Supporting Educational Policies for a New Era: The Mission of the National Institute for Educational Policy Research
The National Institute for Educational Research was established in June 1949 as a national institute for research on education with the stated aim of performing realistic, fundamental research and surveys on education. This year marks the 75th anniversary of its establishment. In 2001, with the formation of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the institute was renamed the National Institute for Educational Policy Research (NIER) with a clearer mission as a comprehensive national research institute on educational policies.
Currently, the institute comprises seven divisions (the Department of General Affairs, the Department of Research Planning and Development, the Department for Educational Policy and Evaluation Research, the Department for Lifelong Learning Policy Research, the Department for Elementary and Secondary Education Research, the Department for Higher Education Research, and the Department for International Research and Co-operation). Further, there are six centers in the NIER (the Education Data Science Center, the Curriculum Research Center, the Guidance and Counseling Research Center, the Early Childhood Education Research Center, the Practical Social Education Research Center, and the Educational Facilities Research Center).
Under this structure, NIER is responsible for multiple tasks: (1) project research concerning a variety of policy issues; (2) administration of specialized and empirical surveys and research in individual fields; (3) within the realm of the National Assessment of Academic Ability conducted by MEXT, identification of issues and question design as well as management of analytical resources, and for surveys on educational curricula and subjects, analysis of survey results, compilation of related reports, etc. NIER is also (4) the domestic Japanese institute that conducts surveys, etc., for international collaborative research. Such research includes, among others, that for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), and the TALIS Starting Strong Survey, as well as the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), etc. The results and fruits of NIER's efforts are utilized in multifaceted ways as materials for the establishment and evaluation of government policies and in the support of practical work performed at actual educational sites.
In recent years, there has been a heightened focus on Evidence-based Policy Making (EBPM) in government agencies, where policy objectives are clearly set and policies are planned and formulated based on rational evidence. In light of this trend, NIER's role is anticipated to grow in importance.
Education opens the way to a brighter tomorrow for every individual, as well as shaping the future of Japan's society and local communities.
Education will have greater and more profound roles in the midst of our rapidly changing society due to AI and other technological innovations, globalization, falling birthrates and aging populations. It will be education that spurs individual autonomy, promoting happiness in the new era ahead. Education will also provide the insights necessary to cooperate with others in the creation of sustainable societies.
Concurrently, the Central Council for Education is engaged in ongoing discussions on critical issues such as measures to secure high-quality teachers and the state of higher education amid falling birthrates. NIER is ongoingly contributing to these discussions and, with the cooperation of schools, is conducting surveys on the status of implementation to assist with upcoming revisions to curriculum guidelines.
At NIER, as the only national institute specializing in educational policy research, we will continue to promote research activities on educational policies in collaboration with MEXT as well as local boards of education, universities, educational research institutions, and other related organizations nationwide, and will also actively disseminate our initiatives and the results thereof.
Last, we would appreciate your continued support.
July 2025
MORITA Masanobu
Director General
National Institute for Educational Policy Research, Japan