The Development of Agency
as Global Citizenship in Tokkatsu
Focusing on the Alteration of School Rules by the Student Council

Dr. Tetsuo KYOMEN, University of Tsukuba
1• The purpose

Introduction。

How Tokkatsu in Japan can contribute to the development of
global citizenship during and after the covid-19 pandemic ?

• Tokkatsu (tokubetsu katsudō)
An area consisting of class activities,
student council, and club activities• Global citizenship education (GCE)Aim to empower learners to “become
proactive contributors to a more just, peaceful,tolerant, inclusive, secure and sustainableworld”（UNESCO, 2014）2

perspective
taking skill

communication skill

conﬂict
resoluti
on skill
kobayashi（2018）

Introduction• GCE is also in line with The“Education 2030”･Student agency･Co-agency･transformative competencies･AAR cycle(Anticipation-Action-Reflection)
https://www.oecd.org/education/2030project/teaching-and-learning/learning/allconcept-notes/
3Introduction
Table 1 - Commonalities between Objectives of Tokkatsu and Agency
1. Help students understand the significance of various group activities
collaborating with a diversity of other people as well as what isnecessary when conducting activities, and learn behavior habits.
2. Help students identify issues in their own life, in communities, and ininterpersonal relationships, hold discussions to find solution, andacquire the ability to reach a consensus as well as to engage in decisionmaking.
3. Cultivate students’ attitude of self-actualization by deepening one’s
ability to think about way of life, and forming better interpersonal
relationships and lives in communities and society by taking advantageof what was acquired through voluntary and hands-on group activities.
Source: prepared by the author based on the MEXT(2017)4

Introduction• Topics
1. The significance and challenges of Tokkatsu from theperspective of developing agency
2. Altering school rules via student councils as one way ofovercoming such challenges, and increasing of its necessityand possibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic
3. Case study from the lower-secondary school within theframework of the Learning Compass and their potential
contribution to global citizenship education
5

The Significance of Tokkatsu• Tsuneyoshi（2019）
1. Learning by doing• Lewis（1995）
2. Child-initiated activities･Creating “rules” to solve daily life
3. Self-motivated, inner-motivatedproblems
action･Behave responsibly
4. Cooperative learning･Autonomy, belonging, competence
5. Integration with academic subjects
6. Collaborative problem-solving out • Duke（1986）of classroom･Mechanism of decision-making
7. Egalitarianism
through dialogue as the essence of
8. Education for life
participatory democracy
6

The Challenges of Tokkatsu• Tokkatsu suffers from its gap with real society･Free to make rules within the limits of the rules set by adults• Opportunity for many students to play a role and demonstrateleadership
Cf. Participation in school administration through representatives• How students can overcome conflicts and build consensus onpractical topics by using “egalitarianism” ?
• Significant meaning of creating the rules by students during under
COVID-197

think of myself
as adult

responsible
members ofsociety

have dreams
for the future

can change
their country
and society bythemselves

JapanIndia
Indonesia
Korea
Vietnam
China

Fig. 1-The 20th Survey on
Awareness
Regarding Societyand Country(Nippon Foundation,2019)

UKUSA
Germany8

https://www.nipponfoundation.or.jp/app/uploads/
2019/11/wha_pro_eig_97.pdf

The Challenges of Tokkatsu• Tokkatsu suffers from its gap with real society･Free to make rules within the limits of the rules set by adults• Opportunity for many students to play a role and demonstrateleadership
Cf. Participation in school administration through representatives• How students can overcome conflicts and build consensus onpractical topics by using “egalitarianism” ?
• Significant meaning of creating the rules by students during under
COVID-199

“Revision of School Rules by Students”
under COVID-19• Various restrictions of Tokkatsu which has been based on face-toface communication and collaboration• Need to develop global citizenship in daily discussion within schools• Opportunity to develop agency by discussing about school rules･Modification of school rules to adapt to the “new normal”
・Movements to reexamine the functions of Tokkatsu• How can the adversity of the spread of the infection be turned into
an opportunity to develop agency ?
10

Practiced as in previous years
Practiced in a different form
Plan to practice in a different form,
but still under consideration
Not practiced
Undecided

Fig. 2-Practice of “trips and overnight group events” under COVID-19
Practiced as in previous years
Practiced in a different form
Plan to practice in a different form,
but still under consideration
Not practiced
Undecided

Fig. 3-Practice of “class meeting” under COVID-19
11

“Revision of School Rules by Students”
under COVID-19• Various restrictions of Tokkatsu which has been based on face-toface communication and collaboration• Need to develop global citizenship in daily discussion within schools• Opportunity to develop agency by discussing about school rules･Modification of school rules to adapt to the “new normal”
・Movements to reexamine the functions of Tokkatsu• How can the adversity of the spread of the infection be turned into
an opportunity to develop agency ?
12

Analysis of Practices of Student Council
Activities in a Lower-secondary School• Hazaidaisan lower-secondary school in Ibaraki prefecture• Summary of Activities･2019: Proposal to change the possible color of shoes to white,black and gray･2020: Proposal “Creating School Rules by Students”･Not only decided by the executive committee, but were also discussed withstudents in respective classes and grade levels.
･Not all suggestions from classes have been accepted･School rules provide clues for students to make their own decisions
13

Fig. 4- Deliberation Process for Establishing New School Rules
Source: prepared by the presenter based on materials obtained during fieldwork
14

Table 2 - Some of the School Rules Submitted to the General Assembly
12

3

4

515

Class Proposals
Reasons for the Proposal Response from the Representative Committee
Allow black and navy
White socks can get dirty
blue as the color of
during activities like PE,
Black and navy blue will be added.
socks other than white. which can draw attention.
To promote healthy
Eyebrow trimming shall be allowed to
Allow students to trim personal hygiene. Somemaintain personal hygiene. Excessive
their eyebrows.
students get their eyebrowsor asymmetric trimming is prohibited.
trimmed at a barber.
These can be brought to school under
Determine rules on
Since the rules aren’t
the following rule: students must use
sunscreens and hand
specified and are
non-scented items in restrooms, andcreams.
ambiguous.
not lend them to each other.
Since everyone uses theStudents shall be allowed to bring one
Allow students to put
same bag, making it
key chain. However, big key chains thatkey chains on theirdifficult to identify themight get entangled with bicycle parts
school bags.
owner of each bag.
and stuffed animals are prohibited.
This prevents students from These shall be prohibited as a general
Allow students to bringmaking contact during
rule (there is a danger of students
their cell phones.
disasters and emergencies. using it while riding a bicycle).

Analysis of Practices of Student Council
Activities in a Lower-secondary School• Mechanisms for All Students to Participate in Democracya. Demonstration of Co-agency by All Teachers (Cooperativeness)･Principal's impetus and students’ initiative･Teachers’ philosophy: create situations where students can be the protagonist･Detailed consultation by young teachers

b. Participation Systems that Promote Dialogues in Diverse Groups(Diversity)･Class meeting and student committees at each grade level･Student council as hub to overcome conflicts and confrontations
16

Figure 3- Sun Model of Co-Agency
https://www.oecd.org/education/2030-project/teaching-and-learning/learning/all-concept-notes/
17

Fig. 4- Deliberation Process for Establishing New School Rules
Source: prepared by the presenter based on materials obtained during fieldwork
18

Analysis of Practices of Student Council
Activities in a Lower-secondary School• Mechanisms for All Students to Participate in Democracya. Demonstration of Co-agency by All Teachers (Cooperativeness)･Principal's impetus and students’ initiative･Teachers’ philosophy: create situations where students can be the protagonist･Detailed consultation by young teachers

b. Participation Systems that Promote Dialogues in Diverse Groups(Diversity)･Class meeting and student committees at each grade level･Student council as hub to overcome conflicts and confrontations
19

Table 4 - Summary of Classroom Activity Record Sheets for Two Classes

123
45
620

9th Grade (Class 2)
9th Grade (Class 3)
Rule to Change
Reasons
Rule to Change
Reasons
Can attract attention
Can attract attention
Color of socks
Color of socks
when soiled
when soiled
Can be used yearInstall dedicated trashUse antiperspirant round
Use antiperspirant bins for it
sheetsCan containsheets
Can be used if it’s nonfragrance
fragrant
Allowing eyebrow
Allowing eyebrow
For personal hygiene
For personal hygiene
shavingshaving
Hairstyle: make it It's better to tie it
Allow students to As an activity on a rainy
possible to tie hair high and out of thebring playing cards day, and for warmth on aabove the ears
wayand lap blanket
cold day
Suitable for
Backpacks don't fit inHairstyle: undercut
Allow knapsacks
educational settinglockers
Difficult toAllow additional
The current rule requires
Allow key chainsdistinguish backpacks sweater colors
students to buy navy blueFig. 4- Deliberation Process for Establishing New School Rules
Source: prepared by the presenter based on materials obtained during fieldwork
21

Analysis of Practices of Student Council
Activities in a Lower-secondary School• Mechanisms for All Students to Participate in Democracyc. Implementation of the AAR cycle by utilizing records (Creativity)･Use of Worksheets in all the meetings･Link from small groups to larger groups by AAR cycle

d. Promoting Motivation through Cross-age Activities (Continuity)･Inspiration by the leadership of senior students･Inheritance of tradition and creation of new cultures
22

Conclusion
Tokkatsu
COVID-19 pandemic

initiative andcollaborative action

alteration of school rules
subjectification

global citizenshipagencycollaboration
23

diversity

socialization

creativity

continuity

Thank you very much for your attention!

Acknowledgement
This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 20K02756.
24

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