About the Faculty of Education at Shimane University
Mission
The Faculty of Education at Shimane University specializes in the training of school teachers. We cultivate the following kinds of educators.
- Teachers who continue to learn
- Teachers who reflect on their educational practice
- Teachers who create the future of society
We believe that one needs the following capabilities to become such a teacher.
- The ability to understand learners and practice education with acquired knowledge and skills.
- The ability to communicate appropriately with others, depending on the purpose.
- The strength to enhance one's knowledge and abilities by searching for and disseminating necessary information in a variety of ways.
The Faculty of Education is the only institution in the San-in area dedicated to developing teachers, who actively solve local problems connected with education, and take the lead in educating children who will be the driving force of the future of Japan.
Teaching Licenses Available at the Faculty of Education, Shimane University
In Japan, a teaching license is required to become a school teacher.
Upon graduating from the undergraduate program with the required credits, a teaching license will be issued by the Board of Education.
The Faculty of Education at Shimane University offers programs to obtain teaching licenses for kindergarten, elementary, junior high, high, and special-needs schools.
In junior and high schools, teaching licenses are divided according to subject areas, such as Japanese, social studies, mathematics, and science, so students are divided into majors for each subject area to obtain teaching licenses.
Majors and Minors
The Faculty of Education at Shimane University offers 10 majors:
- Elementary Education
- Special Education
- Japanese Language Education
- English Language Education
- Social Studies Education
- Mathematics Education
- Science Education
- Health and Physical Education
- Music Education
- Art Education.
Undergraduate students belong to one of these 10 majors. Students in the elementary and special education majors are mainly primary school teachers, while students in the other majors are mainly secondary school teachers.
In addition, students who major in elementary or special education, that is, students who wish to become primary school teachers, are required to choose one of the following 10 courses as a minor:
- Japanese education
- English education
- Social studies education
- Mathematics education
- Science education
- Health and physical education
- Music education
- Art education,
- Family studies education
- Technology education
In other words, they take classes meant for students aiming to become secondary school teachers.
Conversely, all students who choose a major that trains secondary school teachers are required to minor in elementary education.
In this way, the Faculty of Education at Shimane University has constructed a curriculum that enables students to obtain teaching licenses for both elementary and junior high schools.
1000-hour Experience-based Learning Programs
The Faculty provides educational experience activities to cultivate students’ ability to deal with practical problems faced in the field of education. This is the 1000-hour experience-based learning program.
In addition to completing coursework, students must complete a total of more than 1,000 hours of this experiential activity in order to graduate, which is a major feature not found in other teacher-training faculties in Japan.
There are two main activities.
The first is FUNDAMENTAL EXPERIENCE. This involves participation in a wide variety of educational and community activities. Activities are carried out under a carefully crafted support system.
The second is TEACHING PRACTICE at an affiliated schools. The teaching practice is conducted in a cumulative manner throughout the four years of undergraduate study.
Graduate School of Education
A two-year professional degree program related to teaching (Graduate School of Education) has been established. Both undergraduate students who have graduated and are continuing on to higher education, and in-service teachers who are enrolling as recurrent education, study together in this program.
In addition to on-campus classes and seminars, public schools serve as practicum sites for students, providing practical, hands-on curriculum throughout their two years of study. Students choose one of the following as their main area of study: lesson design, school management, or child support.
A team of researchers and practitioners with experience in school settings work together to teach individual students.
Attached Schools
The Faculty of Education at Shimane University has an attached kindergarten for two years of pre-school, and an attached compulsory education school for grades 1 through 9. Education and research at the schools are conducted in cooperation with the Faculty, and the schools also serve as places for undergraduate students to receive practical training in education. The school also has a Teacher Training Center, which provides a variety of training programs for school teachers.
The Center for Research on Teacher Education
The Center for Research on Teacher Education is a center attached with the Faculty of Education at Shimane University.
The center develops and implements various training programs for school teachers.
San-in Teacher Education Consortium
The San-in Teacher Education Consortium is formed by the Shimane Prefectural Board of Education, the Tottori Prefectural Board of Education, and the Shimane University Faculty of Education and Graduate School of Education to improve the qualifications and abilities of teachers in the San-in region. The administrative organization and the university are working together to integrate everything from teacher education to teacher trainings.