The Bulletin of Japanese Curriculum Research and Development
Online ISSN : 2424-1784
Print ISSN : 0288-0334
ISSN-L : 0288-0334
Current issue
Displaying 1-8 of 8 articles from this issue
  • Focus on Arrangement with Assistant Language Teachers
    Yoshihiro MACHIDA
    2025Volume 48Issue 2 Pages 1-11
    Published: September 30, 2025
    Released on J-STAGE: November 01, 2025
    JOURNAL RESTRICTED ACCESS
       The purpose of this study was to identify tasks for teacher education ESP focuses on meeting of elementary school teachers and an Assistant Language Teachers (ALT) that took place before English classes by needs analysis. This is based on Task Based Language Learning (TBLT) theory. In this study, I gathered a meeting discourse sample and conducted interviews as methods of needs analysis. The resources of needs analysis were two university students who conducted an English class in teaching practice, and two elementary school teachers. The discourse sample was a meeting conversation of one elementary school teacher and an ALT. As a result of the needs analysis, target tasks were divided into three timing: pre-meeting, in-meeting, and post-meeting. In the pre-meeting timing, “Preparation for meeting” category was identified, and in that category, sub-category of “Materials for meeting” was identified. In the “in-meeting” timing, three categories as “Schedule of the lesson” ”Activity of the lesson”, and “Teaching materials ” were identified. In post-meeting timing, “Confirmation of lesson plan” category was identified. In addition to that, 8 sub-categories and 18 target tasks were identified.
    Download PDF (416K)
  • Drawing from Teachers’ Life History Narratives
    Chuanbo ZHANG
    2025Volume 48Issue 2 Pages 13-27
    Published: September 30, 2025
    Released on J-STAGE: November 01, 2025
    JOURNAL RESTRICTED ACCESS

       This study aimed to elucidate the characteristics and transformation process of social studies teachers’ perspectives on children through life history interviews with 14 experienced teachers who have long been engaged in social studies instruction. The analysis revealed that teachers’ perspectives on children can be categorized into three types: an educational perspective, which views children as learners; a social perspective, which regards them as members of society; and a political perspective, which recognizes them as independent individuals with rights and responsibilities. Furthermore, it was found that teachers, influenced by various events and experiences in their lives, continuously reconsider their understanding of children while navigating among these three perspectives. This ongoing transformation fosters a reconfiguration of the power relationship between teachers and learners. It suggests that when teachers focus on children and adjust their roles accordingly, they become more aware of classroom power dynamics. Such reflection is crucial for transforming social studies instruction.

    Download PDF (621K)
  • An Oral History of Educational Experiences in the 1990s
    Takumi WATANABE, Katsuhisa SHIRAI, Ryosuke OKADA, Daisuke MURAI
    2025Volume 48Issue 2 Pages 29-41
    Published: September 30, 2025
    Released on J-STAGE: November 01, 2025
    JOURNAL RESTRICTED ACCESS

       This study aims to clarify the meaning and construction process of Living Environment Studies as a newly established subject by focusing on the narratives of educators who played leading roles in its development. In 1989, Living Environment Studies was incorporated into the Japanese elementary school curriculum, and educators continued to develop and refine its practices throughout the 1990s. The research participants were Atsunori Noda and Atsushi Asakura, both of whom had experience in teaching and researching living environment studies as elementary school teachers in the 1990s and later served as presidents of the Japanese Association for Education for Living Environment Studies and Integrated Studies. The study employed oral history as its primary method and conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of the data. Noda and Asakura’s narrative emphasized fostering children to learn independently while respecting their rights. Noda related the ideal of nature study to Living Environment Studies. Asakura continued to re-examine the meaning of Living Environment Studies in the face of realistic issues. Both of them constructed the meaning of the subject by autonomously utilizing the framework of the courses of study and conducting research rooted in educational practice.

    Download PDF (427K)
  • Hikari KOSAKA
    2025Volume 48Issue 2 Pages 43-55
    Published: September 30, 2025
    Released on J-STAGE: November 01, 2025
    JOURNAL RESTRICTED ACCESS

       This study aimed to clarify how self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies affect students’ motivation during three years of choral learning in junior high school. A questionnaire survey was administered to 228 third-year junior high school students (219 valid responses) during their final music classes. The questionnaire was based on three scales developed by Ito (2009)—the Self-Regulated Learning Strategy Scale, the Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Intrinsic Value Scale—with items adapted to the context of choral learning. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the use of cognitive strategies significantly affected the students’ self-efficacy and intrinsic value. Furthermore, to examine whether the motivational influence model differed by SRL proficiency level, students were divided into high and low SRL groups. The results showed that cognitive strategies had a stronger impact on self-efficacy in the high SRL group, while they exerted a greater influence on intrinsic value in the low SRL group. In both groups, SRL strategies contributed to students’ motivation for future learning.

    Download PDF (526K)
  • Based on the Analysis of Post-Exchange Impressions Using Text Mining
    Chen Xin, Hiroto HOSODA
    2025Volume 48Issue 2 Pages 57-69
    Published: September 30, 2025
    Released on J-STAGE: November 01, 2025
    JOURNAL RESTRICTED ACCESS

       This paper aims to identify trends in how junior high school students from Japan and China perceive the characteristics of Chinese ancient poetry recitation, and to explore the potential impact of such mutual exchanges on their study of Chinese ancient poetry. To achieve this, students’ impressions were analyzed after viewing recitation videos produced by peers from both countries who followed a standardized learning process. These videos exemplified typical recitation styles prevalent in each country. Students’ impressions were analyzed using KH Coder text mining software and categorized from three analytical perspectives. The analysis revealed clear trends: Japanese students exhibited a “uniform expressive style,” whereas Chinese students demonstrated an “emotionally expressive style” in their recitations. Furthermore, the study found that mutual exchange fostered a sense of camaraderie among students from both countries. Through this interaction, Japanese students gained new insights into the recitation of Chinese ancient poetry, while Chinese students reaffirmed the value and educational significance of their classical heritage.

    Download PDF (660K)
  • Aiming for “Proactive” Learning for All Children, Including Facing Cognitive Challenges
    Miki ARAI, Yûji OZAKI
    2025Volume 48Issue 2 Pages 71-83
    Published: September 30, 2025
    Released on J-STAGE: November 01, 2025
    JOURNAL RESTRICTED ACCESS

       This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of specific instructional strategies aimed at fostering “proactive” learning among all children, including those perceived to face cognitive challenges in elementary school music classes. The authors identified two focal points of the issue: “Concrete assumptions regarding a ‘proactive’ learning attitude in music classes, and “What specific instructional strategies should be implemented to foster ‘proactive’ learning?” To address these issues, the study focused on a selected student (referred to as A) in a general educational classroom who was perceived to have cognitive challenges. In order to promote “proactive” learning for all children, including Student A, the authors developed instructional strategies incorporating “timely adjustments” in the learning process, allowing students to express their perception and sensitivity to sounds and music at appropriate moments. The strategies were implemented in third-grade music classes. Based on changes in the content of students’ worksheet responses, the study concluded that in order for all children to appropriately understand the learning tasks and engage in thinking, judgment, and expression, it is important to design lessons in advance with consideration for potential cognitive difficulties.

    Download PDF (688K)
  • Focusing on the Reflection on the Situations of Lesson
    Cong XIE
    2025Volume 48Issue 2 Pages 85-99
    Published: September 30, 2025
    Released on J-STAGE: November 01, 2025
    JOURNAL RESTRICTED ACCESS

       The purpose of this study is to empirically elucidate the structure of practical knowledge utilized by social studies teachers in lesson planning, with a focus on reflection during instructional situations. In this study, the practical knowledge of social studies teachers was divided into three layers: “beliefs about teaching”, “practical principles of teaching”, and “practical rules of teaching”, and structured it with consideration of their interrelationships. To extract the components of these three layers, data were collected through interviews, questionnaires, and lesson observations of a middle school social studies teacher (Teacher A), who was analyzed using SCAT. Furthermore, the “combinations of practical knowledge,” comprising the three layers, were classified into five categories, and Teacher A’s perspectives on lesson planning were analyzed. As a result, it reveals how Teacher A conducted single-loop reflections or double-loop reflections in response to expected or unexpected situations that occurred during lessons, and how he confirmed, added, or modified his combinations of practical knowledge. The study elucidates the process of lesson planning and lesson improvement of a social studies teacher.

    Download PDF (640K)
  • Through Examples from Olympic and Paralympic Education Promotion Schools in X Prefecture
    Ren FUJISHIMA, Kazuhiko SAITO
    2025Volume 48Issue 2 Pages 101-111
    Published: September 30, 2025
    Released on J-STAGE: November 01, 2025
    JOURNAL RESTRICTED ACCESS

       This exploratory study aims to identify the factors that facilitate or hinder the continuation of Olympic and Paralympic (O&P) education to advance the legacy of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Interviews were conducted with six teachers, experienced in Olympic and Paralympic education, from elementary, junior high, senior high, and special needs schools that promote O&P education as part of regional education hubs, all of whom had prior experience in implementing such programs. The findings indicated that facilitating factors included positive perceptions among teachers, sustained governmental support, low-cost initiatives, and collaboration among teachers and local communities, while factors hindering it included curriculum integration challenges, insufficient teacher knowledge, and resistance from some educators. This study was limited to exploratory analysis based on teacher interviews. Future research should investigate how O&P education has been implemented in schools after the Tokyo 2020 Games, in order to further explore strategies for sustaining such educational efforts.

    Download PDF (386K)
feedback
Top