臺灣教育長期以來充斥分數導向的升學主義，以致於偏重文字知識，忽略手工勞動。早在日治時期的工作教育思想，正是因批評主智教育（intellectualistic education）與填鴨式教育（cramming）之弊害，強調實用取向與情意技能教育的價值所興盛。
本研究探討凱欣斯泰納（G. M. Kerschensteiner, 1854-1932）的工作學校（Arbeitsschule）思想於日治時期的發展，從西方教育史為發源，橫跨日本及臺灣，考察其工作學校的理論系譜與脈絡。Kerschensteiner將手工背後賦予更大的教育效應，將單純的手工活動，提升至職業訓練或準備的任務，進而發展為國家意識的培養層面。Kerschensteiner的工作學校理論也隨之傳入臺灣，且十分盛行。在教學法之實踐面上，該時期重視工作化的教學活動。
本研究探究Kerschensteiner工作學校理論在臺灣的發展時，除了還原其在日治時期發展的足跡外，更希望能積極思考工作學校的教育價值，例如，德國至今仍重視職業教育，保留教育分流的教育制度，以及現今重視手工教育的華德福學校（Waldorf School）等。從本研究對於凱氏理論的初探，可反思臺灣當今的教育問題。若能從本土文化的歷史經驗創造轉化出屬於自身的教育思想，定有助於臺灣本土的教育學展現出更為圓熟的面貌。

Taiwan’s educational system was flooded with credentialism for a long time, which resulted in an emphasis on writing and studying to be able to pass exams and obtain degrees or certificates, while overlooking the actual knowledge and skills of a student. Actually, Arbeitspaedagogik already criticized the flaws of the intellectualistic and cramming methods used during the Japanese colonial period, and instead, emphasized pragmatic orientation and the value of teaching emotions and skills in the school system.
This research focused on the development of Kerschensteiner’s “Arbeitsschule” philosophy in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945). Starting from Western educational history, and crossing through Japan and Taiwan, this article discusses the pedigree context of theory of Kerschensteiner’s “Arbeitsschule” philosophy.
Kerschensteiner placed an emphasis on handiwork as part of an effective education, and innocent handiwork activities were upgraded to the mission of occupational treating and preparation. Kerschensteiner’s theory of Arbeitspaedagogik also spread to Taiwan and became a main stream educational theory used in the school system. On implementation of teaching methods, this research reveals working teaching activities were emphasized during the Japanese colonial period.
This paper investigated how Kerschensteiner’s “Arbeitsschule” philosophy was applied in Taiwan. Besides restoring the footprint of development of Kerschensteiner’s “Arbeitsschule” philosophy during Japanese colonial period, the study tries to remind us about the positive educational value of “Arbeitsschule” in Taiwan today. Just as Germany respects their occupational education and reserves the system of streaming education to this day, the Woldorf Education, emphasizing handiwork education, is now in demand in Taiwan. We can utilize and reflect on the problems of present-day education in Taiwan, from the investigation of Kerschensteiner’s theory, which will be helpful to develop the localization of our educational philosophy.