“Lesson Study” and “Curriculum Management” in Japan
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J. Fac. Edu. Saga Univ. Vol. 17, No. 1 (2012) Su133〜14mmar7y of “Lesson Study” and“Curriculum Management” inJapan 133 Summary of “Lesson Study” and “Curriculum Management” in Japan 1 2 Tetsuo KURAMOTO ,Huiting SHI 要旨 Lesson Study を我国の校内研修・授業研究に相当すると位置付けるならば、学校組織における教 師の資質・教育力の向上が、直接・間接的には生徒の知的・人格的育成に相関性があるとする観点か ら、それは学校改善(School Improvement)に貢献するものであり、広義的に Lesson Study はカリ キュラムマネジメント(Curriculum Management)論の一要素であると体系化できよう。 教育経営学の範疇における学校改善論とは、問題解決性・教育経営の活性化・ポジティブな学校文 化形成・自主的/自立的な組織体・開かれた協働性等の項目を意味するが、究極的な学校組織の存在 意義は、組織上の合理化論等を踏まえつつも生徒の知的・人間的成長を意図するものであり、これが 最重要な教育(組織)目標となる。つまり、教育方法と教育経営学が融合する学問範疇で考察すると き、カリキュラムマネジメント論は、一定の学校教育目標の具現化を生徒の育成を通して評価される カリキュラムPDCA 過程の経営論である。 なお、本研究の後半部分では、カリキュラムリーダーシップ論に特化して、その実証を試みた。 1.Introduction The main purposes in this article are : 1)To discuss the detailed conceptual structures between “Lesson Study” and“Curriculum Management”. 2)To discuss theconceptual structures anddifferences between “Professional LearningCommunity”, “Knowledge Management” and“Lesson Study” as a Futureʼs Research. 1)To discuss the detailed conceptual structures Between “Lesson Study” and “Curriculum Management”. Fromthepointsof view ofconceptual structures between “Lesson Study” and“Curriculum Management”, it isnecessary to understandwhat theconcept of “Curriculummanagement” is. Historically, “Curriculum Management” isoften discussed at theeducational research associations such asJapaneseCurriculum Study Association, Japanese Educational Management Association and others. (Takano, Nakatome, Koizumi,Amagasa, Kuramoto,Tamura.) Japanese Educational Ministry officially recognizetheconcept of “Curriculum Management” in their documents forthelocal board ofeducation and schools asnationwide.Also, there are training systemsof “Curriculum Management” to improve school effectiveness forthemiddle leaders at every prefectural 1 Saga University(文化教育学部) 2 PhD graduate student,Saga University(工学系研究科、後期博士課程) 134 Tetsuo KURAMOTO,Huiting SHI level. Accordingto Nakatome,who is a well-known researcher fortheconcept of “Curriculum Management”, it consistsoftwo aspects : the firstis thecurriculum design as content developmentand methodsof educational teachinginstruction, the second is themanagerial aspects by maintainingthecondition which supports theformer factor(Nakatome 2000).“Curriculum Management” mainly has two conceptual factors : oneis based on thetheory ofCurriculum developmentandInstruction, and the other is thetheory of School Management(English 2000). Therefore, thebasic paradigms and thefunctions of “Curriculum Management” are typically explained as an interactional theory between “School Management” and“Curriculum Development/Instruction” to improve the holistic educational performance ofaschool organization.(Kuramoto 2006) The school organization based on “Curriculum Management” theory needs tohave clear managerial visions : how teachers design the schoolcurriculum, how teachersshare their knowledge, how teachers collaborate to cultivate the schoolculture.Italso has famous PDCA managementcycle,which means Plan, Do, Check, Action.(Kuramoto 2008) The key to “School Management”dependson“Curriculum Development/Instruction”. For “School Management”, first of all, the schooleducational goal should be established(Plan).Secondly, it isnecessary to make strategic teaching plan and curriculum, to implementthecurriculumand actual teachinglesson ( Do), to evaluate theeducational effectiveness( Check ).Finally, it is completed to be an improved qualitative curriculum developmentand teaching strategies within a school year(Action).Inother word, this typical paradigm is called“Curriculum Management” as known. Additionally, it is possible to concludethat there is “ Curriculum Management ” theory including “Lesson Study”, which is through makingtheLesson Plan, observingthe teaching class, and reflecting on teachinginstruction.This isnamely teacherʼs professional development strategy commonlyknown as “Lesson Study”. Of note, thissystem has itsorigins inJapan.“Lesson Study” isone ofthe remarkable achievements to come out ofthe variousJapaneseeducational cultures.This innovative teachersʼ professional developmenttoolentails to be observed by peer teachers incorporating teacher-led action research with the ultimate aim of improvingthe school organizational environmentand studentʼs learning in the classroom.The key concept forthe “Lesson Study” is “internal collaborative schoolculture”, in which each individual teacher is able toshare his/her professional visions and missions to improve teaching skills and morale, and indirectly to advance studentachievement.Inorder to create thepositive school culture, therolesof “Curriculum Leadership” of principal and middle leaders are indispensable forthe progress oftheLesson Study system. As aresult,“Lesson Study” needs to be recognized as a part of “Curriculum Management” theory based on “School Management”. Itisnot only theindividual teacherʼs responsibility to educate students, butalso the whole school organization attempts to manage their schoolcurriculums and instructions.In this way, “Lesson Study” has a significantrole to carry out “Curriculummanagement” on the school level. Accordingto Figure 1 below, the detailsof structure of “School Management ”, “ Curriculum Management” and“Lesson Study” can be shown. Managementby Curriculum Objects part1 Structure of School Management, Curriculum Management and Lesson Study MBCO 1 MBCO part 2 Management By Curriculum Objects part 3 Mission Vision, Strategy Plan, Implementation, Evaluation, Improvement Social Su Community Management of School Curriculum Design mmar Organization Structure & Parents (Curriculum Philosophy) Accountability needs y ・Teachers jobs for School Classroom Management Plan o f ・ School Nurse Room “ Le National CurriculumGoals Prefecture CurriculumGoals sson School DistrictCurriculumGoals Management ・ School Grade Team School EducationalGoals Teacher’s Student’s Out PutofCM(LS) Management Needs Needs S t udy” ・ Class Room Management School ・ Others CG & TS by Teacher’s Innovation a n d“ Principal Leadership Lesson Study Lesson Plan C u Teacher’s Teaching Activities rric u Management of l School EvaluationSystem u =SI m Budgets and info M a ・ School Secretary n ageme ・ Budget Manager ・ School Information Lesson Study n Goals t Knowledge Management ” Administrative CM i by Professional Learning nJ External Collaboration Community apa (Partnership) n13 School Culture & Curriculum Leadership (Collaboration in the school) School Management Theory from points of Lesson Study(Curriculum Study)=Curriculum Management Figure1 The structure ofCurriculum Management ofaschool level 5 136 Tetsuo KURAMOTO,Huiting SHI Mission Managementby Curriculum Objects part2 Vision,Strategies Managementby Curriculum Objects part3 Plan Implementation Evaluation Improvement. “School Management” has thefunctions regarding 4 Ms : Man,Material,Money andManagement. Above all, themost important factoraboutthefunctions is collaboration that would buildupthepositive relationship betweenorganization and teachers, and among teachers,which would have direct and indirect impactsonschool improvement.(Nakatome & Kuramoto 2011) Thisorganization and management are generally referred to as thephysical aspect, butin it, a collaborative system is expected to be embodied in daily life.In addition, for school improvement, changing organizational structure as aphysical aspect is generally allowed. However, it has been proven that only changing organizational structure, a schoolcannot be improved easily. Theessential factorfor school improvementis theexistence of schoolculture.Schoolculture is an epistemological concept in what most teachers think ofas a matter of fact , from which theentire ethos(atmosphere)will be generated. This kind of atmosphere has been filled in an ecological environment justlike air, invisible, sometimes unaware, sort of latent, but do exist without fail in the school organization.In that sense,withoutchangingform the negative to thepositive, any school improvementcannot be realized. This positive schoolethos is called“organizational culture(collaborative culture)”. Theconcept ofan interactive relationship betweenorganizational culture(collaborative culture)and organizational structure(collaborative system)is called“power of organization worthy oftrust”. They are to be puttogether and implemented through “Curriculum Management” by efficient staff called school leaders including principals, vice principals and middle leaders. As inputsofCurriculum Management are below, ― Curriculum Philosophy. ― Mission,Vision,Strategy.(Management PDCA) ― Educational Goals.(Managementby Curriculum Object) ― School Budgets andInformation. As Black box ofcurriculum Management are below, ― Lesson Study. ― Individual teacherʼs educational activities. ― Curriculum Leadership &SchoolCulture. ― Professional LearningCommunity. ― Knowledge Management. ― Positive Partnership with Community. ― Management of Organization Structure ― School evaluation system Summary of “Lesson Study” and“Curriculum Management” inJapan137 AsoutputsofCurriculum Management are below, ― StudentsʼAcademic achievement &Personal growth. ― Improvement of teachersʼ professional skills. ― Improvement of school treatment(reputation)in thecommunity ― Teacher collaboration of “SchoolCulture Theory” (Kuramoto 2010) 2)To discuss the conceptual structures and differences Between “ Professional Learning Community”, “Knowledge Management” and “Lesson Study” as a Futureʼs Research. Conversely, it is also importantto discuss theconceptual