A Study on the Teaching of the SDGs in Junior High School
Textbooks in Japan: Proposals for Thinking about the SDGs as
Matters of Personal ImportanceTakako Machimura1, Makoto Kirii2, Kouichi Ano3, and Yuko Koyama4
1

Toyo University, 2Bunkyo University, 3Bunkyo University, and4

Sammu City Narutohigashi Junior High Schoolmachimura@iniad.org, m.kirii@bunkyo.ac.jp,
k-ano@bunkyo.ac.jp, and lifriends.1846@gmail.com

Abstract
In accordance with the revision of the Course of Study, the textbooks authorized for use in junior highschools from the 2021 academic year have been substantially revised. Based on the results of a survey of thesubject matter of each textbook, all textbooks cover content related to the Sustainable Development Goals(hereinafter the SDGs). The purposes of this study are (1) to investigate how each textbook covers the SDGs
and reflects them in the content of the text, and (2) to propose language activities for junior high school
students to perceive the SDGs as their own personal matters. Common themes in each textbook wereselected. To determine whether the text of each unit was directly related to the SDGs, units were extracted
based on those themes and classified from three perspectives. This paper presents the results of the analysis
and the suggested language activities for junior high school students so that they may perceive the SDGs as
matters of their personal importance.

Keywords
SDGs, junior high school textbooks, matters of personal importance

1. Introduction
In accordance with the revision of the Course of Study, the textbooks authorized for use in junior highschools from the 2021 academic year have been substantially revised. As a philosophy which becomes thefoundation for the revision of the Course of Study, the SDGs come to be noticed. Based on the results of asurvey of each textbook, all the textbooks cover contents related to the SDGs (Ito, 2023). The purposes ofthis study are (1) to investigate how each textbook covers the SDGs and how they are reflected in thecontents of the textbooks, and (2) to suggest language activities for junior high school students so that they
may perceive the SDGs as matters of their personal importance.

2. Literature Review
2.1 Textbook analysis related to the SDGs

Research on textbook analysis has been conducted since the SDGs have been considered as part of thecontent of junior high school textbooks. Sonoda (2022) analyzed how the SDGs were covered in the revisionof the Course of Study for junior high school textbooks starting in the 2021. The analysis used 18 textbooks
from six authorized junior high school textbook publishers and coded the content of the textbooks in relation
to the 17 SDGs goals. As a result, the goal most frequently covered was Goal 16, “Peace and justice for all.”In addition to that, the frequency with which the SDGs goals were covered increased as the school year
progressed.
Textbook analysis is conducted not only in English classes but also in other subjects. Kikuchi and
Kamada (2021) examined all pages in geography, history, and social studies in sample junior high schoolsocial studies textbooks. The study examined how the SDGs, and descriptions of sustainability such as"sustainable society" were described in the textbooks and categorized them. Only a small number of studies
have been conducted relating junior high school textbooks to the SDGs.

2.2 Teaching the SDGs in English classes
In this section, we describe the teaching of the SDGs using textbooks in junior high schools. Akiyama (2021)
conducted a class introducing the SDGs for second-year junior high school students. The goals of this classwere to see the SDGs as their own personal matters, to present what they can do in front of the whole school,
and to share their individual thoughts on the SDGs. Mapping was introduced by selecting a subject from an
authorized junior high school textbook.

3. The Study
3.1 Textbooks
A total of 12 textbooks for three grades of the top four selling authorized junior high school textbooks(HERE WE GO! English Course 1, 2, 3, NEW CROWN English Series 1, 2, 3, NEW HORIZON English
Course 1, 2, 3, and SUNSHINE English Course 1, 2, 3) were analyzed. The percentages of each authorizedjunior high school textbook in Japan were as follows: HERE WE GO! English Course 17.0%, NEW
CROWN English Series 16.9%, NEW HORIZON English Course 44.5%, and SUNSHINE English Course
16.6% (Japan Educational Press, 2020). Since these results represented over 90% of the total use of
authorized textbooks by junior high school students in Japan, we decided to analyze these textbooks.

3.2 Method
The content of the teacher's manuals prepared by the textbook companies include an explanation of the
topics and the SDGs goals corresponding to those topics. Based on the information, the four companies werecompared, and four common goals of the SDGs were identified. Those goals (United Nation) were as
follows:

Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment anddecent work for all.
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster
innovation.
Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for
all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Then common themes to each textbook that corresponded to these SDGs goals were selected: “Occupation(Goal 8),” “Peace (Goal 16),” “Disaster Prevention (Goal 11),” and “AI (Goal 9).” The units that wereselected for those themes were based on the content description texts related to the SDGs prepared by eachtextbook company. The topics in each unit were categorized according to whether they are directly related to
the SDGs from three perspectives:① Is the content of the unit just stating facts?
② Does the unit encourage students to think about the contents of the SDGs?
③ Does the unit specifically mention the points of the SDGs (so that it is clearly understandable that the
text is about the SDGs) ?
There are three main messages presented in all the textbook texts (Tanaka and Tanaka, 2009). Two of them(that is ① and ②) were used as classification criteria, and one additional (③) is related to the SDGs, whichis the objective of this study. Three persons affiliated with English education conducted the classification andreviewed the categorized contents. Each of them has been teaching English for more than 20 years,
approximately five years, and less than three years, respectively.

3.3 Results of categorization based on themes
The results of the classifications for each theme are summarized in the table below. As shown in Figure 1
about the classification of “Occupation,” Work Experience in Here We Go 2 (pp.75-83), My Dream in New
Crown 2 (pp.21-31), My Future Job in NEW HORIZON 2 (pp.35-44), and Work Experience in Sunshine 2(pp.59-67) were analyzed. All four companies' textbooks were in the second grade of the junior high school.
① “Is the content of the unit just stating facts?” was the most frequently extracted. Only one sentence
related to ② was found. The sentence from Here We Go 2 was “I also learned that teaching is hard work.”③ “Does the unit specifically mention the points of the SDGs?” was not present in the textbooks.

Figure 1: The Classification of “Occupation”

As for the classification of “Peace” as shown in Figure 2, Lesson From Hiroshima in Here We Go 3 (pp. 3139), Rakugo Goes Overseas in New Crown 2 (pp. 105- 113), A Mother’s Lullaby in NEW HORIZON 3 (pp.
52-55), and Live Life in True Harmony in Sunshine 2 (pp. 69-77) were analyzed. There was no material on
this theme from the first-grade junior high school textbooks. Both ① “Is the content of the unit just stating
facts?” and ③ “Does the unit specifically mention the points of the SDGs?” were not found in New Crown
2. One sentence related to ② was found in New Crown 2 and the sentence was “I think this will make morepeaceful world.”

Figure 2: The Classification of “Peace”

Following Figure 3 about the classification of “Disaster Prevention,” Earthquake Drill in Here We Go 2 (pp.
63-71), Further Reading 1 in New Crown 2 (appendix 5 and 6), Universal Design in NEW HORIZON 2 (pp.
71- 80), and Junior Safety Patrol in Sunshine 1 (pp. 61-67) were analyzed. ① “Is the content of the unit juststating facts?” was the most frequently extracted in Here We Go and NEW HORIZON. However, both ②“Does the unit encourage students to think about the contents of the SDGs?” and ③ “Does the unit
specifically mention the points of the SDGs?” were not found in Here We Go and Sunshine. As for ② inboth New Crown 2 and Sunshine 1, there are two sentences in each textbooks. In New Crown 2, they were“It is easy to put up and take down the tent.” and “The Uros also use totora to build their houses, furniture,and boats because there are no trees in the high mountains.” The sentences in Sunshine 1 were “They're the
Junior Safety Patrol.” and “She is proud of it too.”

Figure 3: The Classification of “Disaster Prevention”

In reference to the classification of “AI” as shown Figure 4, AI Technology and Language in Here We Go 3
(pp. 51- 59), Imagine to Act in New Crown 3 (pp. 87-97), My Future Job in NEW HORIZON 2 (pp. 35-44),
and Is AI a Friend or an Enemy in Sunshine 3 (pp. 91-97) were analyzed. ① “Is the content of the unit juststating facts?” was extracted from all the lessons in four textbooks. In the context of ①, the term 'AI' wasprominently featured in three textbooks, excluding New Crown. Specific instances of this were shown in thefollowing sentences.: “In the near future, AI will help us communicate with people all over the world quite
easily.” in Here We Go3, “The progress of AI is changing our lives.” in NEW HORIZON 2, and “Today AI
has developed to a level that is difficult for humans to imagine.” in Sunshine 3. Concerning both ① “Is thecontent of the unit just stating facts?” and ②“Does the unit encourage students to think about the contentsof the SDGs?” in Here We Go and NEW HORIZON, its contrast was insignificant.

Figure 4: The Classification of “AI”

As a result of classifying “Occupation”, “Peace”, “Disaster Prevention”, and “AI” from three perspectives,① “Is the content of the unit just stating facts?” and ② “Does the unit encourage students to think about
the contents of the SDGs?” were extracted in large numbers. Only NEW HORIZON in the classification of“Peace”, there were more cases of item ② than ①. It is noted that the most extracted item ② was foundin “A Mother's Lullaby” from NEW HORIZON English Course 3. ③ “Does the unit specifically mention
the points of the SDGs?” was not present in the textbooks.

4. Survey of teachers' attitudes toward the SDGs
We found that although junior high school authorized textbooks were designed with the SDGs, there are no
actual units that clearly state the points of the SDGs. Therefore, we assume that it is not easy to deal with theSDGs in English classes. In accordance with the SDGs being covered in revised textbooks, an online surveyof junior high school English teachers on their attitudes of the SDGs was conducted using Google Forms.
The questionnaire comprised seven inquiries and was distributed among teachers who had been teaching
English for over a year at either junior high or high school.

The questions were as follows:(1) How long have you been a teacher?
(2) Are you interested in the SDGs?
(3) Are you aware of the SDGs as a subject in your English classes?
(4) If you include the SDGs as a topic in your English classes, which SDG goals would you like to cover?
(Multiple answers)(5) What textbooks do you currently use?
(6) In your current textbook, which units are suitable for relating to the SDGs? Please answer the grade andUnit / Lesson number.
(7) What challenges or difficulties do you think you will face in teaching the SDGs in your classes?

4.1 Results
Responses were received from seven respondents. The results of the questionnaire were as follows.
(1) How long have you been teaching?

Table 1: Results of the length of teaching experience and the number of participants
Length of Teaching Experience

The Number of Participants

1-3 years

1

4-9 years of teaching experience3

10 or more years

2

20 or more years

1(2) Are you interested in the SDGs yourself?
Four respondents answered “Very interested”, and three respondents answered “Interested”.

(3) Are you aware of the SDGs in the subjects you cover in your English classes?
One respondent indicated a high level of awareness by selecting “Very aware”, while three respondents
expressed moderate awareness by choosing “Aware”, and another three respondents indicated low awarenessby selecting “Not very aware”.

(4) If you introduce the SDGs as a topic in your English classes, which SDG goals would you like to cover?
(Multiple answers)

Table 2: Results of the SDGs goals that teachers would like to cover
The SDGs Goals

The Number of Respondents

Goal 1: No Poverty

4

Goal 2: Zero Hunger

4

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being

2

Goal 4: Quality Education

4

Goal 5: Gender Equality

4

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

4

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

3

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth2

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

1

Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

5

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

3

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

4

Goal 13: Climate Action

3

Goal 14: Life Below Water

4

Goal 15: Life On Land

3

Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

4

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

3(5) Which textbook are you currently using?
The number of respondents for each textbook was as follows:
BLUE SKY: 1 respondent
Here We Go!: 3 respondents
NEW HORIZON: 2 respondents

ONE WORLD: 1 respondent(6) Which of your current textbooks are appropriate for relating to the SDGs? Please indicate the grade andUnit / Lesson number.

Table 3: Results of textbook and Unit / Lesson regarding the SDGs
Textbook

Grade

Unit / Lesson

BLUE SKY

2nd

Unit 6 and 8

Here We Go!

2ndWorld Tour 2 (Non-Unit)

3rd

Unit 3,4, and 5

NEW HORIZON

2nd

Unit 5

ONE WORLD

1st

Lesson 8 and 9

2nd

Lesson 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7

3rd

Lesson 2, 6, and 7

Other: We believe that the SDGs can be covered in any basic lesson. We feel that it is always necessary tocommunicate the relationship with the SDGs through activities in which students themselves learn theimportance of learning to communicate.

(7) What challenges or difficulties do you think will be found in teaching when relating the SDGs to theclassroom?
・I have to be careful not to leave out the fact that it's an English class. However, that may not make it deep
enough.
・A certain amount of knowledge is essential for communication in English. Currently, students’ amount ofknowledge has affected their motivation for interaction. To increase opportunities for dialogue using English,
I feel that a lot of correlative learning between other subjects and English, like the International
Baccalaureate, needs to be introduced. Especially in this topic, I wished that more progress could be made inenhancing cross-curricular learning between social studies and English classes. (This means creating
opportunities to use English in social studies as well.)・The problem is that it is difficult for Japanese students, who are relatively well off, to understand. (Whichis probably why they need to develop more empathy.)・I think that junior high schools really have fewer topics directly related to the SDGs than high schools(especially because my students are first-year students in junior high school.). Therefore, teachers still needto expand the topics by making them related somehow, or creating new activities such as projects, small
talks, and so on.

・・I agree with the idea of making the best use of the matter as a topic, but I feel that sometimes theobjective of “having students learn English as a language properly” is lost if the matter is used too much. (Ionce heard a presentation by a teacher who was working on such an approach and wondered how much thestudents were learning “English” as a language.)
・If it is done incompletely, it will end up being "someone else's business. If we make no effort to make it“our personal matter,” we will lose the meaning of the process.
・It is a great disappointment that even if a textbook is created with the SDGs in mind, if the teachers who
use it are not interested in the subject matter, it will be completely meaningless. There is a possibility thatteachers may not be able to deepen the content due to a lack of study on the SDGs. In addition to teachingwith textbooks, it is essential to encourage students to consider the SDGs in connection with the issues
themselves.

5. Discussions
Since ③ “Does the unit specifically mention the points of the SDGs ?” was not specifically mentioned in
the textbooks, teachers need to be more conscious of the SDGs and take classes that introduce the SDGs.
However, introducing the topics or matters related to the SDGs using the textbooks remains a challenging
issue. According to the survey of teachers' attitudes toward the SDGs, its results also revealed that “teachers
do not study enough about the SDGs” and that they find it not easy to make students think about the SDGs as
their own. Therefore, we considered providing an example of a language activity that would encourage
junior high school students to think about the SDGs as their own personal matters in their English classes.
Moreover, Ito (2019) emphasized that the introduction of the SDGs into English language education could bea new direction for foreign language and English language education in Japan. As mentioned above, lessonplans about “A Mother's Lullaby” from NEW HORIZON English Course 3 which was the most extracted
item ② is proposed below.

Procedures:
1. Get students interested in the SDGs, present the icon for the SDGs Goal 16 “Peace, Justice and Strong
Institutions” and ask them to think about the goal before introducing the story.
2. Have students think of some key words and opinions about the goal using a mind map or similar method.
Then have them share them with each other.
3. Read through the story and expand their thought by asking inferential questions.
4. Have students research news they are interested in and present on the theme of “What you can do forpeace.” Being aware of events happening around them in their daily lives may be easier for them to see it as
their own personal matters.

5. Again, have the students think about and share key words and opinions about the goal. Besides, they cancompare their ideas with their own ideas before the lesson (No.1) and learn from the opinions of theirclassmates.

6.

Conclusion

From the survey, we found that textbooks have many different contents to think about the SDGs. However,none of the units in the textbooks we analyzed specifically mention the points of the SDGs. Therefore, there
are limited opportunities for junior high students to develop an understanding of the SDGs. Moreover,teachers should deepen their knowledge of the SDGs more and treat them in the classes. To achieve this,language activity is crucial. In this study, we suggested an example of a language activity. Nonetheless, it is
not clear that the activity as stated above helps junior high school students see the SDGs as their own
personal matter. Further research is needed to explore how the SDGs can be integrated into textbook topics
and effective teaching methods to improve English language skills and motivation. The effects of theseapproaches should be investigated in the further study. We hope that both teachers and students will become
global citizens through English classes in which they learn about the SDGs and think about the topics as theirown personal matter using the authorized textbooks.

※ This paper is based on 2023 International Conference PAAL Poster Presentation.

References
Akiyama, Y. (2021). “Consideration of Tasks as 'Personal Matters': Instruction in 'Presentations'
Incorporating SDGs.” The English Teachers’ Magazine, March Issue, 76-77. Taishukan Shoten.
Ito, H. (2023). Nihon ni okeru CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) no genjo to shorai no
houkousei [Current Situation of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) in Japan and Its Future
Direction]. Journal of Inquiry and Research, (117), 337-355
Ito, M. (2019). Sekai wo jibungoto ka suru eigo jugyo dezain -SDGs to CLIL no yugo- Uniting [SDGs and
CLIL Lesson Designs to Get EFL Learners to Think Globally, Act Locally]. THE BULLETIN OF
CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Tokai University, (4), 15-37
Japan Educational Press. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.kyoiku-press.com/wpcontent/uploads/2020/12/c5256d63a14a9d6000e597dea32a15c4.pdf
Kasajima, J., Ano, K., Ogushi, M., et al. (2021). NEW HORIZON English Course 1. Tokyo Shoseki.
Kasajima, J., Ano, K., Ogushi, M., et al. (2021). NEW HORIZON English Course 2. Tokyo Shoseki.
Kasajima, J., Ano, K., Ogushi, M., et al. (2021). NEW HORIZON English Course 3. Tokyo Shoseki.
Kikuchi, T., & Kamada, S. (2021). “A Study on the Treatment of SDGs in Social Science Textbooks for
Schools.” Bulletin of the Graduate School of Teacher Education, Joetsu University of Education, Vol. 8,45-55.

Kirii, M. (2023). Challenges and prospects of junior high school English education in response to changes inelementary school. [Unpublished master's thesis]. Graduate School of International Studies, Bunkyo
University.
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. (2018). Course of Study for lower
secondary schools. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Negishi, M., Hidai, S., Matsuzawa, S., et al. (2021). New Crown English Series 1. Sanseido.
Negishi, M., Hidai, S., Matsuzawa, S., et al. (2021). New Crown English Series 2. Sanseido.
Negishi, M., Hidai, S., Matsuzawa, S., et al. (2021). New Crown English Series 3. Sanseido.
Ota, H., Koizumi, H., et al. (2021). Here We Go! English Course 1. Mitsumura Tosho.
Ota, H., Koizumi, H., et al. (2021). Here We Go! English Course 2. Mitsumura Tosho.
Ota, H., Koizumi, H., et al. (2021). Here We Go! English Course 3. Mitsumura Tosho.
Sanseido. (2021). Explanation Material for New Crown SDGs-related Documents (Fiscal Year 2021
Edition). Retrieved from https://tb.sanseido-publ.co.jp/03ncpr/documents/document_pdf/03nc_sdgs.pdf
Sonoda, A. (2022). Shin kentei kyokasho ni okeru Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) no atsukai [NewJunior High Textbooks and Sustainable Development Goals: How They Address the 17 Goals]. Kyoai
Gakuen University journal, (22), 31-46.
Tanaka, T., & Tanaka, T. (2009). “Questioning Techniques for English Teachers: Activating English Lessons
with Reading Instruction.” Taishukan Shoten.
Tokyo Shoseki. (2021). Toward a sustainable society. Explanation Material for New HORIZON English
Course (Fiscal Year 2021 Edition). Retrieved from https://ten.tokyoshoseki.co.jp/text/chu/eigo/documents/eigo_jizokukanou.pdf
United Nation Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (n.d.). THE 17 GOALS. Retrieved fromhttps://sdgs.un.org/
Ushiro, Y., Nakashima, Y., Nishigaki, C., et al. (2021). Sunshine English Course 1. Kairyudo.
Ushiro, Y., Nakashima, Y., Nishigaki, C., et al. (2021). Sunshine English Course 2. Kairyudo.
Ushiro, Y., Nakashima, Y., Nishigaki, C., et al. (2021). Sunshine English Course 3. Kairyudo.
Yamamoto, T. (2021). A Proposal for New Classes Integrating NEW CROWN and SDGs. Sanseido.
Retrieved from https://tb.sanseido-publ.co.jp/03ncpr/documents/document_pdf/03nc_sdgs.pdf