Exploring the process of teacher development toward teaching English by using the Trajectory Equifinality Modelling approach: Elementary, middle and high school comparison

Within the education system in Japan, English classes have historically been conducted in Japanese. While the reasons for this are obvious, there are potential pitfalls, including the fact that such classes depend on translating English to Japanese and explaining grammar principles in Japanese. In 2008 The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology introduced a major reform to the teaching of English. The policy reform specifically related to high school English classes, but in 2019 it was updated to include junior high school classrooms. This policy placed increasing pressure on Japanese school teachers to teach English in English. Despite this increased pressure to speak English exclusively during class time, a 2019 survey found that many teachers choose to ignore the guidelines. Professor Mitsuyo Toya, who is an expert in applied linguistics and TEFL and is based at the University of the Ryukyus in Japan, is part of a team exploring the process of teacher development for teaching English in Japan. By using the Trajectory Equifinality Modelling approach, the team hopes to suggest improvements that the education sector can put in place to benefit students and teachers alike.