Ikuko Maki

In recent years, it has been suggested that teachers' teaching practices have been inadequately inherited due to complex factors including the biases in the ratio of teachers' age composition. Therefore, in order to examine a system to promote the sharing of teaching practices that should be inherited, this study aimed to analyze the characteristics of schools in which teaching practices have not been successful inherited; the basis thereof are the theory of "place" in Nonaka and Konno's (1999) Knowledge Management and the "Distribution Model" in Tsuyuguchi's (2012) School Organization Model. Specifically, senior teachers and teachers of junior high schools were interviewed, with a low overall score on the Teachers' Inherited Teaching Practices Scale (Ihara & Maki, 2014). Results suggest that organizational management that activated exchange among teachers and the creation of a "place" utilizing middle leaders who fostered a sense of ownership toward school operations in teachers were not recognized in school groups where teaching practices were inadequately inherited.

This study sought to investigate the protective and coping factors associated with a feeling of helplessness among junior high school students in terms of time factors and gender differences. Using data collected from three surveys. The first analysis verified the helplessness model of junior high school students and confirmed two paths: contingent experiences (time 1)→ coping efficacy (time 2)→ helplessness (time 3); and non-contingent experiences (time 1)→ biased thoughts about teachers, peer relationships, and oneself (time 2)→biased thoughts about academic work (time 2)→helplessness (time 3). These results suggested coping efficacy and biased thoughts about academic work might be coping factors for helplessness among junior high school students. The second analysis examined the helplessness model by gender using data from three surveys. The highest indirect effect among male students was found to have biased thoughts about peer relationships, while among female students it was found to have biased thoughts about teachers. These results suggest that enhancing peer relationships among male students and enhancing trusting relationships with teachers among female students would serve as protective factors against feelings of helplessness.

The present study aimed at examining the mechanism of helplessness, by reconsidering contingency in learned helplessness theories. Studyl was to develop a perceived experience of contingency scale for junior high school students (PECS). A scale composed of two factors (contingent experiences non-contingent experiences) was developed, and the reliability and validity was demonstrated. Study2 compared scores on the PECS for students with school non-attendance and those without such a problem. No significant differences in the mean scores on each factor were found between the two groups. The result suggested that students without school non-attendance had lack of contingent experiences and much non-contingent experiences as much as students with such a problem. According to the result, the authors compared scores on the PECS for those with high helplessness and those with low helplessness behavior students in students who attend school. Significant differences in the mean scores on factorl were found between the two groups. The result suggested junior high school students' helolessness was caused by lack of contingent experiences rather than much non-contingent experiences.