2021 Volume 19 Pages 112-130
To date, there has been insufficient discussion about the career development processes of Japanese language teachers who have attained mid-career status after their early training and novice periods as well as mid-career training as a relearning opportunity. Using the Trajectory Equifinality Approach, this study looked at mid-career Japanese language teachers who enrolled in graduate school after gaining teaching experience in Japan and/or overseas and discusses the significance of their relearning experiences in graduate school. The results suggest that opinions expressed by other students during dialogue activities inspired mid-career Japanese teachers to take a relativized and objective look at their own views on education, and these experiences seemed to enlighten and motivate them to reflect on their teaching experiences. In addition, relearning in graduate school appeared to provide an opportunity for mid-career Japanese teachers to rethink their pedagogical problems and teaching experiences from their earlier training and novice periods via discussions with those from diverse backgrounds, leading them to develop and sustain more meta-level views of their teaching philosophy over time. These findings suggest that for mid-career Japanese teachers to relearn in graduate school, it is important to provide time and space for them to reflect on their teaching practice—including their failures and successes—and revise their views on education and teaching practice that were formed earlier in their careers.
