In March 2017, the Japanese National Ministry of Education declared its new policy to introduce 12-year consecutive career portfolio named “Career Passport” from Grade 1 in elementary schools. The portfolio is designed for ALL students in elementary, junior high, and senior high schools nationwide. The Ministry will mandate every school to introduce the “Career Passport” from April 2020.
It certainly is not difficult to find countries and regions in which many of the secondary school students use career portfolio that includes their academic records, vocational qualifications, career narratives, etc. However, in the global aspect, it typically is unique for elementary school students to start using career portfolio from Grade 1.
Obviously, the Ministry is not trying to persuade elementary school students to specify their career paths and encourage them to obtain certain vocational qualifications. Then, what are the purposes for the Ministry to introduce such career portfolio starting from Grade 1 in elementary schools? Do such endeavors bring forth preferable impacts to the career development of the students, especially those in elementary schools?
This study will illustrate the features of newly introduced career portfolio in pilot elementary schools, and their effects on the development of students’ career development and on teachers’ (i.e. in-school career guidance and counselling practitioners’) understanding and recognitions of students’ growth.
Among many positive effects on the career development of elementary school students, career portfolios significantly give opportunities to build clear self-recognition of the physical and cognitive growth; to increase self-esteem; and to enhance team-building skills, resilience, curiosity and other generic transferable career competencies.
Also, this study will analyze the model/sample sheets and the tips for teachers in the Teachers Manuals published by the Ministry of Education in March 2019, and identify the characteristics and its latent issues.
