2008 Volume 3 Pages 5-16
This paper will shed some light on the current state of discussion of academic achievement in Japan and the issues associated with it. It will summarize the controversy regarding the significance of reading, writing, and arithmetic (3Rs); the relationship between mastery and inquiry; and the importance assigned to desire and attitude, while at the same time examining the image of academic achievement in the March 2008 reform of the National Courses of Study (NCS). Two camps have emerged regarding the 3Rs: the first sees the 3Rs as simple tools, while the second believes in establishing a conceptual understanding of the 3Rs as a foundation. The 2008 Revision of the NCS was influenced by both camps; however, effectively fostering literacy will require an approach that emphasizes the ideas of the latter. The controversy over the relationship between mastery and inquiry centers on the Period for Integrated Study (PFIS). The 2008 Revision of the NCS calls for the mastery and application of knowledge in subject classes, with inquiry during the PFIS. It calls for the development and use of performance tasks in the curriculum, with a view to achieving this framework. There are two conflicting views of desire and attitude: one claims that these support cognitive development, and the other claims that these develop along with cognitive development. The 2008 Revision of the NCS favors the former view, and threatens to pass on the responsibility for failure in academic achievement to children and their families. It is probably more appropriate to view desire and attitude as long-term goals that are nurtured through the overall curriculum. In order to realize these visions, it will be meaningful to learn the theory of Understanding by Design, advocated by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe.
