Naruto University of Education Fosters "Irreplaceable Teachers" Through "Self-Designed Learning," Empowering Students to Design Their Own Education

Naruto University of Education supports April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day to express dreams. This press release is a dream of "Naruto University of Education." Naruto University of Education (Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture; President: Shuichi Sako) is promoting "Self-Designed Learning," an approach that goes beyond the conventional framework of standardized teacher training, allowing each student to design their learning based on their own interests, concerns, and future vision. To address complex educational challenges, we aim to cultivate "irreplaceable teachers" who can support children with their unique "strengths" and "specialties," ensuring no two teachers are alike. This initiative will create a new trend in Japanese teacher education.

Why do teachers need "individuality" now?

"Teachers don't all have to be the same." Naruto University of Education believes this. Children in the classroom each have different personalities, backgrounds, and concerns. To help each diverse child blossom their potential, teachers themselves must also be individuals with rich personalities and unique strengths, rather than uniform instructors. The conventional "teacher training that runs on a predetermined track" is insufficient to nurture teachers who can guide children living in an unpredictable future. That's why Naruto University of Education made a decision: students themselves will envision the teacher they want to become and design the learning necessary to achieve that. We are making a major shift towards such a new style of learning.

Infinite Teacher Images Born from "Self-Designed Learning"

"Self-Designed Learning," introduced by Naruto University of Education, is a system that breaks away from conventional standardized teacher training and allows students to proactively design their learning. For example: A teacher who creates new lessons for the digital age by combining "subject instruction expertise" x "ICT utilization skills." A teacher who can deeply empathize with the subtle emotions of children by combining "psychology" x "special needs education." A teacher with a perspective that connects local and global by combining "global education" x "community collaboration." By combining their interests (Want) with the needs of the educational field (Needs), students hone their "unique strengths" even while enrolled. Learning based on their own passion, not imitating others, becomes a reliable force to overcome difficulties in the educational field after graduation.

The Future School We Envision

The dream of Naruto University of Education is a future where teachers who have graduated from Naruto University of Education are active in schools nationwide, and children's eyes sparkle as they think, "Being a teacher is so interesting!" and "Becoming an adult seems fun!" The sight of teachers themselves learning autonomously, enjoying change, and demonstrating their individuality will surely spread to the children. Our unwavering dream and promise as a leading university for teacher training is to be a place where all students who aspire to be teachers can design their potential to the fullest, and for the "irreplaceable teachers" who graduate from here to brightly illuminate the future of children across Japan.