This book advances discussion and disseminates knowledge and global perspectives on what school leadership looks like, how it is enacted and under what circumstances, and when or where lessons might be portable. This book has wide appeal for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners considering school leadership and how to support it…

This booklet targets policymakers and educators with busy lives (especially those in developing countries) who may neither have the time nor the opportunity to read widely across all the issues raised herein. This publication looks at all forms of teacher learning, formal and informal, from teachers' own early schooling, through their training,…

Research on playground design in Japan and England offers challenges to the logic behind how playgrounds in the United States are designed. This paper presents observations of outdoor environments for children and youth in Japan and England where the space is not only useful and safe but also contributes to learning and play that reflects the…

An analysis and comparison of science education in Japan and the United States is presented. Studies in comparative science education, including the first and second International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and the Japan and United States Cooperative Science Project, provide an empirical base for some of the…

This paper was developed to describe and discuss the characteristics of educational settings and school science curriculum in Japan as compared with the United States. Three major aspects of the role of science education are presented. The first is the cultural and societal expectations placed on education. This represents external influences on…

This investigation of U.S. and Japanese seventh and eighth grade student achievement in the development of space relations indicated that the Japanese seventh grade mean score was 35% greater than that of the U.S. seventh grade sample and the Japanese eighth grade mean score was 11% greater than that of the U.S. eighth grade sample. Four possible…

Over the last decade, it has been reported that American students lag behind their Asian counterparts as early as the first grade. This study investigated variables influencing elementary school students' mathematics achievement in Japan, Taiwan, and America. Children's mathematics achievement and cognitive abilities were tested. Children,…

Considering the rapid advancements in scientific knowledge and technological improvements, this paper calls for a reorientation of the curriculum and instruction of science education in Japan. The document encourages the development of a science education program which focuses on a few major concepts and then teaches children how to think…

A two part examination of the evidence concerning one possible basis for the poor mathematical performance of United States students, the content of the textbooks used in their classes, is presented. The results of a detailed analysis of Japanese and U.S. mathematics textbooks for grades 1 through 12 are reported. Two international studies (1964…

This paper discusses the development of new curricula, materials, and equipment in Japan. The first section, "The Development of New Curricula," discusses the National Curriculum Council and the improvement of the content of instruction, including basic directions for improvement, the structure and content of school subjects, and the…

Today, on the eve of the 21st century, Japan is becoming an internationalized, information centered civilization. The sophistication of modern science and technology will create a demand for people who are highly productive in handling knowledge and sensitive in their manipulation of it. This advance of science and technology will also require an…

To cope with some social problems, Japanese educational planners are drafting some proposals for research into innovations in the educational system. This paper reports on some research recently done which looked into the relationships of the Japanese educational environment and the reasoning/thinking skills and process skills of students in…

The course of study for students in elementary schools in Japan is outlined in this document. The first of four chapters puts forth general guidelines that a Japanese elementary school should seek to follow. Comprising the greater part of the document, the second chapter outlines the objectives to be achieved by students in eight subjects. For…

This document traces the history of Japanese education since World War II and explains how the Japanese educational system operates today. Included in the discussion is information about: (1) the 1947 Fundamental Law of Education (which called for equal educational opportunities and compulsory education for nine years); (2) the development of the…