A study examined the participation of ordained ministers in continuing education. Of some 5,400 questionnaires mailed to ministers of 12 Protestant denominations who lived throughout the United States and Canada, 1,984 usable responses were returned. Based on these responses, it would appear that the typical survey respondent was a 45-year-old…

Effects of student grouping on academic achievement were examined in research among high school students in Israeli kibbutz schools, and in a nationwide sample of middle school students in Israel. Data analysis was based on a model developed from research findings in the United States, Sweden, Great Britain, and Israel. The treatment variable was…

Whether goals held by students from diverse cultural backgrounds differ and the relationship of these goals to school motivation and achievement were studied with 2,156 Australian (Anglo, immigrant, and Aboriginal), 529 Navajo, and 198 Canadian Montagnais Betsiamite Indian secondary school students. Cross cultural and educational implications are…

Tests the hypothesis that Japanese children demonstrate higher task persistence under non-competitive conditions than do their U.S. peers. Comparison of 107 first graders in Japan and 86 in the United States supports the study hypothesis. Type of school and student gender have no significant effect on task persistence. (SLD)

Studies show that afterschool programs improve academic achievement, reduce grade retention and increase student attendance and interest in school. Across the country, afterschool is a key element in strategies to turn around under-performing schools. The superintendent of Philadelphia and the governor of Virginia have used afterschool to turn…

This study examined Chinese students' self-presentation bias and continuing motivation for difficult and easy tasks. Students read scenarios about characters who performed tasks, then answered questions about whether the characters and they themselves would do another similar task. Results revealed self-presentation bias among Chinese students…

Citing research indicating that U.S. teachers commonly use verbal persuasion techniques to help low achieving students, this study extends the research to Sri Lanka to explore differences in helping strategies adopted by teachers across cultures. Study participants were 237 Sri Lanka teachers who represented the majority Sinhalese population and…

The reasons 184 American and 399 Japanese fifth-graders gave for achievement and good conduct in school were compared. Responses of Japanese children may reflect stronger identification with adult authority. Japanese children gave fewer external reasons for actions than their American counterparts. Implications for the study of motivation are…

Compares American and German educational system structures, emphasizing organizational and curricular features of school- and work-based preparation for the labor market. The countries have fundamentally different school to work transition models which significantly affect their students. The article makes recommendations for improving both…

Comparing self-reported academic motives of 409 male and 511 female Filipino college students and 407 male and 506 female (plus 12 unidentified) U.S. college students indicates that Filipinos rank approval and self-improvement higher and U.S. students rank motives involving performance standards higher. Many gender differences in motives…

This paper examines teacher development of TGfU in teacher education programmes in Australia and the USA by taking a cross-sectional snapshot across a sequence covering the final two years of a teacher education programme in which TGfU is emphasised, and the first two years of teaching after graduating from the same programmes. It explores the…

Presents findings from this condensation of major studies of the differences among U.S., Chinese, and Japanese education. Explanations for the superior performance of Chinese and Japanese students are explored in the areas of home and parents, effort and ability, organization of schooling, and teachers and teaching. (SLD)

Japan's economic success may have its origins in its educational system, which instills the values of persistence and hard work in children. This process is begun by Japanese mothers, continues throughout preschool and school, and is reinforced by cultural beliefs and practices. In one study, task persistence was significantly greater among…

Educational research among indigenous peoples has often been flawed. Many studies on achievement motivation, cognitive development, and learning styles have failed to establish that the behaviors and responses being measured were functionally, conceptually, or metrically equivalent to those from which norms for comparison were drawn, and that the…

Available data on Canadian and U.S. student drinking patterns are compared. Among the factors and implications discussed are prevalency and volume of drinking, its relation to other drug use, negative behavioral consequences, student characteristics, attitudes, motivation, and the influence of home, high school, and college environment in…