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…

Media headlines often announce that U.S. students do not shine in international comparisons in mathematics and science, but seldom does any one focus on the specifics of how instruction differs among countries and how U.S. educators can alter their practices to improve student achievement. Examining key findings from the Third International…

Suggests ways in which art can be used to introduce students in high school level social studies classes to Japanese culture. Methods include showing students pictures of screens or buildings, asking students to write paragraphs about daily life, asking students to analyze woodblock prints, and directing students to read and try their hand at…

Introduces American students to the Japanese language through everyday expressions and through basic vocabulary on topics including days of the week, dates, and time. A few basic grammar and pronunciation rules are also presented. (DB)

As examples of how a social studies unit on Japan can make us of various art forms, the article suggests ways in which teachers can incorporate information about sculpted figures, box covers, temple decoration, wooden figures, costumes, screens, jars, and water colours into the curriculum. (DB)

This document is one of a series developed by the American Federation of Teachers to help fill a chasm in knowledge regarding world wide educational goals. It is intended that this document serve as a resource to anyone involved in setting or evaluating academic standards for students, whether at the national, state, local or school level. This…

Suggests ways in which a firsthand knowledge about Japan can be brought into American secondary school classrooms through the study of various forms of modern literature. Each example of Japanese literature (short stories, novels, poetry, comics, etc.) is followed by questions for student discussion. (DB)

Reports on the experience of an education professor teaching U.S. history to secondary students in Japan. Lists five basic pedagogical principles derived from the experience. (CFR)

Compares elementary mathematics instruction in Taiwan, Japan, Chicago, and Minneapolis. Finds that American teachers are overworked and devote less time to conducting lessons than Asian teachers, who employ proven inductive methods within the framework of standardized curricula. (DM)

Provides a sample fact lesson for teaching Japanese Geography. After participating in the lesson, students should be able to locate Japan on a world map, match printed names of Japan's four main islands to the correct islands, and understand the inconsistency between the tiny size of Japan and the position of Japan as a world power. (DB)

Relates observations of the Japanese educational system by a U.S. high school history teacher. Finds the Japanese system impressive but argues that such a centralized and authoritarian system would not work in the United States. Educators should learn from Japanese schools, not copy them. Recommends U.S. educators seek agreement on educational…

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 main components of Japan's educational system are the Ministry of Education, an active teachers' union, and a national college-entrance examination underwritten by education-conscious parents. These components create stability and efficiency in Japan's schools, which play a key role in today's high-tech age just as they did in postwar…

This paper presents data gathered from three countries. Samples of students of high-school age from Japan (N-l700), India (N-1446) and Illinois (N-9582) completed the High School Mathematics Test, and, at the same time, responded to a questionnaire designed to measure various demographic and psychological variables. This paper reports not only on…