This paper focuses on in-school teacher training (konaiken) based on social studies which is practiced at an elementary school in Western Japan. The purpose of this paper is to clarify why this elementary school chose social studies as main subject for their in-school teacher training. In order to answer this question, observation, interview, and discourse analysis techniques were employed. The analysis of konaiken reveal several key points. Firstly, the system works for promoting more comprehensive ability with the subject pedagogy. Secondly, the system strengthens the teacher group's collegiality. Finally, the system enhances the relation between the school/teacher and the neighbor communities/residents. Additionally, the system supports the professional development for educating mentor teachers. The authors conclude that the reason why the school focuses on social studies is because the school principal can reconstruct the meanings of the purpose, comprehensiveness and potential effects of the elementary social studies for the school reform, and social studies is considered a weak subject by most teachers, so they can engage in the professional development as beginners equally. These findings imply that the advantages of or preferences for each subject as in-school teacher training need to be considered carefully.

Previous studies on L2 learners' perception of Japanese accent have shown that Atamadaka-type (HLL-L) is easier to identify in comparison with other types. The present study investigates accent production and knowledge of lexical accent in terms of accent types. 73 Korean learners were given three tasks. Participants read Japanese words and pseudo words with accent sign aloud, and given an accent judgement listening test. Each task was analyzed by the accent types and results showed the following features: (1) on the accent judgment test, the correct answer rate of the Atamadaka-type was the highest; (2) from the accent judgment test and the production test, the correct production of Atamadaka-type words is based on the accent knowledge, and is acquired earlier than other accents; (3) the result of the pseudo words reading task showed that Otaka-type (LHH-L) words are not only difficult to acquire, but that controlling the pitch is also difficult. These results suggest that lexical accent can be learned from input but it would be restrictive.

This study aims to reveal how and under what conditions a student teacher develops views on lesson evaluation. Observing a student teacher during a two-week teaching practicum in Japan, with a focus on the content of post-lesson discussion, allowed the researcher to model the development of views through the application of the transformative learning theory proposed by Mezirow(1991). Three types of learning were identified, and the conditions necessary for generating that learning were also revealed. This study makes three important suggestions regarding the stimulation of student teachers' transformative learning through post-lesson discussion. The first key is to critically question a premise, such as what and how the lesson was planned. The second key is to present critical or concrete ideas instead of providing ambiguous remarks. The third key is to communicate well to generate the three types of learning. The implications should be applied accordingly with regard to the local context and should be flexible to any situation in international cooperation in education.

This paper explores the commonalities and differences in elementary education curricula at sixteen education colleges in China, and considers how different colleges meet the China's Teacher Education Curriculum Standard as well as the various demands presented by local social contexts. Main findings are as follows: Teaching skills courses as well as pedagogical courses are taught most ubiquitous. The weeks of school and classroom observation and student teaching in many colleges were greater than eighteen weeks. These findings illustrate the strong influence of the Teacher Education Curriculum Standard on teacher education colleges in China. The curricula for elementary teacher education at the sixteen colleges were classified into major three types: Theory oriented, curriculum and instruction, and professional skills. These differences reflect the history of each institution and the local needs for elementary school teachers. In addition, Professional skills programs are strongly influenced by the Teacher Education Curriculum Standard of China.

This paper considers "Yonen Sekai" which was a popular magazine with schoolchildren in the early 20th century, and analyzes the consciousness of its readers. Hakubunkan was not the only publishing company of the magazine. The company had huge capital and made a profit on their monthly magazines. These students formed invisible "readers' communities," which led to the magazine's success and boosted sales. The magazine was read by many schoolchildren who were kind to others and studied diligently. That made the image of "Yonen Sekai." The publication of the magazine was suspended temporarily from 1909 to 1911, but continued publishing until 1923. Kuzuhara Shigeru greatly influenced the decision to continue publishing the magazine through his use of the "readers' column" which helped readers find their friends and thereby increased the magazine's readership. By analyzing their opinions and feedback in the readers' column, it turns out that many of the published opinions had a lot to do with nationalism.

This paper clarifies the reality of the local popularization of pre-war radio calisthenics in Hyogo Prefecture during the showa era. Historical materials, including municipal publications, notifications, newspaper reports, and magazine articles reveal the features of the process and explain how radio calisthenics were encouraged and spread.

This paper concludes by demonstrating the following two points. First, case research on Hyogo Prefecture suggests that radio calisthenics were possibly performed daily at school morning assemblies, and that radio calisthenics during summer was not only carried out at schools as a part of mind-body practice but also requested outside the schools for those participating in local radio calisthenics meetings. Ordinary elementary schools and higher elementary schools had the highest rate of participation, especially in the Higashiharima and Kitaharima areas of Hyogo Prefecture. Gradually, the radio calisthenics meetings expanded their venues and participants in various ways. The meetings became an event which was held in towns and factories with participants of all generations. Second, the organization of these radio calisthenics meetings functioned to strengthen the system of mobilizing home-front local residents through the implementation of reporting systems by the participants in each local area as well as through co-oraganized events.