Abstract
This case study examines a Japanese history teacher in high school and proposes a social studies curriculum design approach by teachers themselves. In the past decade, Japanese educational policy for curriculum development has radically changed by having less dominance of the national curriculum to allow more flexibility for teachers. However, a number of Japanese teachers seemed to be confused about the situation because they have little experience in designing long-term school curricula. This case study's purpose was to design a Japanese History curriculum in a high school through collaboration between a researcher and a practioner. The three main stages of curriculum design were as follows. First, the teacher analyzed the data and identified factors that would affect his practice. These factors included both external factors, such as the national curriculum and many internal factors, such as school ethos, materials, and student backgrounds. This information formed the foundation of the curriculum we developed. Second, the teachers outlined the curriculum by examining factors and curriculum models developed in previous studies. Third, we developed the learning objectives and contents. Having started with the analysis of current practice, this curriculum development process employed both bottom-up and top-down methods. This approach may expand the role of teachers because they become "curriculum designers" or "curriculum developers" who exercise discretion in curriculum design, and not merely "curriculum users" who follow the national curriculum.
