Abstract
Kadowaki Atsushi introduced the results of the research done by the team represented by Yufu Sawako, which shows that the attitudes of teachers have been changing greatly in recent years. In short, it shows that a rising number of teachers view the profession of teaching in accordance with "the 2009 Model".
Some features of this view are as follows:
(a) Accepting the teaching profession as just a job
(b) Limiting the range of their work as a teacher
(c) Following obediently the directions of management
(d) Making an effort to improve children's academic ability (limiting the teaching profession)
According to the research, teachers today tend to get increased self-esteem and pleasure from their ensured social and economic status as educational personnel, rather than from being autonomous professionals.
"The 2009 Model" astonished the author. This problem made the author re-acknowledge the importance of cultivating in students a view of education and the teaching profession throughout the course of teacher training.
No one can understand the postwar history of Japan's teacher training without referring to the conflict between "the open system" and Yokosuka Kaoru's theory of teacher training.
The author began to study under Miyoshi Nobuhiro in graduate school in the mid 1980's and has been grappling with the history of Japanese teacher training since then. The author learned a lot from Miyoshi's study on the history of teacher training. For instance, prewar teacher training should not be disregarded, it should instead be studied from an objective scientific point of view. Thanks to Miyoshi's theory, the author could reveal the basic problems both prewar and postwar teacher training have in common.
The conflict between "the open system" and Yokosuka's theory focused on the appropriateness of the idea of teacher training as "Learn to Teach". This conflict stems from the modern Japanese education system in which university (academism) and normal school (teacher training) was separated. Scholars of the prewar generation commonly denied the idea of "Learn to Teach". Haruyama Sakuki (1875-1935), a professor at Tokyo Imperial University, firmly believed that university graduates must engage in education in order to overcome the weakness of normal school which according to him was broad, but shallow education aimed only at making teachers.
After the war, University (academism) and normal school (teacher training) was integrated under the principle "Teacher Training in Universities". Nevertheless, in practice, they continued to exist in conflict.
"Teacher Training in Universities" has two problems in practice. One is the fact that professional subject education in national teacher training universities and faculties is lacking in direction. The other is the unspecialized profession of elementary school teachers.
At the moment, "Teacher Training in Universities" needs to take account of the real nature of university education in order to overcome "the 2009 Model".
