A Study of the Theory for Curriculum Construction and Problem-Solving Learning by Helen Heffernan

海伦·赫弗南是加利福尼亚州教育部初等教育部门的负责人。她于1946年11月至1947年12月访问日本。在日本期间，她为日本初级社会学系的建立做出了重大贡献。然而，关于她的课程建设和问题解决学习理论，尤其是她对日本社会学系的贡献，至今还没有成熟的研究。通过实地调查，得出以下结论。在日本，初级社会学系是在1947年推出《社会学一科课程(试行)》时建立的。该计划是根据1943年弗吉尼亚州课程计划制定的。弗吉尼亚计划是一个采用了名为“社会生活的主要功能”的新框架范围的课程。她是在前述课程的编辑过程中来到日本的。因此，她要求在课程结束时增加“工作单元”，并根据加州课程计划的模式，出版“社会科副刊的学习课程”。加州的课程是建立在以儿童为中心的课程理念基础上的。在《工作单元》的附录中，她介绍了社会科单元的具体发展。通过阅读，许多日语教师能够理解如何设计一个社会研究单元，以及孩子们应该如何学习。由于她提出了一种正统而具体的社会研究教育方法，她的理论被日本大量的小学教师所接受，因此，“图解作业单元”和“补充材料”成为日本社会研究课程和教学的原型。因此，我们必须适当地欣赏海伦·赫弗南的作品。

Helen Heffernan was the chief of the Division of Elementary Education, California State Department of Education. She visited Japan from November 1946 to December 1947. During her stay in Japan, she made a substantial contribution to the establishment of the Japanese elementary social studies.However, there is as yet no full-fledged study about her theories on curriculum construction and problem-solving learning, especially about her contributions to the social studies in Japan.As a result of fact-finding study, the following became clear.In Japan, the elementary social studies was established when "Course of Study for the Social Studies I (Tentative)" was presented in 1947. This plan was based on Virginia State Curriculum Program in 1943. Virginia Program was a curriculum that adapted a new scope of framework named "Major Functions of Social Life". She came to Japan in the middle of the edition of the aforementioned Course of Study. So she requested to add "Illustrative Units of Work" at the end of the Course of Study, moreover, to publish "Course of Study for the Social Studies Supplement" based on the model after Californian Curriculum Programs. Californian Programs were curricular based on a conception of child-centered curriculum.In the annex of "Illustrative Units of Work", she has presented concrete development of the units of social studies. By reading them, a number of Japanese teachers were able to understand how to design a unit of social studies and how children should learn it. Her theories were accepted by a large number of elementary teachers in Japan, because she presented an orthodox and concrete education method of social studies.For the reasons stated above, "Illustrative Unit of Work" as well as "Supplement" became prototypes of the curriculm and instruction of social studies in Japan. In concequence, we must duly appreciate Helen Heffernan's work.