Abstract
In Japan, schools were closed from March to May 2020 due to COVID-19. As most schools could not offer online classes, in April 2020, the government implemented the GIGA School Concept to accelerate the development of information and communication technology (ICT) in primary and secondary education. A case study of a secondary school was conducted. The results show that the principal exercised four types of leadership based on firm values: (1) sharing the vision and motivating teachers, (2) distributed leadership, (3) instructional leadership, and (4) responding appropriately to a pandemic. At the national levels, the main focus was on responding to the pandemic and implementing the GIGA School Initiative policy, while the schools were following more multifaceted leadership for improvement.
TopBackground
Significance of the Study
The dramatic changes in Japan, where digital transformation has advanced rapidly in primary and secondary education, are distinctive from a global perspective. The documentation and analysis of such changes will be of interest to readers around the world. It will be of particular interest to government officials in countries that are going through a digital transformation. Discussions on the digital transformation of school education in Japan have been limited to the publication of articles in Japanese, and thus have not been shared with the world. This chapter has the significance of contributing to the international discussion by reporting the historical background and current status of Japan in English.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Principal: A school leader who shares a vision, demonstrates leadership, and works with colleagues to improve various aspects of the school, including the quality of teaching and learning.
Pandemic: Spread of novel coronavirus.
Nationwide School Closure: The closure of all schools in Japan from March to May 2020.
Digital Transformation: The use of information technology and the resulting improvement in the quality of people's lives.
Distributed Leadership: To encourage all staff members to exercise leadership in their respective roles in appropriate and necessary situations.
Secondary School: Schools that provide consistent education between the lower secondary education and the upper secondary education.
Instructional Leadership: Principal leadership that improves the quality of teaching and student learning outcomes.
GIGA School Concept: Educational policies that provide one device per student and a high-speed Wi-Fi environment in the classroom to meet individual learning needs and make learning collaborative.