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Accepted Paper
Paper long abstract
This presentation examines the significance and outcomes of the "Departmental Improvement Project," a 15-year initiative in which teachers and learners transcend traditional power dynamics to address shared institutional challenges. While teacher learning from students is often regarded as incidental, this project is distinctive in intentionally fostering the teacher's growth into an "Adaptive Expert" who actively internalizes student perspectives to enhance professional knowledge.
The project is embedded in an academic writing course where students investigate departmental issues and compile proposal reports. Rather than treating learners as passive recipients, the teacher repositions them as "colleagues" in organizational improvement. Since 2010, 180 proposals have driven concrete reforms in curriculum and other areas. This practice goes beyond merely collecting student voices; it constitutes civic action through which learners, as social agents, transform their immediate environment.
Drawing on an action research framework, this study pursues three aims: (1) identifying specific strategies the teacher employed to generate productive dialogue; (2) analyzing organizational responses to student proposals; and (3) illustrating the process of behavioral transformation through "Elastic Practice"—the flexible selection and fine-tuning of approaches in response to institutional resistance rooted in colleague skepticism and entrenched conventions.
Unlike short-term initiatives, this 15-year longitudinal practice demonstrates how teachers navigate complex departmental contexts by blending theoretical and practical resources. The presentation foregrounds the construction of "Intentional Collegiality," a professionally structured relationship that sustains mutual growth between teachers and learners. It offers a concrete perspective on how teachers can continue to transform themselves by embracing learners as authentic partners in institutional and social reform.
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References
Carew, A. L., Lefoe, G., Bell, M., & Armour, L. (2008). Elastic practice in academic developers. International Journal for Academic Development, 13(1), 51-66.
Council of Europe. (2020). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment – Companion volume. Council of Europe Publishing.
Darling-Hammond, L., & Bransford, J. (Eds.). (2005). Preparing Teachers for a Changing World: What Teachers Should Learn and Be Able to Do. Jossey-Bass.
| Abstract in Japanese (if needed): | 教師の自己変革と学習者との同僚性の構築 15年にわたる『学科改善プロジェクト』の実践から 若井 誠二（カーロリ・ガーシュパール・カルビン派大学） 本発表は、教師と学習者が「教える―教わる」というパワーバランスを超え、共通の課題に取り組む実践として、15年にわたり継続している「学科改善プロジェクト」の意義と成果を論じる。 従来、教師が学習者から学ぶことは偶発的な成果とされてきたが、本プロジェクトは教師が「学生の視点」から能動的に学ぶプロセスを内面化し、専門性を向上させる「適応的熟達者」への成長を意図的に促す点に独自性がある。 本プロジェクトは日本語論文作成を目標とするコースに組み込まれ、学生は所属学科の問題を調査・分析し、提言書を作成する。教師は学科改善というリアルな課題において、学生を「教える対象」ではなく、組織を共に改善する「同僚」として位置づける。2010年以来、180本の提言に基づきカリキュラムその他の改善を実現してきた。この実践は単なる学生の声の収集に留まらず、学生が社会的存在として環境を変革する市民的行動そのものである。 本発表ではアクションリサーチの枠組みを用い、三点を考察する。第一に、教師が対話を生むために用いた具体的ストラテジーの抽出。第二に、学生の提言に対する組織的アクションの分析。第三に、同僚教員からの反発や既存慣習による抵抗を乗り越え、状況に応じて最適な方法を柔軟に選択しながら実践を微調整していくプロセス（エラスティック・プラクティス）を通じた行動変容の提示である。 本発表は、教師が学習者との間に意図的な同僚性を構築し、共に成長し続けるための具体的視座を提供する。 ________________________________________________________________ 参考文献 Carew, A. L., Lefoe, G., Bell, M., & Armour, L. (2008). Elastic practice in academic developers. International Journal for Academic Development, 13(1), 51-66. Council of Europe. (2020). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment – Companion volume. Council of Europe Publishing. Darling-Hammond, L., & Bransford, J. (Eds.). (2005). Preparing Teachers for a Changing World: What Teachers Should Learn and Be Able to Do. Jossey-Bass. |
Association of Japanese Language Education: 1
Session 8 Sunday 30 August, 2026, -