本文へスキップ

Welcome to Fujita's Lab!

〒305-8572 茨城県つくば市天王台1-1-1　筑波大学人間系

Just Mumbling around Career Education

Episode 62: September 5, 2021

  • Dear Readers:

    Welcome to the "Just Mumbling around Career Education" series. This series is part of the official website for the Career Education Research Section in the Faculty of Human Sciences and the Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan. You can read the English version from "Episode 60" here.

    First of all, please allow me to explain why I am starting from "Episode 60".

    Among the things created in ancient China and introduced to Japan during the same period were ten symbols called "Jikkan" and twelve symbols called "Junishi", which alone or in combination represented the date, year, month, time, and direction. When the decimal system "Jikkan" and the duodecimal system "Junishi" kept cycling, they would return to their initial combination on the 60th time. For this reason, "60" is still treated as a milestone number that signifies a second start. The fact that in Japan, the 60th birthday is often celebrated with a festive atmosphere is an example of this.

    Please note that the English version will be posted at a later date than the original Japanese version due to the time needed for translation.

    Shortly (or hopefully), I will be extracting some of the articles from "Episode 1" to "Episode 59" and translate them into English as well.

    Thanks,
    Teruyuki FUJITA, Ph.D.
    Professor, Faculty of Human Sciences, Univesity of Tsukuba

    ✽

    Episode 62: The Results of 2021 National Assessment of Academic Ability Urges Career Education Practices to Exercise Ingenuity (September 5, 2021)

    The results of the 2021 National Assessment of Academic Ability conducted in May were released on August 31. Last year, the survey itself was canceled due to the temporary closure of schools nationwide after the outbreak of COVID-19, so this was the only survey in two years. Almost all 6th graders in public primary schools and 9th graders in public lower secondary schools nationwide participated in the assessment.

    On September 1st, the morning editions of the major national newspapers widely reported the survey results. Many of you may remember that there was no correlation between the ratio of correct answers in each question in the assessment and the length of time schools were closed in different regions. In general, we can say that the educational practices of the teachers based on their meticulous consideration during and after the school closure resulted in these positive outcomes.

    I truly am amazed at the teachers in Japan. In the spring of last year, Japanese schools were overwhelmingly behind in the ICT environment compared to other developed countries. The majority of schools could not even imagine offering online classes. Despite this, I am convinced that we owe it all to the efforts of the teachers, even if the "secret" behind these positive results needs to be examined in detail in the future.

    As noted above, the results of the 2021 National Assessment of Academic Ability have already been extensively covered in both national and local newspapers. Also, the official website of the National Institute for Educational Policy Research (NIER) provides detailed reports (https://www.nier.go.jp/kaihatsu/ zenkokugakuryoku.html). Therefore, in this episode, I will present selected findings in the student survey that seem to be particularly important for career education practices.

    ✽

    To start with, let's look at some of the results that made me smile and say, "You guys are awesome!"

    First, I will note that there have been statistically significant increases in the percentage of students who answered positively (i.e. who selected "Strongly agree" or "Agree a little") to the item "I willingly help others when they are in trouble" and "I think I have good traits in my characteristics". In particular, it was so encouraging to see the progress in the sense of self-efficacy among students even in the COVID-19 pandemic with many restrictions set on daily life.

    Furthermore, among the items surveyed for the first time, the percentage of respondents who answered affirmatively to the item "It is interesting to think about opinions that differ from my own," was 70.2% for 6th graders in primary school and 74.8% for 9th graders in lower secondary schools. It is more than four percentage points higher for 9th graders than for 6th graders, suggesting that their positive recognition of others who have different opinions and their appreciation towards such differences are enhancing as they grow up.

    These perceptions are important for children who will be participating in a society becoming increasingly globalized, diverse, and pluralistic.

    You are on the right track! Way to go!

    ✽

    On the other hand, there are some results that made me mutter, "Well, I know you couldn't help it. I was just like you when I was a kid."

    There was no difference in the ratio of 6th graders and 9th graders who answered positively to "I try to accomplish what I have decided to do", at 84.4% and 84.1% respectively. However, the percentage of respondents who positively answered to "I plan and study by myself at home (including preparation and review for school classes)" was much lower, at 74.1% in 6th graders and 63.4% in 9th graders. I think this is the honest voice of students saying, "Yes, I know, but I just can't handle it."

    Also, the percentage of 9th graders who "plan and study by themselves at home" is lower than that of 6th graders. This may not be something to be praised, but is a reality that cannot be blamed. It is unavoidable for the students in the middle of their adolescence to have difficulty concentrating on their studies. Further, with the widening gap in understanding and proficiency among them, it is rather natural that they want to escape from something they are not particularly good at.

    Since last summer, the number of regions and schools compelled to take temporary school closures has drastically decreased, but many of the students have been forced to manage their tasks autonomously due to the intermittent dispersed school schedules and shortened classes in the face of the unpredictable new coronaviruses. In these situations, more than 70% of 6th graders and 60% of 9th graders said, "I plan and study by myself at home." I would say this was a better result than expected. (No, I'm not praising you. .......)

    Another unique feature of the results was the large increase in the ratio of students who answered that they "play video games (including computer games, mobile games, and games using cell phones and smartphones) for one hour or more per day" on weekdays. In particular, based on comparison with the previous survey, the percentage of respondents who play video games for more than three hours a day has increased significantly, accounting for about 30% of the total number of both 6th and 9th graders. Of course, this is not something that can be admired, but with the frequent shortening of classes and restrictions on extracurricular activities, it would be harsh to loudly condemn the situation, since students have not been able to play outdoors freely even after school or on holidays.

    ✽

    And, of course, there are some aspects of the survey results that need special attention for the improvement in teaching and other educational practices at schools.

    A typical example is probably the response to the question "Do you have dreams or goals for the future?" In terms of the overall positive response rate (the sum of the response rates for "Yes, I do" and "Somewhat, I do"), there was a slight downward trend among 6th graders, but the results for 9th graders were almost the same as the previous survey. However, if we extract only the "Yes, I do" responses, the results were 60.2% for 6th graders (down 5.7 points) and 40.5% for 9th graders (down 4.4 points).

    What we also need to keep our eyes on is the percentage of schools that responded positively to the question in school survey, "In the previous year, did you provide students in the surveyed grades guidance to think about their future job and dreams?" Although there has been an increase in the number of primary schools providing such guidance to students, and most of the lower secondary schools have continued to do so, the percentage of students who explicitly answered that they have dreams or goals for the future decreased in the current survey.

    The number of the total unemployed in Japan, which had been decreasing since the so-called Lehman Shock, turned up last year to 1.91 million (up 290,000 from the previous year: the first increase in 11 years). In addition, the number of employed persons was 66.76 million (a decrease of 480,000 from the previous year, the first decrease in eight years), and the average number of persons out of work in 2020 was 2.56 million (an increase of 800,000 from the previous year). (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Statistics Bureau, "Labor Force Survey"). These data show that the measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 are directly linked to the stagnation of economic activities and the unstable employment situation. Further, there are numerous households that have faced a significant drop in income.

    Ideally, career education practices at schools should have played important roles in reducing the anxiety and sense of stagnation of students and foster a positive attitude toward the possibilities of the future. However, as more schools were finding it difficult to provide learning opportunities in workplaces as well as lectures by professionals, there have been only a few exceptions where schools have been able to let students directly meet adults trying to overcome difficult situations by demonstrating their resilience, creativity, and strategic planning skills.

    We also missed the opportunity to inform them about the current status of various government initiatives to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and various employment promotion measures. The light of help and support to get out of this dark reality did not reach many children.

    Furthermore, 55.0% of 6th graders and 62.5% of 9th graders answered "Yes" or "Somewhat yes" to the question "Did you feel anxious about your studies at home during your school was temporarily closed due to the spread of COVID-19? " We should also note that 64.7% of 6th graders and 37.7% of 9th graders responded in the affirmative to the question, "Were you able to continue your studies at home as you planned? This highlights that many students were anxious about their studies during the school closures, particularly those in lower secondary schools who were anxious but had difficulty engaging in their studies as much as they intended. As I mentioned above, it is not easy for secondary school students to control themselves and engage in their studies. While they are worried and stressed out about not making progress in their studies, they cannot tackle it on their own. The anguish of students in lower secondary schools is apparent here.

    It is not so difficult for us to imagine that the disparity is quite large between students who receive online individual study support from private tutors or who have constant access to role models and advisors at home (for example, older brothers and sisters who study independently, or parents and other family members who can help with the questions they cannot handle by themselves), and those who do not have any of these resources.

    In fact, the student survey included the question, "Approximately how many books are there in your home (excluding magazines, newspapers, and school textbooks)?" and the following options were provided: 0-10, 11-25, 26-100, 101-200, 201-500, and 501 or more. A cross-analysis between the result and academic achievement has already been done. It revealed that the students with more books at home tended to have higher scores both in Mathematics in Japanese. The number of books at home is an example of the objectified state of cultural capital, as Pierre Bourdieu called it. In other words, the results of this survey also strongly suggest a correlation between social hierarchy and academic achievement.

    The cross-analysis also found that students who spent less time playing video games on weekdays tended to have better scores, which may be a correlation with the home environment, such as the presence of role models and advice on how to deal with smartphones and game players.

    ✽

    What can or should schools do in such situations?

    The first thing I would like to ask for is the enhancement of career education practices at schools in cooperation with the local communities. As I mentioned above, even amid the severe situation caused by COVID-19, we see many people in the community who have overcome their difficulties and are trying to contribute to society by creating new products and services through their resilience and constructive ideas. In addition, there are many subsidies and supports available for companies and for individuals that are in line with the realities of the employment situations today. Of course, it would be irresponsible and comforting to overly glorify these "lights". However, it would be a misfortune for students and ultimately for Japanese society as a whole if they are not provided with the opportunity to recognize the existence of such "light" and are left only with a future in darkness.

    Next, we should recall once again the roles of schools in Japan that we have come to recognize through the nationwide temporary closure of schools last spring and to devise ways to fully exercise these roles (although this may sound to be merely a copy of the report compiled by the Central Council for Education in January). Schools in Japan have been fulfilling not only the role of "guaranteeing learning opportunities and academic achievement" but also the role of "guaranteeing holistic development and growth" and "guaranteeing physical and mental health (a place to stay and a safety net where students can feel safe and secure)". In particular, for the students from families with financial difficulties and those who do not have sufficient educational support from their family members, it is crucial to have a trusting relationship not only with teachers but also with school counselors and social workers, as well as with peers and friends. Especially today, when it is difficult to find a way out of the threat of the highly contagious Delta variant, it will be more important than ever to exceptionally allow those students to commute to school and secure opportunities for collaborative learning when online or other remote classes are only available choices during temporary school closures.

    In light of the heavy workload and long working hours of Japanese teachers, as illustrated by the OECD's TALIS, a comprehensive reconsideration of the "scope of responsibilities" traditionally undertaken by them is obviously necessary. However, I believe that right now is not the time to develop the full discussion. At this point, we should try to realize the "socially open curriculum" that the new Courses of Study (the new national curriculum standards) aim for while we make the best use of the "one tablet device for every student with a high-speed network" that has been provided through the GIGA School Initiative. In such processes, I hope that school education will continue "guaranteeing learning opportunities and academic skills" while ensuring "holistic development and growth" and "physical and mental health" without leaving anyone behind. In this case, I believe that the teachers are the only professionals who can be the "main pillars" to sustain such school education in Japan.

    (Translated and uploaded on September 14, 2021)

バナースペース

藤田晃之

〒305-8572
茨城県つくば市天王台1-1-1
筑波大学人間系

TEL 029-853-4598（事務室）