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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE, SPORTS AND CULTURE 1996 > Priorities and Prospects for a Lifelong Learning Society Chapter 2 Section 1 3

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Priorities and Prospects for a Lifelong Learning Society: Increasing Diversification and Sphistication
Chapter 2. Lifelong Learning Today
Section 1: Who Is Learning What, Where?
3. Learning Methods: Content and aims Vary with Learning Methods



(1) General Learning Methods

According to the NHK survey, the most common learning channels for adults in general were books, magazines, and groups. Culture centers and local government lectures and courses also attracted significant numbers of learners. On the other hand, universities, junior colleges, and university and upper secondary school extension courses did not account for particularly high shares of the total learning population ( Figure 2.4 ).


(2) Learning Methods and Content

In March 1996 a private-sector research organization conducted a survey under commission, "Survey Concerning the Increasing Sophistication of Learning Needs and New Learning Priorities." The survey participants, people engaged in structured, ongoing learning activities, were asked to state their learning methods for the activity to which they were devoting the most effort. They were also asked to state the aims of their learning activities and the expenditure involved.

The survey results show that the fields of study most frequently cited by those learning through culture centers, local government lectures and courses, and groups were hobbies and general cultivation. Work-related studies were cited most often by those studying at special training colleges, graduate schools, and universities.* Although similar patterns emerged for those studying at culture centers and taking local government lectures and courses, a feature of the latter type of learning was the relatively strong emphasis on learning related to life and society, such as social problems, welfare, and current issues.

A high percentage of those studying by means of books, videos, and private-sector correspondence courses cited work-related knowledge and skills as their fields of learning, although a significant number cited hobbies and general cultivation.

The fields of learning of those studying by means of university and junior college correspondence courses (excluding the University of the Air; the same applies hereafter) tended to be spread among work-related fields, life and society, hobbies, general cultivation, and child care and education. A similar pattern was apparent in the fields of learning of those studying through the University of the Air, though the order of priority differed. The fields of learning for those taking extension courses at universities and other institutions of higher education were also divided among life and society, hobbies, general cultivation, and work-related areas ( Figure 2.5 ).


(3) Learning Methods and Aims

The 1996 MESSC survey also investigated the relationship between learning methods and objectives. The results show that "personal fulfillment and enjoyment" was the most important objective for over 50% of those learning through groups, local government lectures and courses, and culture centers. The figure for those learning through culture centers was a high 71.4%. The percentages of those learning through private-sector correspondence courses, graduate schools, universities, and special training colleges who cited "work reasons" as their objective for studying ranged from over 30% to around 50%, and this response was the leading one in each of these categories. "Personal fulfillment and enjoyment" and "work reasons" registered similar scores among those learning through university and junior college correspondence courses. "Personal fulfillment and enjoyment" was cited by 43.7% of those learning through the University of the Air, but the figure for "work reasons" was also fairly high, at almost 20%. The aim cited most frequently by those learning through extension courses was "personal fulfillment and enjoyment" (over 40%), but the percentages of those citing "desire to improve social awareness" (14.4%) and "desire to contribute to others and the community" (12.6%) were higher than in the case of other learning methods ( Figure 2.6 ).


(4) Learning Methods and Age

The preceding figures show that learning methods differ according to the principal fields and aims of learning. Analysis of learning methods by age group indicates that learning methods can be broadly divided into

(1) those used by all age groups (groups, culture centers, the University of the Air),
(2) methods used heavily by people in relatively high age groups (local government lectures and courses, university extension courses), and
(3) methods used heavily by people in relatively low age groups (books, videos, graduate schools, universities, special training colleges)

( Figure 2.7 ).


(5) Content of Learning and Age

The pattern described above also appears to reflect differences in the method of learning depending on the principal content and objectives of learning. Analysis of the relationship between content and age group in each category of learning methods revealed the following trends.

1. The principal area of learning through books and videos is work-related knowledge and skills, followed by hobbies and general cultivation. Work-related knowledge and skills are the focus of learning for 90% of those in the 20-49 age group, while learning focused on hobbies and general cultivation is spread across a relatively wide range of age groups.
2. Groups attract large numbers of learners in relatively high age groups. Evidence of this includes the fact that the 60-69 age group contributes the largest share (29.7%) of learners focused on hobbies and general cultivation, accounting for 41.3% of learning activities through groups. Almost all learners of work-related knowledge and skills, the third-ranked learning category (10.9%), however, are in their forties or under.
3. The main fields of learning through local government lectures and courses are hobbies and general cultivation, life and society, and health and sports. The majority of learners in these categories are in their fifties or over. Relatively few people are learning work-related knowledge and skills or child care and education through local government lectures and courses, and most are in their thirties and forties.
4. The main fields of learning through culture centers are hobbies and general cultivation, and health and sports. Participants come from a relatively wide range of age groups.
5. The two main categories of learning through private-sector correspondence courses are work-related knowledge and skills (56.4%) and hobbies and general cultivation (29.5%). Areas of learning vary considerably according to age group. For example, almost 90% of those learning work-related knowledge and skills are in the 20-49 age group, while people in their sixties form the largest age group (37.3%) among those focused on hobbies and general cultivation.
6. Work-related knowledge and skills are the leading fields of learning at universities (52.7%) and graduate schools (64.3%). Learners focused on other fields, such as life and society or hobbies and general cultivation, tend to be concentrated in the 20-49 age group.
7. The main areas of learning through extension courses at universities and other institutions of higher education are community life, hobbies and general cultivation, and work-related knowledge and skills. People in their twenties and thirties account for about 50% of those learning work-related knowledge and skills, but otherwise learners tend to be in relatively high age groups.
8. People learning through special training colleges tend to be in the lower age groups. This is true both for those learning work-related knowledge and skills, who form the majority of learners in this category, and those focusing on household knowledge and on hobbies and general cultivation.
9. In the case of the University of the Air, people learning work-related knowledge and skills or child care and education are predominantly in their thirties and forties. Learners in all fields generally cover a wide spectrum of age groups, however. These results suggest that the categorization based on learning methods is greatly affected by the predominant age groups of learners. For example, those learning work-related knowledge and skills tend to be in the lower age groups, while those focusing on hobbies and general cultivation, health and sports, and community life are mainly in the higher age groups. There are exceptions to this pattern, however. People in relatively low age groups use culture centers for learning activities relating to hobbies and general cultivation and to health and sports. And those learning in graduate schools, universities, and other institutions of higher education tend to belong to relatively low age groups regardless of the field of learning.

(6) According to the 1996 MESSC survey, there is a tendency among people engaged in structured and ongoing learning to use a secondary learning method in addition to the principal method. It is not always possible to ascertain whether the content and priorities of the learning activities are the same. Nevertheless, this tendency can be interpreted as a sign that learning methods at the individual level are becoming more diverse (Table 2.1).
(7) Reasons for Choice of Learning Methods

The main reasons for choosing learning methods were "appropriate content and level" and "availability of good instructors." The total for these two reasons exceeded 50% in the case of people learning at graduate schools, universities, and special training colleges. A feature of responses from those attending graduate schools was the high percentage (23.5%) who cited their ability to obtain permission from their employers as a reason for choosing that learning method.

"Affordable fees and participation costs" was the reason for a high percentage of those learning through local government lectures and courses and extension courses. In the case of local government lectures and courses, this was the leading reason, cited by 31.0% of respondents.

The ability to study whenever the individual wanted was the most common reason cited by those studying through books, videos, private-sector correspondence courses, university and junior college correspondence courses, and the University of the Air ( Figure 2.8 ).

While there was little age-related variation in the reasons given, the percentage of learners citing "convenient location" generally tended to rise with age. This indicates that the need to travel long distances is a significant barrier to learning for the elderly ( Figure 2.9 ).

Figure 2.4. Lifelong Learning Methods: Books and Magazines predominate

Figure 2.5. Learning methods and Fields

Figure 2.6. Learning Methods and Aims

Figure 2.7. Learning Methods and Age: Culture Centers and University of the air Popular with All Age Groups

Table 2.1. Dibersification of Learning Methods (Precentages of People Using a Method Other Than Their Main method)

Figure 2.8. Reasons for Choice of Learning Methods

Figure 2.9. Relationship Between Age and Reasons for Choice of Learning methods: Importance of Distance Rises with Age


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