海外「アメリカの高校の成績評価」

Q. The report card pointed out “Proactively ask questions”. Why?
　

A. “Questions and statements in class are part of grades” is a characteristic of American education
Teruhiko Matsumoto (represented by INFOE)
It can be written on the end-of-semester and end-of-school report card or pointed out by local school teachers at parent interviews, saying, “There are few remarks during class” or “More active participation in class.”

The children who came from Japan are “Question Betta.” Behind this is the difference in school education between Japan and the United States.

Japan: The question is embarrassing!
Japanese children (from elementary school students to college students). Adults too?) say, “It’s embarrassing to ask questions during class.” When asked why, they replied, “My classmates and teachers think I don’t even understand such a simple thing.” This feeling of “shame to ask questions” is actually the result of the guidance and education I received in Japanese school education.

Some teachers even ask students who asked questions during class, “Didn’t you listen to the class properly!?” The teacher said to me, “I explained it properly. What I don’t understand in that explanation is the lack of effort of students.” And that feeling is based on the idea that it is the student’s responsibility to listen and understand what the teacher says, and more extremely, the teacher’s explanation is always complete.

It is natural for children who have been receiving school education based on this mindset to stop asking questions because they think it is embarrassing to ask questions.

America: Is the question a teacher’s shame?
On the other hand, American teachers think, “Children’s questions are proof that my explanation is insufficient.” The background is the educational culture that says, “Teachers are responsible for making children understand.”

So I keep asking the children, “Any questions?” Then, in response to the student’s question, we will give a new explanation that is different from before and check, “Do you understand now?” Japan, where children are responsible for understanding, and America, where teachers are responsible for understanding, are quite the opposite of education culture.

question-based class
There is another reason for the importance of asking questions at local schools. It is the use of a class method that enhances the understanding of all children in the class by answering questions from children.

“No silly questions!” is a local school teacher’s habit. One child’s question is often the same question that other children had. In addition, the question may be basic and important for other children to “think they understand.” Furthermore, it can be a valuable question from a completely different perspective that none of my classmates can think of.

We often see classes in local schools that use these questions from children to conduct discussions among children and promote a deeper understanding of what they are learning.