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Paper short abstract:

I will introduce the Department Improvement Project. It creates dialogues not only among learners but also between teacher and learners. This is a Japanese course setting in which the teacher can interact with the learners as an equal, rather than becoming a knowledge transmitter or facilitator.

Paper long abstract:

The typical teacher in the classroom is a knowledge transmitter or facilitator. The former tend not to see the learner as competent. The latter tends to emphasize the learners' abilities but takes the position that it is the teacher who brings out their capabilities. So, it is hard to imagine that either type may interact with learners on an equal level. But is it impossible for the teacher and learners to have a dialogue on a peer level in the classroom?

For example, when a veteran teacher instructs a newcomer, the veteran often observes the new colleague's lesson and gives advice. However, if the experienced teacher and the neophyte colleague show each other's class over a long period, there would be less one-way coaching and dialogue could be created to improve their lessons.

Thinking about it this way, incorporating the common goal of a teacher and learners into the classroom could create a dialogue at their equal level between them.

Therefore, in this presentation, I will introduce the Department Improvement Project. This project conducts in a Japanese course in the Master's program of the Department of Japanese Studies. In this project, the course students complete a questionnaire survey for all students in the department. Then, based on the results of the analysis, they make a collection of recommendations and submit it to the department. At the same time, the teacher also faces an ongoing test of his seriousness in using the recommendations to improve the department. Therefore, when students discuss questionnaire making, data analysis, and creating suggestions, the teacher take s part as one participant.

Here, the teacher is neither a knowledge transmitter nor a facilitator. Teachers show students the importance of keeping a dialogue with others (students, colleagues and supervisors) to achieve their goals through his own words and actions. If the teacher teaches something there, that is the importance of " creating an environment where we can continue the dialogue, and keep on having the dialogue". Through this presentation, I will reconsider the role of the teacher.