Internationalization of higher education at Otemae University
著者別名 カールソン ゴードン
journal or
publication title
Journal of Research and Pedagogy of Otemae university Institute of International
Education
volume 3
page range 003‑013
year 2017‑03‑31
URL http://id.nii.ac.jp/1160/00001409/
Creative Commons : 表示 ‑ 非営利 ‑ 改変禁止 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by‑nc‑nd/3.0/deed.ja
InternationalizationofHigherEducationatOtemaeUniversity
GordonCarlson
Abstract:InternationalizationwithinJapaneseuniversitiesisfastbecomingastrategictrendastheydevelop strategiesforincreasinginternationalstudentenrollment,researchcollaborations,andcurricularaccommodations.
Withanexpectedshiftinstudentdemographicscomesanemergingneedforeducatorstoadapttothechanging
needsoftheirstudents.Byhighlightingrecentadvancementininternationalizinguniversitycampuses,thispaper encouragestheneedforteacherstorecognizethegrowingimportanceofdeveloping"interculturalcommunicative competence"(Byram,1997)andincorporatingsocioculturalelementsintotheirteachingmethods.Inparticular, culturaladeptnesswillbeparticularlyrelevantaseducatorsconstructcurriculums,materials,andteaching approachesthatareinclusiveofvariedculturesrepresentedintheirclassrooms.Inadditiontostayingcurrentwith pedagogicalapproachesandmethodology,teacherscanpromoteculturalconsciousnessbyprovidingstudentswith
opportunitiestosharetheirowncultureswhileatthesametimebeingexposedtoothers.Whilekeepingtheir nationalidentitiesintact,bothnativeandinternationallearnerscanadoptasenseofglobalcitizenshipand comradeshipwiththeirpeers,ultimatelybecomingstrongercontributorsintheclassroomandtothelargersociety.
要 約
日本 の 大 学 に お け る 国 際 化 は 、 外 国 か らの 入 学 者 数 、 共 同 研 究 、 交 換 留 学 を 増 や す 方 法 を 開 拓 し、
急 速 に 戦 略 的 に な っ て い る。今 後 の 学 生 数 の 予 想 推 移 を 鑑 み る と 、教 育 者 に は 、学 生 の ニ ー ズ 変 化 に 対 応 す る こ と が 、早 急 に 求 め られ て い る。 この 論 文 で は 、国 際 化 して い る 大 学 キ ャ ンパ ス に お け る近 年 の 変 化 を 紹 介 し、 教 育 者 に 「異 文 化 問 の 伝 達 能 力 」(Byram、1997)を 開 発 す る こ との 重 要 性 が 大 き く な っ て い る こ と、社 会 文 化 の 要 素 を 教 育 法 に 取 り込 む 必 要 が あ る こ と を促 す 。教 室 内 に は 多 くの 異 文 化 が 存 在 して お り、カ リ キ ュ ラ ム 、教 材 、教 育 方 法 を 準 備 す る た め に 、文 化 対 応 力 は 特 に 重 要 で あ ろ う。 現 在 利 用 して い る 教 育 学 的 ア プ ロー チ と方 法 論 に加 え て 、教 育 者 は 、学 生 に そ れ ぞ れ の 独 自 の 文 化 を共 有 させ る と 同 時 に 、他 者 に 独 自 の 文 化 を示 す 機 会 を 提 供 す る こ と で 、文 化 的 な 意 識 を 推 し 進 め る こ とが で き る。 そ れ ぞ れ の ア イ デ ン テ ィ テ ィ を 損 な う こ と な く、 日本 人 と留 学 生 と も に 、 グ ロ ー バ ル 市 民 で あ る と い う意 識 づ く り、そ して 仲 間 意 識 を培 う こ とが で き る 。そ れ が 最 終 的 に は 、教 室 内 、 ひ い て は よ り大 き な 枠 組 み で よ り大 き な力 とな る。
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Introduction
Toremainrelevantinaneraofashrinkingstudentpopulationandtheprogressionofinternationalization,
educatorsinJapanfacepressuretoadapttothetimes.Alargelymonoculturallearningenvironmentisstartingtogive
waytoamulticulturalcontext.Consequently,teachersneedtocontinuallyreflectontheirteachingpracticesand
uncoverareasinwhichtheylacktheknowledgeandskillsrequiredtomeettheshiftingneedsofthosewhoenter
theirclassrooms.Withthenumberofinternationalstudentsexpectedtoriseinthecomingyears,thispapersupports
therationalethatinstructorswillincreasinglybecomedevelopersandinitiatorsofeducationthatisinclusiveand
sensitivetoculturalissues.Teachersmustbeadvocatesforlearnerswholackavoice,workingfortheirbestinterests
bytakingappropriateactionsontheirbehalf(Fenner&Segota,2014).
StartingbyaddressingthechangesinthestudentdemographicsinJapanoverthelasteightyears,thispaper
stressestheneedforcurriculumadjustmentstowardculturalawarenessasanincreasingnumberofinstitutions
endeavortointernationalize.ThefollowingsectionsassessthecurrentsituationandperformanceofOtemae
UniversityandthestepsthatarebeingtakentorealizeitsvisionofbecomingafUll一 且edgedinternationaluniversity.
Reflectionisgivenontheresponsibilitythatallteachershavetobecomemulticulturaleducatorsbyexpandingtheir
personalgrowthandpedagogy,ultimatelyequippingtheirstudentstointeracteffectivelywithpeopleofdifferent origins.Itconcludeswiththehypothesisthatteachersneedtocontinuallysharpentheirskillsandeducatethemselves
withup‑to‑dateknowledgeandculturaladeptness.Itcontendsthatcreatinganinclusiveenvironmentthroughthe
developmentofculturallysensitivecurriculumandstudent‑centeredtaskscanhelpinstillaspiritofacceptance
amongpeersthatextendsfromtheclassroomtotherealworld.
CulturalAwarenessinEducation
In2008,formerPrimeMinisterYasuoFukudaannouncedaplantoraisethenumberofforeigncollege
studentsfrom140,000to300,000,0rroughly10%ofthestudentpopulation(Fukuda,2008).Followingthis,itwas declaredintheCabinetDecisiononJune14,2013in"Japan'sRevivalStrategy"andthe"SecondBasicPlanforthe PromotionofEducation"thatthenumberofinternationalstudentswillbeincreasedto300,000bytheyear2020
(MEXT,2016).WiththeinitiationofprojectssuchasGlobal30,government‑selectuniversitiesnowofferdegree programsinEnglishaswellaslivingassistance,housing,visas,andfinancialsupport(MEXT,2011).Accordingly,
thenumberofinternationalstudentshassteadilyrisenfrom123,829in2008(JapanStudentServicesOrganization, May,2008)to208,379asofMay,2015(JapanStudentServicesOrganization,March,2016).Withthischangein demography,sensitivitytowardsmulticulturalismineducationisbecomingprogressivelyrelevantinachanging society.IfthenumberofstudentscomingtoJapancontinuestogrowto10%ofthestudentpopulation,teacherswill toagreaterextentneedtodealwithincreasinglymulti‑nationalclassroomswheretheirteachingpracticesand proceduresmayneedtobemodifiedandupdated.
Instructionandlearningdonottakeplaceinanemptyvacuum,devoidofvariouspersonalities,intellect,and learningstyles.Allwhotakepartinthelearningprocessaresocialbeingswhobringintotheeducationalprocess theirexperiences,values,beliefs,languages,communicationstyles,andculturalupbringing.Instinctively,both
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teachersandstudentsentertheclassroomfromtheperspectiveoftheirownculturalbackgroundswhichimpactthe learningexperience(Howe&Lisi,2014).Accordingly,instructorsneedtobeconsciousoftheneedtoimplementa varietyofinstructionalstrategiesandcreateavenuestointegratediverseperspectivesinanyareaofcontent.The statusquoof"onesizefitsall"willnotfitthechanginglandscapeoftheclassroom.Amorediverserepertoireof teachingstrategieswillneedtoembodythedifferencesrepresentedinpresentandfutureclasses.Therefore, educators,bothforeignandnative,mustcritiquetheirpracticeofinstructionandexposeareasinwhichtheylack knowledgeandtheskillsnecessarytocreateaninclusiveenvironmentforallwhoenterthelearningexperience.
Eventhebestofinstructorscanbekeenlyattentivetocertainkindsofdistinctionsamongtheirstudentssuch asgender,socioeconomicstatus,anddisabilities,yetbeunderequippedtodealwithculturaldifferences.Such deficienciescanbecomeadrawbackwhenclassroomsaretobetraininggroundstopreparestudentstoengagewith theever‑shrinkingglobalcommunitywhentheyentertheworkforce.Itisthereforeessentialforteacherstomakean efforttounderstandvariedperspectivesofotherculturesandhowtodealwithdifferencesandbuildunderstanding.
Conversely,someeducatorsmayregardculturaluniformityandastrongworkethicasastrengthtokeepsocietyin harmonywithitself(Kim,2005).However,suchamentalitydoesnotexamineexistingassumptionsaboutrace,
religion,ethnicity,andotherareasofculturethatwillremainvirtuallyunchanged.Consequently,theveryessenceof corebeliefswillrarelybequestionedorexamined.Criticalissuessuchasracism,sexism,bias,andmisconceptions willrarelybeexposed,ultimatelyweakeningstudent'sbeliefsandconvictions.
Instructorsshouldalsokeepinmindthatnativestudentsarenotjustamonolithicgroup.Althoughtheysharea mainstreamculture,thereisstillatremendousamountofdiversityamongthemthatneedstobeunderstood.When teachersstrivetounderstandtheuniquenessoftheirlearners,pedagogicaladjustmentscanbemadetobettermeet theirneeds.Theresultisbetterteacherpreparednessthatcreatesanenvironmentwherestudentscanfeelmore positiveabouttheirindividualityandorigins.
HoweandLisi,(2014)assertthat"multiculturaleducationisateachingmodelthatrecognizesthesignificant influenceofcultureonteaching,learning,andstudentachievement(p.19)."Basedonthisdefinition,
multiculturalismintheclassroomunderstandstherealityoftherisingnumbersofculturallydiversestudentsentering theeducationalsystem.Studentsthenbecomepartofthelearningprocessastheircultures,backgrounds,and
perspectivesareincludedandinfusedintotheclassroomcommunity.Theycansharetheirculturewhileatthesame timeunderstandingmultipleperspectivesofothersandhowtoreachconsensusandtranquilityamongdifferences.
Bothinternationalandnativestudentsrecognizethattheyliveinaworldinwhichculturalcompetenceisacurrency fortheirlivesandvocations.
StudentDemographyandEthnicityatOtemaeUniversity
Whenconsideringtheprojectedinternalizationofuniversitiesacrossthenation,itisofinteresttogetan overviewofhowthedemographicsatOtemaeUniversity(OU)presentlystands.Excludingthegraduateandonline learningprograms,theundergraduatepopulationatOUconsistsof2,191students.Thegenderratiois48.33%male and51.66%female(Gakkokihonchosa,2016).ThemajoritycomesfromtheKansairegion(81.89%)which
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includesthethreeprefecturesofHyogo(42.78%),Osaka(35.41%),Kyoto(2.24%),Shiga(0.80%),andWakayama (0.64%).Theremainingminority(18.11%)isspreadbetween170fJapan's48prefectures(Shozaichibetsuninzu hyo,2016).
ThenumberofethnicJapanesestudentsintheoverallstudentbodystandsat97.44%withtheother2.56%
comingfromotherregionsofAsia.Althoughattemptsaremadetointernationalizethecampus,thenumberof non‑Japanesefull‑timestudentshasbeensteadilydecliningoverthelastfiveyears.Thisdirectionindicatesan oppositetrendtowardstheJapanesegovernment'sgoalof10%bytheyear2020.In2012,thepercentageof
first‑yearstudentsenteringtheuniversitywas4.56%,followedbyaslightdropto4.12%in2013.In2014,the enrollmentofinternationalfreshmenstudentsfurtherdeclinedto1.51%andasof2015,0nlyO.88%were non‑Japanese(Shozaichibetsuninzuhyo,2015).In2016,however,thenumberslightlyincreasedto1.12%
(Shozaichibetsuninzuhyo,2016).Itcanalsobenotedthatthenumberofinternationalexchangestudentshasmore thandoubledfromeightin2012to19in2016("Ryugakukaigaikenshujisseki",2016).Ifthesametrendcontinues overthenextfouryears,actionswillbenecessarytoaccommodateawiderrangeofstudentneedssuchasinhousing, languagecourses,andbasicstudentservices.Officestaffwillneedtobebetterequippedtohandlevarioussituations andcommunicationcomplactionsthatmightarise.Furthermore,instructorswillhavetobepreparedtocreate
inclusiveclassroomenvironmentsthatembracethepedagogicalneedsoftheinternationalguests.
SchoolPerformanceandAssessment
InJapan,thereare86national,95semiprivateand597privateuniversities(NihonMonbukaGakusho,2015).
AccordingtoUniversityWebRanking,OUranksatnumber2850utof778institutions(UniversityWebRanking, 2016).Anotheragency,RankingWebofUniversities,offersalesscomplimentaryassessment,placingOUatnumber 380(RankingWebofUniversities,2016).
Beyondranking,threemajororganizationsrateschoolsaccordingtothedifficultyoftheirentranceexamsand overallcompetitiveness.Ontheirassessmentsystem,amoderatescorehoversbetween44‑50pointsoutof75.A favorablescoreisinthefifties,andonlytheverybestinthenationcanattainscoresabove60points.Accordingto thescoringoftwooftheagencies,BenesseandSandai,OUhasmadesignificantgainsoverthelastfouryears.In 2012,allofOU'sfourundergraduateschoolsaveragedanapologetic35points.Today,however,bothBenesseand SundairateOUat45‑49(SandaimoshiSaishinNanidoIchiran,2016)raisingtheuniversitytoamoderately respectablerating.
PerhapsthemostnotedaccomplishmentofOUinthelastfouryearsisthesuccessofstudentsfinding employmentupongraduating.In2011,0nly65.4%ofgraduateswereabletosecurejobs(Find,2016).Duetoarise inboththejobmarketandthequalityofeducation,however,theratesteadilyincreasedto95.65by2015(Find, 2016).Thisfactisacrucialachievementfortheuniversitythatneedstoboostitsratingsamidstanationalcrisisofa decliningpopulation.Asaresultoflowbirthrates,thenumberofgraduatinghighschoolstudentsisprojectedtodrop from1.8milliontoroughly990,0000verthenext15years(Harada2016).Consequently,aconsiderablenumberof institutionswillnotsurvive.Forthisreason,OUistakingurgentmeasurestoincreasetheuniversity'sratingsand
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competitiveness,hopingtoattractahighernumberofinternationalstudentstosustainenrollments.Anincreasein internationalstudentswill,inturn,createagreaterneedforpromotingmulticulturalismandcross‑cultural understandingoncampus.
TheVisionfortheFuture
AccordingtothepresidentofOtemaeUniversity,theschoolisactivelypursuingagoalofincreasingthe numberofinternationalstudentsto10%ofthestudentbodyoverthenextfiveyears(H.Torigoe,personal
communication,November20,2015).Onesteptoachievethisobjectiveisofferinga30%discountoffoftuitionfor internationalstudentsandscholarshipsofupto100%forthosewithhighacademicachievementandJapanese proficiencylevels.Toenter,thestandardcriteriontoevaluatelanguageefficiencyistheJapanese‑Language ProficiencyTestadministeredbyJapanEducationalandExchangeServices.Currently,onlythosewhoachieveNl
orN21evelsareadmitted.Asof2017,however,applicantswithalevelofN3willbeacceptedtoenhancetheir
Japaneseskillsandtestscoresbeforebeingintegratedintoregularclasses.Asamatterofcourse,plansareinmotion toexpandtheJapaneselanguagecurriculumtoaccommodatesuchneeds(H.Torigoe,personalcommunication,
November20,2015).
AnotherimportantsteptowardinternationalizingOUistheestablishmentoftheInternationalInstituteof Education(IIE).Foundedin2014,IIEoffersclasseswithamultinationalteamofinstructorsthatsetastagefor cultivatingmulticulturalinclusiveness.Althoughinitsinfancystages,IIEhasauspiciouslycreatedaprogramwhere studentswhotakemorethan30credithoursofGlobalJapanStudies(GJS)orGlobalBusinessStudies(GBS)
coursescanearnaGlobalStudiesCertificate.TheseclassesconsistofasmallnumberofJapaneseandinternational exchangestudentsthatintegrateintoaneducationalenvironmentinwhichtheyuseEnglishasthestandardmedium.
WorldviewcoursessuchasRace,Culture,andReligion,ComparativeStudiesoftheUSandJapan,Introductionto JapaneseLiterature,InternationalPeaceStudies,TourismandWorldGeographyareoffered,amongothers.These coursesarespecificallydesignedtoteachstandardhumanitiescoursecontentwhileincludingJapaneseculture.
InternationalstudentscanthusdeepentheirunderstandingofJapanwhileearningcredittowardstheirdegreesat home,whileJapanesestudentscanuseGJSandGBSclassesasaspringboardtowardgainingtheskillsthatthey needforstudyingabroad,andgainperspectiveaboutJapan'splaceintheworld.Multiplenationalitiescanbe representedinasingleclass,creatingfertilegroundsforamulti‑culturalenvironment.
Curricularandco‑curriculardiversityisalsoavitalsteptowardinternationalization.TheGJSandGBS curriculumatOUarespeciallydesignedtoteachcontentwithinaJapanesebackdrop.Itisapracticalapproach becauseinternationalstudentscanabsorbcorecontentwhileatthesametimelearningaboutJapaneseculture.For
Japaneseparticipants,thecontentismorelocalized,enablingthemtocomprehendchallengingandlaborious materialthatispresentedentirelyinEnglish.WiththisJapaneseculturalemphasis,however,itiscommonfor instructorstoneglecttheirpreparationtoengagewithclassesofmixedcultures.Consequently,exposuretotherich ethnicitiesandcultureswithintheclassroomareattheriskofbeingminimalized.Forthisreason,instructorsmustdo theirutmosttofindabalancebetweenhighlightingJapaneseculturewhileatthesametimeemphasizingconnections
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tostudent'sindividualculturesandbeliefs.Theymustfamiliarizethemselveswiththebackgroundsofthestudentsin theirclassesasmuchaspossibletopossessasoundknowledgebaseandunderstanding(Howe&Lisi,2014).
Frequentlyinfusingfactsandhistoryfromallrepresentednationalitiesintothecontentoftheclassisoneusefulway togainbetterculturalawareness.Itrequiresextratimeandresearch,butthebenefitsoutweightheexertionas studentsidentifywiththecontentoftheclass.Minoritiesalsogainabiggervoiceintheclassbyaddingtheir knowledge,beliefs,andculturetothelearningprocess.
AJapan‑basedGJSclassisespeciallyproductivebecauseitformsamultidimensionalbasethatisconstructed ofindividualoutlookssuchasrespect,openness,andunderstandingofothercultures.Additionally,itchallenges Japanesestudentstogainadeeperunderstandingoftheircultureastheylearntothinkaboutitcriticallyand objectively.Oncesuchafoundationisestablished,studentshaveasenseofbelongingandanincreasedcapacityto interactwiththeirpeers.Ineffect,theyareinasafeenvironmentinwhichtheyshareandengageinexperiencesthat enhancetheirwillingnesstoparticipate(King,Rosemary,Perez&Shim,2013).Toaccomplishthis,classroom
facilitatorsmustcreateopportunitiesforalllearnerstosharetheirhistory,heritageandthoughtswiththeirpeers throughdiscussionandcooperativelearning.Byincludingabroaderrangeofideasandculture,theinvestmentpays offasstudentsultimatelygaingreaterknowledge,acceptance,andsocialself‑confidencethantheywouldotherwise.
Theearlyresultsofmulticulturalappreciationandunderstandingcanbeseeninthelivesofthestudents themselves.AGJSstudentwrites,
Andthen,theyactsameasothersinJapan,andtheyhatepeoplewhoactdifferentfromthem.Ithinkthatwe
shouldrespectallofopinionsandpersonalities.Ifyouonlyhaveadifferentopinionfromothers,youshouldn't hideit.However,theyareofteninterruptedbyJapaneseculture.Wehavenotonlybadpoints,butalsogood points.Weshouldkeepthegoodones,andwealsoshouldchangebadones.Andsometimes,wehavetothink aboutexistingwithanyothercultures.(M.Shimada,personalcommunication,July21,2015) AnAmericanexchangestudentwrites,
Ihavegrownclosertomanyofthepeopleintheclassandhaveappreciatedlearningabouttheirthoughtsand opinionsmore.Ifinditveryfascinatinghowdifferentmanyoftheirworld‑viewsarefrombothmineandfrom eachother.Atthesametime,myviewstendtoberatherstrong,andmostoftheirdifferingopinionshavenot swayedmyowninanymeaningfulway,althoughknowingtheseviewsexiststillhelpstoexpandhowIseethe world.(M.Nevarez,personalcommunication,July22,2016)
Moreover,anincreasingnumberofstudentsarebroadeningtheirbordersbystudyingabroadandgoingon
short‑termtripswithnon‑profitorganizations.Notably,thenumberofstudentsthatcontributetounderprivileged communitiesoverseashasmorethandoubledfromsixin2012to13in2016(RyugakuKaigaiKenshujisseki,2016).
Consequently,studentsreturnhomewithawiderworldviewwhichspillsoverintotheclassrooms.Whentheyshare theirownculturewhileatthesametimebeingexposedtoothers,theytendtoendmoresimilaritiesthandifferences.
Whilekeepingtheirnationalidentitiesintact,theyadoptasenseofglobalcitizenshipandcomradeshipwiththeir peersfromothernations.
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BecominglnternationalEducators
Asclassroomfacilitators,instructorshavetheresponsibilitytobeculturaltranslatorsandbridgesfromthe minorityculturestothemainstream.SinceOUisanticipatinganincreaseinthenumberofstudentsofnon‑Japanese descent,itwillbeessentialtoinstillmoreculturalappreciationintothelearningprocess.Additionally,instructors mustcreateawelcomingenvironmentthatcultivatesmulticulturalappreciation.Suchaclimatecannotbe
accomplished,however,unlesseducatorsexperiencepersonalgrowthincross‑culturalknowledge.Itcanbeachieved inpartthroughathree‑stageprocessthatincludes:updatinglearning,honingteachingskills,andcreatinga student‑centeredclassroom.
UpdatingLearning
Beinganeffectiveteacherinvolvesmorethankeepinguptodateoncurrentknowledgeofsubjectmatter.The learningprocessalsocallsfordevelopinganawarenessofpersonalbiasesandtherealitiesofstereotypes,prejudice, anddiscriminationinsociety.Agreaterawarenessofoneselfandothershelpseducatorseffectivelychallengecultural misconceptionsandbias(Banks,2004).AndaccordingtoDelliCarpini(2008),"Withknowledgeofwhocomesto
yourclasses,knowledgeofreadiness,interest,proficiency,andpreferencewillalsocome(p.100)."However, teachersinmulti‑ethnicclassroomsareoftenlimitedinknowledgeandexposuretotheculturesinwhichtheir studentsidentify.Therefore,theymustcontinuallymakeanefforttoexpandtheirknowledgeaboutthebackgrounds oftheirstudentsandprovideopportunitiesforthemtoshareineachother'sculturesandlanguages.
Aneffectivewaytogainabetterunderstandingofthestudentsistoassignthemtodoshortself‑introductions atthebeginningofacourse.Japanesestudentssharethingsthatareuniquetotheirhometownsandregionsofthe countryjustasinternationalstudentsinformtheclassoftheirs.UsingvisualssuchasPowerPointorphotos,students broadeneachother'sperspectivesbyintroducinglanguage,ideas,andvaluesfromtheirownbackgrounds.Rather thanidealizingastandardlanguagesuchasJapaneseorEnglish,thisstartsoffthecoursebycreatingakeen
consciousnessforculturesandsubculturesrepresentedinsideasingleclassroom.Additionally,teachersshouldgo beyondjustintroductionstogainmoreknowledgeoftheirstudents.Bydoingso,theycanformstronger
relationships,creatinginclusivecommunitieswherethestudentsthemselvescancontributetotheteacher'sdeepened understanding.
Awarenessandinsightintodiversecultureswithinthestudentbodycanbeadistinctassetforeducatorswhen constructingteachingmaterialandplanninglearningexperiences.Culturalcompetencecanalsoaidinthe
developmentofsubstantialandproductiveteacher‑studentrelationships.Asteachersestablishtheirknowledgebase aboutdiversityandmulticulturalism,theycanbebetterequippedtobementorswhoworktoachieveequityand
harmonyintheirschool.Continuallyacquiringinsightandunderstandingofvariousaspectsofcultureisan investmentthatcanbearfruitinthelivesofstudents.
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HoningTeachingSkills
Modifyingandsharpeningone'sinstructionalmethodsrequirestimeandexperiencetoadapttodifferent studentsandtheirlearningstyles,buttakingactiontowardschangeisthefirststep.Revisingone'steachingpractice isnotasimpletask,asthenatureandmethodsofteachingarerapidlychangingduetotechnology,changingsocial structures,andatransformationofstudentdemographics.Itisnotwithinthescopeofthisarticletoreviewevery pedagogicalmethodorprofessionaldomainofeducation.However,itisbecomingclearerthatbeyondteachingbasic
knowledge,teachersnowplayaroleinhelpingtheirstudentsenteraworkforcethatisevolvingfromthelocalscene totheglobalstage.
Multiculturaleducatorsmustthereforeacquireskillsinavarietyofteachingstrategiestogeneratemeaningful interactionsothatthey,withthestudents,cancreatearichclassroomenvironment.AccordingtoHowe&Lisi
(2014),teachersareoftenunpreparedtoworkwithdiversity,tendingtorelyononlyfivetosevenprimary
instructionalapproaches.Manyofthesepracticesaretraditional,didactic,content‑driven,andteachercentered.They upholdconventionallearningmethodsinwhichinstructorsimpartknowledgethroughlecture,correction,and
providingteacherortext‑selectedsolutionsforbenchmarktests.Suchteachingstrategiescertainlyhavemerit.
However,someresearchsuggeststhatculturallyproficienteducatorsneedtobeskilledin15to30instructional strategieswhichfacilitatestudent‑centeredlearning,connecttheclassmaterialtocognitionsorbeliefsabout themselves(Nuri‑Robins,Lindsey,Lindsey,&Terrell,2012).Teacherscanusestudent'sdifferencesaseducational opportunitiestoincorporatetasksthatchallengeassumptionsaboutethnicity,religion,mindsets,behaviors,andso forth.Theyrealizethattheirusualpatternsofteachingmaynotmeettheneedsoftheirstudents,pushingthemtofind abroadarrayofstrategiesthatpayattentiontodifferingperceptionsandlearningstyles.
Culturallyinclusivesyllabusesandlessonplansmayhavetobeexpandedoralteredtogivedeeperrelevance forallstudentslesttheylosemeaningorbecomedevoidofpurpose.Thiscanbeaccomplishedbyaddingconceptsto thelessonsbutwithoutdrasticallychangingtheessentialstructure.EvenasJapanesecultureispresented,the contributionsofothercountriesrepresentedinaclasscanbeincluded.TwoexamplesfromtwodifferentGJSclasses illustratethispoint.First,aChinesestudentinaclasscalledEnglishasaToolforCommunicationexpressedthather learningexperiencewasgratifyingbecauseherculturalidentitywasrepeatedlyrecognizedandthatthecourse touchedonChinese‑relatedissueswhileatthesametimestayingcenteredonInternationalandJapan‑basedcontent.
Conversely,anotherChinesestudent,whoparticipatedinacoursecalledPhilosophyandSociety,voicedthat althoughhelearnedalotabouthiscounterparts'viewsonvariousissues,therewerenotenoughChinese/Confucian conceptsincorporatedintothecourse.With25%oftheclassbeingChinese,hefeltthathiscountry'scontributionto EastAsianphilosophywassomewhatunder‑represented.Bothstudentsshowtherelevanceofcreatingacurriculum thatencompassestheproportionatecontributionsofdifferentcountriesandculturespresentinasingleclass.
CreatingaStudent‑CenteredClassroom
Studentslearnbestwhenengagedinthelearningprocessinsteadofbeingpassive,inactiveparticipants (Dewey,1916),andamulticulturalclassroomisoneinwhichstudentsareactivelyinvolvedinthelearningprocess.
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Withoutdiscreditingbehavioristmethods,whereteachersgiveclearinstructiononcontent,anactiveclassroomis oneinwhichstudentstakepartinconstructingtheirownknowledge.Thismoreconstructionistapproachgives emphasisonproblem‑solving,criticalthinking,andlinkingnewinformationtopriorknowledge.Itfocusesonthe interpersonalcontextinwhichpeopleacquireknowledge,allowingroomforculturalunderstanding.Teacherswho
desirestudent‑centeredclasses,therefore,shouldprovidestudentsopportunitiestoparticipateinthelearningprocess throughinteractionanddiscussion.
Activitiessuchasintroducingfamouspeople,food,ethnicfashionorart,merelyscratchthesurfaceofcultural understanding.Togainmoresubstance,GJSclassesaimtoincorporatetransactionsinwhichstudentsseeissuesand
conceptsfromvariousperspectives.Whenthevoicesofallareincludedandheard,astudent‑centered,self‑reflective classtakesroot.Indiscussionswhereparticipatorsareexposedtomultiplepointsofview,thereareplentyof
chancestoenhanceandrefinetheirculturalcompetencebygivingthemopportunitiestoexaminetheirown perspectivesinthelightofothers(Alverman,1991).Therefore,meaningfulexchangeonanarrayofsubjectscan
enhanceculturaladeptnessforbothstudentsandtheirinstructor.
Discussionandcooperativelearninggohandinhand,andcollaborationdoesmorethanjusthelpstudentsto movebeyondpassivelearningandachievecommongoals.Itprovidesopportunitiesforpeerteachingandgaining interpersonalskillsamongpeoplewithdifferentmindsets.Thatiswhycooperatingonjointprojects,and
assignmentshavepositiveeffectsonsocialrelationshipsbetweenculturallydiversestudents(Slavin,1995).Working withotherscanbedifficultattimes,butintheexperienceoftheauthorofthispaper,peoplebecomemoreaccepting ofeachotherwhenincollaboration.Moreover,partnershiprecognizescontributionsfromthosewhomightnot typicallybenoticedandenablesstudentstovaluevariedviews.Ratherthanthemoreoutgoingorastutestudents doingmostofthecontributing,peoplewithvariousthoughtsandabilitiesareincludedandrecognized.Asunlikely consortsworktogethertoachieveacommongoal,culturalunderstandingthatwouldbeunlikelytoappearin
teacher‑centeredclassestendstorisetothesurface.Furthermore,student‑to‑studentcollaborationisatoolthathelps studentsconfronttheirownbiasesandmisconceptions,whichisacriticalskillintoday'sworld.
Conclusion
Schoolsarefundamentalbuildingblocksofsociety.Therefore,theymustkeepupwiththeever‑evolving aspectsandneedsofthecommunitiesinwhichtheyfunction.Todootherwisecandiminishtheschool'sinfluence andrelevancetopreparingtheirstudentstobecomeinvolvedintheirlocalcommunitiesasglobalcitizens.
Accordingly,educatorsneedtostaycurrentinknowledgeandculturalunderstanding,continuallysharpentheir teachingskills,andmaintainaninclusiveenvironmentintheirclassrooms.Additionally,curriculums,materials,and tasksmusttakeintoconsiderationtheneedsofallstudents.
IfOUistohaveaclearvisionofbecominganinternationalcampus,allconstituentgroups(administrators, staff,teachers,students,communitymembers)needtodevelopasharedvisionofwhatamulticulturalinstitution shouldrepresent.Buildingsuchavisionshouldincorporateasharedsenseofpurposeandobjectivethatdistinctively stateswhatdiversityandmulticulturaleducationmeansfortheirorganization.Suchanendeavormayrequiretime
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andinvestment,buttodosowillonlycontributetothedevelopmentofashared,meaningful,andpositivevisionfor thedirectionoftheschool.
UntilthedemographicsoftheOUstudentbodyradicallytransforms,furtherchangesandimprovementsare likelytobeslow.However,theresultisthateachteacherwillhaveauniqueopportunitytoexpandcontinuallyhisor herknowledgeandteachingstrategiestosowtheseedsofmulticulturalawarenessandunderstandingatOU.Itisa partoftheirjobtodevelopclasseswherestudentsvaluethemselvesandtheiruniquediversitywhichwillultimately helpthemtointeracteffectivelywithpeopledifferentfromthemselves.Induetime,theseseedswillbearfruit, producingmoresociallyresponsiblepeoplethatcontributetotheircommunitiesandtheworld.Throughsuch
strategies,anothergenerationofteacherswillplantandwatermoreseedsofculturalunderstandinginan ever‑integratingworld.
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AuthorBionote
GordonCarlsonhasbeenteachinginJapansince1992andiscurrentlyaninstructorofEnglishEducationinthe MediaDepartmentatOtemaeUniversity,whereheteachesESL,Philosophy,andMusicCulture.Usingavarietyof interactiveclassroomtechniques,hehasdistinguishedhimselfasaninnovativeandcreativeeducator.Hisfocusof researchisindevelopingcommunityinclassesandmakingthecontentrelevanttolifebeyondtheclassroom.Hecan becontactedatgordy@otemae.ac.jp.
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