Japanese Education from the Perspective of Immigrant Youth: Lessons from Participatory Action Research
| Date | Thursday 15 December 2022 |
| Time | 16:30-18:30 pm (JST) |
| Venue | Virtual (zoom) |
| Language | Japanese (simultaneous interpretation available) |
| Registration | Please register by December 13 on: Pre-registration form |
| Presenters | Tomoko Tokunaga, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Tsukuba University |
| Contact | Global Education Office Email: globaledu(at)mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp *replace (at) with @ |
| KU Event Webpage | https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/ja/event/2022-11-21 |
Abstract: Japanese Education from the Perspective of Immigrant Youth: Lessons from Participatory Action Research
As Japan experiences multiculturalism from below, the number of children and youth living in-between multiple countries, cultures, and languages is increasing. About 30 years have passed since the revision of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act in 1989, and recently “diversity and inclusion” has become a buzzword in Japan. However, immigrant youth still face various educational issues, such as not enrolling in schools, dropping out of high school, and problems with higher education and employment.
Immigrant youth are “experts” in experiencing these challenges. As we listen to the “voices” of youth and engage in dialogue with them, what characteristics and challenges of Japanese education will we discover? Through a participatory action research approach that aims to produce democratic “knowledge,” the presenter has collaborated with high schools, NPOs, and youth to create ibasho among immigrant youth and empower them. By introducing these attempts, we would like to consider the possibilities and challenges of creating equitable and inclusive education in Japan.