As Japan prepares for the 2020 Summer Olympics, the elementary school English curriculum is rapidly changing, with new textbooks and more class hours devoted to English education. These language classes have the potential to clarify and improve students' perceptions of global cultures, including their own. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is…

This edited book documents practices of learning-oriented language assessment through practitioner research and research syntheses. Learning-oriented language assessment refers to language assessment strategies that capitalise on learner differences and their relationships with the learning environments. In other words, learners are placed at the…

Language teacher education is widely identified as one of the most important areas that needs addressing in order to improve early language instruction, yet research into teacher education for early language teachers remains relatively sparse. This volume responds to this gap by compiling studies with diverse methodological tenets from a wide…

With international exams (PISA and TIMSS) producing results every three or four years, there is near continual talk of East Asian dominance in mathematics education. Beyond the reporting of scores, some studies have compared mathematics teaching in these countries with U.S. instruction. However, researchers are not (usually) grade school math…

The topic of fractions is an important concept in elementary school mathematics. The study of fractions not only enables students to perform computations but also provides a foundation for later work with rates, percents, slope, and other topics in secondary school mathematics. However, research has long reported that many students and even adults…

Over the last year, the author's students have become very interested in popular culture from Korea and Japan. In particular, the class liked the films of Hayao Miyazaki, an Oscar-winning director who is considered one of the foremost anime filmmakers. In this article, the author came to an idea while he and the first-grade class were discussing…

In Japan, "jugyou kenkyuu"--or lesson study--is the most common form of professional development among elementary school and lower-secondary school teachers. While in the United States it is best known as a means of improving math instruction, in Japan, lesson study is practiced in all subjects, from language studies to physical…

This K-3 social studies activity combines art and language arts with social studies skills and attitudes. Teachers use the old Japanese tradition of story cards to check students' comprehension, give them practice in oral communication, and develop their visual/spatial intelligence, all while teaching them about another culture. (SM)

Describes art education in elementary schools in Japan and the content of their art textbooks. Maintains that the challenges of developing skills, making choices, and learning about the artistic heritage that are offered to Japanese children also should be offered to U.S. children. (KM)

Presented is a brief overview of Japanese education followed by specific ideas about important considerations in the teaching of mathematics in elementary grades. Examples are given for teaching flexibility in mathematical thinking. (RH)

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,…

Reported in this conference proceedings are educational activities related to mathematics education from several countries. The conference was devoted primarily to two major topics closely connected with the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project (UCSMP): (1) Development of an applications-oriented mathematics curriculum for all…

Describes a typical fifth-grade mathematics lesson as taught in a Japanese elementary school, followed by a reflective commentary focused on problem solving, using manipulative aids, and multiple solutions. (ASK)

Presents 3 examples for setting teacher's aims in Japanese and American mathematics classrooms. Provides 10 guidelines for teachers who would like to include more mathematical dialogue and encourage the expression of conceptual splatter in their classrooms. (YP)

Compares the practice of using drawings in story problems in Japan and the United States and includes recommendations for teachers in the United States. (Contains 14 references.) (MKR)