Makiguchi's Theory of Value (beauty, gain, good) as a framework for Soka (value-creating) education¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 8 claims (8 for) · 2 studies (1 qualitative, 1 theoretical), q1–q2 · 0 of 2 report an effect size · 8 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Soka education, formulated by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei Toda and advanced by Daisaku Ikeda, is a humanistic approach in which education's essential role is enabling value creation for individual and society. "Makiguchi's integrated system of values, consisting of beauty, gain, and (social) good, form the most essential components of his Theory of Value." Beauty is a sensory, temporary aesthetic response; gain directly maintains and advances the individual's life; good contributes to societal wellbeing. The article uses these three values as the coding categories and research questions for both interview studies, theorizing that a life founded on contributing to society's welfare strengthens individual wellbeing and beauty, yielding the highest value creation.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Education should be framed to promote value creation, since per Makiguchi "educational practices should serve to promote value creation"

Constraints¶

• The article applies the framework to undergraduate experiential learning courses at one small university; it is a philosophy of life rather than a specific school design, per Hefron

Target Learners¶

• undergraduate students

Target Learning Objectives¶

• value creation for personal happiness and societal wellbeing
• knowledge and skill acquisition
• prosocial contribution to society

Claims¶

• Soka Experiential Learning Gain Primary Value [+M]
• Instructors perceive that experiential learning cultivates enjoyment, satisfaction, and self-confidence through peer and community engagement (beauty) [+W]
• Instructors perceive experiential learning primarily as developing transferable skills for personal and professional growth, with student happiness rarely considered (gain) [+W]
• Both groups see societal benefit in experiential learning, but instructors weight societal good more heavily than students, whose reflections center on personal fulfillment [+M]
• Students perceive that interacting with others in experiential learning fosters empathy and a sense of community by enhancing perspective-taking (beauty) [+W]
• Students perceive that applying knowledge gained through new meaningful experiences creates lasting personal growth (gain) [+W]
• Ikeda positions hope as an essential component of global citizenship education, with value creation starting from hope [+W]
• The article argues education for global citizenship has the potential to improve quality of life and lessen inter- and intra-group violence toward a culture of peace [+W]

Related Theories¶

• Soka value-creating education: the aim of education is the learner's happiness in a contributive, transformative social context
• Ikeda's philosophy of global citizenship rests on inner transformation, dialogue, and global citizenship, expressed as wisdom, courage, and compassion

Examples¶

• Six transformative indices for evaluating value-creating education, from self-centeredness toward well-being in the greater social good
• Incorporate value-creating principles within undergraduate course learning objectives to encourage transformative reflection and action
• Advance value-creating-modeled curriculum projects in Africana communities to foster ubuntu, happiness, and contributive lifestyles

Key Sources¶

• Sherman, P., & Boukydis, O. (2020). Framing Undergraduate Perspectives on Experiential Learning Within Soka Education Theory. IAFOR Journal of Education: Undergraduate Education, 8(3). https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1272497. doi:10.22492/ije.8.3.05