This presentation will show you practical reports on "Jiyu-kenkyu" and International Baccalaureate (IB) program of Tamagawa Academy.

Tamagawa Academy is a private school in Tokyo. It was founded in 1929 by Kuniyoshi Obara, who advocated "Zenjin" (or "Whole Man") education for the first time in Japan. Obara is widely recognized as a distinguished educator and played an important role in the free education movement of the Taisho period(1912〜1926). Noticeably, Obara constructed his original philosophy named "Zenjin", and it was adopted in the Japanese Ministry of Education's general guidelines in 1970s.

He was influenced by Plato, Erasmus Pestalozzi, Froebel, and more, and devised his own philosophy "Zenjin" education. This philosophy aimed at fostering a balanced human being so that the following. Six aspects were needed for the development of the students.; Truth (真; academic ideals), Goodness (善; moral education), Beauty (美; art education), Holiness (聖; religious education), Health (健; physical education) and Wealth (富; vocational education).

Obara emphasized the importance of the power of self-learning and autonomy of students, and he tried to change all curriculum to promote inquiry of students. In addition, he set up a new subject named "Jiyu-kenkyu"(Research Project). Students can learn anything they want to inquire. Obara believed that students could find themselves by inquiry into what they want to learn. Tamagawa Academy has offered "Jiyu-kenkyu" for 86 years, and the class is carried out one and a half hours per a week.

 In 2007, Tamagawa Academy introduced the International Baccalaureate (IB)　program. IB aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young person who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. IB program has distinctive method. But "Zenjin" and IB have similar educational philosophy, which seek a holistic human development and inquiring attitude of students. Currently, all students have to choice traditional mainstream program or IB program.

Thus, Tamagawa Academy has two types of inquiry based art education, namely traditional "Jiyu-kenkyu" and European method IB. The students are able to develop and inquire their own art expression in "Jiyu-kenkyu" or IB. That is the main reason why this school has two kinds of inquiries into art education. In my point of view, there are some differences in the method and art works between them. This presentation tries to compare the two types of inquiry-based art education and clarify the particularity of each method through examining the art works of students.

Jhon Dewey,Art as Experience ,1934 Viktor Lowenfeld,Creative and Mental Growth ,1947 Jhon Dewey,Logic: The Theory of Inquiry, 1938 Kuniyoshi Obara,Zenjin education(in japanese),1994 Tsugio Ajizaka,Obara education(in japanese),1959 International Baccalaureate Organization , Arte guide For use from January or September 2009