This study examines the effectiveness of an interschool global education workshop in reducing instructional anxiety among elementary school teachers in Japan. As cultural and linguistic diversity increases in classrooms, teachers are expected to implement global and intercultural learning; however, many report low confidence and heightened anxiety when designing and delivering such lessons. While previous research has examined school-based training, little is known about the impact of interschool, dialogue-based professional learning where teachers collaborate across schools. Twelve teachers from eleven public elementary schools in Tokyo voluntarily participated in a two-hour after-school workshop. The workshop included three components: (1) an intercultural simulation to promote awareness of global perspectives, (2) structured dialogue to externalize and share instructional concerns, and (3) a backward-design–based lesson planning activity. A 10-item Global Education Instructional Anxiety Scale—adapted from an established foreign language instructional anxiety measure—was administered before and after the workshop. Paired-sample t-tests were used to analyze pre–post differences. Results indicated a significant reduction in overall instructional anxiety (p < .05), with large effect sizes for lesson design anxiety and instructional management anxiety. English-related anxiety showed a decreasing but non-significant trend. Qualitative reflections revealed increased confidence, broadened perspectives, and stronger willingness to implement global education lessons. These findings suggest that interschool, dialogue-based professional learning can reduce instructional anxiety and enhance teachers’ readiness for global education. The data set used in this study is independent from previous single-school research and provides new evidence on the value of collaborative learning across schools.

Authors:
Rika Iwami, Hyogo University of Teacher Education, Japan
Makoto Fujiwara, Shinjuku Municipal Ochiai No. 2 Elementary School, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Rika IWAMI is currently a Professor in the Globalization Promotion Leader Course at Hyogo University of Teacher Education, Japan. Her research interests include international understanding, multicultural coexistence, development education, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), Project-based learning and Inquiry-based learning.

See this presentation on the full schedule – On Demand Schedule

Bookmark