Chapter 15: A Father's Journey: Teaching Canadian Inclusive Education in a Japanese Elementary School Special Support Education Classroom
Theodore Bonnah
Abstract
Although Japanese Special Support Education (特別支援教育 tokubetsu shien kyouiku or SSE) classes have become a part of the contemporary education landscape, their implementation evidences cultural and systemic barriers to student learning and inclusion in school life. As a certified primary-secondary school teacher with special education training and experience in Canada, these barriers stood out to the author when he began voluntarily teaching at his son’s classroom. In this chapter, the author analyzes the struggles and successes he witnessed while implementing Canadian style special education in Japan, where Japanese Educational Discourses (JED) and their attendant practices do not always support barrier-free learning. Specifically, the author examines Repetition as Primary Pedagogic Practice, Lack of Materials Adaptation & Accommodation for Individuals, and Inappropriate Interaction Technique and Behavioural Issues as obstacles to providing inclusive education. The author cites lack of specialized training and manpower shortages as contributing factors for these gaps in teaching practice, and notes how they could only be filled by additional investments of time and expertise from outside the school system, such as his own volunteer teaching. The author concludes that Japanese SSE teachers will readily change their practices to accommodate individual student needs better if they can be shown that this benefits students, and that implementing such techniques is feasible and effective.
About the Contributor
Theodore Bonnah is an Associate Professor in the Economics department of Kobe International University. Besides holding a PhD in Global Society Studies, he also has a degree in Education, a Canadian Teaching License, as well as special education teaching experience in Canada. He has published on US Economic Discourse, use of SNS in Language Education, and the social relevance of yurukyara, to name a few of his research interests.
Citation
Bonnah, T. (2024). A father's journey: Teaching Canadian inclusive education in a Japanese elementary school special support education classroom. In A. Burke, D., Young, & M. L. Cook (Eds.), Barrier-free Instruction in Japan: Recommendations for teachers at all levels of schooling (255-281). Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/30/15
Although Japanese Special Support Education (特別支援教育 tokubetsu shien kyouiku or SSE) classes have become a part of the contemporary education landscape, their implementation evidences cultural and systemic barriers to student learning and inclusion in school life. As a certified primary-secondary school teacher with special education training and experience in Canada, these barriers stood out to the author when he began voluntarily teaching at his son’s classroom. In this chapter, the author analyzes the struggles and successes he witnessed while implementing Canadian style special education in Japan, where Japanese Educational Discourses (JED) and their attendant practices do not always support barrier-free learning. Specifically, the author examines Repetition as Primary Pedagogic Practice, Lack of Materials Adaptation & Accommodation for Individuals, and Inappropriate Interaction Technique and Behavioural Issues as obstacles to providing inclusive education. The author cites lack of specialized training and manpower shortages as contributing factors for these gaps in teaching practice, and notes how they could only be filled by additional investments of time and expertise from outside the school system, such as his own volunteer teaching. The author concludes that Japanese SSE teachers will readily change their practices to accommodate individual student needs better if they can be shown that this benefits students, and that implementing such techniques is feasible and effective.
About the Contributor
Theodore Bonnah is an Associate Professor in the Economics department of Kobe International University. Besides holding a PhD in Global Society Studies, he also has a degree in Education, a Canadian Teaching License, as well as special education teaching experience in Canada. He has published on US Economic Discourse, use of SNS in Language Education, and the social relevance of yurukyara, to name a few of his research interests.
Citation
Bonnah, T. (2024). A father's journey: Teaching Canadian inclusive education in a Japanese elementary school special support education classroom. In A. Burke, D., Young, & M. L. Cook (Eds.), Barrier-free Instruction in Japan: Recommendations for teachers at all levels of schooling (255-281). Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/30/15
Information About the Book
Title: Barrier-Free Instruction in Japan: Recommendations for Teachers at all Levels of Schooling
Editors: Alexandra Burke, Davey Young, and Melodie Lorie Cook
Read more...
Title: Barrier-Free Instruction in Japan: Recommendations for Teachers at all Levels of Schooling
Editors: Alexandra Burke, Davey Young, and Melodie Lorie Cook
Read more...