Professional Working Environments in Japanese Schools : Comparing the Perspectives of Foreign and Japanese Language Teachers

Abstract

The present study compared the perspectives of foreign and Japanese instructors regarding selected practical and attitudinal variables of professionalism in school-wide environments and the team-teaching dynamic. The primary objective was to establish the extent to which the two groups differ in assessing the significance of opportunity, capacity and interpersonal connection in daily interactions with one another. Participants consisted of 208 Assistant Language Teachers (ALT) and 96 Japanese Language Teachers (JLT) working together through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. First, ANOVAs and path models constructed to illustrate causal relationships revealed a close interdependency between opportunities for professional development and the ability to do work effectively. Second, ALTs attach decidedly more importance to interpersonal relationships with JLTs, while the reverse relationship was not found. Third, results for both groups indicate unclear expectations in relation to the ALT's role in the school.