101. Reality and Possibilities of Teacher Education for Diversity in Japan: Lessons from International Trends
- Author
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Hitoshi Sato and Akiko Ito
- Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to examine the current position and possibilities of teacher education for diversity in Japan, with reference to discussions on teacher education for diversity in other countries. To achieve this purpose, we pose the following two research concerns. One is the organization of international trends in teacher education for diversity and the clarification of their characteristics. The other is the clarification of the characteristics and challenges of current teacher education for diversity in Japan from the perspective of teacher education policy and practices in teacher preparation programs. In terms of the first concern, we focus on trends in discussions of teacher education for diversity in the United States and Europe, from which it is evident that teacher education for diversity is not simply about correcting the achievement gap in the context of educational equity but is designed to create an equitable and inclusive society. This is a rethinking of teacher education in relation to the state of society and has the potential to take the debate on attempting to ensure equity in the school setting one step further. Regarding the second concern, we focus on human rights education in teacher education and analyze the contents of human rights education syllabi in teacher preparation programs, finding therein a focus on the development of knowledge and understanding of individual issues related to human rights and the historical contextualization of issues. This means that human rights education in teacher preparation focuses on how to teach and promote human rights education in schools, so that teachers have few opportunities to consider the relationship between themselves and human rights, such as how they perceive human rights in society.
- Published
- 2024