The main objective of this Working Paper is to show a set of indicators on the knowledge-based economy for China, mainly compiled from databases within EAS, although data from databases maintained by other parts of the OECD are included as well. These indicators are put in context by comparison with data for the United States, Japan and the EU (or…

As part of a cross-national research project on literature instruction in middle-grade classrooms in Great Britain and the United States this study explored the effects of external assessment on that instruction. The focus was on the literature selected, the class time allotted, and provisions made for students' choices. The study explored the…

This volume is part of a series of 18 monographs on service learning and the academic disciplines. The essays in this volume focus on the use of service learning as an approach to teaching and learning in psychology. Following the introduction, "Collaborating with the Community: Psychology and Service-Learning," by Donna K. Duffy and…

This annual report presents several articles related to the work of the Clinical Center for Child Development at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan. The articles are: (1) "Maternal Speech and Behavior during Mother-Infant Play: Comparison between the United States and Japan" (Sueko Toda, Marc H. Bornstein, and Hiroshi Azuma); (2)…

Describes developing and teaching a college cultural pluralism course at California State University in Los Angeles. Maintains that the course used a political economy perspective and cooperative learning techniques. Discusses course objectives, class activities, and course materials. (CFR)

Compares music education programs in England and the United States. Outlines differences in curriculum development, preservice and inservice teacher education, and the impact of the English National Curriculum. Discusses implication for U.S. music education. (CFR)

Examines growing acceptance of the concept of adolescence among Italian immigrants in New Haven, Connecticut before and after World War I. Notes changes in young people's ideas about their obligations to parents as high schools become popular institutional space for adolescence, and modifications of parents' views of education. (DLH)

The purpose of "Focus" is to provide coverage of poverty-related research, events, and issues, and to acquaint a large audience with the work of the Institute for Research on Poverty by means of short essays on selected pieces of research. This issue contains the following articles: (1) The new global labor market (Richard B. Freeman);…

In the "PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) 2006 Encyclopedia," each participating country, 39 in total, describes its education system and the reading curriculum as it is intended to be taught, and outlines the polices and practices that guide reading instruction and teacher education. This in-depth, qualitative…

This report presents the preliminary findings from WHO's (World Health Organization) fourth Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study. The study has two main objectives: (1) to monitor health-risk behavior in youth over time in order to provide the necessary background and clear targets for health promotion initiatives; and (2) to…

On most international comparisons of educational achievement, United States' schools fare poorly. A closer look at how several foreign countries educate their children, as well as the political process for setting educational policies, suggests a multitude of initiatives that could be profitably adapted to the American educational system. A survey…

Placing the debate in the United States over amending the Constitution to permit state-sanctioned school prayer in global perspective, this report analyzes the results of a survey of the school prayer policies of 72 countries. The report concludes that the vast majority of the major countries of the world, including Western Europe, Central…

Created to heighten teachers' awareness of human rights issues, particularly those related to children's rights, this guide offers children knowledge and skills in developing both self-worth and empathy for others. These feelings, the curriculum argues, are the foundation children need if they are to understand their rights as children and the…

This study examined the perceptions of cooperating teachers who are coaching student teachers within Professional Development School (PDS) models in two cultures. Part of an action research project conducted by the University of California-Irvine (UCI) and Beit Berl College (Israel), the study examined: (1) what contributions the cooperating…

Essays on cross-cultural elements in college and university programs in English as a Second Language (ESL) include the following: "Barriers to Cross-Cultural Communication in English-as-a-Second-Language Programs in the United States"; "Acculturation or Enculturation: Foreign Students in the United States"; "A Framework…