ABSTRACT
In contrast to the Japanese goals of schooling, these goals are framed in cognitive and instrumental terms and are very concrete.
To realize the broad goals of teaching, Japanese teachers promote school pro grams that encompass a wide spectrum of student activities and teacher responsibil ities. These programs include: academic lessons, physical education (the responsibil ity of the classroom teacher at the elementary level and of a specialist at the middle school level), moral education, supervision of lunch service, school cleaning, club activity, swimming, home visits, and such school events as ceremonial events, retreats, excursion trips, and athletic and music festivals. The Ministry of Educations course of study, the binding official guideline for the national curricu lum, defines the school curriculum as consisting of academic subjects, moral educa tion, and “special activities,” which include most of these non-academic activities. Teaching at the elementary level is most inclusive in that elementary teachers are expected to implement all the activities. Elementary teachers design teaching broad ly, on the assumption that it is multifaceted. This conception of teaching is embed ded in what is called zenjin kyoiku or whole-person education (Sato & McLaughlin, 1992). It is assumed that personal habits, motivation, and interpersonal relations are important parts of teaching that teachers are expected to address. Further, teachers’ routine responsibilities also include fostering children’s social development through social interactions.
