The Quality Circle is a simple management technique in which workers in the same production area meet to solve company problems. The Quality Circle has been applied to elementary and secondary schools in Japan to help students to develop creative problem solving skills and independent study skills. Recommendations are given for implementing…

Eleven specific suggestions for American advocates of the gifted and talented to follow, based on the Japanese way of handling such matters, are offered, including the provision of creative materials for young children and their parents and training in group and team creativity. (Author/DLS)

Some Japanese cultural characteristics that foster creativity, giftedness, and achievement are examined: and based on these, eight specific suggestions are offered that might be useful in solving some of America's national problems of underachievement, particularly among gifted and talented children. (DLS)

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…

Among findings were that almost twice as many Japanese students preferred the intuitive approach to solving problems, and 27 percent of Japanese students regarded themselves as more intellectual than creative compared to 49 percent of American students studied. Preference by the Japanese students for verbal modes of learning as compared to their…