伝統（Tradition）

工芸（Craft）

美術教育（Art education）

インタビュー（Interview）

[SUMMARY] This study aimed to identify various aspects of art teachers’ ideas and experiences in teaching traditional crafts as cultural heritage in lower secondary school art lessons. The current course of study for art in lower secondary schools (2017) states that students should deepen their knowledge and understanding of traditions and cultures ; develop international understanding, and increase their interests in the inheritance and creation of art and culture ; and develop respect for diversity. An understanding of the traditions and culture of one’s own country (in this case, Japan) is a prerequisite for international understanding and cultural diversity. However, it is a challenge for art teachers to develop students’ cultural competence in a modern society where culture is complex, fluid, and not limited to national or ethnic groups because of internationalization and globalization. There is a need to identify the best ways to develop students’ cultural competency. Therefore, we used a qualitative research with semi-structured interviews with seven art teachers who had different years of teaching experiences. Issues, such as insufficient craft materials, and lack of teacher training in traditional crafts and cultural heritage and the necessary support for teachers, were identified. The tension between current international understanding policy and the real situation of art classrooms was also one of the difficulties experienced by some teachers. The results showed the need for further investigations and development of teaching strategies to encourage more open dialogue about issues related to tradition and cultural heritage.