Design Process for a Unit Inquiring into “Difficult History”: The Case of Collaboration Between a Researcher and a Practitioner in Japan

The purpose of this research is to clarify 1) what the "difficulties" are in introducing alternative historical narratives into Japanese history units and critically inquiring into those narratives themselves, and 2) what the collaborative process between a researcher and a practitioner to support decision-making in design to overcome those “difficulties”. The research method was case study research in Japan and the second author’s self-study. There are various considerations for practitioners in teaching classes dealing with “difficult history”. We believe it is unrealistic to make these considerations the responsibility of a single practitioner. In this research, the ‘colonial modernity’ theory in the history of Japan’s colonial rule of the annexation of Korea was introduced as the content of the unit and designed for practice in Japanese classrooms. The following were identified as “difficulties” for the practitioners in designing this unit: a) “The Difficulty of Identity,” b) “Challenge of Social Media and Students’ Historical Understanding,” c) “Challenges of Finding Resources,” d)“Accountability to Colleagues”.These “difficulties” were then overcome through a process in which the researcher collaborated with the practitioner to design the unit. And this process was clarified qualitatively.