A report from the National Science Foundation supports the contention that the United States lags behind the Soviet Union, Japan, and Germany in science and mathematics education. (Author)

The socioeconomic importance and fierce competition related to high school and university entrance examinations in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea lead students and their parents to seek spiritual support through prayer and religious rituals. Japanese students leave donations and written prayers and promises to the gods at Shinto shrines…

Summarizes presentations from a 2002 seminar on designing schools for tomorrow. The four presentations are: "Developing Digital Work Areas for Education in France" (Nicolas Chung); "The School of the Future: An Italian Perspective" (Giorgio Ponti); "Measures for School Facilities in Japan" (Naoto Fukabori); and…

Uses data from Japanese households to calculate the income elasticities of educational expenditure, allowing elasticities to vary nonmonotonically with household income. Explores whether income elasticities for education peak in the middle-income categories and diminish for the lower and upper ends of income distribution. Income elasticities do…

Describes the Japanese Language and Culture Assistants Program, which sent over 100 Japanese volunteers to teach Japanese language and culture in U.S. schools. Discusses the activities of four of the volunteer participants and results of the program. (LZ)

Reports on the authors' experiences negotiating within an alien culture while attending and presenting at a conference in Japan. Notes that integrating computer technology in language skills classes is still new in Japan. Concludes that the world electronic culture will ask that educators consider that the technological tools used are imbued with…

A fellowship was established to facilitate the ability of a foreign professor to research issues of ijime (bullying) and its association with suicide among Japanese students. A summary is presented of the findings on prevalence and related issues. Differences in behaviors at elementary and secondary schools educational levels are discussed. (JDM)

Describes lesson study, a Japanese model for intensive, school-based professional development, noting that it is a change and improvement strategy appropriate for a cutural activity such as teaching, embodying many of the principles of effective professional development. The paper discusses: putting students at the center, developing professional…

Discusses contemporary psychologists' criticism of Jean Piaget's developmental theory; reviews research in brain science, psychology, history, and the experiences of teachers; proposes a new theory of developmental stages based on children's shifting interests; discuses implications of "shifting interest center theory" for school…

Describes five types of curriculum differentiation identified in tracking research based on analysis of case study databases of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study. Case studies include interviews with educators, parents, and students in Germany, Japan, and the United States. Compares parental influence on student tracking…

In this article the phenomenon of bullying is discussed, using a model for detecting and monitoring cases of bullying used by Japanese teachers. Bullying is viewed as symptomatic of a deeper problem, lack of respect for the dignity and integrity of others. Such respect is a central value in a culture of peace. Bullying is a major threat to…

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…

This paper examines the status of special education for mentally and physically handicapped children in Japan. Among the topics covered are these: (1) placement of students with "heavy" handicaps in special schools; (2) more mainstreamed placement of children with "light" handicaps; and (3) enforcement by prefectural and…

A 28 minute, color videotape program, "Okinawan Festival," was tested in four high school classes in Honolulu, Hawaii. The purpose was to measure the program's effectiveness in providing cognitive information about the Okinawan ethnic group in Hawaii to students in Grades 10-12. A pre-test was administered, the videotape played, and the…

Information on curriculum content, development, presentation, and evaluation in 10 countries is reviewed in this report. Reference materials were gathered from Japan, China, Thailand, Norway, Sweden, France, England and Wales, Scotland, Canada, and the United States. The materials from each country provide an understanding of the aims and…