College of Education and Human Development

Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development

Kae Takaoka

  • Pronouns: she, her, hers

  • Doctoral Student, CIDE

Areas of interest

  • Comparative international education

  • Teacher identity

  • Self-study 

Degrees

MA, Comparative and International Development Education, University of Minnesota, 2004
BA, Spanish Linguistics, Kobe City University of Foreign Studies, 2001

Biography

Kae Takaoka's academic and professional trajectory illustrates a deep commitment to understanding the nuances of educational systems and the role of teacher culture in shaping educational outcomes. Her journey from a dedicated public high school teacher in Japan to a Ph.D. candidate in Comparative International Development Education at the University of Minnesota underscores a passion for leveraging personal and professional experiences to inform her research.

Her work focuses on the intersection of teacher cultural orientations, well-being, and the quality of education, highlighting the importance of both traditional and transcending elements within educational contexts. By examining the tacit knowledge shared among Japanese teachers (the “air”) with international teaching experiences through a self-study methodological approach, she seeks to uncover insights that can inform better practices in education globally.

Awards

  • John and Grace Cogan Graduate Research Fellowship (2024).
  • Frank R. Braun Fellowship, University of Minnesota (2023).
  • Rotary Club Global Grant, Japan (2021).

 

Presentations

Reading the “air”: Uncertainty and paradoxical situation for school teachers in Japan. Colloquium On The World’s Education Series, University of Minnesota (2024).　https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/cisc/colloquium-on-the-worlds-education-system-series/colloquium-program/kae-takaoka 

Reflecting on Japan through the Work and Careers of Teachers Around the World with a focus on the U.S.A. Online presentation for Japan Association for Teacher Education (2023).

Teachers and the “Air,” the role of seken at schools in Japan. Online presentation for The Japanese Sekengaku Society (2023).

Reading the “Air,” schooling and teacher identity: a literature review.  Paper presentation for Japan-US Teacher Education Consortium (2022). 

Reading the "Air”: Schooling and teacher identity in Japan. A short presentation for OLPD Student Research Conference, University of Minnesota (2022).