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Preparedness of Japan’s Elementary School Teachers for the Introduction of Computer Programming Education

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Informatics in Schools: Focus on Learning Programming (ISSEP 2017)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNTCS,volume 10696))

Abstract

By 2020, computer programming will be introduced to every elementary school in Japan. This study explored the extent to which elementary school teachers in Japan are prepared for this. A two-stage research plan was adopted. The initial stage took a qualitative and inductive approach, in which the author visited elementary schools to observe computer classes, interview teachers, and administer a questionnaire. This stage was designed to identify problems and note actual conditions in the field. This knowledge was used to develop the questionnaire for the second survey. A quantitative and deductive approach was used, involving a nationwide survey. Completed questionnaires were returned by 309 elementary school teachers, covering 44 out of 47 of Japan’s prefectures. The results show ICT to be currently underused in teaching and revealed that many teachers lack confidence in, or are anxious about, the plan. Four barriers were identified: the low level of ICT use in teaching, teacher skepticism about the plan, the use of conventional teaching methods, and teacher workloads. Overall, teachers were neither technically nor emotionally prepared for the planned introduction of programming education. Ways of addressing each barrier were proposed: increasing access to technological resources, improving teacher training, introducing pupil-centered teaching and learning methods, and reducing teacher workloads.

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Acknowledgments

Author thanks all of the concerned parties, i.e., teachers and staff at the participating schools, participating students, supporters of this study, and those who proofread our work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nippon Institute of Technology, Saitama, Japan

    Yutaro Ohashi

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  1. Yutaro Ohashi
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Correspondence to Yutaro Ohashi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Mathematics and Informatics, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania

    Valentina Dagienė

  2. University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Arto Hellas

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Ohashi, Y. (2017). Preparedness of Japan’s Elementary School Teachers for the Introduction of Computer Programming Education. In: Dagienė, V., Hellas, A. (eds) Informatics in Schools: Focus on Learning Programming. ISSEP 2017. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 10696. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71483-7_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71483-7_11

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71482-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-71483-7

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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