Using several charts, this article compares strengths and weaknesses of Japanese junior high schools and American middle schools. Each system could learn something from the other. As an adaptive, reactive culture, Japan might benefit from a more flexible, diversified school atmosphere, while an individualistic, pluralistic United States might gain…

Examines the effects of culture on educational practice in Japan, focusing on three salient aspects of the cultural basis for achievement: (1) teachers and parents stress educational environments conducive to learning; (2) achievement is attributed to effort, not to innate ability; and (3) group expectations and standards are considered paramount.…

This study examined the unique learning styles of Asian-American students, noting different Asian immigrants' backgrounds and relating Asian cultures to children's learning. Data came from a literature review; interviews with 19 families from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan who had a total of 33 children ages 6-21 years; and home and…

This annotated bibliography presents studies that address the interplay of power and ideology in language policy. The studies assert that all the conflicts and oppositions between groups, disguised as either language, ethnic, or social movements, have the same basic aim: the quest for power and inclusiveness in the mechanisms of the state. The…

Compares American educational problems to Japan's universally high literacy and achievement rate, positing that Japan's success is related to cultural homogeneity, strong school discipline, and strong motivation to succeed at all levels. Suggests that some Japanese educational strategies can be adopted in American schools, despite great…

Examines various explanations for the lack of reading problems in Japan, including the nature of the Japanese written language, the interest of Japanese parents in teaching young children to read, the different perceptual processes involved in reading Japanese, and the quantity of Japanese publications suitable for preschool children. (FL)

Demonstrates how Japanese cultural and social factors influence ways of thinking about science and carrying on technological activities. Suggests that nonlinear modes of thought using pattern-recognition rather than Western "digital" approaches and a highly formalized education contribute to the Japanese scientific method. (SK)

Describes a study designed to differentiate between universal and culturally specific aspects of children's biological understanding. A group of 363 kindergartners, second graders, and fourth graders from Israel, Japan, and the United States matched 16 attributes to people, animals, plants, and inanimate objects. Results revealed how cultural…

Discusses the role of the Chinese language and people in Japan, focusing on the historical impact of the Chinese language and culture on Japan, Chinese schools in Japan, and local Chinese immigrant communities. (20 references) (MDM)

Examines the validity of the Strange Situation procedure for Japanese mothers and infants by examining correlates and antecedents of Strange Situation behavior for 60 infants and their mothers. Results suggest that the Strange Situation may not be a valid index of the security of infant-mother attachment in Japan. (SLD)

Provides a brief overview of the history of modern Japanese education, its early modernization, and the policy of intertwining the Japanese ideology with Western technology. Proposes the establishment of a new Buddhist-inspired philosophy of education. (GLR)

Uses recent data and new theoretical perspectives to reexamine hypothesized links between academic competition and adolescent suicide in East Asia, particularly Japan. Finds no direct connection, discusses possible indirect effects on individual motives, and suggests a more complicated model. Analyzes how cultural and historical factors may…

Describes a collaborative project that allows students to explore the role of culture in child development and education through an in-depth study of mathematics education in the United States and Asia. Reports that the assignment is effective in helping students to understand cultural influences and the ecological model of child development. (DSK)

Compares provision for and the practice of craft education in England (and Wales) and Japan. Focuses on craft within the national curriculum subject of art at the lower secondary level, and on art teachers' perceptions of its educational value and the factors impacting delivery of craft education. (Contains 34 references.) (Author/SV)

Western investigators assume that caregiver sensitivity takes similar forms and has similar outcomes in all cultures. However, cultural research suggests that sensitivity in the West has more to do with responsiveness to children's explicit expression of need, and that sensitivity in non-Western communities has more to do with anticipation of…