Teachers as Continuously Developing Learners: Reflective Practice in the Graduate Schools of Teacher Education in Japan

This chapter describes a programme offered in Japan’s Professional Graduate Schools for teacher education. Professional Graduate Schools are designed to integrate theory and practice and to aid the professional development of pre- and in-service teachers (henceforth, student teachers). To achieve these goals, reflective practice is embedded systematically in the programme. Standards for teacher education have been developed and utilized for student teachers’ self-assessment during their learning cycle. The programme also requires student teachers to participate in ten-week teaching practice at local schools. During the practice, they conduct practical research based on their inquiry and evaluate the effectiveness of their lessons jointly with their mentors and academic supervisors. This collaborative process, referred to as team consultation, provides an excellent opportunity for student teachers to explore teaching and learning in the classroom and situate their thinking and puzzles within respective contexts while re-examining their own pedagogical beliefs, assumptions, and questions as they develop their expertise. The chapter presents two examples of student teachers (in-service and pre-service, respectively) and describes how reflective practice promotes their professional development during their teaching practice. The chapter concludes with a discussion on how to improve the quality of dialogue with student teachers in reflective practice that contributes to their professional growth.