Teacher\u27s Opinion of Chances for Improvement of Qualities and Competences : Comparison of Korea and Japan

In Korea, the point system of in-service training and studying has been introduced to enhance teachers\u27 qualities and competences since the pronouncement of \u22The Proposition of Educational Reform in 1995 and it has been practiced since March 1998. It is putting points to studying which teachers have practiced, training inthe teacher\u27s in-service training institutions, credits taken in diploma and graduate courses in universities, teachers\u27 study activities and certifications, by certain criteria and linking their salary and promotion. In Japan, similarly, \u22Report Improving Teachers\u27 Quality and Competence\u22 by the Central Council of Education in June 1978 and \u22Circular of the Teachers Employment and Teacher In-service Training\u22 by Ministry of Education in May 1982, proposed to systematize the in-service training by administration. The systematic arrangement of in-service training by the appropriate time, content and method according to teachers\u27 age and their experience, and expansion of opportunity for in-service training in graduate courses in universities have beenput into practice. Thus, the policies have been promoted to improve teachers\u27 qualities and competences in both Korea and Japan. And the opportunities for teacher training have increased. According to survey in 1995, the rate of participation in the in-service training by administration was 82.4% among Japanese teachers and 36.8% among Korean teachers. And the rate of implementation in the school-based training was 91.4% among Japanese schools and 60.3% among Koreanschools. And, there were teacher participating in teacher studying and training at any other educational bodies, research groups, and undergraduate courses in universities. But, did the increase of participation bring about the improvement of teacher\u27s qualities and competences? The elements of teacher\u27s qualities and competences are diverse and chances to improve them are also diverse. And it is necessary to clarify the relationship between elements of teacher\u27s qualities and competences and the chances to improve them. This paper aims to clarify the relationship is which are effective, and at the sametime aims to find similarities and differences between Korea and Japan. Basing on questionnaire surveys for junior-high-school teachers in Korea and Japan in September and October 1998, the author analyzed, 1)confidence of elements of teacher\u27s qualities and competences? 2)the most effective chance in acquiring their qualities and competences? 3)the most effective chance to make them confidence. That following is results to: First, the elements \u22with confidence\u22 in both countries are \u22Full professional knowledge of subject contents\u22, \u22To express and communicate the learning contents exactly\u22, \u22Theobjective evaluation to students\u22, \u22The mission feeling as a teacher\u22, \u22To sympathize with students and to learn from students\u22, \u22The educational love to students\u22, and \u22The lenient to the failure of students\u22. The elements \u22lacking in confidence\u22 are \u22To analyze or study the lessons\u22, \u22To have acquire the competences as counselor\u22, \u22To teach the playing of students\u22, \u22To plan the school-based training or study-planning\u22, \u22The cooperation and coordinationwith P. T. A. or other bodies\u22, \u22The direction and advice to the other teachers\u22, \u22To add a new idea to school Job-specification in proportion to necessity\u22, \u22The management on staff meeting or councils and so on