This book critiques dominant discourses and debates pertaining to cultural identity, set against the current backdrop of growing social stratification and unequal access to quality education. It addresses current discourses concerning globalisation, ideologies and the state, as well as approaches to constructing national, ethnic and religious…

"The Wiley International Handbook of Educational Foundations" features international scholars uniquely qualified to examine issues specific to their regions of the world. The Handbook provides readers with an alternative to the traditional texts in the foundations of education by taking aim at the status quo, and by offering frameworks…

This policy profile on education in Japan is part of the "Education Policy Outlook" series, which presents comparative analysis of education policies and reforms across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Building on the OECD's substantial comparative and sectorial policy knowledge base, the…

In this book, leading scholars in the field examine the available research on the use of evidence in education and provide suggestions for strengthening the research-to-practice pipeline. Critics within and outside the field of education often point out the absence of a strong reciprocal connection between research and practice. The emergence of…

This report presents topics addressed at the December 2000 seminar on Capacity-Building for Curriculum Specialists from East and South-East Asia. Part 1, "Rethinking the Framework and the Capacities Needed for Curriculum Reform," gives some perspectives on trends and issues in curriculum change for the 21st century, both internationally…

Information on curriculum content, development, presentation, and evaluation in 10 countries is reviewed in this report. Reference materials were gathered from Japan, China, Thailand, Norway, Sweden, France, England and Wales, Scotland, Canada, and the United States. The materials from each country provide an understanding of the aims and…

Proposes a system of achievement testing for all U.S. students rather than just those who are college bound. Criticizes present achievement testing as a patchwork system that fails to provide parents with information about how much their children are learning in comparison to others. Provides a sampling of national achievement test questions from…

Disagrees with the tone and conclusions of the special section on United States-Japan relations in the November-December, 1991 issue. Contends that the national interests of the United States were ignored to avoid "Japan Bashing" over trade and other economic issues. Calls for a more realistic view of Japan's trade policies toward the…

This document comprises a UNESCO-sponsored inventory of documents on educational planning and management in Asia and the Pacific. The database consists of 714 documents from participating countries, divided into 10 subsections by country and indexed according to author and subject. The main entries are grouped alphabetically by country, as…

Japanese social values make education the central focus of most young people's lives, and make effort the most effective means of achieving success. Japanese education aims at egalitarianism, student motivation, and moral development. Some elements of Japan's educational success may be exportable, but others are too culturally determined. (PGD)

This paper notes the proliferation of literature about the characteristics of Japanese education and culture. Generalizations ranging from reports of remarkable progress in subject disciplines to praise of Japanese technology, social and individual behavior, and systematic accomplishments have been cited. It is contended in this study that some of…

A review and conceptual analysis of the literature on the characteristics of students in Japan and of the factors influencing those characteristics was conducted. Information from both English and Japanese sources about cognitive, non-cognitive, and behavioral characteristics of students and factors influencing them was sought regarding students…

This article offers guidelines for developing a national climate for creativity and invention. It recalls the post-Sputnik climate in the United States and notes evidence of Japan's increasing commitment to creativity. It recommends encouraging students to imagine themselves as inventors, providing early training in inventing skills, and…

Discusses the purpose, scope, conduct, and potential products of a United States study of education in Japan. The study will investigate the formal and informal means of education in Japan within its societal context to develop a series of insights for the improvement of U.S. education. (JN)

Criticizes reports on educational reform for possessing an ideological climate in which inquiry and dissent are quieted, and vocationalism (packaged as academic courses) is rampant. The reports compromise between influence and insight and neglect fundamental problems such as inability of schools to provide students with critical abilities needed…