[Fukushima Prefecture / Prefectural Junior High Schools, High Schools, etc.] September 2025 (2) [Report on the Current State of Education]

Good work.
This is P206, a Human Resources Education/Personnel and Labor Consultant.

--

In March 2023, the Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education concluded an agreement with note to launch a new initiative: "building a media platform on note that aggregates information disseminated by local people, companies, and organizations that support education in Fukushima Prefecture."

This platform features many articles that are interesting to those involved in education in Fukushima Prefecture, as well as articles that we would like many people to share.

However, because so many articles are posted every day, it is a great pity that excellent, highly useful, and necessary articles go unnoticed and get buried.

As someone involved in student education in Fukushima Prefecture, I would like to periodically highlight excellent articles to convey the thoughts of various stakeholders, and I intend to publish summary articles on the current status of each school, etc., posted on the aforementioned platform.

Thank you for your cooperation.

*This time, it is a summary of articles up to September 12, 2025.

ー

1. July 2025 Issue Editor's Note: The Drama "Mikami-sensei" and the Revision of the Course of Study (Expectations for Inquiry-Based Learning) Wataru Masaki, Director of the Educational General Affairs Division (Prefectural Board of Education)

This winter, a drama titled "Mikami-sensei" was broadcast on the TBS Sunday Theater. The story follows a MEXT official who is dispatched to a private school as a teacher, where he strives in his educational activities while confronting issues in educational administration.

In one scene of this drama, the protagonist, Mr. Mikami, makes a statement to the effect that "in classes that emphasize time for thinking and discussing together, 'academic ability' may temporarily decline," and subsequently, the students in that class began to think for themselves about learning and how to learn, and as a result, they became the class with the highest 'academic ability' in the grade.

As someone in an educational administrative agency, I thought it was quite a tense line, but I also felt that it exquisitely depicted the relationship between so-called "academic ability" and "proactive, interactive, and deep learning" within a single episode.

● Expectations for Comprehensive and Inquiry-Based Learning

Discussions are currently underway regarding the next revision of the Course of Study. At a meeting held in May, several tendencies of students who actively engage in "inquiry-based learning" were presented as the potential of such learning.

➢ High average correct answer rates in the National Assessment of Academic Ability

In the "Period for Integrated Studies" (or "Inquiry" in high schools) conducted at each school, students are expected to be conscious of the learning attitude consisting of "(1) Setting tasks," "(2) Collecting information," "(3) Organizing and analyzing," and "(4) Summarizing and expressing" throughout the learning process.

Materials from a Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) meeting present data comparing the tendencies of students who actively engage in the Period for Integrated Studies with their average correct answer rates in the National Assessment of Academic Ability (Japanese/Math/English).
The materials indicate that the more students actively seek to address tasks on their own, the higher their average correct answer rates in the National Assessment of Academic Ability across all subjects in both elementary and junior high schools tend to be.

➢ High percentage of students who "think for themselves and work on their own to solve problems" in class

In surveys on the consciousness of young people in various countries, results show that Japanese youth have a low level of consciousness regarding "willingly tackling things even when it is unclear if they will go well." Amidst this, the more students actively engage in inquiry-based learning, the higher their tendency to try to solve problems on their own can also be observed.

➢ High percentage of students who can "connect what they learned in class to their next studies or real life, and apply it"

In the Period for Integrated Studies (Inquiry), students set tasks based on questions and interests that arise when looking at daily life and society.Such an attitude is thought to lead to being conscious of the relationship between daily learning content and real life. (J.M. Keller, an educational psychologist in the United States, lists "(1) Attention," "(2) Relevance," "(3) Confidence," and "(4) Satisfaction" as elements that stimulate learning motivation. Regarding "(2) Relevance," it is understood that being able to feel the connection between educational materials and real life contributes to an attitude toward learning. Source: "Designing Learning Motivation" (2009, J.M. Keller, 2010, supervised translation by Katsuaki Suzuki, Kitaohji Shobo))

➢ High percentage of students who "engage in activities to organize their own thoughts"

In learning each subject, the ability to think for oneself and organize one's thoughts is also important. As mentioned above, the Period for Integrated Studies assumes a process of organizing and analyzing information, and the percentage of students who answer that they engage in activities to organize their own thoughts while applying what they learned in each subject is higher among those who engage in inquiry-based learning.
This result can be interpreted as students having habituated the practice of having their own thoughts on tasks, or perhaps it may be a result of teachers who are conscious of the inquiry process in the Period for Integrated Studies also being conscious of the same attitude when creating lessons for other subjects.

➢ High percentage of students who "can think of ways to learn and be creative on their own"

Learning does not end at the compulsory education or high school stage. To be a lifelong learner, it is also important to think about what and how to learn on one's own. In an OECD survey, when asked "Are you confident that you can engage in autonomous learning if schools are closed again?", Japan ranked low at 34th out of 37, which can be interpreted as Japan not having cultivated habits for autonomous learning.
From this, one can also observe that inquiry-based learning may play a certain role in fostering the qualities and abilities to "think of ways to learn and be creative on one's own".

➢ High percentage of students who "want to do something to improve their community"

This is a survey result showing that the more students learn through inquiry in the Period for Integrated Studies, the higher the percentage who answer that they "want to do something to improve their community or society." Considering that the perspective in the Period for Integrated Studies turns toward the community and society, it is thought that inquiry-based learning may also contribute to fostering a sense of social participation.

➢ High percentage of students who "like studying subjects"

Finally, although this is just a tendency, it can be observed that students who engage in inquiry-based learning are more likely to give positive answers such as "I like studying subjects".

Also, in the same material, a survey by The Nippon Foundation mentions that current junior high school students who are truant or have a tendency toward truancy, as well as graduates, consider "places where they can learn" to be places where they can pursue what they like, what they want to pursue, and what they want to know, and it was indicated that there may be an affinity between inquiry-based learning and the intentions of such children (wanting to pursue what they want to know). (Source: The Nippon Foundation "Survey on the Actual Conditions of Children with a Tendency toward Truancy (December 2018)")

● "Inquiry x ICT" that plays an active role in inquiry-based learning

As stated at the beginning, in the process of inquiry-based learning, the processes of "(1) Setting tasks," "(2) Collecting information," "(3) Organizing and analyzing," and "(4) Summarizing and expressing" are kept in mind, and the use of one device per student is expected in each situation.
(1) Setting tasks: By deepening understanding through data, etc., and grasping where tasks should be solved, the tasks to be set become clearer.
(2) Collecting information: From big data, one can instantly collect diverse information related to the task.
(3) Organizing and analyzing: One can systematically incorporate collected information, easily visualize it with graphs, etc., and accumulate and organize materials for analysis.
(4) Summarizing and expressing: One becomes able to express summaries of tasks logically, systematically, and visually.

Although I will not go into detail here, materials from the same meeting (Special Committee on Curriculum Planning (8th Meeting)) also show results indicating that teachers who utilize one device per student while keeping these perspectives in mind during inquiry-based activities 'feel an improvement in the quality and efficiency of inquiry'.

Based on the 'tendencies of students who actively engage in inquiry-based learning' and the 'compatibility with one device per student' that I have written about so far, I feel it is suggested that we need to consider the qualities and abilities required of children in the future, as well as how to proceed with the necessary educational activities, across the entire curriculum. as well.

● Fukushima Conference: National Conference on Living, Integrated, and Inquiry-based Studies

Given the views on learning and instruction reflected in the drama, as well as the status of discussions on the revision of the Course of Study, it is expected that expectations for the Period for Integrated (Inquiry-based) Studies will continue to rise.

Regarding the Course of Study, deliberations are being advanced by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology with school officials and experts, and there is a national academic society that conducts research on the ideal state of Living, Integrated, and Inquiry-based studies, and a national conference (supported by the Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education) is scheduled to be held in Fukushima Prefecture in fiscal year 2026.

I participated in the 'Meeting to Make the Fukushima Conference a Success' held in May, and teachers from various school types and regions participated on the day, and I felt the rising expectations for Living, Integrated, and Inquiry-based studies.

More than 20 years have passed since the Period for Integrated Studies was incorporated into the curriculum. At your school, what are you conscious of, and how are you engaging with the 'Period for Integrated Studies' and the 'Period for Integrated Inquiry-based Studies'?

-

I also wrote an article about 'O-kami Sensei' (The Teacher from Above) in another article previously, but

Various reforms are also being carried out in actual educational settings.
Please be sure to see the original page for detailed materials and the like.

--

2. 'Basic Nursing' Class Scene vol. 12 [Iwaki Yumoto] (Prefectural Iwaki Yumoto High School)

On Wednesday, July 16, the 12th class of 'Basic Nursing' for the 3rd-year Specialist Course Nursing and Medical track was held.

This class is taught every Wednesday during the 3rd and 4th periods by professors from the Faculty of Nursing at Medical Creation University, with which we have a high school-university partnership agreement. In addition to this class, the professors from Medical Creation University also cooperate with the health and medical program designated by the Prefectural Board of Education.

This time, it was the 12th 'Basic Nursing' class of the current fiscal year, and it was taught by Professor Yoshimi Haga of the Faculty of Nursing. With the theme of 'Accidents that easily happen to children and countermeasures,' in the first half, we learned mainly about accidents in the home and conducted a group exercise using 'Child Vision' to see from a child's perspective. In the second half, we focused on accidents outside the home, especially heatstroke countermeasures, and learned how to deal with them when they occur in familiar situations.

In the summary of the class, we were taught the mindset of pediatric nursing, such as 'the person on the scene should respond to save a life,' 'use different methods as well,' and 'continue until that life can be saved'.

-

It is rare to experience a 'child's field of view' rather than the 'elderly person's field of view' which involves physical decline, and I am sure it will be useful.

--

3. [Yoshima Campus] All-school recreation has finished successfully! (Prefectural Iwaki Sogo High School)

On Thursday, July 17, an all-school recreation event planned by the student council was held at the Yoshima Campus. As it was a first-time attempt, the event was planned with a wide variety of activities that avoided strenuous exercise inside the air-conditioned school building during the day to prevent heatstroke.

Immediately after the opening ceremony in the gymnasium, a mixed-gender arm wrestling competition between classes began as a demonstration. Following that, there was an intro quiz that everyone participated in.

Next, the location moved inside the school building for sitting volleyball in the classrooms. It was a team competition divided by gender, using rubber balloons as balls, with free chair placement and rotations.

The subsequent Hyakunin Isshu (100 poems) tournament involved everyone participating in teams of two. The air-conditioned library also served as a venue.

After the lunch break, the final charades game was held in the gymnasium, with the schedule changed due to the low heat index. Everyone was divided into 6 teams and lined up in single rows for the showdown. Although there were difficult topics such as fortune tellers, trains, and chimpanzees, everyone had a great time until the very end.

The results of all matches (about 60 games) will be scored and tallied. Which class will be the overall winner? The announcement of the results will be something to look forward to until the opening ceremony of the second semester. It was a school event where we saw many sides of the students that we don't usually see. Thank you for a fun time before the summer vacation!

-

It is an interesting initiative that is different from typical 'sports festivals' or 'cultural festivals'.

--

4. From the 3rd-year Science [Basic Earth Science] class (Prefectural Nakoso High School)

This time it is the second installment of Mentos Cola! We will think about volcanic eruptions and volcanic ejecta. First, let's try putting one Mentos into the cola.

Now, for today's main event:
"Dropping Mentos into a 1.5L PET bottle of cola."
The cola erupted vigorously.

We learned that the way volcanoes erupt differs depending on plate movement, how force is applied, and changes in pressure. Although the erupted cola was blown away by the wind, we learned that if we imagine this wind as the westerlies blowing over Japan, volcanic ejecta are carried in the same way.
Science teachers are putting great effort into conducting experiments in ways that spark curiosity among students in other subjects as well.
Science teachers are putting great effort into conducting experiments in ways that spark curiosity among students in other subjects as well.

—

It is an interesting way to learn about volcanic eruptions using the "Mentos and Cola" experiment, which went viral on the internet a while ago.

——

5. SSH Small Group Seminar: "How to Create the Near Future" (Tomonori Kagaya) (Prefectural Asaka Junior and Senior High School)

This small group seminar has been held for three years as part of the SSH project. It is an initiative where we invite leading figures active in the world to give lectures, hold discussions, and conduct presentations. The first session of this fiscal year (Friday, July 11) featured Tomonori Kagaya, a new business development planner. This was the first seminar since becoming a combined junior and senior high school, and when we invited junior high students to join, more junior high students showed up than high school students. The curiosity of junior high students is very strong, and it is truly promising.
Mr. Kagaya is a planner famous as the creator of "necomimi," which expresses brain waves through cat ears. This time, he spoke to us about generative AI.
He explained that while early generative AI focused on expressing words through pictures or videos, the concept of utilizing it as a means of "chat" (conversation) was discovered, leading to its explosive use. We were able to learn about the importance of that perspective—focusing on communication with people. He also explained the technological progress over the past three years, and we were able to recognize that the speed of development in this field is extraordinary. While the impact of generative AI on future society is immeasurable, he spoke about the importance of humans and AI working together.
In the second half, we had hands-on experience with writing lyrics and composing music using generative AI, as well as creating videos for specific scenes. We realized how easily it could be done, and it was so much fun that we couldn't stop operating it.

—

If we can write lyrics, compose music, and create videos with generative AI, it means that even someone like me, who has "zero artistic talent," can live in a world where I can express myself in various ways, so it is quite attractive.

——

6. July 17: Integrated Studies - Exchange with Musashi High School! (Prefectural Kawaguchi High School)

The Social Prescription team in the Integrated Studies period is working toward implementation with the theme of "Social Prescription."

This time, following last year, we had an online exchange with Musashi High School in Tokyo.

We started by introducing ourselves to each other and learning the faces and names of everyone we will be interacting with this school year.

After that, our students gave presentations. This year, we are divided into four groups, with the theme of thinking about and implementing social prescriptions that we can carry out ourselves.

We presented each group's ideas, received questions from Musashi High School, and used them as a reference for planning our future activities.

Following that, we received an explanation about Musashi High School's activities and listened to the students' presentations. They used data to support their thinking and showed great imagination, which we also learned a great deal from.

—

In the event of a large-scale disaster, we must think not only about the direct damage but also about the follow-up support for life afterward.

☆Summary articles from previous sessions, etc.☆