|
Introduction to Kaizen Philosophy in education:
Continuous improvement - Guidelines
 Kaizen
means improvement. Moreover it means continuing improvement in personal,
home, social, working, school and university life. When applied to the
school, Kaizen means continuing improvement involving everyone - from
principal or dean to teachers, parents and students.
The Kaizen strategy is the single most important concept in Japanese
management.
It is the key to Japanese competitive success. Because of Japan's
success, the Kaizen philosophy has been implemented in organizations
around the world as a way to improve production values while also
improving employee morale and safety. The Kaizen philosophy may be
applied to any school due to its simple nature.
Origin
|
Do not eat a lot before an exam |
Kaizen (Ky 'zen) is a Japanese term, taken from words 'Kai', which
means continuous and 'zen' which means improvement. Some translate 'Kai'
as change and 'zen' as good, or for the better. In education, the
concept of Kaizen is so deeply ingrained in the minds of both teachers
and students that they often do not even realize that they are thinking
Kaizen.
The key difference between how change is understood in Japan and how
it is viewed in the West lies in the Kaizen concept.
This explains why schools are constantly changing in Japan. The
Kaizen concept is very weak in Western schools, where it is often
rejected without knowing what it really entails.
Within the Kaizen way of thinking, not a day goes by without some
kind of improvement being made somewhere in the school. Improvement
refers to enhancing a student's education, which is based on existing
standards imposed by school management.
After World War II most Japanese schools had to start from scratch.
Every day brought new challenges to teachers and students alike, and
every day meant progress. Simply surviving in education required
unending progress and Kaizen has become a way of life. Even now when
Japan is hit by repeated earth quakes since March 11, 2011, as a
religion they depend on Kaizen to re-build the country through gradual
progress.
Enjoyable experience
| Finally some tips to get your exam through
with excellent grades which will be
Continued Next Week.
1. Practicing tests are very important as you
get good practice and get used to it, you will be well prepared
for the test.
You will learn valuable lessons about your
ability and current knowledge. Use past papers for practice
tests. You will be benefited from this extra effort. Extra
effort is very vital when you climb the last few rungs of the
ladder of education.
2. Sleep is very important. It makes you fresh
and gives energy. If you are not fresh and energetic, you will
not do your best at the exam. Some students are often seen
trying to memorize what they have learnt, even at the entrance
of examination hall. This is a confusing and fruitless exercise.
Do not get used to this practice.
3. Be ready for the exam without any fear.
4. Do not eat a lot just before an exam,
because the digesting process will make you lazy. It is a must
to eat three hours before the exam. |
The basis for learning in the classroom is known as the constant
improvement where teachers and students always seek ways to improve the
system to enhance the fun of learning.
The teacher approaches each classroom with the belief that each
student comes with the desire to learn, that each one can learn far more
than previously learnt. To truly have fun in the classroom, quality must
be part of the classroom culture.
The main task of the teacher is to work on and improve the classroom
system with the help of students. He or she has to openly seek and
accepts student input to resolve classroom problems. Teachers need to
remind themselves continuously that the changes implemented in the
classroom will take time to bear fruit.
They also need to take responsibility for problems arising from poor
systems and processes within the classroom. The classroom is the best
place to start examining processes and systems so that improvements can
be made that will enable students to achieve better academic results.
This requires courage and persistence on the part of teachers. At the
same time, students too should start believing on Continual Improvement
in studies and should make every possible effort to do their engage in
study uninterrupted, which is known as the step by step process. The
goal of continuous improvement activities is to improve the learning
process of students.
Consequently it is important for educational institutions to
understand how students fit into the quality improvement model and what
role they play in the continuous improvement process. Within the
academic environment, students assume different roles which make them
unique. Each of these roles bring valuable perspective to improving the
learning process.
Quality
There are many definitions of quality. Quality is a systematic
approach in search for excellence. Quality is never an accident. It is
always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent
direction and skilful execution. It represents the wise choice of many
alternatives. Excellence is the outstanding practice in managing the
schools and achieving results. |
| Continuous improvement involves a process
of systematically evaluating the steps that are involved in
completing work. This process is usually known in the total
quality field as the Deming Cycle: Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)
cycle which consists of the following steps:
* Plan. This is the planning stage. Take
for example a teacher who finds a problem of handwriting in
her students when they were transferred to her class at the
beginning. The class has to moves beyond traditional
measures of progress, such as examinations, end-of course
evaluations, to a much more active and ongoing process of
data gathering. Data is collected to understand the best
method of approach, such as displaying the individual
handwriting on a board and identifying changes that need to
be made.
* Do. The doing stage is typically
concerned with implementing the plan developed in the
planning stage. In this step, the teacher gets the children
to display their handwritings on a board hanged in the class
room. Solution or combinations of solutions are tried out
based on the data collected and the conditions set for
implementation.
* Check. This is the stage where data that
are relevant to outcomes are analyzed and evaluated. The
learning that takes place will provide a basis for action
which may lead to a revision or adjustment of the learning
process. In this regard, children are given the liberty to
compare their handwriting with that of the teacher and make
adjustments to suit the teacher's handwriting.
* Act. At this stage, an effective
solution is implemented wherever such is needed. At the end
of the exercise, all the children will be able to rectify
their mistakes and a few children able to do even better
than their teacher. Where no effective solution is found,
the process goes back to the 'Planing stage' and the cycle
continues. |
|
