The first of two volumes dedicated to this little-explored topic, this volume gathers international perspectives to critically assess how Waldorf education has been perceived and discussed in both public and academic arenas. The book thereby challenges the historical concept of Waldorf education as an international movement championing…

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…

Student mobility to and among higher education systems in Asia has reached unprecedented levels. In particular, inbound and outbound student mobility creates twin challenges--growing diversity in host countries and brain drain and circulation for sending countries--that have significant implications for growing intra-regional mobility,…

Through the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Initiative, states and territories have collaborated in the development of a common core of standards in English Language Arts and mathematics for grades kindergarten through twelve that are now being adopted by states. Designed not only for the purpose of providing strong, shared expectations, the…

This article builds on the author's earlier work, published in Vol. 28 No. 1 of this journal, that critiqued the Orientalist legacy in Anglo-American discussions of Japanese education. One of the manifestations of this legacy is the prevailing view among the Anglo-American observers of Japanese education that Japanese education is the…

Research shows that professional learning can have a powerful effect on teacher skills and knowledge, and on how well students learn. To be effective, however, professional learning for teachers needs to be conducted in the ways that it is in many high achieving countries--continuously, collaboratively, and with a focus on teaching specific…

This paper examines preschool education in Egypt, Oman, and Japan in the light of the comparative education approach developed by George Bereday utilizing description, interpretation, juxtaposition, and comparison. The literature of early childhood education is surveyed, beginning with the three most influential pioneers: Friedrich Wilhelm…

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 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…

As early as elementary school, a Japanese child faces a sequence of narrowing choices for an occupational future. Through decisions on further schooling, curriculum, and job entry, earlier choices severely restrict later ones. Usually, men go to four-year universities to study engineering or social sciences. Women generally attend two-year…

The successful educational and industrial systems in Japan are related to the social and historical condition of the country. A society that receives ideas and technology of education from other societies must go through the process of adoption, assimilation, and self-transformation. Students of society do not fully recognize the strengths and…

The major early influences and actual training methods by which classroom management routines and behavioral control strategies are established in the first grade of Japanese elementary schools are examined in the first of three sections of this study. Drawing on relevant literature and preliminary results of an 18-month ethnographic study of…

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…

Reports on Japanese science education from observations made of one school and one teacher. Compares the school to an American suburban "prep" high school with well-disciplined students. States that the reason students learn is because the Japanese consider education to be extremely important. (RT)

An important aspect of Japanese schooling is the attention given to class management and student guidance, particularly at the elementary and lower secondary levels. The Japanese school curriculum for the elementary and the lower secondary schools consists of three areas: (1) regular subjects; (2) moral education; and (3) special activities. The…