A Model of school system to develop the school-based curriculum and support CPD using reflection and action research Tadashi ASADA Waseda University Rieko IWAHAMA Akashi Kindergarten attached to Kobe University

Problem Schools should have autonomy, therefore all the schools teachers need to know how to develop new learning. In Japan  Each school had to develop new learning units by itself after National Curriculum Reform in 1999  ‘ Kounai-ken ’, a kind of in-service teacher training system, has focused on the professional development for the individual teacher, rather than enabling curriculum development.  So, each school has to establish the supportive and the collaborative system for its curriculum development.

Details of the supportive and collaborative system since 2000 in Akashi laboratory school (kindergarten, elementary school, secondary school attached to Kobe Univ.) Reflective thinking program A university staff, who specialized in teacher education and educational technology, introduced Akashi to doing reflective thinking after lessons with making use of videos. The reflective thinking program was held in Akashi on 6 occations as part of ‘ Kounai-ken ’.

How to do reflective thinking after lessons with making use of videos Practitioner Prompter observers Why did you do the teaching in this situation? ’ ’ How did you interpret this teaching situation?

reflection cards writing a kind of journal keeping (writing) method All of our school’s teachers wrote the reflection cards based on our own practice about we remembered after lessons every day. What student(s) learned Interpretation of the facts The facts concrete situation (child’s face, eye murmur etc) learning activities etc What child thinks of ? What child enjoys ? What causes child’s learning ? etc. Reflection Cards

Make The Table of Learning process We made the 10 tables of learning process from the age of 3 to 15. What student(s) learned Interpretation of the facts The facts Reflection Cards we wrote totally about 4000 in this year. Accumulation of what the student learned Table of learning process We classified based on identifying what the student learned and created 10 categories We arranged cards according to the student age in each category and grasped the process of what the student’s learning from 3 to15

The Table of Learning process ex. the Table of Human Relationship Learning Lateral line Student age horizontal line More detailed categories of human relationship Learning Pillar Learning process. Gap shows Difference in process An example of what student learned

2002~2006 Revise the Table based on the student learning and develop new learning units based on the revised Table The Table of learning process Learning unit plan Existing elementary school /kindergarten curriculum Practice The facts Interpretation Learning Revise Reflection

Purposes of this supportive and collaborative system ① To support the teacher’s professional development, especially focusing on reflective thinking and understanding action research cycle. ② To support school-based curriculum development. These two purposes are interdependent.

From the view point of professional development In Japanese culture  Teachers are open to the inside (uchi), but not to the outside (soto).  They need to open their own thoughts to the outside in order to reflect their own practice. This system requires the teachers to have the ability for reflection.

in Akashi laboratory school Double reflection together The quality of reflection became better. we became aware of the meaning of the facts. Write reflection cards Classify cards double reflection Kindergarten Teacher Secondary school teacher Elementary school teacher Elementary school teacher School headmaster University teacher support Kindergarten Teacher Secondary school teacher

From the view point of school-based curriculum development in Japan educational system doesn’t always match to student’s development. At present the government regards the National Curriculum as the national minimum achievement, so that the government has encouraged all schools to develop their own school-based curriculum. For example the government asked the schools below ☆ to undertake research and develop the curriculum from the point of connection between kindergarten and elementary school, between elementary school and secondary school and so on. ☆ to develop the school-based curriculum with the integrated learning curriculum which had been established

in Akashi laboratory school Table of Learnin g process Process of making Process of making New Learning unit We share the reflective thinking among all the teachers. we can develop a new learning unit individually or in a group based on this Table. The facts Reflection Cards

The process of developing and improving a learning unit through reflection in Kounai-ken Learning unit plan Existing primary/kindergarten curriculum The facts Interpretation learning Why? Revised Learning Unit plan The Table of Learning Process practice Improving The Table of Learning process Kounai-ken Reflection

Case study: development of a learning unit between kindergarten and elementary school in Akashi laboratory school ‘Doro Dango’

Summary of the developed learning unit ‘ Doro Dango: a mud dumpling ’ for from the age of 5(the last grade of the kindergarten) to the age of 6(the first grade of the elementary school) development of age 5~6 Existing elementary school/kindergarten curriculum May and June early summer Mud, sand, water etc. in kindergarten and elementary school field Season materials The Table of Learning Process objectives/aims

the flow of lesson 1 The introduction : Whole class learning activity To understand the common objective to make a mud dumpling A elementary school teacher shows a picture book about doro dango illustrated by himself. The age of 5 -6 children enjoy the picture book at kindergarten hall.

2 The development: Individual learning activity To make his/her mud dumpling according to one ’ s image, skill, awareness by trial and error The aged 5 girl and the aged 6 boy are making a mud dumpling together under the tree. Three kindergarten children has just started to make in the field.

Children created their original mud dumplings, such as a red one, a black one, a shiny one and so on. They’re scouring red powder off bricks to make a red dumpling.

3 The conclusion: Individual learning activity To reflect his/her own activity

Sharing information between kindergarten and elementary school  The key of this project was how it facilitated conversation among teachers. We’re able to share a lot of information and to contact with each other without the liaison conference. (Sometimes we talked face to face) The use of a mailing list

Learning Unit a mud dumpling Reflection Children do not seem to teach something one another. objectives/aims Why? the fact : the age of 5 child looked hard at the age of 6 child Awareness of the problem A new awareness of child ’ s learning Improv e a unit plan Improvement of support Reinterp retation with video The fact after improvement Teacher’interpretation: He learned a lot from observation Reflection Cards

What to learn as the kindergarten teacher in developing a learning unit with elementary school teachers  The age of 5 children can do the project learning in May.  How they support children to clarify the task.  Many viewpoints of teaching materials  The age of 5 children can prepare for materials from their own needs by themselves.

What to learn as the elementary school teacher in developing a learning unit with kindergarten teachers  How to support individually and how to establish an effective learning environment for children to learn on their own initiative.  It is important for them to understand individuals in detail and clarify the goal and the way support for each child etc.

Collaboration in ML The order of utterance during project in ML

Conclusion  The school system required a reflective teaching system, and consequently, the mentors within the school developed the school-based curriculum and supported their own and their colleagues’ CPD.