[Seminar Report] "Do Children Grow More When They Enter 'Good Schools'?" - Keio University Professor Makiko Nakamuro Re-examines "Educational Common Sense" with Data | Ways, a Private Tutoring School Specializing in Junior and Senior High Schools

Ways, a private tutoring school specializing in junior and senior high school students (operated by Mates Co., Ltd., headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Representative Director Naonori Endo), held a free online seminar for parents titled "Scientifically Explaining Home Communication with Your Children" via Zoom on June 19, 2026 (Fri), with Professor Makiko Nakamuro of Keio University's Faculty of Policy Management as the lecturer.

A total of 267 parents participated, providing an opportunity to scientifically learn how to interact with children based on insights from educational economics.

"I want my child to go to the best possible school," "I want them to aim higher"—such parental desires can sometimes undermine a child's confidence and motivation.

At this seminar, Professor Nakamuro proposed a perspective that re-examines education not as personal experience, but as trends observable from data of many children (scientific evidence).

While politics and economics are discussed based on data, education is often discussed based on personal anecdotes.

Drawing on insights from educational economics, Professor Nakamuro explained three perspectives: the "frog in the well" effect, communication that compares children to their "past selves" rather than others, and the importance of "non-cognitive skills" that cannot be measured by test scores.

Participants commented, "I can really relate to this," and "My view of the academic hierarchy has changed."

◾️ Background of the Seminar

In junior and senior high schools, students often lose sight of their learning goals because they do not go through high school entrance exams, leading to a common problem of "mid-course slump."

While the pace of learning is fast and it is difficult to recover once a student falls behind, it is also a period when parental advice is less likely to reach students who are in adolescence.

There is a growing demand among parents for a reliable guideline to determine "how involved should we be?" and "should we let them be and watch?"

This seminar was planned to provide parents with the latest research findings by inviting Professor Nakamuro, a specialist in educational economics, with the aim of addressing these challenges in home communication from the perspective of scientific evidence (evidence-based approach) rather than empirical theory.

◾️ Seminar Content

Professor Nakamuro first explained that individual anecdotes do not necessarily reflect overall trends, and that scientific evidence refers to regularities derived from many observations. Based on insights from educational economics, she elucidated the nature of home communication.

The lecture covered the following three themes:

The first theme is a phenomenon called the "frog in the well" effect.

In an environment where excellent students gather, a lower relative rank tends to lower self-evaluation and diminish learning motivation.

According to Professor Nakamuro, data analysis of approximately 300,000 children in Saitama Prefecture has confirmed a tendency for children with higher class rankings in elementary school to have higher deviation scores in junior high school.

The second theme is the impact of communication on learning motivation.

While relative evaluation that compares children to others tends to undermine their confidence, a German empirical study has confirmed that feedback on growth and comparison with "past selves" can increase learning motivation and self-efficacy, as stated in the seminar.

It was emphasized that where parents place their evaluation criteria influences their children's motivation.

The third theme is the importance of non-cognitive skills.

Academic test scores explain only about 17% of wage fluctuations, while non-cognitive skills such as self-control, diligence, perseverance, and sociability have a significant impact on long-term economic outcomes.

It was concluded that focusing not only on test scores but also on fostering non-cognitive skills at home is the key to supporting a child's long-term growth.

◾️ Participant Feedback

Participants provided the following feedback after the seminar:

"I was impressed by the point that while economics discussions have evidence, educational theories often gain attention without evidence, and that non-cognitive skills remain effective even in adulthood, such as in one's 40s."

"The 'frog in the well' theory really resonates. I myself was in the top 10 in public junior high school and entered the best public high school in my area, where I was overwhelmed by the talented people and lost my confidence. (Omitted) Based on my experience in high school, I was wondering what to do about my daughter, and I was truly worried about her future path. Rather than forcing her to aim for a distant, famous prestigious school, I want to discuss it thoroughly with her, focusing on what suits her."

"The clear explanation based on evidence that changes the perspective on the traditional academic hierarchy, and the points of caution, were surprising and gave me hope. This was valuable information."

"There are students for whom giving rankings creates positive effects, and students for whom it has the opposite effect. I felt that by communicating the growth of those students, an upward effect could be expected for those in the lower strata."

"This was extremely helpful for each stage, as I have children aged 2 (considering kindergarten), 6th grade (junior high school entrance exam this year), 2nd year of private junior-senior high school, and 2nd year of university-affiliated high school."

◾️ Speaker Profile

Makiko Nakamuro, Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University

Specializes in educational economics. After obtaining her Ph.D. from Columbia University and gaining practical experience at the Bank of Japan and the World Bank, she assumed her current position in fiscal year 2013. She also serves as the Head of Digital Education at the Digital Agency. Her book "The Economics of 'Academic Ability'" has become a bestseller with over 370,000 copies sold, and "The Economics of 'Cause and Effect'" was ranked #1 best economic book in 2017. Her latest book, "Scientific Parenting," has sold over 90,000 copies in six months.

◾️ About Ways, a Private Tutoring School Specializing in Junior and Senior High Schools

WAYS provides "total support that looks ahead to university entrance exams, from regular test preparation." In junior high and first year of high school, we reliably improve school grades (evaluations) through "regular test preparation" that also leads to internal advancement and designated school recommendations. In the second and third years of high school, we transition to customized preparation for each student's desired path, including general selection, internal advancement, and school recommendation-based selection. We handle all goals, from escaping failing grades to preparing for entrance exams at prestigious universities.

We also offer free study consultations and trial lessons for students in junior and senior high schools and their parents. Parents who are concerned about their child's studies at a junior or senior high school are welcome to contact us for a free consultation.

[Free] Consultation/Trial Lesson Reservation Here

◾️ Mates Co., Ltd. Company Information [Company Overview]

◆ Mates Co., Ltd.

Location: Shin-yo Building 602, 2-14-2 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Representative Director: Naonori Endo

Established: January 2014 (Heisei 26)

Phone: 03-6233-8169

Email: [email protected]

HP: https://mates-edu.co.jp

◆ Ways, a Private Tutoring School Specializing in Junior and Senior High Schools

Phone: 0120-913-938 (Reception Hours: Mon-Sun 10:00-20:00)

Email: [email protected]

HP: https://ways-sch.jp