Shokuin shitsu as an Indispensable Nurturing Ground for Japanese Beginning Teachers: Final Analysis

• In Event: Worldwide Perspectives on Preservice Teacher Education

Abstract

In the U.S., beginning teacher retention has been one of the greatest challenges with 1/3 of the new teachers leaving the profession during their first three years of teaching. In contrast, in Japan, only 1.35% of first-year teachers left the profession in 2006. This paper examines how schools in Japan support novice teachers in their unique collaborative space for professional development called shokuin shitsu, the teachers’ room. Data were collected from 12 participants at a junior high school in Japan through interviews and observations, using Grounded theory method. The findings from this study indicated the critical role of shokuin shitsu in beginning teachers’ development with the focus on their long-term commitment to teaching as a communal endeavor.

Author

• Ruth Ahn, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona