JAPAN’S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM ~ POLICY ~ 1 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

2 OBJECTIVES Learning for/by Themselves Developing National Issues of Reform Control of the Curriculum Teacher Training Structure Compulsory Education Curriculum Assessment Lesson Study

LEARNING FOR/BY THEMSELVES 3 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.

4 Isoda, Murata – March 2004

CONTROL OF THE CURRICULUM 5

6 “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.

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 7

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 in- service 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. 8

Ibaraki Teacher Training Center 9

Example of Programs at Ibaraki Teacher Training Center 10 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 Teachers' grounded knowledge Pupils' Human rights and teachers' service obligations 1 day Teacher Training Center, at the prefectural level Teaching of students' projects, Sougotekinga Gakusyu 1 day Improving attributes as a key person in each school 1 day Subject Matter Movements and trends of reform, expected ways of teaching specific contents and elaborating lesson plans 2 days Setting a research topic appropriate for developing lessons, planning the research, and developing lesson plans, discussions of the lesson plans, presentation of the results from the implementation of the lessons 3 days Student Guidance The Child Welfare Law 2 days The Juvenile Law Working experience Internship training outside of school 3 days Muni cipal Boar ds of Educ ation Level Special topics selected by individual teachers Moral education, 2 days Teacher Training Center, at the prefectural level Extracurricular activities, Students' projects, Classroom management, School counseling, and Information Technoogy Education Komiya, Isoda, et. Al, p.155, 2007

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. 11

SCHOOL ARRANGEMENT The schools are arranged using the system. – 6 years for elementary level – 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 12 Paid for by government

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. 13

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. 14

15 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.

16 National Achievement Test GINSHIMA, Fumi - Senior Specialist for Curriculum – National Institute for Educational Policy Research Responsible for 6 th Grade Math. Develops test items and analyzes them with educational stake holders

Example of Type A Problem _H21_ 小 6 年 _ 算数 A Answer following questions. ⑴ Shown 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

Example of Type B Problem _H21_ 小 6 年 _ 算数 B 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

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. 19

LESSON STUDY 20 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.

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. 21

REFERENCES Isoda, Masami, and Toshio Murata. "The Curriculum." In The History of Japan's Educational Development, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo: Research Group IFIC/JICA, 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, Center for Research on International Cooperation in Educational Development. Educational System & Practice in Japan. Tsukuba, February