Transcript JAPAN’S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM ~ POLICY ~ Improving Teaching Methods in Science and Math January 23 to March 6, 2010 Tsukuba/Tokyo, Japan Joao Dongo, Cecilia Castro,

JAPAN’S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
~ POLICY ~
Improving Teaching Methods in Science and Math
January 23 to March 6, 2010
Tsukuba/Tokyo, Japan
Joao Dongo, Cecilia Castro, Sara Arteaga, Siliva Romero,
Aileen Mikel, David Zwane, Christion Tukumanoli
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OBJECTIVES
•Learning for/by Themselves
•Developing National Issues of Reform
•Control of the Curriculum
•Teacher Training Structure
•Compulsory Education
•Curriculum
•Assessment
•Lesson Study
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LEARNING FOR/BY THEMSELVES
The Japanese Educational System is based
on this ideology – Students learning for/by
themselves. This guides everything from
the way the curriculum is written to
textbook production to actual teaching
methodology within the classroom. It is
the foundation from which they begin
education.
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Isoda, Murata – March 2004
CONTROL OF THE CURRICULUM
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CONTROL OF THE CURRICULUM
• “The Ministry of Education as well as the appropriate Board
of Education exercise legal control by means of textbook
authorization and the official Courses of Study over the
curriculum that is implemented by each school and by the
teachers.” (Isoda & Murata, 2004)
• Textbooks are authorized and approved by the Ministry of
Education and the Board of Education.
• They are revised every 3 to 4 years.
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PRE-SERVICE TRAINING
• According to Tadayuki Kishimoto teacher trainees
who are attending a four year college must also
undergo a period of teaching practice in order to
receive their teaching licenses.
• 3 weeks of practicum for elementary and junior high
school which includes lesson study
• 2 weeks teaching practice for senior high school
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IN SERVICE TRAINING
• In-service teachers are trained at years 1, 5, and 10 of
their careers. These trainings are mandatory. (Year 5 is
not funded by government) (Year 1 and 10 – lesson
study program)
• Lesson Study is also done at the teacher training centers
• School level lesson study is done as well in accordance
with the school Principal and his teachers.
• There are also other types of training programs for inservice teachers (research, and voluntary)
• Teachers attitude toward in-service training is that it is
their duty to join the training in order to improve
themselves.
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Ibaraki Teacher Training Center
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Teacher Training Center, at the prefectural level
Working experience
Special topics selected by individual
teachers
Komiya, Isoda, et. Al, p.155, 2007
Internship training outside of school
Moral education,
Extracurricular activities,
Students' projects,
Classroom management,
School counseling, and
Information Technoogy Education
Muni
cipal
Teacher Training Boar
Center, at the ds of
prefectural level Educ
Example of Programs at
Ibaraki Teacher Training Center
Training Course for teachers of ten years' experience
Evaluation and developing plan for teachers' abilities and aptitudes (at the level of
Municipal Boards of Education)
From April to March, school principals evaluate each teacher's ability in subject matter teaching
and student guidance. They make an annual training plan tailored to an individual's
ability/aptitude and submit it to Municipal Boards of Education. Municipal Boards of
Education determine how to carry out and coordinate these plans.
Carrying out External (off-school) Training (15 days)
Teacher Training Center at the prefectural level: 6 days during the school vacation season and 6
days during the school year. Municipal Boards of Education level: 3 days
Pupils' Human rights and teachers'
1 day
service obligations
Teaching of students' projects,
Teachers' grounded knowledge
1 day
Sougotekinga Gakusyu
Improving attributes as a key person in
1 day
each school
Movements and trends of reform,
2 days
expected ways of teaching specific
contents and elaborating lesson plans
Setting a research topic appropriate
for developing lessons, planning the
Subject Matter
research, and developing lesson
3 days
plans, discussions of the lesson
plans, presentation of the results
from the implementation of the
lessons
The Child Welfare Law
Student Guidance
2 days
The Juvenile Law
3 days
2 days
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COMPULSORY EDUCATION
• Students must attend school for grades 1 to 9.
• Grades 10 – 12 are not compulsory, yet most students
continue to grade 12. (April 2011 will be funded by
government, but will still not be compulsory)
• Students are expected to progress from one grade to
another every school year without any retention.
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SCHOOL ARRANGEMENT
• The schools are arranged using the 6-3-3-4 system.
–6 years for elementary level
Paid for by government
–3 years for lower secondary level
–3 years for upper secondary level
• Will be paid for by the government beginning April
2011, but will still remain as not compulsory.
–4 years for university level
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CURRICULUM
• “…the process of formulating and implementing
the curriculum as a whole is controlled by law.”
(Isoda & Murata, 2004)
• Once a curriculum has been approved it is then
used at the school level.
• Revising the curriculum is a never ending cycle.
• The curriculum spells out the method of teaching
that teachers should use.
• The curriculum also relays the message that the
most important goal for students is for them to
learn for/by themselves.
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ASSESSMENT
• National Achievement Tests were implemented in 2007 and
have been given every year since then.
– Given at the beginning of a school year
• Prefectural Tests are also given at the middle of the school
year.
• Students also participate in PISA and TIMS
• Students are also given assessments by their teachers based
on what they have been taught.
• Assessments gives teachers the chance to improve their
lessons.
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National Achievement Test
• Consists of two types of problems.
–Type A and Type B
–Type A problems only require
calculation to find the solution
–Type B problems require logical
reasoning as well.
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National Achievement Test
GINSHIMA, Fumi - Senior Specialist
for Curriculum – National Institute
for Educational Policy Research
Responsible for 6th Grade Math.
Develops test items and analyzes them
with educational stake holders
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Example of Type A Problem
2009_H21_小6年_算数A
Answer following questions.
⑴Shown as the figure below, when dividing a quadrangle into two triangles,
figure out the sum of four angles of the quadrangle. Taking into consideration
that the sum of three angles of a triangle is 180°, write the expression for
figuring out the sum of four angles of the quadrangle. Note that it is not
necessary to write an answer of the expression.
© Japan Government 2009
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2009_H21_小6年_算数B
Example of Type B Problem
At Yuji's school, students decided to organize children's festival.
To know the height of the wall in the upper figure, they measure it by using stairs. In order to figure out the height of the wall, which of
the following options from A to B is necessary? Select all the options you think are necessary and write the numbers. Also, write down
the expession to figure out the height of the wall. Note that it is not necessary to write the answer for the expression.アlength of ① as
200cm イlength of ② as 30cm length of ③ as 14cm エnumber of stairs as 15 stairs
(1 ) At Yuji's school, there are stairs as shown in the following figure.
They want to put up a poster of the festival at the place gray-colored like this.
小算B– 1
© Japan Government 2009
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LESSON STUDY
• Policy is quiet about lesson study, but it is the most popular
practice in Japan. The concept of lesson study is not written as a
policy in the curriculum or in national laws, yet it is done because
it is custom. It’s purpose is to improve teaching and learning.
• Lesson Study has also been adopted by many countries around
the world.
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LESSON STUDY
ISODA, Masami – Professor
-One of the editors of “Japanese Lesson
Study in Mathematics – It’s Impact,
Diversity and Potential for
Educational Development”
--Leading figure in the lesson study
world.
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LESSON STUDY
• Lesson Study is also an important factor in professional
development within the schools themselves. A yearly plan is
set for lesson study implementation.
• Teachers do research on various methods to be implemented
during lesson study classes.
• The teaching of lesson study begins at the University level and
continues on to even the tenth year of teaching and so on.
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REFERENCES
• Isoda, Masami, and Toshio Murata. "The Curriculum." In The History
of Japan's Educational Development, 145 - 157. Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo:
Research Group IFIC/JICA, 2004.
• Isoda, Masami, Max Stephens, Yutaka Ohara, and Takeshi Miyakawa, .
Japanese Lesson Study in Mathematics - It's Impact, Diveristy and
Potential for Educational Improvement. Singapore: World Scientific
Publishing Company, 2007.
• Center for Research on International Cooperation in Educational
Development. Educational System & Practice in Japan. Tsukuba,
February 2006.
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