Past, present and curriculum challenges in Japan: An interview with Kanae Nishioka, Ph.D.

Abstract

This paper presents an interview with Dr. Kanae Nishioka, Graduate School professor of Education (Kyoto University) and one of the directors of the National Association for the Study of Educational Methods from the Japanese Society for Curriculum Studies. In this dialogue, Nishioka briefly retrieves the history of curriculum in Japan and explains its organization, discusses curricular centralization, and teacher’s autonomy. She demystifies the idea that Japanese schools are heavily equipped with digital technology and that teachers employ them in the classroom. Finally, she presents some challenges to be faced, such as the growth of poverty and the aging of teachers. The interview was conducted in July 2019 and some answers were included by email one year later when the transcript was approved by the interviewee. During these last reviews, some information about actions and concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic was also included.