The Purpose and the Aim

The purpose of the Graduate School of Education Saga University is to provide opportunity to enhance practicing power of teachers and collecting information on education and constructing theory of education by analyzing data from practical school teaching in the four schools, which are attached to the faculty, in cooperation with the Integrated Center for Educational Research and Development which is also attached to the faculty.

Targets of our graduate course are those who have volition in special research with a strong teaching professional intention, the graduates from a universities, the incumbent teacher, working member of Japanese society, and foreign student who have a clear purpose and flourishing research volition. They are accepted positively to our school. Their practical pursuit capability that can respond to the request of modern society will be supported. The talented people in and out of Japan who can bear a position as a leader with special knowledge and creative business solution capability in various fields are encouraged to join us.

To reach the purpose we have two educational divisions. One is the division of School Education which holds three courses, aims at the study of mental developments of children in school, and the pedagogical study in accordance to the children's age. The other is the division of School Subjects Teaching, which consists of 10 departments, giving professionally advanced knowledge about teaching of each school subject.

School Education Division

The Division of School Education is for the studies of advanced knowledge on pedagogy, the meanings and features of children's growth, seeking for solutions and remedies to teach problematic behavior children. The classes are all small-sized and seminar-type. The advanced professional expertise about school management, and capability of mentoring lifelong learning adults are also aimed at.

Students who obtain teaching certificates forms main part of this Graduate School. Our purpose is training each talented teacher who joined us to have the high practice power in the classes and whole school educational management, gazing at the whole school environment, and have the research capability on education with a viewpoint as a person in a society. The division holds three courses to their specialty.

Educational Theory

It inquires specially and practically on the human rights issue: a child's problem in a community and problem in learning subjects etc. The formation of a modern educational organization of a school, a home, and a community; and educational function of the respective group are studied.

Educational Psychology

It inquires specially about evaluation of the understanding state of children and students, and a function of a teacher and etc. on the basis of the knowledge from the research fields of educational psychology, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology.

Handicapped Children

It inquires specially about handicapped children's development: characteristics, the problem of the curative education, and the appropriate system for the purpose. The contents of educational theories for the physically and mentally handicapped children , teaching methods for them , and etc. are extensively studied.

Subject Teaching Division

The subject research connected with the teaching practice research for preparation of the lesson item about the subject education in each subject and the lesson subject about the contents of a subject, and applying the learning outcome to a practice side in subject educational specialty and a master's thesis is imposed,

The advanced professional expertise about each subject is given, and it aims at training talented teachers having the high practice power and research capability about school education.

The classes in the course are also small-sized and students study in practical ways using the four attached schools and the attached Integrated Center for Educational Research and Development. Setting up of our master course departments for the all school teaching subjects(in Japanese schools) were completed in April, 1997, and have been improved and developed in quality.

Japanese Language Teaching

Special scientific research of the Japanese language, Japanese literature, Chinese writing, and calligraphy is deepened. We strive for systematization and systematization of those results of research. Construction of theory for the Japanese language education on the basis of the research and formation of the advanced professional competence about practical teaching are aimed at. Moreover, through learning the professional competence in connection with the Japanese language, corresponding internationalization of language education is also aimed at.

Social-Studies Teaching

While deepening special research of many fields about social-studies education, such as history, geography, jurisprudence and politics, sociology and economics, philosophy, and ethics, in social-studies educational specialization, the interaction of the culture in modern society and international society is put into a view. Research and education advanced theory about the social-studies, pedagogy, and teaching practice are performed.

Mathematics Teaching

Research which progressed [ rather than ] about the principle, the contents, the method, etc. of the arithmetic and the mathematics education in a high school from the elementary school is done. Through research of algebra, geometry, mathematical analysis, and applied mathematics, professional competence about mathematics teaching is heightened.

Science Teaching

The department aims at research of the curriculum of science subjects, and cultivation of the talented students who have learned the capability to perform educational practice. While deepening special research of physics, chemistry, biology, and earth science, the students are trained to correspond to rapid progress of natural science.

Music Teaching

While learning on the special research about vocal music, instrumental music, composition, a tactics and technique, musicology, and music department education, music expression capability and musicology, research capability of a certain field is heightened. The musical educational person who can unify those professional competence to music instruction of a school or a community is aimed at.

Art &Craft Teaching

Formation of advanced modern theoretical and practical capability in connection with (study of many prospective subjects and) fine-arts education is aimed at. Research on sketch, Japanese painting, European painting, sculpture, design, ceramics, the woodwork craft, and logic of art, etc. are performed. Unifying the specialty nature and educational practice ability is aimed at.

Health & Physical Teaching

Establishment of the theory about health-and-physical education and formation of the instruction capability in a student is aimed at. His function as a school teacher and director in a community is heightened based on the education of each field, gymnastics study, kinematics, school hygiene, and health-and-physical-education.

Technology Teaching

The advanced research on the education of technology teaching is deepened. Recently, on such as the information foundation, teaching and research power are improved. Unifying specialty nature and educational practice ability, teaching expertise of the students will be increased.

Domestic-Science Teaching

Teachers with the professional competence and teaching power on homemaking education are trained. By the advanced special research on food, clothing, housing, and family relations and by applying the professional expertise and research methodology, the teaching power of teachers is enhanced.

English Teaching

Research is deepened about many problems in teaching English to Japanese children. Results of researches on English and British-American literature are systematized organically, for the training of the English teachers suitable to the time.

The former undergraduate system of Faculty of Education was reformed to the present Faculty of Culture and Education. Corresponding to this change, the Graduate School of Education has renewed to holds two divisions, the division of School Education and the division of School Subjects Education aiming at the advanced study of teaching through the profound and professional research. Based on the theoretical and practical educational knowledge high level training of teachers is performed at the graduate school.

Other graduate courses of cultural base which are not directly related with the school education are expected to be added in the future. Then, the purpose of establishing a Graduate School which completely matches the Faculty of Culture and Education.

In the age of internationalization, information, and aging society, a new educational institute coping with new issues are expected to be established.