World's Education Journal by CISC

Reading the air: School ethos and teacher identity in Japan

Kae Takaoka

University of Minnesota

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/wejc.v1i1.7115

Keywords: tacit knowledge, teacher identity, Japanese education, school ethos, Japan, Reading the air

Abstract

This paper explores the concept of tacit knowledge in Japanese education by examining the traditional cultural practice known as reading the air. Three key elements that constitute this tacit way of knowing, as well as a type of traditional community as its potential birthplace, are introduced to illuminate the foundational epistemological perspectives that sustain this practice. The paper explores self‑sacrificing teacher image as part of the school ethos and examines the role of the teacher community both as a gatekeeper of this knowledge and as a foundation that reinforces the notion of what is given. The paradoxical nature of teachers’ worldviews, caught between individual concerns and established practices, is illustrated through examples of contemporary teacher identity and the custom of long working hours. By linking the challenges teachers face, this paper highlights the need to critically examine how these cultural logics perpetuate teacher overwork and hinder systemic change despite policy interventions. Finally, it emphasizes the significance of examining teachers’ tacit knowledge arguing implicit yet impactful dimensions of the teachers’ knowledge system may be overlooked to understand the fundamental challenges for teachers in the contemporary era of globalization.