Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS), Kobe University
Professors of Education Seminars in GSICS, Professor Masahiro Chikada, Professor Kenshi Yamanouchi and Professor Keiichi Ogawa, published their paper in the Journal of International Cooperation Studies, Vol. 29, No.2. The paper is written in Japanese and titled “The impact of COVID-19 on postgraduate students researching educational issues with international perspectives.”
Since the global outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, educational and research institutions, including GSICS, have been forced to begin online classes. In addition, foreign travel has been restricted and the students have had to write their thesis without conducting field work. These circumstances called for a reconsideration of the nature of research instruction in postgraduate schools. This is particularly important in the field of “comparative education,” which deals with educational issues in foreign countries. This study aims to understand the conditions of postgraduate students and to examine how the graduate schools and its faculty members can support them.
In this study, the authors conducted focus group interviews with 14 postgraduate students in an educational seminar to investigate 1) the challenges students face due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2) their responses to those challenges, and 3) the support they seek from the graduate school and faculty. The findings illustrate the various ways of responding to the difficulty in conducting field research, including changing research topics, switching methodology from qualitative to quantitative research, and conducting an online interview. In addition, strong psychological anxiety was identified during the period of limited interaction with others. Students needed to revise their research plans in solitude, and it appeared to be stressful for them.
This study was also presented at the 57th Annual Conference of Japan Comparative Education Society (JCES), in 2021. Their presentation shared unique experiences and lessons learned to those who were facing similar educational issues.
Authored by Ayumu Yagi (Master student)
