The Formation of the Japanese Music Teacher Education in the Post-World War II Period : A Comparative Study with the United States

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The purpose of this study is to clarify the characteristics and problems of the Japanese music teacher education program developed right after the end of World War II. The study compares Japanese and American music teacher education programs at that time and includes background on both nations' teacher education principles, as well as the effect of the American occupation policy on Japanese education. The comparison of the proposed national level standards of music education programs revealed the following main characteristics of the Japanese music teacher education program : 1)The methods courses emphasized the theory and principles of music education ; and 2)The subject-matter courses had little direct relation to school music practice.These features reflected the difference between Japanese and American teacher education principles, which originated from the Japanese interpretation of the American occupation policy. The problems of the music education methods courses and subject-matter courses are still serious in present day Japan. The post-war American music teacher education program, which was striving to overcome similar problems, provided some comparative viewpoints on the current status of Japanese music teacher education.