Education Reform for Promoting Quality School: A Comparative Perspective on Teachers

Motoko AkibaAssistant Professor

Educational Leadership & Policy AnalysisUniversity of Missouri

1. Directions for teacher reforms in Japan based on a comparative study of the U.S., Australia, and Japan (Akiba & LeTendre, 2009)

2. Addressing 5 points

Presentation Outline

Teacher quality as the focus of education reforms around the world

Focus on “teacher accountability”- Stricter certification requirements (e.g. Japan)- Teacher evaluation (e.g. Taiwan)- Professional development requirements (e.g. Australia)

- Merit-pay based on student achievement (e.g. U.S.)

Focus on Teacher Quality in Education Reforms

Teachers’ roles for promoting student learning and fostering social, mental, and psychological development of students

Importance of understanding work contexts of teachers and implementing data-based teacher reforms

Comparison of teachers’ working conditions and professional learning opportunities in the U.S., Australia, and Japan

Importance of Teachers

Coherent Teacher Policies to Improve Teacher Quality

Vision: High

Quality Teachers

Recruit & Train Hire & DistributeContinuously Support

Teachers

•Recruitment into teacher training

•Teacher education•Recruitment into

teaching

•Hiring qualified candidates•Distributing qualified

teachers

•Attractive working conditions•New teacher induction

•Professional development

Coordination among National, Prefecture, and Local Stakeholders

Akiba & LeTendre (2009, p13)

1. 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)Teacher survey from a national samples of:

340 eighth-grade math teachers in the U.S.

197 eighth-grade math teachers in Australia 146 eighth-grade math teachers in Japan

2. National statistics on teachers in the U.S., Australia, and Japan

Data Sources

Teachers’ Working Conditions- Instructional workload- Non-instructional workload

Professional Learning Activities- Professional development hours- Learning through lesson observation

Teachers’ Work Contexts

Instructional Workload

Non-Instructional Workload

Japanese teachers’ teaching load allows for more time for lesson preparation

Japanese teachers spend significantly longer hours for non-instructional work after school

61% of Japanese teachers report that they are always busy (Benesse Corporation, 2005)

Japanese middle school teachers work 11.3 hours a day (MEXT, 2007)

Summary of Workload Comparison

Professional Development Hours

Learning through Lesson Observation

Japanese 10th-year teachers spend significantly longer hours for professional development than U.S. or Australian teachers.

Japanese math teachers observe lessons for professional learning more frequently than U.S. or Australian teachers.

Japanese teachers’ extensive professional learning activities explain the high quality of instruction reported by comparative studies (Hiebert et al., 2005; Stigler & Hiebert, 1999).

Summary of Professional Learning Activities

Japanese teachers are engaged in extensive amount of professional development.

No need to require more professional development

Japanese teachers are overworked compared to U.S. and Australian teachers.

Need to reduce non-instructional workloadSharing of non-instructional workload with administrative assistants, school volunteers, and community members

Data-Based Policy Recommendations

Q1. Characteristics of quality schoolA. Teacher quality and support

Sense of school communitySchool safety

Q2. Education reforms for improving schoolsA. Focus on accountability (testing, evaluation,

sanction/rewards)Need to focus on supporting teachers

5 questions on quality school

Q3. PISA rankingA. Only one data point. Need to use various

national statistics and studies to understand current conditions on students, teachers, and schools.

Q4. Disliking of math/science among students in Asian countries in PISAA. Again, only one data point. It is likely the result of the high-stakes examination systems. Using multiple evaluation criteria should help.

5 questions on quality school (cont’d)

Q5. Directions for education reforms in Japan

1. Design data-based education reforms, rather than following the “accountability” trend or media reports.

2. Focus on supporting teachers by reducing and sharing non-instructional workload.

3. Promote a school community characterized by trust and respect among administrators, teachers, students, and community members.

5 questions on quality school (cont’d)

Q5. Directions for education reforms in Japan

4. Promote school safety by reducing school bullying and violence.

5. Teachers play a central role for developing a school community and ensuring school safety. Students do not engage in bullying when they have a positive relationship with teachers (Akiba, Shimizu, & Zhuang, in press)

Importance of supporting teachers

5 questions on quality school (cont’d)

Akiba, M. & LeTendre, G. (2009). Improving teacher quality: The U.S. teaching force in global context. New York: Teachers College Press.

Akiba, M., Shimizu, K., & Zhuang, Y. (in press). What relationships do bullies and victims have with school teachers? A survey of Ijime in Japanese middle schools. Comparative Education Review.

Benesse Corporation (2005). Gimukyoikuni kansuru ishiki tyosa [Survey on perceptions about compulsory education]. Tokyo: Monbukagakusho.

Hiebert, J., Stigler, J. W., Jacobs, J. K., Givvin, K. B., Garnier, H., Smith, M. S., et al. (2005). Mathematics teaching in the United States today (and tomorrow): Results from the TIMSS 1999 video study. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 27(2), 111–132.

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. (2007). Kyoin kinmu jittai tyousa zantei shukei [Teacher working conditions survey results]. Tokyo: Author.

Stigler, J. W., & Hiebert, J. (1999). The teaching gap: Best ideas from the world’s teachers for improving education in the classroom. New York: Free Press.

References