Japan’s educational practices for mathematically gifted students

ABSTRACT

This study documents the inclusive, deliberate, and unintended educational practices in Japan for mathematically gifted students. It also aims to identify various schools’ strengths and challenges in improving the mathematics education of these students. Case studies with multisite designs were undertaken in five middle schools selected using purposive sampling. Mathematics education practices – assessed in terms of assessment, mathematics instruction, support and interventions, and teachers’ collaboration – guided the data collection and analysis. The primary goal of this study was to describe current school practices and identify common strengths and challenges (including outlier practices across schools) which were valuable in generating conclusion regarding how certain practices might lead to different student and/or teacher outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• Japan’s mathematics education
• gifted students
• education practices

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Michel P. Basister received a BS degree in Mathematics Education (Cum Laude) from Bicol University in 2006; Master in Public Management from University of the Philippines (Open University) in 2013; and Master of Arts in Education major in Special Education from the University of Nueva Caceres in 2014. Currently, Mr. Basister is an assistant professor in Special Education at the School of Graduate Studies of the University of Nueva Caceres; and an education programme specialist for Human Resource Development of the Department of Education, Republic of the Philippines, Naga City Division.

Norimune Kawai is currently a professor of Special Needs Education, Speech-Language Pathology, and Inclusive Education at the Graduate School of Education and the Graduate School for International Cooperation and Development. He also is a director of the Centre for Special Needs Education Research and Practice, Hiroshima University, Japan. Dr. Kawai obtained his doctoral degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles and has wrote/edited over 10 books in speech-language pathology, special needs education, and inclusive education.

ORCID

Michel P. Basister http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6327-8585

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by Hiroshima University and Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) through Teacher Training scholarship programme.