Programming Education in Japanese Elementary Schools Integrated with Multiple Subjects: Origins, Practical Paths and Implications

With the advent of the smart age, programming education has become an important means of developing the necessary literacy for the smart age. Programming education is also becoming increasingly popular in countries around the world. Japan, as an advanced country in programming education, has issued the Guide to Primary School Programming Education (Third Edition) (hereinafter referred to as the Guide) to ensure the smooth implementation of primary school programming education in 2020. The Guide provides detailed descriptions of the objectives, positioning and cultivation requirements of Japanese primary school programming education, analyses practical examples of incorporating multidisciplinary programming education, and also provides examples of relevant safeguards for the smooth implementation of Japanese primary school programming education. It also provides examples of practical examples of the integration of multidisciplinary programming education, as well as examples of measures to ensure the successful implementation of programming education in Japanese primary schools. The article provides an in-depth reading of the Guidelines, clarifying the objectives of programming education in Japan, analysing the ways in which programming education is compulsory and integrated in Japanese primary schools, and analysing the measures taken to ensure the smooth implementation of programming education in primary schools, such as curriculum management, multi-disciplinary cooperation and teacher training. In this paper, we propose some suggestions and insights for the development of programming education in China in terms of top-level design, curriculum management, and guaranteeing means.

I. Introduction

As the age of artificial intelligence approaches, information technology is developing at a rapid pace, and technological innovations such as IoT (Internet of Things), big data, artificial intelligence and robotics will further drive huge changes in the way people work and live in the future [1]. Countries are beginning to think seriously about how education should change to meet the needs of life in the smart era and the demand for talents in a smart society, and programming education as a way to cultivate “computational thinking”, “digital literacy”, “information Programming education is becoming more and more important as a means of developing “computational thinking”, “digital literacy”, “information literacy” and other essential skills for the smart age [2]. Developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Finland and the European Union have been formulating policies and plans to promote the implementation of programming education in primary and secondary schools [3]. Programming is an art, a science, and a discipline [4]. Solving programming problems can help improve students' computational thinking skills [5]. How to improve programming practice becomes a key issue [6].