Search

This paper explores the convergence and divergence in the discourses and practices of comparative education in Japan, North America, and Greater China. Research demands, institutional settings, and social and historical background determine the nature of the research discussed and practiced in each place. Some particular patterns were identified in Japanese traditional comparative education such as thick description, limited reference to theories, and a focus on systems and the structural level rather than on classroom practices and pedagogy. Further, an orientation to borrowing foreign policy ideas and to learning about the educational system in neighboring Asian countries has made some themes and geographic research sites popular. Examination of research trends reveals that similar demands to identify policy options also exist in Mainland China and Taiwan. Together with the research on policies and practices in other countries, in Japanese comparative education there is a strong tradition of area studies based on deep linguistic and cultural understanding of the research sites. Such a research approach is often found among members who conduct investigations in East Asia and Southeast Asia. In addition, there is another group of scholars who show strong interest in international agendas such as development or gender and who conduct research contributing to these fields. This type of scholar has increased since the 1990s and tends to focus on regions such as Africa and South Asia. This has brought Japanese research trends closer to that of North America where a large number of publications were on Africa, Latin America, and Asia throughout the post-World War II period. Because of the multi-disciplinary nature of this academic field and its openness to quality research from diverse academic traditions, I argue that comparative education can serve as a platform for academic collaboration for advancing the horizon of research.

Research involving international research communities has been advocated in the field of behavior analysis (Dymond et al., 2000; Martin et al., 2016). The purpose of the present study was to report the status of behavioral research in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, in terms of number of publications, types of research, and frequency of collaboration with international researchers. Fifteen behavioral journals were selected from the list by Cooper et al. (2020). These were searched by hand to find publications conducted in or authored by researchers from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan dating from each journal's inception to December 2021. The earliest publication we found appeared in 1980 in The Psychological Record. Over the following four decades (1980–1989; 1990–1999; 2000–2009; 2010–2021), the number of publications per decade increased dramatically and continues in recent years to rise. Publications include research reports, review papers, and conceptual articles, with the majority being basic research reports published in Behavioral Processes. Approximately half the publications involve collaboration with international researchers, mostly in North America. Implications for behavioral research, practice, and policy in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]