1. Overview
The Graduate School of Education aims to develop talented people who contribute to society through their expert knowledge and ability in the practice of education. In addition, the school aims to form the ability to conduct excellent analysis and research into the structure and function of education, and the development of mind and body.
Pedagogy is a basic science that constructs theories relating to the principles of education. It is the science of the practice of education that facilitates the learning and development of each person. It is also a political science that lays out the reform of schools and universities. This graduate school takes the balance and integration of these sciences and is divided into two departments: the Department of Integrated Educational Sciences and the Department of Advanced Research in School Education. The seven divisions Basic Theories of Education, Social Sciences in Education, Lifelong Learning Infrastructure Management, University Management and Policy, Educational Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Physical and Health Education are established in the Department of Integrated Educational Sciences. The three divisions Professional Development of Teachers, Curriculum Development and School Improvement and Policy Studies are established in the Department of Advanced Research in School Education. The Graduate School of Education also has five institutions that enable cooperation and collaboration between different research fields: 1) the Secondary School Attached to the Faculty of Education which was established as an auxiliary research institution; 2) The Center for Advanced School Education and Evidence-Based Research (CASEER); 3) the Center for Psychological Services; 4) the Center for Barrier-free Education; 5) the Center for Early Childhood Development, Education, and Policy Research (CEDEP); and 6) the Center for Ocean and Marine Education (COME).
This graduate school is comparatively small-scale consisting of approximately 200 master's program students, 250 doctoral program students and less than 50 teaching staff in total. In this intimate atmosphere it is possible to immerse oneself in education and research. A great amount of cooperative project research is promoted and education research projects such as international symposiums and lectures are actively implemented.
The consideration of pedagogy includes subjects both universal to humanity and those particular to a country or culture, and so this graduate school continues to be a facility open to the world for education and research. An average of 60 international students per year from various countries are enrolled and researchers actively participate in international exchange.
In this way, the Graduate School of Education takes an interdisciplinary approach to the issues of basic science, practical science and political science relating to education and is a graduate school of integrated science that questions the practical relationship between people, society and culture.