Curriculum Vitaes

Komatsu Taro

  (小松 太郎)

Profile Information

Affiliation
Professor, Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Education, , Sophia University
Degree
BA in Comparative Culture (Major: Politics and International Relations)(Sophia University)
Diploma in Development Studies(Institute of Developing Economies (IDEAS))
MSc.in Social Policy and Planning(London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE))
Ph.D. in Education Policy and Administration(University of Minnesota)

Contact information
t.komatsusophia.ac.jp
Researcher number
20363343
J-GLOBAL ID
200901050495318830
researchmap Member ID
5000099480

My research interests focus on education policy, governance and practices in developing nations and conflict-affected societies; education and social cohesion/peace-building; education system convergence and divergence in the global era; and citizenship education in multicultural societies. My research questions are often informed by my own field experiences as an aid practitioner in several country contexts, including fragile ones such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kosovo and Bosnia & Herzegovina. As an academia in the field of education and international development, I continue engaged in the improvement of practices by working with aid agencies (UN, governmental, NGOs and private ones). More recently, I have been working with a NGO supporting refugee education in the Middle East, and assisting them with their program evaluation design, execution and interpretation of the results. I am also active in research and training in Education in Emergencies (EiE). At University, I teach education and international development, sociology of education, and social science research design at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Contact: t.komatsu"(at)"sophia.ac.jp


Papers

 35
  • Komatsu, T
    International Education, Japan Association for International Education, 30, 2024  Peer-reviewedInvited
  • Taro Komatsu, Kaoru Ghalawinji-Yamamoto, Yukari Iwama, Sayo Hattori
    International Journal of Comparative Education and Development, 26(1) 1-16, Nov 21, 2023  Peer-reviewedLead author
    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how vulnerable refugee children's education can be supported in the first asylum country during a long-term, complex crisis. More specifically, the authors examine the impact of a remedial education (RE) program on academically challenged Syrian refugees' sustained learning and well-being in Jordan during a protracted emergency. Design/methodology/approach Using the 2012 United Nations human security framework, the authors analyze the quantitative results of program evaluation, supplemented by qualitative surveys and stakeholder interviews that asked about the aspirations of refugee children and their guardians, their school experience and the refugee–host community relationship. Findings The authors' data suggest that the program enhanced targeted Syrians' protection and empowerment. Their increased sense of safety and improved academic performance and learning motivation were likely owing to child-friendly classroom management and pedagogies that facilitated interactive and differentiated learning. Their human security was further strengthened when they learned with Jordanian children who experienced similar academic challenges and with teachers sympathetic to their plight. Meanwhile, a human security framework calls for humanitarian agencies' strategic engagement with local partners to ensure refugees' learning continuity. Originality/value Refugee education studies in first asylum countries are rare. Even rarer are studies focusing on academically low-achieving refugees with full consideration of the protracted and complex nature of a crisis. This study suggests effective measures to increase their human security while calling for humanitarian aid organizations to use long-term thinking.
  • 小松太郎
    『人間と教育』民主教育研究所, (115) 62-69, Sep, 2022  Invited
  • 小松太郎
    『教職研修』巻頭特別企画「戦争の時代の教育」, (598) 6-7, Jun, 2022  Invited

Misc.

 22

Books and Other Publications

 20

Presentations

 58

Major Teaching Experience

 17

Research Projects

 27

Social Activities

 113