
Addressing and Mitigating Educational Inequalities in Rural and Remote Areas of Japan Through Online Learning
- 1 Waseda University
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This paper explores the current status of rural education within Japan, with a particular emphasis on the integration of online learning technologies and the challenges that arise as a result. Through an analysis of pertinent literature on both rural education and online learning within Japan, this study uncovers the existing disparities between rural and urban education. The research puts forward a set of suggestions influenced by thriving global models, supporting the establishment of peer learning networks and external support systems, cooperative initiatives between urban and rural schools, and the extension of online educational resources. Additionally, the study highlights the significance of cultural awareness in online education design and stresses the need for bespoke learning approaches, incentives to boost students’ motivation, and provisions for professional development opportunities for teachers. These recommendations provide insights for policymakers, educators, and stakeholders, aiming to enhance educational opportunities and outcomes for students in rural and remote areas of Japan.
Keywords
rural education, online education, Japan, educational disparities, critical literature review
[1]. Li, J., & Ling, G. (2006). Fada guojia gaizao baoruo xuexiao de zhuyao jingyan [Experience for Disadvantaged School Reform in Developed Countries]. Waiguo zhongxiaoxue Jiaoyu, 11, 1007-8495.
[2]. Tamai, Y. (2007). Kodomo to Chiiki no Mirai o Hiraku Heki・Shōkibo Kyōiku no Kanōsei[The Potential of Small-Scale Education in Remote Areas to Open the Future of Children and Communities] (Vol. 16). Kyoiku Shinbunsha.
[3]. Masahiro Kishi. (2014). Hi Daitoshiken Shusseisha no Tōkyō-ken Tennyū Patān to Shusseiken e no Kikan Idō [Movement Patterns of Nonmetropolitan Births into the Tokyo Area and Return migration to birthplace] (Vol. 70). Jinkō Mondai Kenkyū.
[4]. Dai Jiagan. Cong Riben Jiaoyu Renli Ziyuan Peizhi Kan Jiaoshi Bianzhi Guanli de Tedian. [Characteristics of Teacher Establishment Management from the Allocation of Human Resources in Japanese Education.] Comparative Educational Studies 1 (1999).
[5]. Sumioka, Hideo. Kyouiku no Chiiki Kakusa ni Idomu.[The Challenge of Regional Differences in Education.] Sociological Studies of Education 80 (2007): 127-141.
[6]. Kamiyama, K. (2013). Regional Migration Associated with Career Choice at High School Graduation. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Educational Sociology, 65, 88–89. Retrieved from http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/10621511
[7]. Yonezawa, A. (2023) ‘Japan’s higher education policies under Global Challenges’, Asian Economic Policy Review, 18(2), pp. 220–237. doi:10.1111/aepr.12421.
[8]. Tada, K. (2023). Chūtō chūtō kyōiku ni okeru onrain kyōiku no kanōsei to kadai ~ chiiki kakusa・gakkō-kan kakusa o umanai tame ni ~[In primary and secondary education Possibility and Challenges of Online Education ~To avoid regional disparities and school to school disparities~]. Chikuhoku Gakuen Daigaku Kiyō, Gō 23, 7-34. Retrieved from https://wakhok.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/482
[9]. Zhou, L., Wu, S., Zhou, M., & Li, F. (2020). ''School’s out, but class’ on'', the largest online education in the world today: Take China’s practical exploration during The COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control as an example. Best Evidence in Chinese Education, 4(2), 501-519.
[10]. Zheng, Q., Chen, L., & Burgos, D. (2018). The development of MOOCs in China. Springer Singapore.
[11]. Wang, S., & Chen, A. (2021). Cultural Factors in Urgent Transition to Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic–Case Studies from Japan and China. In Blended Learning: Re-thinking and Re-defining the Learning Process. 14th International Conference, ICBL 2021, Nagoya, Japan, August 10–13, 2021, Proceedings 14 (pp. 287-297). Springer International Publishing.
[12]. NHK. https://www.nhk.or.jp/school/ouchi/. Accessed 10 Oct 2023
[13]. Miyagi, N. (2017). Shōgakkō Shakai-ka ni okeru Dejitaru Kyōzai o Riyō shita Akutibu Rāningu Dōnyū no Kokoromi: NHK for School Kyōzai no Katsuyō [An attempt to introduce active learning using digital materials in elementary school social studies: utilization of NHK for School materials. Bulletin of the Faculty of Humanities, Okinawa Daigaku Jinbun Gakubu Kiyō, 19, 103-109.
[14]. Ulrich, R. S., Simons, R. F., Losito, B. D., Fiorito, E., Miles, M. A., & Zelson, M. (1991). Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of environmental psychology, 11(3), 201-230
[15]. Rots, A. P. (2019). Shinto, nature, and ideology in contemporary Japan: Making sacred forests. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
[16]. Takahashi, Y., et al. (2021). Diverse values of urban-to-rural migration: A case study of hokuto city, Japan. Journal of Rural Studies, 87, 292–299. doi:10.1016/j.jrurst
[17]. Pimdee, P., Ridhikerd, A., Moto, S., Siripongdee, S., & Bengthong, S. (2023). How social media and peer learning influence student-teacher self-directed learning in an online world under the ‘New Normal’. Heliyon, 9(3).
[18]. Knowles, M. S. (1975). Self-directed learning: A guide for learners and teachers.
[19]. Lockwood, P., Jordan, C. H., & Kunda, Z. (2002). Motivation by positive or negative role models: Regulatory focus determines who will best inspire us. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(4), 854–864. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.83.4.854
[20]. Herrmann, S. D., Adelman, R. M., Bodford, J. E., Graudejus, O., Okun, M. A., & Kwan, V. S. (2016). The effects of a female role model on academic performance and persistence of women in STEM courses. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 38(5), 258-268.
[21]. Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory into Practice, 34(3), 159-165.
[22]. Yin Yu. (2022, November 30). Tencent Global Digital Ecology Conference 2022: ‘Rooted in education scenarios, helping to develop the country through science and education.’ Retrieved from https://2022gdes.test.cloud.tencent.com
[23]. Hammond, L. D., & Ball, D. L. (1999). Teaching for high standards: What policymakers need to know and be able to do. Implementing Academic Standards: Papers Commissioned by the National Education Goals Panel, July.
[24]. Desimone, L. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181-199.
[25]. Thoonen, E. E., Sleegers, P. J., Oort, F. J., Peetsma, T. T., & Geijsel, F. P. (2011). How to improve teaching practices: The role of teacher motivation, organizational factors, and leadership practices. Educational Administration Quarterly, 47(3), 496-536.
[26]. Bandura, A., Freeman, W. H., & Lightsey, R. (1999). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control.
[27]. Nishimura, S., Scott, D. J., & Kato, S. (2009). E-learning practice and experience at Waseda E-School. International Journal of Distance Education Technologies, 7(3), 44–62. doi:10.4018/jdet.2009070103.
[28]. Levchenko, I. V., & Sadykova, A. R. (2019). Approaches to solving the problem of search of scenarios of lessons on informatics for basic school in the Moscow E-School library. RUDN Journal of Informatization in Education, 16(3), 231-242.
Cite this article
Bao,S. (2024). Addressing and Mitigating Educational Inequalities in Rural and Remote Areas of Japan Through Online Learning. Communications in Humanities Research,27,280-285.
Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.
Disclaimer/Publisher's Note
The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s). EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.
About volume
Volume title: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Interdisciplinary Humanities and Communication Studies
© 2024 by the author(s). Licensee EWA Publishing, Oxford, UK. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Authors who
publish this series agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the series right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this
series.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the series's published
version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial
publication in this series.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and
during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See
Open access policy for details).