Teaching About Japan: Global Perspectives in Teacher Decision-Making, Context, and Practice

Abstract One pressing issue that students in the new millennium must know more about is the uneasy bilateral relationship between the United States and Japan. In this study, I examined how 33 teachers from 21 schools, who participated in the Japan Today Program, taught about Japan, continued teaching about Japan after a one-year commitment, chose a specific pedagogy, and shared their knowledge and experiences with peers. In order to examine emerging themes, I used the constant comparative methodology to examine a large qualitative database collected over two years. The findings provided salient insights into how teachers conceptualized teaching about Japan and contextual factors shaping their instructional decisions. Despite increasing demands placed on teachers in the curriculum reform and standards movements, these teachers shared significant similarities, differences, and unique ways of teaching about Japan. Schools that developed exemplary Japan programs became prototypes in the district. These programs were characterized by extensive collaboration among faculty, administrators, and Japan participants, thus demonstrating that effective school programs are inextricably linked to school reform.