This study analyzes presentations from the past 17 national conferences of the National High School Information Education Research Association (Zenkojoken) to clarify trends in information education in Japan. Zenkojoken plays a crucial role in developing information education in Japanese high schools and serves as a platform for sharing educational practices and research. Recently, there has been increasing attention on integrating education and technology, particularly in data utilization.

A total of 487 presentations were analyzed and classified into five categories: "Problem Solving in the Information Society," "Communication and Information Design," "Computers and Programming," "Utilization of Information and Communication Networks and Data," and "Other." These categories are based on the new curriculum guidelines for "Informatics I," which reflects key skills required in the modern information society.

Of these, 81 presentations were related to "Utilization of Information and Communication Networks and Data," with the proportion increasing significantly in recent years. From one presentation in the first conference (2008) to 11 in the twelfth and 10 in the fifteenth, the growing focus on data analysis and data science in education is evident.

Data analysis education in Japan, especially in the "Informatics I" course, plays a key role in developing students' abilities to analyze and utilize data for problem-solving, which is essential in a data-driven society. This trend underscores the increasing focus on data literacy in IT education and provides insights into its development in Japan, offering a foundation for comparison with international trends.

Authors:
Shunsuke Inagaki, University of Yamanashi, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Shunsuke Inagaki, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the University of Yamanashi. After 20 years teaching high school, he researches programming, data science, and problem-solving education, aiming to improve information education in schools.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/inagaki-shunsuke/

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