SPSF Program in the Department of Education｜教育学科｜学科について

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学科について
教育学科
SPSF Program in the Department of Education

Programme features

The Education major examines educational and human development issues from international and interdisciplinary perspectives, based on a thorough grounding in the discipline of education studies. The international and intercultural dimensions characterise the core courses offered by the Department of Education: Comparative Education, International Education, and Education and International Development. These are complemented by the education foundations courses including Curriculum and Instruction, Philosophy of Education, and Sociology of Education. What unites and imbues these multi-faceted approaches to education and human development is the deep respect for human dignity, a key pillar of sustainable futures.

Comparative Education applies historical, philosophical, and social science theories and methods to international issues in education. International Education examines the rationales and relationships of educational affairs and policies in the various contexts of international relations, and its implications for human dignity and peace-building. Meanwhile, Education and International Development seeks to enhance understanding of educational issues in the context of developing nations characterized by extreme poverty, large income gaps and cultural diversity.

The Education major thus aims to prepare future educators, researchers, and global citizens who possess the knowledge, values and skills to understand, analyse and construct education for sustainable futures, both locally and internationally.

Students who are interested in pursuing a teacher’s license need to bear the following in mind:

1. They need to take additional courses in educational sciences and other areas in the Japanese track.
2. They should be proficient in Japanese to be able to take those courses in (1).
3. The teacher’s license that Education major students can obtain is only for teaching social studies subjects in secondary schools in Japan. Those who wish to obtain a license to teach other subjects will need to take additional courses offered by other departments.

Curriculum structure

Message from Professors

Maria MANZON Associate Professor: Treasure the gift of life. Be a gift to others.

Taro KOMATSU Professor: The core value of sustainable development is intra-generational and inter-generational equity. How can education promote equity? How can education be delivered equitably within a less-resourced nation? And how can we ensure that every child, including those in challenged contexts such as conflict-affected societies, would have access to quality education? These are some of the questions we address in my course. My research focuses on education policy and governance in the context of developing nations and post-conflict societies. I am particularly interested in understanding how education affects social cohesion and peace. Other research interests include education system convergence and divergence in the global era, democratic citizenship education, and international aid to education. I am approaching these areas, using theories drawn from sociology and political science, and employing qualitative, quantitative and mixed research methods. I enjoy working with motivated students in exploring these exciting fields of inquiry.

Minoru SAWADA Professor: I would like to consider and discuss with you both the theoretical and practical aspects of curriculum and instruction. In so doing, our key concepts would be competency, inclusion, and democracy.

Miki SUGIMURA Professor: Welcome to the Department of Education of the SPSF course at Sophia University. My name is Miki Sugimura and I am in charge of "international education". International education is often misunderstood as a research area of foreign education systems. However, the field of international education is broader, examining the rationale and relationships of educational issues and policies in various contexts of international affairs. Nurturing potential principles of international cooperation are even more important in times of world uncertainty and turmoil, and the role of international education is more significant to human dignity and peacebuilding. National integration and economic development have been important themes for each country, and education systems and policies have played an important role. National education policy, on the other hand, may raise issues of nationalism and protectionism, and political and cultural conflicts. To prevent these problems, the principle of international cooperation is recognized in international education. International education includes national education policy, development education, education for sustainable development (ESD), global citizenship education (GCED), international organization and education, multicultural education, and transnational/cross-border education. The origin of international education is internationalism with the principle of international cooperation. Today, international education is becoming more and more important as various efforts are being made to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I look forward to studying with you in international education classes.

Masamichi UENO Professor: Welcome to SPSF, Sophia University. My research focuses on educational theory and schooling and philosophy of education. Specifically, I am involved in educational research on school reform, learning, art, citizenship, and democracy in terms of connecting educational theories with practices. I used to discuss these topics based on the American philosophy of education, but currently, my interests extended to include the comparison of education in Europe and East Asia. In the SPSF course, we will study current educational issues by considering the theories and practices of education, learning, and schooling. I am very excited and looking forward to learning with you at Sophia.

Shinichi AIZAWA Professor: I study sociology of education. This is a combined field of sociology and educational studies. Sociological imagination to education must be important in the contemporary world, which is very changeable. I would like to share with you this idea in my class. I'm really looking forward to meeting you on campus. I sincerely hope your campus life is very satisfying.

Course Highlights

Introduction to Comparative Education: We learn by comparing. Through making comparisons, we can understand our own education system better. This course introduces students to the history and nature of the field of comparative education, and the theories and comparative tools that guide its work. It then examines educational issues from an international and comparative perspective. Topics include actors in education (international organizations; private jukus; parents), cultural comparisons on the aims of education, and relationships of religion, gender and education. By exploring how these issues are addressed and debated in different parts of the world, students can acquire a broader understanding of the dynamic process of education and its relationship with cultural, and social factors, as well as a critical appreciation of their own educational traditions.
Curriculum and Instruction: The aim of this course is to help students acquire a fundamental understanding of curriculum and instruction in public education in late modernity on the basis of some case studies. We refer mainly to several school stories in the US, but also to an example of educational practices in Japan and to the contemporary global situation of educational reform.
International Education: This class is one of the Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures (SPSF). International education includes various topics besides introducing the educational system of foreign countries. This class starts from a basic question on a meaning of international education and explains how international education has been developed based on internationalism. The program consists of two parts,1) the concepts and historical background, and 2) specific areas of international education focusing on educational policies and international relations.
Education and International Development: This course examines issues relating to education in developing nations from sociological perspectives. Education is often considered to promote economic, social and human development. Education is also often expected to enhance social cohesion and peace. Sociological perspectives help us understand and explain how these processes occur and critically examine education policies and international aid to education that promotes sustainable development. We will examine issues most relevant to education in developing nations, including gender, religion, employment, health, language, and conflict/disaster, and consider their implications for international cooperation.