抄録
This study examines the issue of teachers working long hours, with a specific focus on the number of classes for which they are responsible. The primary inquiry concerns the disconnect between teachers’ long working hours and the number of classes they are assigned. This study clarifies this issue by focusing on government discourse, such as educational policy discussions within councils of government ministries.
This study identified three phases to be examined regarding the number of class hours: first, the total hours allocated for student learning; second, the total number of class hours that organizations, institutions, and local governments should provide in a specific unit over a certain period; and third, the number of teaching hours that individual teachers are responsible for over a certain period.
I subsequently verified the rationale for establishing a standard number of hours. I confirmed that the number of hours reflects the total required for ensuring learning for all students and that the number of hours serves as the basis for calculating national educational conditions. Furthermore, I confirmed that the autonomy of teachers and schools should not be limited by the total number of hours and the degree of management control.
Next, I analyzed the discussions surrounding the number of class hours established by the government, focusing on the revisions of the national curriculum guidelines from 2008/09 and 2018/19 and the current council discourse. Consequently, I established that discussions have been based on the premise of increasing class hours in response to political demands, public opinion, and the Ministry of Finance. Additionally, I found a lack of comprehensive preparation of conditions, recognizing that setting standard teaching hours affects teachers’ workload, which is influenced by a disconnect between curriculum theory and work style reform discussions within the government. Finally, I confirmed that as local governments and schools face greater accountability for educational outcomes, a downward rigidity in required class hours has emerged.
Keywords: learning class hours, required number of class hours, teaching class
hours, course of study
