英語教育改革における「切り札」幻想

小学校英語・入試政策・授業は英語で

抄録

This paper examines silver-bullet (SB) framing in English language teaching (ELT) reform. SB framing refers to a discursive pattern in which a particular policy or programme is celebrated as a decisive solution to complex educational problems, based on a deterministic causal model (X → Y) that assumes the introduction of a specific programme (X) will necessarily produce the desired outcome (Y). This naïve causal logic is intertwined with a range of epistemological problems and distortions in science communication. The study addresses three research questions: (1) how SB framing has operated in discussions of ELT reform; (2) what epistemological and science-communication problems are embedded in this framing; and (3) how such framing undermines sound policy-making, leading to policy distraction. To address these questions, the paper analyses three major reform cases: ELT in primary schools, entrance examination reform, and medium-of-instruction reform (commonly referred to as ‘Teaching English in English’). The analysis reveals recurring patterns of causal oversimplification, selective use of academic concepts, and neglect of research evidence and implementation feasibility. The paper concludes by discussing possible measures to mitigate SB framing and its negative consequences.