Institutionalization of Researchon Higher Education and Centers
for University Education in Japan

HATA Takashi

The requirements for the institutionalization of academic
disciplines generally include establishment of an academic society for
researchers, posts at higher education institutions, training systems
for researchers, and employment positions for trained researchers.
Twenty years after the founding of academic associations forresearchonhighereducation,

Japan

has

now

establishedinstitutionalization for the discipline. However, the institutionalizationof higher education research has only been given limited resources
compared to other academic disciplines. There are only four graduate
schools that train higher education researchers. As a result, theknowledge and expertise of the researchers are limited, and theirperspective is often biased. In addition, the government-relatedorganizations that deal with higher education policies andadministration and the institutions of higher learning tend to hire
traditionally-trained and -oriented researchers. This academic climate
constrains the development of higher education research, and it poses
complex problems and conflicts of interest. This paper will consider
the role of the centers for innovation in higher education researchwith respect to broadening and improving the perspectives of higher
education researchers.

Professor Emeritus,
University

TohokuUniversity

andHiroshima

351

Current Issues of Faculty Developmentin Higher Education in Japan
OKI Hirotaka

This paper attempts to discuss an argument from the large-scale
private university sector on the symposium theme, “The Current
Situation of Higher Education Research in Japan and the Expected
Role of the Center for Higher Education.” It has been ten years sincefaculty development became compulsory in Japanese education.
However, it is still doubtful whether the necessity of faculty
development, the establishment of learner-centered education and aquality assurance system based on learning outcomes have been mostfully appreciated at universities and colleges. In addition, it also
attempts to anticipate political and institutional changes that may
occur in Japanese higher education and to discuss the impacts they
may bring to institutes that promote faculty development, such as
centers for higher education.
In order to establish learner-centered education and a quality
assurance system based on learning outcomes, and to secure faculty’s
research time, effort management would be required due tosubstantial diversification of the faculty members, and theemployment of specialists and improvement of faculty’s teachingskills should also be accelerated. The implementation of thesemeasures is inevitable if universities and colleges aspire to enroll
more international and adult students including part-timers, at a time
when the 18 year-old population has declined sharply.

Professor, Institute for Teaching and Learning, Ritsumeikan
University

352

The Consolidation of Higher Education Centerswith the Academic Headquarters
in Japanese Universities
CHIKADA Masahiro
Several Japanese universities have consolidated their centers forthe study of higher education with the academic headquarters under
the direct control of the university provosts. The present paper looks
at how this trend affects the theories and activities of experts onhigher education by comparing the Center for the Studies of Higher
Education at Nagoya University and the Institute for Promotion ofHigher Education at Kobe University. Both schools are currently inthe midst of consolidation processes.
The advantages of consolidation include increased opportunities toparticipate in university-wide academic management, easier access to
information from the academic offices, and more fully developed
communication networks between departments. However, this, inturn, tends to increase the number of meetings and the amount of
paperwork dramatically, adding an increased burden for faculty andstaff who must take part in the resultant university-wide committees.
This makes it even more difficult for them to balance personal life
with research and teaching activities. Therefore, to improve
post-consolidation functions, the role of experts on higher education
should encompass integrating the principles of academic management
into their research activities and recommendations.

Professor, Institute for Promotion of Higher Education, Kobe
University

353

Boyer’s Model of Scholarship and Professors’
Activities in Higher Education Research
NAKAI Toshiki

The role of professors in higher education research has changed in
the past twenty years, and the parameters of traditional scholarshipneed to be broadened and redefined. This paper examines theprofessors’ activities using the Boyer’s model of scholarship.
The professors actually engage in wide ranges of activities related
to discovery, integration, application, and teaching which are fourtypes of scholarship proposed by Boyer. However, many professors
have experienced conflicts between what they would like to do andwhat their institutions and associations expect them to do when they
engage in these activities. In addition, conflict arises from the fact that
although they are hired as practitioners of their discipline, they areoften evaluated based on traditional research outcomes.
To improve scholarship, the institutions and associations connectedwith the professors should recognize, evaluate, and support them in awide range of activities. In addition, the professors should understandthe connections between their activities and scholarship and take partin activities that increase their standing as independent professionals.

Professor, Institute for Education and Student Support, Ehime
University354

Past, Present, and Future of
the “Learning with Professor Tips”
IKEDA Terumasa

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the research of the Centerfor the Studies of Higher Education (CSHE) at Nagoya University
over the past 20 years. The focus of my reflection is the research
project, “Growing Tips Sensei,” published in 2001 by the Center. The
methodology of the paper is storytelling to find the meanings within
the research project. I also will examine my academic careerdevelopment starting from 1999 when I began to work at the CSHE.
As a result of going back and considering my research anddevelopment activities after leaving the CSHE, I found the following
themes that are connected to my work on “Growing Tips Sensei,”including course design, course development and action research, andstrategic curriculum design. Considering the implications of theresearch results, the work has consistently motivated me in
mission-driven research and strategic management theory, which I
learned during the five years I worked at the CSHE. This was afulfilling period of time for me.

Professor, Institute of Liberal Arts, Otemon Gakuin University

355

Research Activities of Higher Education
Centers: The Case of CSHE Nagoya University
NATSUME Tatsuya

This paper examines the current situation and characteristics ofresearch activities of the Center for the Studies of Higher Education(CSHE) at Nagoya University. Since it was founded in 1998, the CSHE
has always been in a delicate situation because it had a limited staff
population and few students. It sometimes also suffers as a result ofchanges in the university policies. In 2016, the CSHE was reorganizedfrom being an independent body to a special organization under thecontrol of the President’s office.
Characteristics of the CSHE’s activities include the following:
1.

Generally speaking, the CSHE often faces contradictions
between research and practice, academic research andpractical duties, and duties expected by the universities versus

2.

duties fixed the by Center’s own needs.
The staff has to reconcile research activities for the Centerand their own career activities. They also developed tools forenhancing the teaching skills of faculty members as a good
way to enhance the quality of education at the university.

3.

The CSHE has developed a partnership with faculty members
to support their understanding of the Center’s activities andenhance the quality of education.

Professor, Center for the Studies of Higher Education, Nagoya
University

356

The Effects of High School Visitas Student Recruiting upon the Attitudesof High School Teachers
NAKAJIMA HidehiroThis paper aims to investigate the effects of university recruitment
visits to high schools for prospective students. This practice has long
prevailed among private universities in Japan. This study was
conducted using semi-structured interviews with ten high school
teachers who are in charge of career guidance for students. Theinterviews were analyzed using the Grounded Theory Approach. The
main finding was that, for the most part, school recruitment visits arewelcomed and recognized as valuable opportunities for college-boundstudents to obtain the latest information about universities. However,most of the teachers were not totally satisfied with the information
obtained during the recruitment visits. It was felt that the information
was dominated by facts easily accessible via booklets or websites. In
this study, teachers also reflected on the values and the intentions ofcollege-bound students and their parents.

Associate Professor, Center for the Studies of Higher Education,
Nagoya University

357

The Role of Professional Groups
in Developing the Expertise of Secondary
School Career Guidance Counselors in France
NATSUME Tatsuya

This paper looks at the role of career guidance counselor
professional groups in enhancing the counselors’ working conditions
and social positions. Career counselors (Conseiller d’orientationpsychologue: COP) play an important role in career guidance in the
French secondary school system. However, teachers and students
often do not understand their contribution because (a) their jobs haveno legal standing since they are not prescribed in official texts; (b) the
number of career counselors is small compared to the amount of work
they do; and (c) their work is done at information and guidance
centers located outside of the schools.
The Association of COP (ACOP-F) has developed a strategy toenhance the position of career counselors. One part of this strategy
involves integrating the working group of the association with school
counselors. Integration increases the total number of counselors andfocuses on improving working conditions. On the other hand, thiscreates additional work options for them and disambiguates theiridentity as career counselors.

Professor, Center for the Studies of Higher Education, Nagoya
University

358

Designing Group Activities
for Deep Learning: Circumventing
the Thinking /Activity Disjunction
MORI Tomoko*
MATSUSHITA Kayo**

A recent revision of curriculum and teaching guidelines in Japan
recommends that “subjective and interactive deep learning” beincluded in the secondary education curriculum. However, thesynonymous concept of active learning has already been deployed in
the university education system, and new problems such as
thinking/activity disjunctions and non-participation have emerged in
the classroom as a result. Nonetheless, active learning will be used inmost secondary education classes in the near future, and deeplearning will not be acquired if it is merely adopted as a formality. In
order to effectively introduce active learning as an educational
methodology, it is mandatory to also carefully analyze the outcomes ofprevious research.
In the present study, we focus on group activities in secondary
education, and how they compare to the educational activities atuniversities, particularly looking at study activity designs that allow
deep learning. We have specifically looked at how the learning
approach of a student can be transformed by introducing aunit/group/individual design (Mori 2016) into the field of secondary
education. This approach has already been shown to be valuable in
the field of university education.

*Professor, Division of Promotion of Educational Development,
Kansai University(Visiting Professor, Center for the Studies of Higher Education,
Nagoya University)**Professor, Center for the Promotion of Excellence in Higher
Education, Kyoto University359

University Research Productivity and Governance
MURASAWA Masataka*
NAKAO Ran**
MATSUMIYA Shinji***In this paper, we examined the factors that influence university
productivity, focusing on governance. We examined the university
administrative response to zero inflation by looking at the
productivity index of the universities covered in this paper. In order
to cope with distribution bias, the authors used a zero-inflated modeland the Hurdle model, and these analyses showed that theconcentration of authority being vested in the president and faculty
has had an uncertain influence on productivity. Furthermore, thestudy showed that external characteristics such as the history, scale,and prestige have a strong influence on the productivity of university
departments. From this result, it is clear that saying a university does
well based on the concentration of authority is overly simplistic andnot likely to be established. It is doubtful whether universities canwork successfully in a top-down or a micro-managed atmosphere.
Considering the results of previous research together with thecurrent study’s findings, it can be said that university governance isessentially a way to create a good environment and establish a leader
who will be supported by students, faculty, and staff. In conclusion,
university governance is only one of many factors that can bringabout needed changes within a university.

*Associate Professor, Research Institute for Higher Education,
Hiroshima University(Visiting Associate Professor, Center for the Studies of Higher
Education, Nagoya University)**Doctoral Student, Graduate School of Education, Hiroshima
University***Doctoral Student, Graduate School of Education, Hiroshima
University
Administrative Staff, Kobe Gakuin University360

Leadership Development of University
Presidents in Japan
MOROZUMI Akiko

The purpose of this paper is threefold: to clarify what Japan’s
leading university presidents emphasize in their work; how they
demonstrate leadership; and, finally, how they developed into theleaders they became. Through interviews with 11 university
presidents, this study revealed that these leaders largely emphasize
determination in expressing their school’s vision and putting in thenecessary hard work to achieve their organizational goals. In addition,
the university presidents emphasized the measures needed to extract
understanding and cooperation from their team members. With
regard to their leadership development processes, those withprevious academic experience found that their experiences had agreat effect upon their professional accomplishments. In addition tothis, as much as possible, they pursued opportunities to learn more
about higher education and its policies. Generally, those presidents
who had no previous academic experience did self study to help them
fulfill their duties. Regardless of how they got there, the presidents
had a tendency to believe that the way they developed theirleadership skills was the most desirable method. One common
element shared by most of the university presidents interviewed wastheir ability to delegate work to qualified individuals and then toencourage them in advanced learning and further development. It is
important to applaud the leadership skills of university presidents andto grant them authority, a sufficient budget, and opportunities forongoing leadership development.

Associate Professor, Graduate School of Education, The
University of Tokyo(Visiting Associate Professor, Center for the Studies of Higher
Education, Nagoya University)361

Proposal for the Planning Department
Administrative Staff Imageat Nagoya University
MUTO Hideyuki

The purpose of this paper is to examine the human resources image
and training required for planning-related to the administrative staff
for the specific purpose of creation and development of the planningaffairs department which supports the management strategy of
Nagoya University.
The vertically-arranged administrative structure called “jobfunction line” take roots in many universities.
Among these, the administrative functions and organizations ofPlanning Affairs at Nagoya University were created from General
Affair’s field which had faced and overcome internal problems during
their hard time for incorporated national universities.
After incorporated, Planning Affairs field is expected to takecross-organizational roles for new stage of university management.
Actually, definition of work and administrative organization are
non-fixed more like variable depending on policy trends andcircumstances of the moment.
Under this situation, this paper also envisages administrative staff
development and their systems at Planning Affairs field from a higher
perspective.

Manager, Admission Division, Education and International
Affairs Department, Nagoya University362Independent Learning in Staff Development:
Focusing on Adults Studying at Graduate School
NAKAMOTO Takashi

The purpose of this study is to review previous research on how
independent learning is handled in university staff development.
There are various kinds of self-development, and studying at
graduate school is one of them. However, studying at graduate school
as a method of self-development requires large amounts of money andtime. Moreover, employers and co-workers may have negative ideas
about an adult’s studying at graduate school. Therefore, adults who
study at graduate school should have a strong reason.
In this study, I divided the previous research concerning adultlearners in graduate school into two: quantitative and qualitative
studies. Then, I examined how independent learning is referred to in
the previous research. The previous research points out such factors
as motivation, reasoning, and learners’ behavior in the learning
process. However, the previous research, in general, does not focus
on how learners interpret various things involved in learning. The
study results recommend that approaches to understanding thelearners’ interpretation, for example a life-history survey, should form
the basis for future research.

Doctoral Student, Graduate School of Education and Human
Development, Nagoya University363

Interviewing the Academics
in Charge of Admission Offices
at Japan’s National Universities
MARUYAMA Kazuaki*
SAITOH Yoshiko**
NATSUME Tatsuya***In recent times, admission offices and the academics working there
have been targeted for development. Particularly at the national
universities, there is a specific mission to respond to the reform of theadmissions system mandated by the government, and this hasbrought a rapid increase in the numbers of offices and academicsin-charge. However, very little information about these departments
and personnel has been accumulated.
In the present study, an interview was conducted on the current
practices and careers of the admissions office academics at thenational universities of Japan. As a result, a large diversity of rolesand careers were identified. Nevertheless, several commonalities
were found. Almost all the informants noted a lack of clarity
regarding their duties and employment contracts, and they
underscored the importance of their research and teaching roles.
The findings of this study indicate the need for clearer vision andmore effective support for the career paths of admissions officeacademics. Every aspect of these personnel’s training should be given
increased consideration because not only are they experts who help
fulfill the institutional mandate for reform, but also believe they are
responsible for the teaching and research that helps lay thefoundations of their profession.

*Associate Professor, Center for the Studies of Higher Education,
Nagoya University**Assistant Professor, Center for the Studies of Higher Education,
Nagoya University***Professor, Center for the Studies of Higher Education, Nagoya University364