participated in the supporter activity at the elementary school in Japan.

At that time, they learned the mechanism of Japanese education and school. And they also increased the understanding of Japanese education system through consistent discussion with the students from Waseda University.

Furthermore, for the past two years, some of the members of the seminar have visited University of San Diego in order to learn about the elementary school system in the United States.

In addition to the exchange of information on this academic field, students from Waseda University and the University of San Diego all develop their interpersonal skills by sharing their cultures and perspectives - at their parties and meal time.

In the summer camp, we visit the educational institutions of the other prefectures, and listen to the teachers to learn the features of the education in that region and schools.

Every year in summer camp, group of students that consist of graduates and undergraduates performs a task by exchanging each other's opinions. In each year's camp, the group takes different tasks, and through these tasks, freshmen in the seminar cooperate and are able to receive comprehensive knowledge for understanding and analyzing the thesis.

Also, we have been farming for the past four years. Recently, ｗe rented the farm from the local people and cooperated with the members of Ogihara seminar to manage it.  In this way, we were able to harvest fresh vegetables and potatoes; products of our effort and the collaboration– indicating the crops- are priceless to the members of our seminar. It is true that these activities have been ongoing for only four years, but students from Tokorozawa campus (our seminar students) gained valuable and unique experiences.

In graduate school, through exploring how the theory applies to the actual field of education, we look forward to apply the connection between the theory and practice in the school education. In addition, the graduate students also participate in almost all activities of the seminar including the supporting activities with the undergraduate students.

In this year as well, the research seminar conducts a discussion after reading the books about the studies of lecturer’s education or reading the research paper on the topics of one’s interest.

In addition, we conduct a study session in conjunction with the elementary teacher of Tokorozawa. Based on the research on ‘Teaching and Teacher Education’ presented by the graduate students, we conduct a discussion about how research findings in foreign countries can be applied to elementary school in Japan.

Furthermore, we study about the overall concepts of education by learning about the theoretical backgrounds of the research and performing a study session about the system theory jointly with professors of other universities.

Based on all of these learnings, the graduate students decide the theme of Master’s research paper that they are interested in.