Development of and Reflection on Classroom Practice in University

Important perspectives in university classroom practice include the shift to learner-centered education emphasized in the “Grand Design for Higher Education Toward 2040” report of the Central Council for Education (2018)， as well as optimal individual learning and collaborative learning, which are also two sub-themes of the “Aiming for the Establishment of Japan-Style Education in the Reiwa Era” report of the Central Council for Education (2021). This paper discusses the practical development of and reflection on two classes for first-year students， “Introduction to Pedagogy” and “Teaching Theory，” which the author has been in charge of since arriving at the University in April. In “Introduction to Pedagogy，” the students sympathize with Totto-chan, the little girl at the window, and consider Sosaku Kobayashi, the principal of Tomoe Gakuen, as the image of an ideal teacher. In ”Teaching Theory，” they explore the issue of bullying in groups and reflect on their own bullying experiences to envision a school and society free of bullying. Students who aspire to become teachers in the future encountered pedagogical specialties in their first classes after entering the school. This paper aims to clarify how the students envisioned themselves as future teachers through these two classes.