A Japanese-United States Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program for Special Education Teacher Preparation

This article delineates a faculty-led study abroad program that has been conducted for 15 years by a special needs education (SNE) teacher preparation program in Japan. A description of the content and context of the program is followed by a series of observations made by study abroad participants during site visits in the United States of America (U.S.). Finally, suggestions are proposed for how participants’ observations may be used to help them review the values and beliefs embedded in SNE practices in Japan in a way that sublates contradicting values and beliefs between the U.S. and Japan as a means of developing better practices in Japan.