Introduction
Japanese education has received widespread attention in western industrialized countries and some nations have begun to use Japanese education as a model to reform their own systems. It is thought, however, that the high quality of Japanese educational practice and teachers' development that are so highly evaluated by the west vary considerably depending on the educational setting. As a result of doing a PhD within the School of Education and Human Development at Nagoya University, I was able to gain insight into the conditions and issues within Japanese elementary schools classrooms. This was where I first came to know and understand the concept of improving teaching through jugyou kenkyuu (lesson study).
Moreover, as a result of doing research and practice related to classrooms, I came to understand the various kinds of methods for improving teaching and teachers' professional development. In this setting I become acquainted with Mr. Ishikawa, a teacher in the Nagoya City municipal Komeno Elementary School, and as part of researching School-Based In-Service Teacher Training (SB-INSTT); I began to investigate the topic of the SB-INSTT in Japan and its focus upon enriching the teaching and learning process through improving the quality of teacher decision-making (Sarkar Arani, 1999a)....
>> To read the full article (PDF)
Japanese education has received widespread attention in western industrialized countries and some nations have begun to use Japanese education as a model to reform their own systems. It is thought, however, that the high quality of Japanese educational practice and teachers' development that are so highly evaluated by the west vary considerably depending on the educational setting. As a result of doing a PhD within the School of Education and Human Development at Nagoya University, I was able to gain insight into the conditions and issues within Japanese elementary schools classrooms. This was where I first came to know and understand the concept of improving teaching through jugyou kenkyuu (lesson study).
Moreover, as a result of doing research and practice related to classrooms, I came to understand the various kinds of methods for improving teaching and teachers' professional development. In this setting I become acquainted with Mr. Ishikawa, a teacher in the Nagoya City municipal Komeno Elementary School, and as part of researching School-Based In-Service Teacher Training (SB-INSTT); I began to investigate the topic of the SB-INSTT in Japan and its focus upon enriching the teaching and learning process through improving the quality of teacher decision-making (Sarkar Arani, 1999a)....
>> To read the full article (PDF)
