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Staff Qualification and Competency Improvement Programs at Comprehensive Education Center
Example of Curriculum Management Training toward the Fourth Industrial Revolution Era
In the case of Okinawa Prefecture
Kumiko Tomori: Comprehensive Education Center of Okinawa Prefecture
Masami Isoda: Center for Research on International Cooperation in Educational Development(CRICED), University of Tsukuba

Introduction
In Japan, there are public institutions dedicated to the improvement of the education quality. These
include the National Institute for Educational Policy Research (NIER), the National Institute for
School Teachers and Staff Development (NITS), prefectural education centers of 47 prefectures whichmean states or provinces in Japan, and city educations centers of twenty mega cities. These institutionsorganize uniform teacher trainings in order to achieve the national curricular standards, as well asteacher trainings responding to the local issues of each area. 30% of the employment of teaching staff
at Japanese public schools is financed by the national budget, while the remaining 70% is financed by
the prefectural budget. Their hiring is conducted locally at each prefecture or mega city. The staffs aretransferred between the schools within the local area where they were initially hired. One teacher isassigned at the same school for five years or so. The training conducted at each center is provided forthe teaching staff employed within the local area. This paper will explain the role of prefectural
education centers, using the case of Comprehensive Education Center of Okinawa Prefecture as an
example, and will discuss the contents of teacher trainings through the case of a curriculum
management training.

1. Teacher Training and Lesson study in JapanFirstly, the teacher training system in Japan must be explained (Isoda, M et al, 2007). Public school
teachers are obliged to undergo trainings. These trainings are broadly divided between the professional
trainings with costs such as travel expenses are paid, and the other trainings without such an allowance.
The trainings without allowance are divided between the trainings with professional duty exemption
where the principle allows a staff member to take a training during the working hours, and thevoluntary trainings where a staff takes outside the working hours at his/her own cost. The professional
trainings include the in-school training organized by individual schools, trainings organized by the
local school districts (city/county) or by the prefecture, and the trainings organized nationally. The
voluntary trainings include participation in lesson study groups, cooperation with university professors,and participation in seminars or conferences. Among the professional trainings, the in-school trainings
are organized either by the principle of each school or the research department of the school, and the1

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school district/prefectural trainings are organized by the institution where the educational supervisorof the seminar belongs to. At times, external specialists such as a university professor is invited to theprofessional training as an external lecturer. The teacher’s license must be renewed every ten years. A
teacher has to participate in the license renewal seminar organized by universities or academic
societies as a voluntary training. Most of the trainings organized by the center are professional duty
trainings.
Lesson study is broadly divided between those organized internally by each school and thoseorganized by study groups. Schools affiliated to a university hold an open class every year, and nationalor prefectural designated research schools hold an open class once every few years. Elementary andjunior high schools have the visiting days for parents of children. Especially at elementary schools, avisiting day is organized once or twice each year in minimum and open classes are regularly organizedfor parents (guardians). This custom, which allows people to observe classes, makes it easier for theteachers to actively engage in lesson study.
Revisions of national curricular standards are conducted separately for each subject, based onachievement surveys, results of lesson study at schools affiliated to universities and designatedresearch schools, and the national themes for educational improvement. Each textbook is written byteachers currently in service, supervised by university professors, prepared by each textbook publisher,and examined to check if it satisfies the national curricular standards. Only the certified textbooks aresellected by each school district, and distributed for free through the subsidy of the national budget.
The curriculum is organized by each school based on the national standards. Its flexibility toward thenational standards is allowed at 10% for elementary and junior high schools, and 20% for high schools.
Every year, a national achievement survey is conducted among the all 6th grade elementary school
students and the all 3rd grade junior high school students in mathematics and language. Prefectural
survey is conducted among all the students from the 4th grade elementary school to the 3rd grade juniorhigh school. The purpose of these surveys do not examine the achievements of individual student, but
to know the local and national reform issues for education. The survey results are used, especially by
the every education board, for knowing the achievement of each school and each teacher. Such precise
information is only noticed within supervisors. It is useful for both the planning of trainings andimprovement of curriculum by the national and prefectural governments.
The trainings organized on the occasion of the revisions of the national curricular standards are
conducted in the following cascade: National centers, prefectural centers, school districts and inschool. There are diversities in the research themes of lesson study such as the research to propose
innovative educational method and teaching contents, the research for implementing new curriculums,
and the research for simply improving the qualification and competency of individual teachers.
The fact that the mathematic competency of Japanese students has high standards, top ranking
among the members of OECD countries on the OECD PISA survey (2015) in mathematics, is due tothe comprehensive improvement of the pedagogical content knowledge of Japanese teachers through2

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these lesson studies conducted under these systems. The superiority of Japanese style lesson study is
acknowledged by other countries and recognized to be the problem-solving approach to nurture
students who learn and think by and for themselves. On the other hand, it has been pointed out that asimple imitation of the approach does not lead to any improvement in students’ achievement. The
foundation for such competency improvement depends on the high quality implementation based onteachers’ comprehensive levels of the teaching material research achieved through lesson studies andthe advanced extent of sharing such knowledge. This foundation cannot be achieved in a short periodof time. The further deepening of these teaching material researches and lesson studies is thepermanent objective of every education centers and the instruction supervisor of each municipality.

2. Role of Comprehensive Education Center of Okinawa Prefecture
The center of each prefecture started as an education research institute after the Second World War.
Later, their training function was strengthened and they became teacher training center, and finally
their general education improvement function was strengthened to become comprehensive education
centers. Here, the case of Okinawa Prefecture is discussed as for explaining functions. As it is aprefectural education center, its roles differs from those of national centers due to the regional
characteristics of Okinawa Prefecture and the local issues it must solve.
Before explaining the functions, the regional characteristics of Okinawa Prefecture must be
discussed. Japan is an island country whose total length is 3,000km. Okinawa Prefecture is located on
its southern limit, and consists of islands with beautiful coral reefs. It was an independent country until
it became a part of Japan in the 17th century. It continues to influence its own unique history and culture
to the world. For instance, ‘karate’ was developed in Okinawa based on Chinese martial arts. It started
to spread through Japan in the 1910s, and became ‘taekwondo’ in Korea after the 1940s. On the other
hand, Okinawa was heavy battlefields during the Second World War, and was under American control
until 1972 when it was returned to Japan. Due to this history, it has been an under-developed area ofJapan. It faced many challenges also in the field of education. For instance for many years, it was at
the bottom of the national achievement surveys (ranked at 47th) for mathematics. However, theachievements of its students had improved in last four years and ranked as 6th in Japan. This centerhas been playing the central role in this improvement of achievements.
The functions of this center consist of investigative research, workshops for students, educational
consultation that involves parents, providing information and trainings. The investigative researchfunction includes researches for improving the ability of schools, teaching skill of teachers and “living
force (the slogan of the national curricular standards)” of students. For instance, there is a research toinvestigate and plan the training contents necessary for realizing the way to conduct classes in orderto achieve school goals in cooperation with the school. For such a research, the instruction supervisor
belonging to the center regularly visits the school for inspection and offer advices. The workshop forstudents function include ICT training and food processing training for high school students in
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vocational training. For instance, it includes programming or presentation preparation workshop thatinvolves collaborative inquiry. The educational consultation function includes consultation forstudents failing to fit into their schools, for university and/or career choices, and for bringing up
handicapped children and for them to attending school. The function for providing information include
publication of the research results, providing teaching materials such as books, and support for
educational and cultural activities by the center staff, providing digital contents and operation ofprefectural network system. The training function includes in addition to legally required training for
newly employed teacher and the training after 10 years of employment, and additional training for two,
three and five years of employment, training for 15 years of employment, training for managerial
positions, training for a head teacher of each grade, long term training to stay at the center for 6 months,
short-term training course during a summer break, and delivery trainings conducted at schools onrequested. Especially during summer breaks, teachers are required either to work at their schools or totake trainings at the center and other institutions. The center organizes 80 courses as for the short-term
trainings during a summer break.

3. Teacher’s Standards: Career Path for Teachers
As for the consistent development of teachers are required after their hiring, teacher’s standards
have been established in countries around the world. The

report by the Teacher’s Training

Subcommittee of the Central Council for Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Scienceand Technology (MEXT, 2016), demanded the professional development of teachers and theclarification of their career path, and each prefecture documented the career path for teachers. Okinawa
Prefecture set the model competency of teachers and career developmental stages for teachers in 2017.
These model competency and stages become the goals indispensable for planning and implementing
the teacher trainings at the center. The model competency are described under the principles of threefactors that act as the forces to support a teacher.
➢

Ethics, sense of mission, and responsibility: As a public servant in education who act with higher
ethics, stronger sense of mission and responsibility through this awareness, one must be awarethat the citizens of the prefecture trust you with the noble mission of looking after thedevelopment of their children.

➢

Educational affection and awareness for human right: As a teacher who work with children daily
and greatly influence their growth, one must be able to interact with children with true educational
affection and high awareness for human right.

➢

Rich humanity and ability to continue learning: As an educator who will open up children’s future,
one must be able to continue learning as a highly specialized profession through mature oneself
and nurture rich humanity.

With the principles as a teacher, the following model career stages are defined according to theteaching experience.
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Give energy to the school!
st

Hiring stage (The 1 year)• One can implement teaching activities based on the current status of his/her
students using the foundational knowledge and skills for educational
activities.
• One is aware of his/her position as a teacher in Okinawa Prefecture, and isable to engage with duties at school as a member of the school team under
the cooperative system of the school while actively seeking instructions andadvices from other teaching staffs.

Be thorough with one’s• One can implement teaching activities based on the current status of his/her

responsibilities at school!

students using the foundational knowledge and skills for educationalrd

Basic Stage (Around the 3 year)

activities.
• One can engage with duties at school as a member of the school team while
coordinating/cooperating with other teaching staffs.

Lead educational activities!

• One enriches one’s knowledge and skills for educational activities, and is

Fulfillment Stage (Around the 8thable to use them to implement and promote creative teaching activities.

year)• One can promote the structuring of coordination and cooperation systemthrough improvement of camaraderie among staffs and enrichment of
coordination and cooperation, for instance through actively engaging withother, less experienced, teaching staffs.

Play central roles!

• One can effectively promote educational activities that takes the current

Development Stage (Around thestatus of an entire school and its local area by utilizing one’s experience and13th year)

strengths.
• One is able to play central roles in the coordination and cooperation systemof the school and between divisions, and is able to instruct and advice otherteaching staffs.

Support the school with

• One can promote educational activities effectively and efficiently with acomprehensive perspective!

comprehensive perspective of an entire school based on one’s rich

Instructor Stage (After the 18th

knowledge, skills and experience.

year)• One is able to support the coordination and cooperation system of theschool team and appropriately support and nurture other teachers with acomprehensive perspective.

These are the career stages defined by Okinawa Prefecture. Each stage listed here has the requiredcompetency and their development stages regarding the student guidance (understanding students andskills for individual and group teaching), the school management (coordination and cooperation, safety
and risk management, problem solving ability, administrative skill and information utilization andmanagement skill) and practical skills for implementation (curriculum planning, teaching practice and5図の翻訳は不要

assessment, lesson study and improvement) described in detail which has five pages more.
The every goal for the training programs conducted by the center is clarified by referring some
aspect of these principles and competency.

4. Case Study: Curriculum Management Training for Nurturing Children Who Will
Build the Society 5.0 beyond the 4th industrial revolution
Here, we will discuss the curriculum management training conducted by Tomori, one of the authorsof this paper, which was one of the 80 courses held as summer training. The case of this training course
was 3 days workshop in mathematics, and it was held for teachers for management positions, researchchiefs and ordinary teachers. The purpose of this training to learn the curriculum management was toenable teachers to imagine the unique schools and planning the implementation by themselves. In thenational curricular standards (2016), curriculum management is defined as follows:“Every school organizationally and systematically ensures the improvement of the quality of theireducational activities based on its own curriculum through: knowing the current status of students,
school and the area, preparing the necessary educational goals and the teaching contents with crosscutting perspective across curriculum subjects, improving implementation process of own
curriculum by assessing the current status of implementation, and securing the human and material
resources systematically which is necessary for the implementation of the curriculum.”
It’s summarized by the following three aspects: (1)Horizontal perspective across curriculum subjects,(2) PDCA cycle and (3) Utilization of educational
resources.
The first questions asked for the workshop were: How
is our society changing? What are competencies
required in this changing society? And how shall you
set the educational goals/aims of your school for thiscurrent

situation?

The

participant

held

free

discussions and conducted group works while theseminar introduced Society 5.0, which is thealternative society image required by the societal
changes under the fourth industrial revolution
involving AI and robots. The report for Society 5.0
was published by the Cabinet Office and the MinistryFig.1 Curriculum Management Aspects (1) to (3)of International Trade and Industry in 2017, and it was

and Strengths, Issues and Aspects to be improved

adapted by the National Education Council in 2018.
The main theme for the 2016 curriculum reform necessary for nurturing the children who will bebuilding Society 5.0 were: Nurturing competencies for humanity toward learning (engaging in thesociety and world for conducting better life), Utilizing what one understands and what one is capable
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of (competency for thinking, judging and expressiveness), and what one can understand and what one
is capable of (knowledge and skills).
With the referring of the abovementioned goals anddiscussion in the group, the sense for challenges werematured. The Part 1 of the workshop started with eachgroup discussing the local issues and asked to set theschool name by themselves based on their images forsocietal innovation. Analyzing the current status of
the named school in relation to their experience of thelast year from the points for strengths, problematics
and challenges for improvement situation, in regard
to the every aspect of (1), (2) and (3) on the
curriculum management. Finally, they were organized
it in a matrix (Fig.1).
Departing from this matrix, Part 2 involved thediscussion of the grand design of school management

Fig.2 Grand Design for Educational Goals offor the next academic year among each group. This

School and Their Implementation

grand design is organized as a table (Fig.2). The
components are setting their school goals, the image of the ideal children, and the themes of in-school
training. In Japan, these are usually planned by a small group including the principle and the researchchief or the committee members, and then approved at the staff meeting. Indeed in reality, teachers areusually too busy and their schools cannot easily provide the opportunity or time for such planning as
a whole school. It is possible in a summer training course because it allows time to be spent on suchan experience and it is necessary experience for their career development.
Part 3 involved a planning of a class based on the prepared grand design by each group. Eachgroup prepared the lesson study proposal with their lesson plan, and discussed how the content of
their lesson plan corresponds with the grand design they prepared. Fig.3 is the lesson plan format
prepared by the trainer as exemplar on “addition or subtraction” in Grade 2 mathematics.

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Fig.3 Lesson Plan for Implementing the Grand Design
The format of lesson plan (Fig.3) is organized by the following components: Upper section is theobjective of the class, the middle is the corkboard writing to arrange ideas from students, the left
shows the necessary activities at introduction, development and summary, and the right shows thepoints for assessments, assignment at home and reflection.
The questionnaire taken after the training showed all positive responses, such as how fun andimportant curriculum management is, how the grand design activity at school is enjoyable, and how
one gained the perspectives for daily classes not only teaching mathematics but also nurtures thecompetencies demanded under the curriculum.

Conclusion
This paper illustrated the functions of the center and the curriculum management training as a caseof the trainings it offers. Among the training activities by the center, Japanese manner with very muchdetailed tack caring attentions are paid to the consistent professional skill acquisition goals under themodel competency of teachers, training planning based on it, integrating a school as the learning
community of teachers through learning together, and positioning of the preparation of lesson planrequired in lesson study for the realization of school goals in addition to the satisfaction of the national
curricular standards. The center is comprehensively promoting concrete teaching quality improvement
plans for nurturing children who can study and think for themselves that will build the society for next
generation. After the training, the participating schools often request the supervisors of the trainings
to support their schools. These present opportunities for the center to support in-school lesson study
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promotion. As discussed above, there are diverse people, methods and trainings for teaching quality
improvement in Japan, and they function in mutual coordination. What were discussed in this paper
are only the teacher trainings at the center, and there are many other trainings held by diverse
organizations.
Reference9