MOST thinking people take issue with certain negative traits found in society. These can include a weak moral compass, reduced civic engagement, disregard for environmental and social issues, prioritising competition over cooperation, etc. Academics often associate such traits with ‘economic imperialism’ that has even entered the educational domain. Education is now viewed solely as a tool to generate money; what is neglected is its search for truth and the way it transfers values. As a result, even the graduates of renowned institutions consider nothing more important than money, fame, power and self-interest.

Against this background, many philosophers such as Tagore, Kurokawa and Schumacher cautioned against looking solely at Western models and advocated balancing modernisation with eastern traditions such as a focus on nature, creativity, group harmony, community-driven alternatives and lifelong learning. In Japan, as in some other Asian countries, one education theory is the ‘theory of tree’ which advocates fostering knowledge that has its roots in local values and traditions but that also absorbs useful external knowledge.

How does such a practice appear in our living context though? During a recent educational trip to Japan, we observed school practices that promote local values such as collaboration, group harmony, humility, respect and lifelong learning as well as encourage the use of innovative pedagogies such as team teaching, project-based learning, learning through play and ICT integration.

The most significant aspect of educational practice that attracted our attention was the way the teachers work together — planning lessons, implementing those plans and reflecting on the overall process to identify what worked and where it needed further improvement. They don’t treat teaching as an isolated task — it’s more like a shared mission, a joint effort that binds them together. Teaching is no longer the business of an individual teacher, rather teachers collectively pick up the expertise that exists in school. This process not only makes teaching a shared activity but also allows teachers to benefit from a shared expertise.

School practices in Japan promote local values.

Educators in Japan do not simply talk about theories. What makes them distinct from us is their focus on practice rather than on theory. They seem to believe that actual knowledge springs from practice. As they practise, they collectively reflect on the process and thus generate more workable knowledge.

The result of what teachers do is predictable for students. Their collective efforts make the process of teaching and learning more vibrant, engaging and interactive. Students are engaged in hands-on activities; they work together, share ideas, pose questions, address problems and create something innovative when given certain situations and scenarios. They lead the process instead of simply being instructed. What we read about 21st-century skills in theory, they practise in the real sense.

It was refreshing to see not only the way the students worked and learned but also the way they behaved. Generally speaking, the students we interacted with were cooperative and humble — quite unlike some other settings, including ours, where classroom management issues are common. Their sense of respect and their willingness to work together created a learning space where ideas bounced around naturally even if sometimes they appeared a bit unpolished.

Two significant factors appear to have contributed to the Jap­anese mastery of teaching and learning. One is ‘lesson study’, a professional learning model that has originated in Japan. This model all­ows teachers to collaboratively plan for lessons, implement their plans and observe the process and conduct a reflective inquiry into it. This ongoing collaborative inquiry enables teachers to constantly improve their practices.

The second key factor is the collaboration between schools and universities. As we observed, university faculty spend sufficient time in schools, taking an active part in the process of ‘lesson study’ and systematically researching the practice. As their research is geared around practice, they generate further knowledge that informs it.

These apparently simply stories and lessons have significant implications for educational policies and practices in Pakistan. Bombarded with West-generated theories and models, we have largely ignored our own values and the practice domain of education. To address the societal issues highlighted in the beginning, we have to consider the theory of tree to inform our practices and to revisit our approaches to both student and teacher learning.

The writer is an assistant professor at Sukkur IBA University.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2025