Exploring the Future Trends of Faculty Development in Japanese Higher Education

Establishing a management system of teaching and learning has become an essential component for quality assurance in Japanese higher education. An effective system requires several key ingredients, such as clarifying educational goals, organizing curriculums that align with those goals, and assessing learning outcomes. Institutional research for educational data management has been recognized as a key factor in the management system. Although it is imperative to develop teaching skills and capabilities of faculty, who are directly responsible for student learning outcomes, faculty development (FD) receives little attention. This paper aims to discuss how FD should be conducted to further advance Japanese higher education. Specifically, it will present results of a survey conducted to explore future trends in FD. Then, by comparing FD in the United States and Japan, this paper highlights similarities and differences in both countries and suggests future directions for FD in Japanese higher education.