The International Baccalaureate Diploma and Japanese Universities’ Admissions Processes : Perceptions versus Practice

ケンキュウノート　コクナイ　シュヨウダイガク　ニ　オケル　コクサイ　バカロレア　シュウリョウシャ　ウケイレ　ノ　ゲンジョウ

ツガワ, マリ

Tsugawa, Mari

石倉, 佑季子

イシクラ, ユキコ

Ishikura, Yukiko

オオサカ ダイガク ダイガクイン ニンゲン カガク ケンキュウカ キョウイクガクケイ

Department of Education, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma has recently been the focus of much attention in Japan, due largely to the Japanese government’s 200 IB Schools Project and related promotion activities. Implemented by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), this project aims to increase the number of IB World schools in Japan to 200 by 2018 as a means to foster globally competent human resources, or global jinzai. Japanese higher education institutions (HEIs) are a key stakeholder in this process as the success of the program relies on university recognition of the diploma for admissions. MEXT has actively intervened to encourage Japanese HEIs to reexamine student admission processes and to open them up to IB Diploma holders. This paper offers a descriptive analysis of the current status of admissions in 25 leading Japanese universities based on admissions websites and a questionnaire survey targeting admissions officers conducted in May 2014. The results suggest that there is a gap between perceptions of the value of the IBDP and current admissions processes. On the one hand, attracting IB students is perceived as important for internationalizing HEIs, assuring quality of education, and fostering global jinzai. On the other hand, admissions routes for IBDP graduates are limited, especially those of Japanese nationality. This survey made clear that Japanese universities differentiate between Japanese students who have completed the IB Diploma Program overseas and those who have obtained their IB Diploma in Japan. While there are some flexible admissions routes for the former, in most cases the latter is accommodated to a lesser degree in university entrance. This study highlights the extent to which successful implementation of the 200 IB Schools project will require a major overhaul of university admissions processes to close the gap between perceptions and practice.

石倉, 佑季子