Curriculum Studies II ／ Planning II

Course Overview

In this lecture, we will focus on a wide perspective of curriculum fundamentals and the trends of Japanese education so that we can consider the position and meaning of the underlying concept of scholastic ability.

In the first half of the semester, we consider the following topics from various sides:

A. The genealogy of "educational reform" in recent years in Japan.



B. International academic comparison study and the so called "21st century capabilities" (next generation education) and so on, trending all over the world’s "scholastic performance," and



C. Actual classroom feasibility (practical point of view)

In the second half of the semester, we will focus on an overview of educational curriculum from the second phase of education promotion basic plan to general education policy, students will select a topic related to their own interests, including "High School Reform", "English Education", "Complete Comprehensive Learning", "College Entrance Examination Reform", etc., collect information regarding the topic and organize points to discuss about, and give a presentation.

Key Features

This class will start by considering actual class case studies and activities so that students can start thinking about specific situations instead of thinking ideologically. Over the course of each 90-minute class we will start by posing questions considered to be essential and students will be able to exchange ideas both in pairs and amongst the whole class.

This lecture will take up the latest materials and research. In particular, when the Ministry of Education decides the curriculum, there are announcements regarding new teaching directives every week. This class aims to link in-class learning to the interest held by students about curriculum that is being created right before their very eyes. In addition, I hope students reach the level of having knowledge about world curriculum and academic formation in a conceptual and practical way.

This class offers the unique opportunity to visit an actual classroom setting once a semester, so that students develop an interest in children’s lives that are happening each day in the classroom and this will give students a rich image of school education and curriculum.

Course Schedule

Session	Contents
1	Introduction: what are you interested in about school education?
2	Basic structure of course study and how to decode the contents (Class Period for Integrated Study)
3	Teaching plan (teaching proposal) and teaching practice (Life Environment Studies)
4	Curriculum guidelines from the years Heisei 1 and 10, and the "Life Environment Studies and Integrated Study"
5	Modern education innovation and "new capabilities" ("Versatile Scholastic Performance" and Relations Between High Schools and Colleges)
6	"New Scholastic Performance" that aims for "21st Century Capabilities" and the "International Baccalaureate"
7	Converting from the concept of "Content-based Curriculum" to the concept of "Competence-based Curriculum"
8	Supplementary Class Orientation on the significance of Singapore's "Teaching Study Intensive Seminar" [Seminar conducted at Nagoya University for students from Singapore]
9,10	Participate in the "Teaching Study Intensive Semina" from Singapore, and consider how education in Japan is seen from the eyes of other countries.
11	Consider the significance of and topics included in "Stage II Education Promotion Basic Plan", and decide the dates for presentations
12	Select a "policy" based on your interests, and start researching (consulting individually)
13	Presentation I: Presentation and discussion
14	Presentation II: Presentation for and discussion with Taiwanese students (English)
15	Presentation III: Presentation and discussion, final project submission

Criteria and Grading

• Participation in class and comment sheets submission (25%)
• Report about the supplementary classes (25%)
• Approach and presentations on policy project (30%)
• Final project (20%)

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