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 |
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 ).
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 ).
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 ).
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
( Figure 2.7 ).
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.
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 ).
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