Paralympic and Parasport Education at National Teacher Training Universities: Study of Advanced Practices

Abstract

The previous research examined the universities’ 2022 syllabus （information including course contents, etc.） that was open to the public, to clarify the implementation of Paralympic and para-sports education at national teacher training universities. The aim of the research was to identify opportunities for students who may become elementary and secondary school teachers, to attend classes on understanding inclusive society through Paralympic and para-sports education.

In the research, syllabus data was extracted through relevant key words, which provided an overview of the overall trend, and quantitative analysis was conducted on the extracted data. This was followed by a qualitative analysis of actual classes selected from the four “Teacher Training Flagship Universities” （Tokyo Gakugei University, University of Fukui, Osaka Kyoiku University, and Hyogo University of Teacher Education）, which are considered to be conducting pioneering education, as well as Hokkaido University of Education, which had the largest number of Paralympic and para-sports related classes. The analysis identified and reviewed relevant class titles, faculty members, their　job division and fields of study among other aspects.

To supplement the earlier qualitative research, this study will focus on the programs at Tokyo Gakugei University and Hokkaido University of Education, both of which had many Paralympics and Olympics-related classes.

It can be assumed that as a “Teacher Training Flagship University,” classes at Tokyo Gakugei University are designed by the management level of the university. This is because classes are being reviewed and redesigned as a whole in order to apply to be selected as a Teacher Training Flagship University. Based on this, an interview was conducted with a person in charge of the application, research, and education. On the other hand, at Hokkaido University of Education, an interview was conducted with a person who is engaged in classes at a practical level.

From the results of the interviews, both universities were making a considerable effort to enhance the contents of classes both at the management level and at the practical level. In addition, teacher training education was being implemented to maintain and promote inclusive education and special support education. Although both universities are very positively engaged in university education, budgetary constraints are assumed to be high. Therefore, they are making creative efforts to maintain the number of classes and facilities.

The results of the previous research showed that enrollment capacity is a key factor in maintaining a large number of classes, or in other words diverse classes, and both schools examined this time supported this finding through their high enrollment capacity and a high level of commitment. Considering the above, smaller universities may face difficulties in ensuring diverse classes and in promoting practical inclusive education. Radical measures from a macro perspective will be essential.

Finally, limitations of this study are as follows. First, because the study was conducted only at Tokyo Gakugei University and Hokkaido University of Education, it was not possible to ascertain overall trends in Paralympic and para-sports education at national teacher training universities. Second, we have not conducted a similar study of private universities. It is assumed that there are marked differences in approaches among private universities due to the dynamic nature of their management and the fact that some of them have ample funds. We will continue to study the situation.