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| Aug.25, 2006 |
| The 3rd Kodomogaku Conference to Be Held Soon
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| Mariko Tokoro, CRN Staff |
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The Third Kodomogaku Conference (Third Annual Conference of The Japanese Society of Child Science) will be held on September 2 and 3 at Konan Women's University in Kobe on the theme of "Thinking about the Future of Kodomogaku." Kodomogaku, or Child Science, has become a well known field of study and research that is now a part of the curriculum of a number of colleges and universities. Nevertheless, its approach and educational content are not necessarily always consistent. In light of this situation, this conference aims to reconfirm our understanding of Kodomogaku and deepen discussion of its future direction. In this way, we also hope to expand the use and effectiveness of Kodomogaku in children's issues.
The conference will feature a panel discussion on Kodomogaku in higher education with faculty from institutions that offer programs related to the study of children and children's issues. At present, fifty institutions, both universities and junior colleges, have a department or program that pertains to children. ("Child" is included in the name of a department or program.) Nearly all were established in the past two or three years, and with 13 slated to be newly established in 2007, this appears to be an ongoing trend that will continue for some time. Most of them offer programs for certification of child care providers, nursery school teachers, etc., and thus aim to train professionals in the fields of child care and related support. Schools with a variety of certification programs tend to attract more applicants. At the same time, many faculty members are concerned that their institutions are turning into vocational schools for professional training and certification.
The conference will also feature two special lectures. Professor Masuko Honda, former President of Ochanomizu University will focus on the problems of children today from the perspective of her research on the history of Japanese children. Professor Masato Sasaki, Graduate School of the University of Tokyo, will speak on human development based on his research and observational studies of infant behavior. Professor Sasaki has observed infants in certain households over a period of several years, and organized this voluminous research in a newly completed and impressive DVD called "Dictionary of Moving Infants."
The Japanese Society of Child Science was inaugurated three years ago. The upcoming conference will be the first to be held in Kansai region. It will also feature a workshop for children in the first effort of this kind. Participants will be able to observe mock classes conducted by researchers in educational engineering for fifth graders. This will, no doubt, prove to be a valuable program as even researchers who study children do not necessarily have many opportunities to come into contact with children today. We look forward to welcoming all who are interested in children and the children's issues today.
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Research Net is supported by Benesse Co., Ltd. |
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