A study of the process for integrating “Olympic and Paralympic Education” in Japan: Focusing on the head teacher’s leadership

The purpose of this study was to clarify the process for the introduction and diffusion of Olympic and Paralympic Education in Japan. To achieve this goal, we analyzed the process of developing the various practices of Olympic and Paralympic Education in a school located far from Tokyo, the host city of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2021, from the perspective of the principal’s leadership. The practice of Olympic and Paralympic Education in elementary school X was developed from “individual practices by specific teachers” to “various practices by all teachers”. In the process of realizing the former, principal A encountered “maintainability” as part of teacher culture and overcame this situation through care and innovative leadership. Also, in the process of realizing the latter practices, principal A conducted innovative and facilitative leadership to overcome “mutual non-interference”. Through these processes, it was considered that principal A had achieved everyone’s understanding of the idea of the “various practices of Olympic and Paralympic Education”. These findings suggest that for the future diffusion of Olympic and Paralympic Education, it is necessary to grasp the concept step by step, to use the “association” strategy, and to select an appropriate teacher who is responsible for the diffusion process.