Purpose: This paper traces the incorporation of western educational histories in the development of normal-school curricula during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China (1901-1944). It uses publication networks to show how the study of comparative educational history facilitated the international circulation of knowledge in the teaching…

Most qualitative studies in international education take place in a single site in a single nation. When studies are of more than one country, they most often use more quantitative than qualitative approaches. Beatrice and John Whiting conducted the most systematic of comparative cross-cultural studies of child rearing in their "Six…

This article challenges the common-sense observation that Japanese and American education have been moving in "opposite directions" in recent times. Drawing on postcolonial discourse studies and cultural studies, the article extracts from this observation an Orientalist binary epistemology that continues to set discursive limits on the…

Using the political-economic analysis of globalisation and education as well as a culturalist approach to education policy borrowing, the paper analyses the role of local actors, specifically, national newspapers and the Ministry of Education, in mediating the potentially homogenising curricular policy pressure of globalisation exerted through the…

The problem of measuring efficiency in higher education is of increasing importance due to changes in socioeconomic conditions and rising enrollment rates. Problems of definition are discussed that occur in comparative studies of efficiency. Illustrations are drawn from formulations of the problem in several countries with different socioeconomic…

Notes the factors preventing the progress of internationalization in Japanese society in general and in the educational system in particular. Topics include traditional attitudes towards other countries, the prevalence of economic strength as a national goal, and the school system's preoccupation with preparation for entrance examinations. (JHZ)

Explores various programs and materials used in elementary and secondary schools in Japan to foster education for peace. Educational problems are identified relating to Japan's experiences during World War II and to differences in attitudes toward international understanding among generations. (DB)

Summarizes the cultural and political background of the Council on Educational Reform with attention to Japan's social environment as it affects issues facing the Council. Discusses the question of internationalization of education in light of the history of foreign language teaching and looks at humanization in light of school violence. (JHZ)

Eight perspectives on higher education are provided in essays based on papers presented at a 1982 seminar. The historical perspective is provided by Harold Perkin with attention to turning points in higher education in Europe, Japan, and the United States. Maurice Kogan considers the political view and specifically intrainstitutional issues, the…

Twenty-one American educational researchers and policy makers present their impressions of education in Japan. Compiled as a result of a two and a half week Educational Staff Seminar tour of Japan in 1972, the articles describe public and private schools, factories, museums, educational television studios, monasteries, shrines, and the Japanese…

Basic elements of the higher education system are considered, along with variations across nations (the United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan, Italy, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Australia, Canada, the United States, Poland, Yugoslavia, Mexico, and Thailand). Three basic elements of the organization of higher education system are identified:…

This report analyzes three aspects of social studies education in Japan: (1) characteristics of secondary education before World War II, (2) the nature and effects of United States intervention in secondary social studies in 1946, and (3) features of contemporary social studies. Before 1945 the boys' middle school, the Chugakko, was the most…

Part of a series of studies on higher education in different countries, this paper examines internal differentiation of Japanese higher education and the problem of coordination, using a comparative perspective. The crucial difference in the division of universities by subjects among different nations has been between chair and department…

The comparative higher education course offered at the State University of New York at Buffalo is briefly described, and a course schedule is presented, including required and recommended readings for each topic. The course is intended to provide a broad cross-cultural perspective and considers the growth and development of universities in Europe,…

The five commissioned papers in this anthology provided part of the research base for the national report, "National Excellence: A Case for Developing America's Talent." In the first paper, "The Performance of High Ability Students in the United States on National and International Tests," Carolyn Callahan describes…