This article focuses on extended education supported by parents and the community at school and its impacts on schoolteachers' perceptions towards their work in Japan. A national survey using random sampling on elementary schoolteachers was conducted by the author; the results were used to analyze the relationships between the following variables:…

This study focuses on aspects of the Changing Academic Profession survey of 2007-08 that describe the place of faculty in their institutions. The authors examine the following aspects of institutional life: (1) the faculty role in institutional governance; (2) who evaluates their teaching and research; (3) the locus of their loyalties as between…

The Research Institute for Higher Education (RIHE) in Hiroshima University started a program of research on the Changing Academic Profession (CAP) in 2005. This research is funded by the Ministry of Education and Science as a grant-in-aid for scientific research headed by Professor Akira Arimoto, Director of the Research Institute for Higher…

Analyzes the contemporary status and problems of the teaching profession in Japan, focusing on critical issues related to its roles and autonomy that have a significant bearing upon the teaching process. Discussions include the effects of governmental regulations and problems associated with class sizes and teaching conditions. (GLR)

Five teachers of English at the secondary level in Japan agreed to participate in this qualitative study that set about uncovering their beliefs about teaching and their current curricular activities. Findings indicate that despite their vastly different workplaces, teacher-participants continue to work in the shadow of an educational system…

This paper describes the experiences of an English teacher from Washington State University who taught English in Japan for a year. The teacher concluded after her year in Japan that the country is and has been involved in a less-than-conscious national effort to "stonewall" the effective teaching of English as a second language in all…

Reports survey findings from over 1,200 Japanese secondary teachers on job satisfaction and other work attitudes and their relationships to working conditions, teacher roles and responsibilities, and specific classroom practices. Discusses the influences of teacher skills and training and Japanese social attitudes, sex roles, and style of…

Highlights descriptions of actual school and classroom settings in Japan for comparison with U.S. schools as well as exploring teachers' work situation and their roles and responsibilities. Summarizes classroom life from the students' perspectives to provide a backdrop for understanding the teaching context in Japan. (GLR)

Describes observations of art education in a Japanese junior high school during a three-month period in 1990. Discusses the teacher's role, classroom environment, course objectives, and teacher-student interaction. Identifies cultural differences and how they affect instructional methods and student achievement. (CFR)