Philippine E-Journals

Educational Challenges of a Japanese-Filipino Child in a Japanese Classroom

Melvin Jabar

Discipline: Education, Psychology, Philosophy

 

Abstract:

Research on bicultural children remains limited. Little is particularly known about their educational experiences. Therefore, this article aims at addressing such research gap. In its entirety, this research piece describes the lived experiences of a bicultural child as he immersed himself in the Japanese educational system. Its sole purpose is to highlight the problems of the bicultural child which may provide school personnel insights on how best they can help bicultural and immigrant children adjust. While this paper only tackles one specific subject, this includes discussions on how the child’s school and mother responded to his educational experiences. Thus, it provides a detailed exposition reflecting his school challenges and a comprehensive and in-depth discussion on Japan’s elementary education. The data for this article were drawn from my field work in a Japanese elementary school which is the initial phase of my doctoral dissertation on Japanese-Filipino children’s educational outcomes and experiences in Japan. The child’s school challenges revolved around the issues of language, classroom discipline and practices, and parent-school relationships.