アドレリアン第 25 巻第３号(通巻第 68 号) 2012 年６月

Encouragement in Classroom Activities

Yamamoto, Takuya / Nakajima, Hironori （Okayama, Japan）

Abstract：In this presentation, we will introduce an approach to student encouragement
based on the theory and philosophy of Individual Psychology. Specifically, we will ex~
amine the impact of this approach when applied to “classroom activities”.
We assume that affective notions of self-affirmation as well as cognitive develop~
ment of group consciousness of the students will increase if we integrate nonjudgmental “encouragement”, based on Adler's Individual Psychology, into the “class~room activities”. We think that if the students’self-affirmations and group conscious~
ness increase, then they will feel that they are capable and that their classmates are
their “cooperators”.
Our purpose of this research is to determine how best to educate students to feel “Iam capable” and “My classmates are my cooperators” through using “classroom activ~ities”. This aim is based on the Japanese parent education course called “Passage”.
The psychological purpose of which is to encourage children to feel empowered andhave a positive reciprocal partnership with others.
Yamamoto is working as a teacher in a public junior high school in Japan. Our re~search consisted of twelve (N=12) assessments made by both Yamamoto and Nakajima in ad~
dition to monthly activities that Yamamoto ran in class. Over the course of the study,change was observed in the students. We will report the progress of this change.
Furthermore, we will report and discuss the results gleaned via our research utilizing
our original socio-metric test, the projective ego-gram, as well as a questionnairedevised to examine the effectiveness of the measure in this research.
Key words：Adlerian psychology, Individual psychology, classroom activity, encourage~
ment,Summary of our studies(1) Subjects
2nd year Junior High School Students (The presenter is their class teacher)(2) Term
April 2010～March 2011
(3) Frequency
12 times during the year (once per month)－1－

Objectives of the approach(with an emphasis on the objective of raising children)
Objectives of the behavioral phase(1) Independence(2) Cooperate with society
Psychological objectives(1) I have ability(2) Other people are my friends(Here we mean “classmates”)
Ⅰ. What we hope students will gain
(1) Noticing the emotions (positive and negative) one is using regularly(2) Being able to listen to other classmates' conversations in depth.
(3) Being able to locate other classmates' efforts and strengths.
Ⅱ. Regarding the testing methods(1) Sociometric testingI installed commercial software and drafted the questions together with Mr.
Nakajima.
(2) Survey
After listening to the opinions of students of Mr. Nakajima from Okayama Universityof Science, who answered a trial survey, we narrowed the questions down to 15.
(3) Projective EGOGRAM (Commonly called‘P-EG’)Made by Nobue Nakamura and Youichi Matsuoka.
Sociometric Testing Questions
１．Which of your classmates are you friendly with?
２．Which of your classmates seem like they would get involved with a school

event?

３．Which of your classmates are you interested in talking to?
４．Which of your classmates do you want to be of assistance to?
５．Which of your classmates can you rely on?
Survey questions
１. I am able to listen to others well.
２. I try to understand my classmates.
３. I can accept my classmates.
４. I can cooperate with classmates I don't especially like when necessary.
５. I can accept my classmates having a different opinion to my own.
６. I trust my classmates.
７. I have the ability to overcome all obstacles in my life on my own.
８. My classmates often listen to me.
９. My classmates try to understand me.
10. My classmates accept me.
－2－11. My classmates trust me.
12. Even if the teacher scolds me, my classmates regard me leniently.
13. When I don't know what to do, my classmates help me out.
14. I can talk to my classmates about some things that I can't talk tomy parentsabout.
15. I am at ease when I am with my classmates.
Actual procedureSchedule
1st time: May 7th 2010
Sociometric test, Survey, P-EG
2nd～5th time: Jun. 29th, Jul. 6th, Jul. 14th, Sep. 22nd
● Filling in an “Episode sheet”● Group activity, “Courage card”
6th time: Sep. 30th●

Sociometric test, Survey, P-EG

7th～11th time: Oct. 6th, Nov. 10th, Dec 15th, Jan. 13th 2011, Feb. 16th
● Filling in an “Episode sheet”● Group activity, “Courage card”
12th time: Mar. 10th 2011
● Sociometric test, Survey, P-EG
Home Room Study
１. Write an “Episode sheet”.
２. Present in groups.
３. Choose the topic contributors.
４. Read the episodes again.
５. In groups, look for the contributor's strengths, good ideas and pertinent points.
６. Fill in the “Courage card” (1 each) and present it to the contributor.
Effects of each episode＊After improvements to the results on the episode sheet, one can see the following
results (example from student B):
１.“Even though I wrote what I needed to bring in the message book, I forgot it”
２.“Yesterday it was my turn to help serving lunch, but I forgot my mask. In order notto forget, I wrote it in big letters in my school diary, but I ended up forgetting it,
so I was really disappointed. I was so surprised at myself. I wondered what the pointof writing it in the first place was. However, I couldn't go home and get it, so I
borrowed a mask from my teacher. I will definitely not forget it next time.
Episode sheet(Something written on an episode sheet)
When I stay up late at night studying and doing homework, my mother says to me “Howlong are you going to study？！” If I say “I’ll decide”, I'm told, “You’re stupid,－3－

so it's not going to do you any good to study that much！” I felt really angry at mymother.
(Student A)
Worksheet(In groups, look for student A's strengths or good points)● He was studying hard with all his might.
● Even though he was really angry, he was calm about it.
Courage card
● Even though he was told “How long are you going to study!?” by his mother, thefact that he still has the will to study is amazing.
● I think that the mother said that because she was worried.
● I think that the fact that he was studying so late at night showed how much he wasconcentrating on his studies. I think that concentrating like that is a good thing.
● I think that trying so hard is a good thing.
Students' impressions● Many people got to know about my episode, so it was very good. I was so happy thatothers took an interest in my story.
● It is difficult to think of positive points and negative points.
● Even for a failure or a negative episode, it was good that we were able to findthe good points together.
● I will try to find many good points next time.
● I think doing this is good, because I am able to talk about my feelings.
● I thought that the courage card was like the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game (Konami game),
which was good.
● I still find it hard to write about my episodes, but hearing about other people'sepisodes was good.
● When I wrote about my negative feelings,the courage card helped me to be morecourageous.
Results of the sociometric tests
１. Which of your classmates are you friendly with?
Mutual choice: set 47→51

choice: set 30→42

２. Which of your classmates seem likely to get involved with a school event?
Mutual choice: set 22→30

choice: set 60→67

３. Which of your classmates are you interested in talking to?
Mutual choice: set 14→15

choice: set 50→63

４. Which of your classmates do you want to be of assistance to?
Mutual choice: set 14→16

choice: set 35→62

５. Which of your classmates can you rely on?
Mutual choice: set 24→37 choice: set 49→58－4－Survey Results (1st time～3rd time)
１. I am able to listen to others well.
Yes: 15 people→

24 people (＋9)

No:→

9 people (－9)

18 people

２. I try to understand my classmates.
Yes: 25 people→

30 people (＋5)

No:→

3 people

8 people(－5)

３. I can accept my classmates.
Yes: 26 people→

29 people (＋3)

No:→

4 people

7 people(－3)

４. I can cooperate with classmates I don't especially like when necessary.
Yes: 27 people→

29 people (＋2)

No:→

4 people

6 people(－2)

５. I can accept my classmates having a different opinion to my own.
Yes: 27 people→

29 people (＋2)

No:→

4 people (－2)

6 people

６. I trust my classmates.
Yes: 25 people→

28 people (＋3)

No:→

5 people (－3)

8 people

７. I have the ability to overcome all obstacles in my life on my own.
Yes: 12 people→

15 people (＋3)

No:→

18 people (－3)

21 people

８. My classmates often listen to me.
Yes: 27 people→

29 people (＋2)

No:→

4 people

6 people(－2)

９. My classmates try to understand me.
Yes: 25 people→

28 people (＋3)

No:→

5 people

8 people(－3)

10. My classmates accept me.
Yes: 29 people→

31 people (＋2)

No:→

2 people (－2)

4 people

11. My classmates trust me.
Yes: 24 people→

27 people (＋3)

No:→

6 people (－3)

9 people

12. Even if the teacher scolds me, my classmates regard me leniently.
Yes: 29 people→

31 people (＋2)

No:→

2 people (－2)

4 people

13. When I don't know what to do, my classmates help me out.
Yes: 24 peopleNo:→

26 people (＋2)

9 people →7 people (－2)

14. I can talk to my classmates about some things that I can't talk to my parents about.
Yes: 19 people→

22 people (＋3)－5－No:14 people→

11 people (－3)

15. I am at ease when I am with my classmates.
Yes: 26 people→

28 people (＋2)

No:→

5 people (－2)

7 people

Conclusion: Results from P-EG
１. Type Henoji…

０ people

２. Type Oka…

１ person

３. Type N…

８ people

４. Reverse Type N…

３ people

５. Type M…

３ people

６. Type W…

６ people

７. Type “Bottom of ravine”…
８. Type V…

１ person

２ people

９. Type right up…

１ person

10. Type right down…

２ people

11. Unable to judge…

４ people

Conclusions
Even if only slightly, in the sociometric test, both the mutual choice and the actu~
al choice rose. In the survey, those answering "yes" increased, and those answering“no” decreased. We can assume that this is because, with this approach, students witha concern for their classmates rose. In particular, through looking for the effort
and strengths of the contributor in groups, concern for classmates rose. Also, throughfilling in and passing on the "Courage cards", the person passing it on gets a feel~ing that they have contributed to the others, and the person receiving it gets thefeeling that they are accepted by those around them, so both gain confidence and thefeeling that "classmates are friends" is cultivated. Furthermore, through effective
use of the worksheet and other materials, we can see that comments like "I was able towrite about my episodes", "I was able to find someone else's strengths", or "I wasable to help someone else find courage" demonstrate that the students were able tofeel that "I have ability". Also, the fact that there were hardly any changes in theProjective EGOGRAM shows that in order to feel that "I have ability", or "people are
my friends",we can see that it is not necessary for big changes of character.

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