School of EducationWaseda University

Department Overview

Department of Education

Given the nature of the School of Education, the Department of Education is the core department at the School. In other words, it is precisely because all departments at the School work on the assumption of academic collaboration with the Department of Education that they are able to prosper in their respective missions in a way that is unique to the School of Education.  This structure can be seen clearly at the Graduate School of Education. Out of respect for these links and faced with the challenges of a new age, the Department of Education analyzes education from a variety of different perspectives and approaches, and seeks to foster a healthy society and individuals. In order to achieve these goals, it provides its students with opportunities for the specialist study of educational systems, policies and methods.

The Department of Education offers two majors – an Education major and a Primary Education major. The Education major is made up of three sections – the Education, the Adult and Community Education , and the Educational Psychology. Below, we describe the characteristics of each specialization and the Primary Education major.

Students with outstanding results who wish to go on to graduate school are able to join the Graduate School of Education through recommended admission.

Education Major - Education

Overview

Studying at a university faculty of education does not necessarily mean that a student will go on to become a teacher.  Like politics and economics, education is a social and international challenge shared by all modern societies that requires both theoretical and practical consideration. Pedagogical thinking means going beyond the subjective field experienced by the individual and examining how people develop from an interdisciplinary approach, including society, culture and history, etc., and from multiple objective perspectives.

The Education allows students to increase their level of specialist knowledge by sitting a diverse range of selective courses in addition to the compulsory courses in Education, while also allowing them to take “pre-seminar” courses in the first and second years as a way of building up specialist pedagogical thinking.  In the third and fourth years, students are divided into full seminar courses by specialist field (9 classes), and carry out research on the themes they are interested in with advice from an instructing teacher. This research is then used by students to complete their graduation thesis.

A variety of future paths is available to students after graduation. In addition to well-known routes for education graduates such as going on to graduate school to become a pedagogical researcher, or becoming a university or school teacher, a public official in central or local government (in fields such as educational administration or social welfare), or a family court probation officer, students also go on to work in a wide variety of roles in industry (including newspapers, publishing, finance, insurance, IT and manufacturing).  Other qualifications that can be obtained include teaching licenses in junior high school social studies, senior high school geography and history, senior high school citizenship, and special schools, and qualification as a librarian or museum curator. Many students go on to find work in schools and museums.

Characteristics

  • A multilateral and comprehensive approach to education studies
  • The opportunity to increase your historical awareness and international perspective
  • A “human education” that engenders respect for life and the Earth
  • The development of personnel capable of working in business, youth education and administration
  • The first stage in the development of researchers in specialist pedagogical fields

Education Major - Adult and Community Education

Overview

Adult and Community Education is a philosophy that seeks to re-approach the question of education, which until now has been carried out with a focus on school education, throughout a person’s life and from the perspective of society at large. It is the key philosophy of the future of education.  The main objective of the Adult and Community Education is to allow students to pursue theoretical research in adult and community learning, while acquiring the concrete theoretical and practical skills needed in real situations, including: home education; education for children, adults, women and the elderly; educational welfare; facilities and teaching staff in community education; access to school facilities; audio-visual education;  multicultural education; and guaranteeing the educational rights of vulnerable groups. It offers a wide variety of specialist courses.

Graduates have gone on to a variety of different roles, including: community education supervisors; post-graduate students; teachers at community welfare facilities such as community education facilities and children’s homes; public officials in central and local government; family court probation officers; corporate education specialists; and journalists.

If students complete the prescribed courses during their time at the School, they are able to obtain teaching licenses in senior high school geography and history, senior high school citizenship, junior high school social studies, and schools for the deaf, blind and disabled, as well as qualification as a librarian, school librarian, or museum curator.

Please see the Adult and Community Education website for more details.

Characteristics

  • High value is given to free and original thinking and theory-building. The program provides skills that are likely to become increasingly important in the context of a rapidly changing international society.
  • Community education is strongly characterized by its integration of the arts and sciences. For example, theoretical research is carried out not only from the perspective of education studies, but also includes economics, social studies, environmental studies and women’s studies
  • Priority is given to human relations, and efforts are made to build up friendship and networks both in Japan and overseas

Education Major - Educational Psychology

Overview

In addition to learning about psychology with a direct relationship to educational activities, students study all fields of psychology from a broad perspective. As can be seen by looking at the specialist course names (compulsory and selective) listed for the Educational Psychology in the below course list, the courses offered at the Faculty are weighted towards core areas of psychology.  This is because it is necessary to master the core knowledge and techniques of all fields of psychology in order to become a psychologist capable of making a contribution to education.

In terms of future career paths, in addition to going on to graduate school, students have the option of pursuing a variety of careers requiring training in educational psychology, including: public official (psychologist); school psychologist; child welfare or education center counsellor; hospital psychological diagnostician; family court probation officer; or corrective education officer. Moreover, if students complete the necessary courses they are able to obtain teaching licenses in senior high school geography and history, senior high school citizenship, junior high school social studies, and special schools, as well as qualification as a community education supervisor.

* You can also carry out simultaneous searches of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, ERIC and MEDLINE.
* This facility can only be used by teaching staff, postgraduate students and undergraduate students on the Educational Psychology Specialization.
* You will need a login ID to use this service.  If you have any inquiries, please ask an Educational Psychology Specialization assistant.

Characteristics

  • Emphasis is given to academic study with practical effectiveness, while also valuing basic research skills,
  • A well-developed curriculum has been put in place,
  • Educational psychology is focused on as part of an overall study of all fields of psychology.

Primary Education Major

Overview

The main objective of the Primary Education Major is to train elementary school teachers.  As the starting point for school education, elementary school plays an extremely important role in people’s development.  Especially given the topical nature of education in recent years, Waseda University has an extremely important role to play in the production of talented elementary school teachers who are ready to fill important roles in the world of education.  The Primary Education Major aims to train teachers who possess a deep understanding of the developmental stages and individuality of children, who can build attractive lessons, and who are capable of developing a rich humanity and robust academic skills.  In order to achieve this goal, students sit courses aimed at providing them with a mastery of specialist knowledge and skills in relation to children’s mental and physical development and subject instruction, as well as courses that increase their clinical skills, including voluntary experience at schools and practical training in the field of education.  What’s more, by sitting selective courses from the various specializations on the Education Major, students are able to increase their academic research skills in the field of education, or acquire a junior high school teaching license (Japanese, social studies, mathematics, science or English) and increase their specialist subject skills.

Students are expected to work as elementary school teachers after graduation, but they are also able to increase their specialist skills by going on to study at the Graduate School of Education or the Graduate School of Teacher Education.

Characteristics

  • Obtain a Primary License for Elementary School Teacher
  • Acquire the principles and methods behind primary education and childhood understanding
  • Learn in depth about a broad range of environments and issues in primary education
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