We study whether autonomous schools, which are publicly funded but can operate more independently than government-run schools, affect student achievement and school segregation across 15 countries over 16 years. Our triple-differences regressions exploit between-grade variation in the share of students attending autonomous schools within a given…

Self-direction skill (SDS) is an essential 21st-century skill that can help learners be independent and organized in their quest for knowledge acquisition. While some studies considered learners from higher education levels as the target audience, providing opportunities to start the SDS practice by K12 learners is still rare. Further, practicing…

A reform of public education in Japan took place from the 1980s, coming to a de facto end in 2013. The reform, which affected large numbers of Japanese children, focused on creating a more flexible, relaxed form of education by reducing the amount included in the curriculum. However, the effects of this reform have been ambiguous, and we therefore…

This report on "Responsive School Systems" constitutes the second of three thematic comparative reports bringing together findings from the OECD's School Resources Review. Evolving educational objectives, changing student needs and demographic developments require school systems to be highly responsive to new patterns of demand and adapt…

What would be one of the most sensible ways for a country to invest to achieve maximal economic growth? A recent study (Chetty, Friedman, & Rockoff, 2011) by economists at Harvard and Columbia Universities shows that better teacher quality results in significantly higher students' lifetime earnings. And investing in public school teachers…

This article presents the authors' critique of lessons proposed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21). The authors initiate a discussion about content that they hope will play out in schoolhouses and statehouses across the country. They take on a different task: they present a handful of lesson ideas from P21 that could enhance studies…

Japanese and U.S. sixth, eighth, and tenth graders (N = 2141) responded to questionnaires asking whom they depended on in six contexts of need. These contexts were: morning awakening, physical illness, emotional upset, help with homework, causing a problem, and guidance in extracurricular activities. Findings indicated that, relative to culture,…

The purpose of this paper is to argue for the ongoing use of dialogue as a modern pedagogical and andragogical method. The author reviewed 18 scholarly sources from three education databases in this literature review. The use of dialogue as mode of instruction dates from the Socratic Method of 399 B.C.E. to present uses. The literature reveals…

To help educators understand similarities and differences between American and Oriental educational systems, this article outlines 22 major characteristics of Japanese and South Korean schools and compares them with U.S. practices. An important difference is Asian parents' considerable involvement and interest in their schools. (MLH)

An overview is given of the state of teaching materials and aids used in schools in Japan. In section I, an outline is presented of the Japanese system of providing teaching materials. Several laws and regulations regarding the provision and use of textbooks are described, including: (1) school education law; (2) law concerning the organization…

This document is an English-language abstract (approximately 1,500 words) of the reports of three committees of the Central Council for Education. The 21st Committee reports that school education in Japan has expanded in balance with the level of schooling of parents and society at large, in proportion to the economy, and within the per capita…

States that in a milieu of rapid educational development a dual educational system is emerging that does not allow equal educational opportunities for all students. Traces the development of a dual system in Japan and Hong Kong. Follows the attempts of both societies to tackle the ensuing problems. (GG)

Off-campus training called "gasshuku" in Japanese middle and high schools is described. The training, which embodies Japanese cultural themes and values in the three-part curriculum of academic subjects, moral lessons, and special activities, functions as a rite of passage into adulthood in Japan's industrial society. (MMU)

Studies have berated American students for poor academic performance on standardized tests compared to their Asian and European counterparts. But education philosophy, pedagogical methodology, and learning objectives in the U.S. are simply different from those of these other countries. Rather than emphasizing rote memorization, American schools…

Based on the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture's 1986 survey of "Audiovisual Facilities in Schools and Social Education Institutions," this summary of the current status of the diffusion and utilization of audiovisual materials and equipment in Japan pays particular attention to public and private schools. Social education…