The missions of Laboratory Schools in national universities are student teaching and educational research. Student teaching of undergraduate students and graduate students has been practice at the Laboratory Schools. To promote in-service teacher training, conferences for teachers are open. Regarding educational research, one goal of the University on Tsukuba Laboratory Schools is to establish the bases for primary and secondary education according to the needs of society, where practice models are shown for acquisition of basic academic skills with international perspectives and for system of life-span learning. Three bases are as follow: a , leading education center; b, teacher education center; c, international education center. These three centers are the frames to seek for the goals and promote activities of the Laboratory Schools, and also function as core for future of the Laboratory Schools.
1. Leading Education Center
1 Research and Development of an Integrated Primary and Secondary Educational Curriculum
Creation of an “Integrated Primary and Secondary Educational Curriculum” for laboratory schools is included in the mid-term plan, and a “Yonkoken (Four School Research Group)” for elementary, junior high, and senior high schools (a joint research group by subject, consisting of laboratory schools and the University) has taken the initiative to draw up this curriculum, and carry out research into the ideal and actual state of a 12-year integrated curriculum for each subject. To further this project, the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and the Francis Parker School were visited. We are now diligently working towards the establishment of shared goals for 12-year integrated education. It is also worthy of note that every year our mathematics and physical education departments hold open joint class research conferences for elementary, junior and senior high schools.
2 Research into Cooperation (Linkage) of the Senior High Schools and the University
Since our University and laboratory schools are located far apart, the linkage between them is both an “old and new issue.” In fiscal 2010, we established the "Working Committee for Cooperation (Linkage) of the Senior High Schools and the University," and conducted a survey concerning aspects of cooperation, such as the status of entrance into the University of Tsukuba, university visits, and classes on demand, and created a report. This year, in collaboration with the University Admission Center, we are addressing "Research into the Senior High Schools and University Linkage through Collaboration with the Senior High Schools."
3 Research Project 1
Study of children with additional support needs
There are various types of children who need special support in school. To address such issues as the negative psychological effects of bullying or truancy, and to ensure the academic ability of children who are in some way developmentally disabled, are all challenges we must solve; it is estimated that even an ordinary class may include 6.3% of children with developmental disabilities.
Accordingly, we are conducting research with a focus on the following two points.
i. Optimum subject education in uniform classes (Creation of classes aiming at a universal design that allows children with additional support needs to participate and understand)
ii. Optimum support for the social aspects of school life
• Development of school functions that create a stable and emotionally safe environment, e.g. effective design and use of the health teacher room and other locations
• A practical school counseling and consultation system
4 Research Project 2
Study of education on communication competencies
The project’s goal is to examining how we bring up communicative competence with thinking of mental and physical development stages in elementary school, junior high school, and high school. Specifically, it is intended for instructional activities to raise "ability to exchange a feeling and a thought" through not only classes of national language, but also all subject activities and extracurricular activities. In addition, we consider how children with intellectual disability, autism, visual disability, hearing disability, and orthopedically-impaired get communicative competence and grow it. We seek suggestions for regular class from instruction of communicative competence for children with disability.
5 Research on Educational Counseling and Support System (Center for Counseling and Development Support Services of the University of Tsukuba, the Committee for Promoting Support Education)
For children with support needs in laboratory schools, led by the Center for Counseling and Development Support Services of the University of Tsukuba, and the Committee for Promoting Support Education, we have been examining how best to offer concrete support and develop an effective system.
The Center for Counseling and Development Support Services conducts educational counseling for individuals and small groups. In 2010 the Committee for Promoting Support Education was launched, and holds meetings to report to the special support education coordinators the status of children requiring support in each laboratory school. The Committee aims to understand the state of children requiring support in the 11 laboratory schools, and thanks to such positive initiatives, in fiscal 2011 a school counsellor was assigned to each of the 11 schools, and a specialist team has also been organized to help with their activities.
6 Pioneer education study model project for the intellectual overlap, development handicapped children in the super early stage.
The purpose of this project research is to develop an educational assessment and instructive method for children with intellectual disabilities, multiple disabilities, or developmental disabilities in the super early stage (a zero-years-old child - 2-year-old child), in cooperation with professional university teachers, Laboratory Special Needs Education Schools for the Mentally Challenged, the Visually Impaired, the Deaf, the Physically Challenged, and Children with Autism, Special Needs Education Research Center, and the Education Bureau of the Laboratory Schools, University of Tsukuba.
In addition, this project research examines an ideal method for cooperation with families having children with disabilities or many related organizations and seeks to build an educational support system at the super early stage, based on a "Individual Education Support Plan." We will report the results of this project nationwide.
7 Kagakunome Prize
In 2006, as a part of the centenary project and youth program commemorating the birth of Dr. Shinichiro Tomonaga, we started the Kagakunome Prize, led by the Education Bureau of the Laboratory Schools. This year we are inviting applications for the 6th Kagakunome Prize. Last year, we attracted about 1,300 entries from all over Japan, and even received entries from overseas Japanese schools. This prize is now an important initiative hosted by the University. In the Christmas season every year, we invite the prize winners and their families and others to a presentation and award ceremony held in the university assembly hall. In 2008 and 2010, University of Tsukuba Press also published "We Want to Know More! The World of Kagakunome."
2. Teacher Education Center
1 Teacher’s License Update Program
The University of Tsukuba has an educational tradition dating back to the foundation of the Higher School of Teachers, and we are now implementing the teacher’s license update system. Since the preliminary program of 2008, the whole University has been actively addressing the program in accordance with the Tsukuba Curriculum.
Under the umbrella of the Laboratory School Practical Seminars, all laboratory schools hold the Optional Seminar D about twice a year, giving a total of 19 seminars. At the Komaba Junior High School and Senior High School, and the Special Needs Education School for the Visually Impaired, by making good use of the unique characteristics of each laboratory school, a total of 30 Optional Seminars B and C are held late in the August summer holiday.
In this fiscal year, the University of Tsukuba has a total of about 6,000 program attendees, and half of them are accepted by the Tokyo district, where the laboratory schools play the main role in implementing this program. Such laboratory school initiatives are unique to our University and are not found anywhere else in Japan; we consider this is an important initiative to further the new mission.
2 In-service Teacher Training
Traditionally about once a year, all 11 laboratory schools attract participants from all over Japan by hosting open research conferences (the name differs depending on the school). The Elementary School holds their research conferences twice a year and to date nearly 8,000 participants have attended. The following schools have also held research conferences; the Komaba Junior and Senior High Schools, which are participating in the Super Science High School (SSH) Program; the Sakado Senior High School, which has carried out a pioneering role as an Integrated Course high school; and the Special Needs Education School for the Visually Impaired and Special Needs Education School for the Deaf, both of which are the only schools affiliated to a national university.
We are also addressing a variety of activities, for example, classes on demand, training lecturers, and in a tie-up with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), we accept in-service teachers from Asia, Africa and Latin America; and under a partnership agreement between Daigo Town, Ibaraki Prefecture and the University of Tsukuba, we offer teacher training for the town.
3 Cooperation between Ordinary Laboratory Schools and Special Needs Education Schools
The University of Tsukuba has 11 laboratory schools (6 ordinary laboratory schools and 5 special needs education schools), all of which are located in the Tokyo district (Tokyo Metropolis, and Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa Prefectures). In 2008, we launched the Committee for Promoting Cooperation between Ordinary Laboratory Schools and Special Needs Education Schools with the aim of ensuring that ordinary laboratory schools can carry out an effective role for special needs education schools, and we promote such activities as teacher exchange class visits, and the planning and implementation of exchange projects for children and students.
4 Examination for the Special Needs Education Teacher’s Certificate
We have been selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, to hold the exams for the Special Needs Education Teacher’s Certificate (first-class license for support of independence) at the University of Tsukuba Tokyo campus, and every year about 300 applicants sit the primary examination held in August, and the secondary examination in October. In fiscal 2011, the certificate examinations for independent activity education for children with a visual impairment or speech impediment will be held.
5 Student Teaching
In the University of Tsukuba about 700 undergraduate students and graduate students apply for student teaching every year. The laboratory schools accept about a third of them as student teachers in the June and September terms. They are assigned for a 3-week practical training, mainly to the Junior and Senior High Schools at Otsuka, Komaba and the Senior High School at Sakado. For preliminary and follow-up guidance, teachers in all laboratory schools cooperate as trainers, and in addition, each laboratory school cooperates in “Fundamental Practices on the Teaching Profession,” “Experience in Care-Giving,” “Student Teaching for Health Teacheis” and other programs.
6 Research Project 3
Curriculum development of teacher education making the best use of distinguished leadership in laboratory school classes
This is a continuation of the research into “Creation of teacher education which employed the “wisdom” of the laboratory schools – the curriculum development of teacher education, and construction of a lesson model” which was conducted up until last year (The summary of 4 years of research from 2007 to 2010 has been published in a report).
3. International Education Center
1 International Teacher Exchange
To promote globalization of the Education Bureau of the Laboratory Schools, teachers in the 11 laboratory schools are engaged in activities to learn about overseas education and incorporate their findings in accordance with their own school’s programs. To successfully implement such activities, in the Globalization Project Step 1 (fiscal 2007 and 2008), each school explored what kind of activities would be suitable for it during this period, and in Step 2 (fiscal 2009 and 2010), more concrete and practical activities were put in place. The details are given in “Report: International Education Enriches School Education” 1st and 2nd Collections.
For example, a teacher from the Senior High School at Sakado has been actively involved in voluntary service in Indonesia with the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers. Teachers in the Elementary School exchange “class study” with teachers in South Korea every year; they visit South Korea and teach classes for local children, and have discussion meetings with local teachers.
2 Short Periods of Overseas Study by Students, and Other Activities
Junior and Senior High Schools at Otsuka have formed an affiliation with Hwa Chong Institution in Singapore for many years, and host and encourage student mutual exchanges for short periods of overseas study. Living overseas opens student eyes and awakens their desire to study to achieve their aspirations. Junior and Senior High Schools at Komaba present research by their students to students in China and other countries, so as to deepen study exchange. The Senior High School at Sakado dispatches those students writing their graduation theses on overseas subjects to enable them to conduct on the spot research. Special Needs Education Schools have also visited South Korea for a school trip.
3 Education of Overseas Teacher
As a part of the collaboration between the University of Tsukuba and JICA, teachers in developing countries visit Japan for study, and we provide them with opportunities to observe the actual state of school education in Japan; more specifically, the observation of classes, participation in discussions and workshops, or class study by overseas teachers at laboratory schools. Recently, in response to a request by JICA we are involved in support activities including science and mathematics education in developing countries and there are more opportunities for the teachers of laboratory schools to head out to local sites, give guidance to local teachers, and hold open classes to the public; the number of opportunities for their remarkable service is now increasing.
4 International Exchange Agreement
At present, the following 8 schools have made a partnership agreement with overseas universities. The partner school names are in brackets.
Junior and Senior High Schools at Otsuka and Komaba (The Second High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, China); Senior High School at Sakado (Kornita Senior High School Affiliated to Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia); Special Needs Education School for the Deaf (National School for the Deaf in Paris, France); Special Needs Education School for the Mentally Challenged (Daegu bomyeong School, Daegu University, South Korea); Special Needs Education School for the Physically Challenged (Shamyook Rehabilitation School, South Korea). and Special Nead Education School for Children with Autism (Ningbo Damin School, China).
5 Research Project 4
Study of education on international competencies
For two years in fiscal 2010 and 2011, we have been promoting research concerning “What are international competencies?” In the first year the committee members compiled a collection of short essays titled “What Are International Competencies?” and in the second year, an attitude survey among children and students in laboratory schools is being carried out. With these initiatives, we would like to contribute to the qualitative improvement for “globalization” in laboratory schools.
6 Olympic Education
In fiscal 2011, the Olympic Education Forum was established in the University. The Special Committee for Promoting Olympic Education was also formed in the Education Bureau of the Laboratory Schools. To promote “Olympic Education” as an international peace education, we will develop content for this program. The Junior High School at Otsuka has already held an international peace education lecture targeted at students, and the Senior High School at Otsuka has conducted experimental Olympic Education, incorporated as a particular curriculum in health and physical education classes. In summer 2011, students of the Senior High School at Otsuka participated as enthusiastic observers in the 8th International Pierre de Coubertin Youth Forum held in Beijing.
