Outlines China's 1985 educational reforms, and the political and economic factors behind them. Examines the impact on the school system, on higher education, and on teachers of reforms such as nine years' compulsory education, rapid introduction of technical and vocational training, and greater institutional autonomy. Contains 37 references. (SV)

Through a study of teacher job satisfaction in impoverished rural areas in northwest China, the authors examine the factors leading to satisfaction among teachers serving poor rural communities. A survey of rural primary school teachers, principals, and village leaders conducted in the year 2000 in Gansu is analyzed. In this article, the authors…

Explored how Chinese and American elementary mathematics teachers changed their conception and practice, examining the impact of instructional context. Observations and interviews with teachers who were reforming their instruction indicated that they were dissatisfied with their prior practice. Their conceptual change was shaped by specific images…

Purpose--The study aims to examine the age differences of job satisfaction between Taiwanese and Chinese higher education faculty. Design/methodology/approach--The data on job satisfaction were obtained from 194 Taiwanese faculty and 211 Chinese faculty at college levels in one city. Findings--No statistically significant differences were found…

Harold Stevenson, author of "The Learning Gap," describes differences between schools in the United States, which he feels are in crisis, and those in Asia. The article includes important differences in staff development and in the working conditions of teachers in those countries. (SM)

Teaching is not considered a desirable occupation in China, and many teachers are unhappy in their jobs. Education is the weak sector within the bureaucracy. Because it has been neglected for a long time, especially during the Cultural Revolution, many people, including government officials, do not take the problems of education seriously. From…

Academic exchanges between the U.S. and other countries around the world are increasing and teaching students abroad is part of this trend. China is in its initial stage of developing gerontology education and is in great need of new concepts and ideas for dealing with its rapidly aging population. This paper discusses the challenges and rewards…

Current working conditions of postsecondary faculty in the People's Republic of China are described, with a focus on what has changed since 1976 and the end of the Cultural Revolution. Based on field work in China and on personal correspondence with Chinese faculty members between 1984 and 1989, a broad overview is presented of college and…

Records show that school enrollment for girls is still lagging behind in some areas in the Asia and Pacific region, which poses challenge for the region to achieve Education for All (EFA) by 2015. And girls' labor in the Asia and Pacific region continues to constitute a major obstacle towards gender parity in education, another EFA target. Girls'…