This article aims to examine the relationship between learning and teacher education at universities. The outline is as follows: 1) The author received primary school teacher education at Kobe University, which had a decisive influence. That is, a sense of fulfillment after learning pedagogy in some seminars became a starting point for the author to consider receiving teacher education. 2) In teacher education, one of the most crucial topics is that a non-negligible number of students have lost the active motivation to learn. Accordingly, it is important to inquire about and discipline their view of education and to let them experience the pleasure of learning. 3) For students, the author emphasizes reading books and researching in libraries. Through these two experiences, students will recognize that learning requires intellectual modesty and persistence. This is the real charm of university education compared to primary and secondary education, where the correct answers are provided. 4) It is undesirable that specialized subjects are disesteemed in teacher education today. To enrich teacher education, it is essential to discipline both students and teachers at the university level through learning and art, which are specialized subjects. In this sense, teacher education should return to the real nature of university education.

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　　 The graduate program for professional degrees was established in 2003 in Japan, and a graduate school for teacher training was established in 2008. The professional degree program was approved and introduced as one of the master’s degree programs in 2000, and the system was changed again in 2003. This new program was then introduced in Japan in the form of professional schools, in addition to master’s and doctoral programs. 　　 By analyzing the deliberation process related to institutional design by the House of Representatives in Japan as well as documents from the Central Council for Education, this paper clarifies the reorganization of the graduate school system, which introduced this professional degree program aimed to neglect research capability development while strongly emphasizing practical teaching ability. 　　 Concretely, it clarifies that ①the professional degree program system was introduced by focusing on the training of highly specialized adult professionals with an MBA/MOT; ②the system design of research guidance in the master’s course, writing a master’s thesis, and twoyear study period was recognized as a “constraint” to the learning process of working professionals; ③the Central Council for Education judged that this master’s degree program was not suited for eliminating this limitation, and that individual research guidance in a master’s degree program is not essential; ④the new degree program system ought to prioritize improving immediate competitiveness, practical leadership, and an efficient environment, even if teachers’ research capabilities are receded; ⑤at the same time, fostering practical research capabilities is indispensable for teachers’ development as researchers, when considering their role as highly specialized professionals. In this regard, the present article makes reference to the work of domestic researchers (Manabu Sato and others) and American researcher (Burton R.Clark).

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　　 This paper deals with the longstanding issue of the relationship between “education-related subjects” and “special subjects” in a teacher training course. It identifies a tendency in the new teacher’s license law that upholds the dynamism of each subject, which must be taught according to the instructions of the course of study. In this paper we will first reconsider the role of faculty members in charge of education-related subjects. Second, we will reveal how history academicians tried to engage with Japan’s education system as an example. As this study is part of the research conducted by committee members of the Science Council of Japan’s history branch, we introduce the findings of their investigation and predict the future relationship between “education-related subjects” and “special subjects” in a teacher training course.

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　The purpose of this paper is to explain why sociological theories are useful in practice. First, by relying on Schutz’s social science methodology, it determines two features of sociological theories: theories are abstract propositional knowledge that is methodically acquired by sociologists, and what sociological theories explore is the everyday world in which we live. Next, Merton’s middle-range theory is discussed in terms of its applicability. In particular, two aspects of the self-fulfilling prophecy are covered. This proposition has the power to describe the commonalities that exist in a variety of social phenomena; in this sense, it demonstrates the applicability of the abstract proposition. The other aspect is that the dilemma of predictions cannot be avoided, because humans can act while taking in predictions. This issue implies that, while there is a time when unwarranted predictions can come true, there is also a time when even well-founded predictions cannot be realized. In response to the discussion so far, sociological theory tries to portray the selectivity of action rather than a deterministic world; hence, this article discusses how sociological theory can alter society. 　　 In the second half, it explains how theory has the power to relativize our commonsense knowledge by including the difference between relativization by cross-cultural experience and relativization by theory. Based on this, it discusses the most radical relativist theory, namely social constructionism. The reason for taking up social constructionism is that the world of education is a world of realism. For example, delinquency and other problematic behaviors are attributed to students; consequently, an attempt is made to solve the problem by changing students—an educational response that will lead to a greater reproduction of the problem. A case of developmental disorder in the mechanism of social construction is then discussed. Finally, how sociological theories have the power to diversify the choice of educational practices is explained by introducing one example of such practices that relies on a narrative approach.

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　　 This paper considers the role of pedagogy in teachers education cooperated with discipline, using a case example. 　　 The case example is Science Lesson Research I・II, a subject in the Faculty of Education at Kagawa University in which this cooperation can be considered to function effectively. This class has continued with almost the same content and form at until today since 1998. 　　 The class adopts a method in which physics, chemistry, biology, and geoscience teachers teach lessons with science pedagogy teachers through discussion with the students. When doing so, it is essential that the teachers reach a shared understanding of how science should be taught in advance. 　　 The main aspects of how science should be taught in the shared understanding are enabling children to understand scientific knowledge with interest, and requiring elementary and junior high school teachers to base their teaching on the government curriculum guidelines and textbooks, while including innovations and creativity beyond them 　　 Explaining the validity of this way of teaching science based on a pedagogical conception of education is an important role of pedagogy. This explanation is shown by this paper. In doing so, this paper takes the premise that it will clarify what lessons that respect the right of the child to express his or her own views are like.

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　　 The Graduate School of Teacher Education was established as a new place for teacher education to generate practical knowledge rather than traditional academic knowledge, against the backdrop of teachers viewed as reflective practitioners. Can such efforts of the graduate school really create new knowledge? What kind of difficulties do they experience? Based on the awareness of these issues, this paper considers Okayama University Graduate School of Education as an example of leading school in education that mainly focuses on training prospective teachers. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the transition and conflicts of its Graduate School of Education from the launch of its predecessor―the master program’s evening course―to the present day as well as its role and future challenges in the development of new teacher education. 　　 Instruction at Okayama University Graduate School of Education up until now can be classified into the following three terms: Term 0: Master’s Evening Course period―Establishment and extension of management education. Term 1: Foundation of the Graduate School of Teaching Profession―Art Restoration. Term 2: Teacher training period at the graduate school―Pursuit of leading school in education as an Action Researcher. Term 3: Expansion of teaching graduate schools―Clarification of existence value and pursuit of achievements and evidence. 　　 Lastly, some issues are highlighted regarding the future of the Graduate School of Education. First, it is necessary to clarify the concept of “bridging between theory and practice” and then reconsider its outcome with reports and evidence. This includes determining whether it stands on an individual model or on a school education improvement model, and whether it is an application model or a knowledge creation model. The second is contributing to the growth of the profession. It is important to contribute to the accumulation of evidence in the educational world rather than to preserve practical knowledge as personal knowledge. Furthermore, it is to make the graduate school for teaching profession open to moral and technical dialogue in order to develop teachers as creators of the educational world and society.

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　　 This study seeks to clarify how candidates for teaching appointments (Schulamtsbewerber) and mentors evaluated Berufspraktisches Jahr (BJ)―a required period of teaching practice for Pädagogische Akademie (PA) graduates after 1931 in preparation for the elementary school teacher’s qualification exam. Rather than Lehrerseminar (normal school at the secondary level), fifteen new colleges, formally known as PA, were established in Prussia during the Weimar Republic (1918–1933) to train elementary school teachers. During the period of BJ, candidates for teaching appointments were sent to elementary schools to teach for 18 hours a week. A mentor, chosen among the teachers in the elementary school, had to accompany the candidate in their teaching appointment to observe and assist them in class. Since mentors graduated from Lehrerseminar, whereas candidates for teaching appointments graduated from PA, BJ provided an opportunity for teachers who graduated from different education schools to meet each other. BJ is an important theme to clarify for examining the relation between graduates of PA and Lehrerseminar. According to previous research , candidates for teaching appointments considered mentors to be indifferent to or even against them; therefore, it was difficult for candidates for teaching appointments to put what they learned from PA into practice. However, how mentors themselves evaluated BJ has not been discussed yet. By analyzing the case of Potsdam, this study seeks to examine the evaluations of BJ from both candidates for teaching appointments and mentors. 　　 Approximately half of candidates for teaching appointments criticized the mentoring system because they had to be observed in every class, which hindered their independence. Conversely, mentors claimed that the system was necessary because it was useful for candidates and that they did not push their ideas on them ; rather, they give suggestions to candidates so that they can teach freely. Mentors also made various proposals in order to improve the mentoring system―a kind of attitude that indicates not indifference or conflict with candidates for teaching appointments but positivity and kindness toward them. Thus, during the period of BJ, mentors accepted graduation from PA to some extent.

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