The Second Phase of the English Education Cooperation Initiative between Elementary and Junior High Schools: An AI and Data Science-based Analysis

<p>English became an official course at elementary schools in Japan in 2020. Since then, concerns about changes and problems with the English education cooperation initiative between elementary and junior high schools [ES-JHS Cooperation Initiative] have been raised by teachers at both school levels. The present study used a survey of all elementary school and junior high school teachers in Mie Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture in order to provide a quantitative analysis of these issues. 301 valid responses were analyzed quantitatively through machine learning and data science techniques. Approximately 87% of the respondents indicated that new changes had occurred or problems had arisen. Positive changes included a reduction in students’ resistance to speaking and listening as well as an increase in proficiency in writing the English alphabet. Respondents also indicated a negative trend: an increase in the number of students who dislike English or feel inadequate when using it. Furthermore, elementary school teachers noted an increase in the number of teachers who feel evaluating students to be difficult. Of note is the large change perceived by younger junior high school teachers that the ES-JHS Cooperation Initiative is “not going well” and that a gap exists in academic attainment and attitudes. These are points which were previously unobserved. Therefore, it can be said that the ES-JHS Cooperation Initiative has entered a new stage (Second Phase). These points signal that ES-JHS Cooperation Initiative participants must adopt a new mindset and new approaches.</p>