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This description of popular private educational system in Japan, the Kumon Method, focuses on instruction in arithmetic for primary school students. Highlights include the educational philosophy of the system, instructor training, acceptance by parents, and use of the system as a model for educational systems of the future. (LRW)

Reviews two recent books that place the discussion of Japanese education within the social and psychological context of Japanese culture. One book depicts Japanese society's commitment to children; the other explores conceptual and empirical issues related to U.S.-Japanese comparative studies in child development. (RH)

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the enabling performance measurement systems (PMS) on non-managerial employees' team learning behaviours (TLB) and team effectiveness (TE) when the PMS is used as an enabler. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was conducted with non-managerial employees in Japan and a total sample of 474 responses were collected. Partial least squares structural equation modelling using Smart-PLS was used for the analysis. Findings: The results demonstrated that the design feature of global transparency in enabling PMS contributes to the enhancement of TE, with partial mediation through TLB. Furthermore, it was also evident that fostering TLB involves increasing the flexibility in PMS, specifically offering multiple options for collecting and aggregating performance information in various formats. Originality/value: By examining the effects of the four features of enabling controls on TE and TLB, this study shows which features in an enabling PMS are important in motivating non-managerial employees at the operational level. The study not only fills a gap on the impact of enabling controls on non-managerial employees that has been under-researched but also makes an academic contribution in that it has deepened our understanding of four features that have not yet been fully elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to support the learning of novice students in Java programming, the web-based Java Programming Learning Assistant System (JPLAS) has been developed. JPLAS offers several types of exercise problems to foster code reading and writing skills at different levels. In JPLAS, the code writing problem (CWP) asks a student to write a source code that will pass the test code given in the assignment where the correctness is verified by running them on JUnit. In this paper, to reduce the teacher's workload during the marking process, we present the answer code validation program that verifies all the source codes from a large number of students for each assignment and reports the number of passing tests for each source code in the CSV file. Besides, to test a source code with various input data, we implement the test data generation algorithm that identifies the data type, generates new data, and replaces it for each test data in the test code. Furthermore, to verify the correctness of the implemented procedures in the source code, we introduce the intermediate state testing in the test code. For evaluations, we applied the proposal to source codes and test codes in a Java programming course in Okayama university, Japan, and confirmed the validity and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistence represents a crucial trait in learning. A lack of persistence prevents learners from fully mastering their current skills and makes it difficult for them to acquire new skills. It further hinders the administration of effective interventions by learning systems. Although most studies have focused on identifying non-persistence and unproductive persistence behaviors, few have attempted to model students' persistence propensity in learning. In the present study, we evaluated students' persistence propensity in formative assessments by using an item response theory model with their attempt data. In addition, we modeled their wheel-spinning propensity. The students (N = 115) of first-level mathematics classes at a high school in Japan underwent the aforementioned formative assessments; their log data were collected. Persistence propensity was found to be correlated with frequency-related statistics, and wheel-spinning propensity was correlated with correctness-related statistics. However, persistence and wheel-spinning propensities were not correlated. A comparison of the students' scores with various persistence and wheel-spinning propensities revealed that both traits considerably influenced their academic performance. The present study provides insights into the use of attempt data to evaluate various characteristics crucial for learning, which are otherwise difficult to evaluate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Race to the Top (RTTT) program incentivized states to use innovation for systemwide improvement of student outcomes, but little is known about how RTTT-funded innovation was sustained after the RTTT program ended. This mixed-methods study examined state and district approaches to sustaining an international innovation called lesson study, a teacher-driven, collaborative, inquiry-based teacher learning process imported from Japan and promoted statewide in Florida. While the state's role in sustaining lesson study was limited, we found that districts that integrated lesson study into the district instructional system through a clear expectation and strategic adaptation, supported school and teacher ownership of lesson study practice, and provided necessary support and funding were more likely to sustain lesson study. In contrast, the districts that focused on implementation fidelity and district-led facilitation eventually phased out lesson study. Policy implications for sustaining federally funded professional development innovations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and definition of the term Learning Health System (LHS) appears to have occurred initially around 2007. Prior to this and the introduction of electronic health records (EHR), a predecessor could be found in the Clinical Pathways concept as a standard medical care plan and a tool to improve medical quality. Since 1997, Japan's Saiseikai Kumamoto Hospital (SKH) has been studying and implementing Clinical Pathways. In 2010, they implemented EHR, which facilitated the collection of structured data in common templates that aligned with outcome measurements defined through Japan's Society of Clinical Pathways. For each patient at this hospital, variances from the desired outcomes have been recorded, producing volumes of structured data in formats that could readily be aggregated and analyzed. A visualization tool was introduced to display graphs on the home page of the EHR such that each patient can be compared to similar patients. Knowledge learned from patient care is shared regularly through Clinical Pathways meetings that are supported by all staff within the hospital. The SKH experience over the past two decades is worth exploring further in the context of the development of a fully functional LHS and the attributes/characteristics thereof. In this report, the SKH experience and processes are compared with previously published attributes of a fully functional LHS (ie, characteristics of an LHS that can indicate maturity). Specific examples of the SKH system are detailed with respect to leveraging knowledge gained to change performance that improves patient care as prescribed by learning health cycles. The SKH experience and its information infrastructure and culture exemplify a functional LHS, which is now being expanded to additional hospitals with the hope that it can be scaled and serve as a solid platform for measures aimed at improving medical care, thus establishing broader and more global learning health systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distance learning is becoming more and more important in today's education system, and as a result of the development of telecommunication technologies and the Internet, the demand for distance learning from traditional learning is growing. The pandemic, in particular, has accelerated the process. The article analyzes the world experience of distance learning on the example of Japan and the importance of distance learning in the education system of Uzbekistan during the pandemic. Today's era of information technology and telecommunications and the education system are also shaped by the demands of that era. To date, online education has been introduced in all countries. The article focuses on what distance learning is, its advantages and disadvantages, and its advantages over traditional teaching. There is enough information about what the distance learning system is, the distance learning models and their types, the remote audience. The article discusses the basic principles of distance learning and the concept of "University in the Air", which is a term for higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood sampling requires a particularly dexterous technique; the existing training system is not sufficient for students to acquire satisfactory skills by the time they graduate. Hence, we have developed a learning support system for blood sampling techniques that can present the difference in the angle between a teacher's syringe and surface of patient's skin while blood sampling and angle between a student's syringe and the surface of skin in real time. In this system, students can learn blood sampling techniques by imitating a teacher's motions presented by computer graphics and moving their own syringe until the displayed angle difference becomes zero. This system is useful for learning to insert syringes at the same angle as the teacher. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines concepts surrounding the quality of afterschool programs in Japan and related challenges using qualitative and quantitative methods. A content analysis of government guidelines for afterschool programs provided by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) is conducted, and the differences in the concepts of afterschool program quality (APQ) between them are explored. Second, using government statistics, the author looks at the current situation and systems of instructional features meant to improve quality. Third, the characteristics of the human resource development system of MEXT and MHLW for APQ are clarified using the social capital theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Japanese education system especially relevant to the school curriculum, which might support Japanese high performance in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), mainly through Japanese policy documents. The Japanese education systems have been constructed by the local context of society and politics, and it is hard to analyse the reasons why Japan has seen better results in the previous PISA assessments than other OECD countries. However, the 2008–2009 revision of the Course of Study (the national curriculum in Japan) shows that the Japanese government was really concerned about the decline of Japan's ranking in the previous PISA assessments and revised the Course of Study in response to children's skills which the PISA aimed to measure (key competencies). The Japanese government has placed importance on the cultivation of human resources which are necessary to compete within the international community, and the PISA has had a large effect on the direction of Japanese education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This preliminary study sets out to examine the extent to which authentic materials affect Japanese university students' classroom motivation, seeking an effective way to teach mixedlevel language classes at universities. The motivation questionnaires consisting of eight motivation items as quantitative data and journal entries and learners' comments in semistructured interviews as qualitative data were collected and analyzed. The results of null hypothesis tests on the questionnaires indicate that authentic materials had a significantly more positive effect on freshmen's self-reported motivation than artificial textbook materials, but not on second-year and fourth-year students'. The study also explores the relationship between enjoyableness and meaningfulness of teaching materials to seek the most effective way of using authentic materials, and discusses the effects of other possible factors such as activities and topics. The conclusion suggests that appropriate use of authentic materials, especially enjoyable ones, can be helpful for university teachers of relatively larger classes of freshmen with mixed proficiency levels to raise their L2 motivation. The challenges of conducting this research and suggestions about future studies are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether and how educational expansion affects inequality of educational opportunity, focusing on the two hypotheses which argue that educational expansion transforms class inequality through saturation of education. Under the condition that a level of education approaches nearly saturation, the MMI hypothesis claims class inequality in attaining the level of education begins to decrease and the EMI hypothesis maintains class inequality over types within the level of education emerges. Taiwan and Japan showed similarity in educational system, but education in Taiwan has expanded more drastically than that in Japan. To test the hypotheses, utilizing their different time point in appearance of Saturation caused by the respective pace of expansion, we present the expectations on changes in class inequality for the two countries. The result of analysis using survey data collected in each country is more consistent with the MMI rather than the EMI. Class inequality in attaining levels of education persisted until approaching saturation, but reduced in attaining senior high school education in Japan when this level of education reached saturation. Class inequality in attaining university education rather than junior college over types of higher education emerged clearly corresponding to approaching saturation in Taiwan but appeared in Japan before saturation. The result also indicates that educational expansion urges the transformation of class inequality and gender inequality through respective process. Educational expansion leads to reduction of gender inequality in attaining levels of education irrespective of rapidity and saturation of expansion and without interaction by class and gender in both countries, but hardly erodes gender-specific educational paths institutionalized by gender norm or preference preserved in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a college of technology in Japan, many students have suffered lower performance in three-dimensional linear algebra for a long time. It is partially because they have learned linear algebra as a set of symbolic procedures isolated from graphical or verbal representations, and also from real world applications. Procedural knowledge without understanding the concept seems to evaporate just after the examinations. To help students build conceptual knowledge of linear algebra, we have been constructing a learning system, which shows the dynamic relations of three representations: vector equations, 3D graphic objects represented by the equations, and verbal explanations of the features of equations and graphic objects. The system serves a series of activities, where students are able to touch or transform some parts of the graphic objects in virtual space, observe animated transformations of the graphic objects and simultaneous changes of symbolic expressions, and connect them to a list of verbal explanations. By experiencing the activities in the system, the students are expected to recognize the links between the three representations in 3D linear algebra. The system is a combination of several software programs including web-browser/server, a database management system, a dynamic geometry software, and a computer algebra system. The structure and several activities of the system are described in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers, policy officials, and the wider public in Japan and abroad often hold different views about the quality of Japanese education. Whereas Western researchers are attracted by the academic performance of Japanese students in international assessment studies, Japanese university professors launched a public debate in 1999 about declining achievement. Both advocates and detractors, however, assume that students perform equally well or bad, teachers do not differ in their methods, and students are treated similarly across schools. This study explored the validity of the mutually opposing views about the quality of Japanese education and addressed the issue of unequal educational opportunities, which has not been investigated based on representative, large-scale datasets. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) studies, Japanese students performed well but a decline is visible between 2003 and 2006 for mathematics. The PISA studies also indicate that an achievement gap exists in Japan and that tracking leads to differential school experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Faculty of Industrial Science and Technology at Tokyo University of Science developed a two-campus system to produce well-trained engineers possessing both technical and humanistic traits. In their first year of study, students reside in dormitories in the natural setting of the Oshamambe campus located in Hokkaido, Japan. The education program at Oshamambe instills a rich appreciation/awareness of humanity which especially enables them to empathize with nature. The faculty has been developing a novel e-Learning system called SPES NOVA (Scalable Personality-Adapted Education System with Networking of Views and Activities). SPES NOVA, which is intended to increase competency in communication skills, is based on a remote meeting system that is accessible simultaneously to multiple users via a Flash plug-in on the Internet. To link users in separate locations, each user must have a headset and web cam attached to a personal computer with an Internet connection. At Oshamambe, the SPES NOVA e-Learning system links the students to each other and to the professors. In one of the first applications of SPES NOVA, a student puts on a headset and sits in front of a computer equipped with a camera, and then accesses small-group instruction of a humanity course based mainly on discussion. An electronic whiteboard is displayed at the center of the monitor, and live-action shots of the users are arranged around the computer screen. The voice and picture data of the lecture are stored as educational materials on the server. Consequently, students can review an entire lecture as well as their own speech and behavior. The teacher can easily cut segments from the motion pictures of the lecture and combine them into teaching materials. SPES NOVA includes an e-Learning system that distributes educational materials via a wireless LAN during instruction. The system has also been used effectively in an example of ubiquitous computing in laboratory training courses, which included small group instruction. The students are able to browse the systematic exposition of experimental techniques as well as learn the correct usage of experimental apparatus by using a portable video game player during experiments. The teaching materials contain not only the answers to possible questions, but also the lectures for the day. The e-Learning system can record the laboratory training course lectures and then stream them back in video format. Furthermore, the portable video game player can save images as well as data from the experiments. This e-Learning system is connected to the computer network on campus. Therefore, students can review the learning materials by using a personal computer before and after the laboratory training courses. When used during the small group instruction of the laboratory training course, this unique system effectively helps participants develop lecture note-taking skills, hone communication skills, and learn the correct usage of the experimental apparatus used in liberal arts. Furthermore, with SPES NOVA, we can classify individual students not only according to their academic achievements, but also in relation to their behaviour, temperaments, and lifestyles. Subsequently, we can establish a recursive evaluation system for each student. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effectiveness of explicit instruction of vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) over a 10-week semester with a group of 146 female EFL learners from two Japanese universities. A vocabulary test and questionnaires on VLSs and motivation were administered at the beginning of the course. The learners were divided into two groups based on the vocabulary test results: an experimental group and a control group. Only the experimental group received explicit instruction on VLSs in combination with their regular language lessons. The same instruments were re-administered at the end of the course to examine the changes in both the questionnaire responses and test scores. Qualitative analyses were also conducted to explore the findings in detail. The results show that the experimental group outperformed the control group in the vocabulary test. It was also found that (1) strategy training was effective for both changing the repertoire of strategies used and improving their frequency of use, (2) the training increased the use of certain strategies more than it did for other strategies, and (3) different types of learners exhibited different responses to the strategy instruction. This study's findings contribute to a better understanding of strategy instruction in general and VLSs in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the creation of a fully online master's program for e-learning specialist training. This program is the first of its kind in Japan. As background information, Japan's general trends in e-learning are described, including activities of the e-Leaming Consortium Japan and National Institute of Multimedia in Education. Such features of the master's program are then introduced as core and optional competencies for graduates, curriculum design, course design policy, and learning portal design. Since the core of the program is instructional design and the program deals with e-learning not only as the means of delivery but also as the content area of training, this online master's program may be considered unusual. Nevertheless, the lessons learned in this case and associated implications for other program development are important to others building similar online programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a theoretical model of lesson study, an approach to instructional improvement that originated in Japan. The theoretical model includes four lesson study features (investigation, planning, research lesson, and reflection) and three pathways through which lesson study improves instruction: changes in teachers’ knowledge and beliefs; changes in professional community; and changes in teaching–learning resources. The model thus suggests that development of teachers’ knowledge and professional community (not just improved lesson plans) are instructional improvement mechanisms within lesson study. The theoretical model is used to examine the “auditable trail” of data from a North American lesson study case, yielding evidence that the lesson study work affected each of the three pathways. We argue that the case provides an “existence proof” of the potential effectiveness of lesson study outside Japan. Limitations of the case are discussed, including (1) the nature of data available from the “auditable trail” and (2) generalizability to other lesson study efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of the internationalisation of university curricula is being developed with more complex and critical views emphasising the cultural and social aspects of globalisation as well as its economic and political aspects. Putting these ideas into practice however, is a challenge to institutions, since that requires fundamental educational change. This study examines the internationalisation of undergraduate curricula from the viewpoint of institution-wide initiatives drawing on case studies of national and private universities in Japan that are active in this process. Particular attention will be paid to an exploration of the potential gap between the ideas and the practice, and the reasons behind the gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subordinate femininity associated with feminine Japanese has been found to pose barriers for foreign language learners of Japanese, especially among Western female learners of Japanese. The present study investigates attitudes towards the use of both masculine and feminine Japanese among non-native professional speakers of Japanese. The latter's experiences can enlighten language educators in their efforts to help struggling learners cope with using language loaded with traditional gender roles and gender inequality. Data from interviews with male and female professionals who use Japanese in the courses of their work in Japanese companies in Hong Kong were used to study the problems posed by 'masculine' and 'feminine' Japanese for foreign learners of Japanese. It was found that Hong Kong professionals often use masculine and feminine Japanese in order to gain native-speaker status in the language. The study has implications not merely for the teaching of Japanese as a foreign language but also for the teaching of gendered aspects of foreign languages generally, especially when professional identity and status are involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author offers his methods in teaching Japanese religions to undergraduates. He mentions how he relates to his students in teaching about Japanese visual culture. He also explains the role of history, culture, and lives in shaping people's perspectives including their views on religion. In addition, the author narrates how he explored Japanese religion actively rather than passively, through religious visual culture. An analysis about the relationship between Japan's history and its religious practices is also presented.

There is evidence that student beliefs about science and classroom instructional strategies are related to achievement outcomes. This study was designed to examine relationships between student beliefs about science, instructional activities, and science achievement of elementary-school students in Japan. Students included in this analysis were 4,006 students from the TIMSS 2003 Population I (9-year-olds) International Sample from Japan. Variance estimation techniques for complex sampling designs were employed in this study. Cooperative learning activities and active learning strategies were positively associated with science achievement. In addition, these findings indicated that student beliefs about science were significantly related to achievement, even after considering the effects of teaching activities. Students who held positive beliefs about their science ability earned higher test scores while students who expressed negative comparisons of themselves to other students showed lower science test scores. These results indicate that science beliefs and instructional activities should be examined simultaneously when assessing factors related to science achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographic information system (GIS) education in Japan lags far behind that in Western developed countries. As such the development of systematic GIS education in Japanese universities, including the preparation of a GIS standard curriculum, becomes an urgent issue. This article examines the present situation and recent trends of GIS education in geographical departments of Japanese universities. Information about 202 courses offered in 39 universities was collected and analysed. The results indicate that there are mismatches between the current draft of the Japan Standard GIS Core Curriculum and the actual situation of GIS education in terms of the length of courses, the number of classes and course style. The results of this study provide useful information to facilitate the effective implementation of the core curriculum for GIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesson Study is a method, used by the Japanese educational system for over a century, of observing student learning. While different authors suggest slightly different models, they all consist of the same premises. A group of educators and teachers connecting with one another, administrators, specialists, and even with other schools come together over a period of time to work on a single or multiple lesson plan(s) and to analyze the student population (Buckwalter, 2002). The Lesson Study starts with lesson plans then moves to the classroom and as one member teaches the class, the non-teaching members participate as researchers by recording student reactions in order to document student thinking. They note student comments, their levels of collaboration and engagement, and the resulting work produced from the lesson (Richardson, 2004). After the lesson plan has been taught the group comes together to critique the session (Buckwalter, 2002). Now the group is challenged to identify changes to improve learning and then share this information with other teachers who are in similar situations. This presentation will cover how Lesson Study was used in Technology courses, at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, to find the benefits of Technology in the classroom. The presenter(s) will cover the steps used in the Lesson Study, the lessons learned and how you can apply it in your classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important area for the application of instructional design principles and emerging technologies is the improvement of student learning outcomes in science. For instance, active learning strategies have been shown to be effective for improving science achievement. In addition, an integral component of several instructional design models is the consideration of student attitudes and motivation. The purpose of this study was to use data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study 1999 (TIMSS 1999) assessment to simultaneously examine the relationship between instructional practices, student beliefs, and life sciences achievement. A number of self-beliefs and instructional strategies were examined and variance estimation procedures for complex sampling designs were employed. Students included in these analyses were from the TIMSS 1999 International Sample (13 -year-olds) from Japan. There were several significant findings from this study and these results identify significant relationships between classroom teaching practices and life sciences achievement. These results also extend previous findings by (I) simultaneously assessing the effects of instructional strategies and student beliefs, and (2) by examining a large national sample of students in a cross-cultural setting where high levels of science achievement have been noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluates the relative effectiveness of two types of structured input task design, monocomponential design (referential oriented activities alone) and polycomponential design (referential oriented and affective oriented activities) for teaching English polite requestive forms, involving 41 Japanese learners of English. Treatment group performance was compared to that of a control group on the pre-tests, post-tests, and follow-up tests: a non-timed discourse completion test and a non-timed acceptability judgment test. The results of data analysis indicate that the two treatment groups performed significantly better than the control group, and that there was no significant difference between the two treatment groups. Given this lack of significant difference between the two treatment groups, it seems that the referential oriented activities alone may be sufficient in the structured input task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a continuing interest in the effective use of various instructional strategies, such as computers and cooperative learning experiences, for improving student achievement in mathematics. Because results from recent international assessments have indicated that students in Japan tend to score above international averages on mathematics achievement tests, there is considerable interest in the relationship between classroom practices and mathematics performance in Japan. The purposes of this study were to: (a) examine how cooperative learning groups were used in a mathematics lesson in Japan, and (b) to examine how computers were integrated into the lesson. One lesson from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Videotape Classroom Study was selected because of the manner that computers were integrated into the overall mathematics lesson. Analyses were made of the classroom context and instructional activities that were used in the lesson. It was found that the application of both strategies was consistent with recommendations from previous research on the effective use of cooperative learning groups and computer-based instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent findings concerning mathematics assessment indicate that students in Japan consistently score above international averages. Researchers have examined specific mathematics beliefs and instructional strategies associated with mathematics achievement for students in Japan. This study examined relationships among self-beliefs, classroom instructional strategies, and mathematics achievement for a large national sample of students (N=4,207) from the TIMSS 2003 international sample of fourth graders in Japan. Several significant relationships between mathematics beliefs and test scores were found; a number of classroom teaching strategies were also significantly associated with test scores. However, multiple regression using the complete set of five mathematics beliefs and five instructional strategies explained only 25.1% of the variance in mathematics achievement test scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the educational system in Japan. The striking difference of Japan's school system despite the many influences from Europe and the United States continue to pose so much questions among scholars. Especially in the fields of psychology, sociology, and education where theoretical traditions are based on universal postulations. Cultural variations seem to have a negative effect to the attempt of formulating universal psychological postulates as well as the theory of institutional isomorphism in sociology.

Ancient Learning, an approach to overcoming Zhu Xi Neo-Confucian metaphysics, emerged and developed as an intellectual track at about the same time in Korea, China, and Japan. This school was introduced to Chosǒn via Korean elites who visited Japan as members of diplomatic embassies. Upon returning, these Sirhak elites wrote commentaries on the Japanese Ancient Learning school text. This article discusses the historical interaction between Sirhak and the Japanese Ancient Learning school and examines Sirhak commentaries on Japanese Ancient Learning writers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent mathematics assessments have indicated that students in several Asian countries have tended to score above international averages. Research findings indicate that there are cultural differences in expectations for student achievement in mathematics and in classroom practices and instructional strategies. The importance of the motivational qualities of instructional materials and practices has been considered. The purpose of this study was to investigate cross-cultural similarities in the motivational effects of specific instructional strategies by examining large national samples of students from two countries (Japan and the United States) who were part of a comprehensive international assessment (TIMSS 1999) of instructional practices and student achievement. Students included in this study were from the TIMSS 1999 International Samples (13-year-olds) from Japan and the United States. Several instructional practices were examined and variance estimation techniques for complex sampling designs were employed. A number of significant relationships between instructional strategies and student enjoyment for learning mathematics were identified. For instance, the use of cooperative learning activities when learning new topics was positively associated with enjoyment for learning mathematics for students in both countries. The results of this study were consistent with previous research findings on the motivational effects of teaching strategies for mathematics learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important facet of effective instructional design is the consideration of the effects of learning activities on student motivation. Several innovative instructional programs have been designed to foster student interest in science. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between several types of instructional strategies and interest in science for adolescent students from two countries (Japan and the United States). Students included in this study were from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Population 2 International Samples (13-year-olds). A number of instructional strategies were examined and variance estimation techniques for complex sampling designs were employed. Several teaching activities used when introducing new science topics and in typical science lessons were significantly associated with student enjoyment for learning science. Cooperative learning activities for both instructional conditions were significantly associated with student enjoyment for learning science. These results were consistent with previous findings on the motivational effects of specific instructional practices for science learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the instructional activities with native speakers of Japanese. Competency in foreign/second languages; Influence of grammar and sociolinguistic competence on second language communicative competence; Role of outside environment on the development of communicative competence in learners.

Several studies have examined the effects of classroom practices on the achievement of students in mathematics. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of selected instructional activities using data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). A number of instructional activities were examined and variance estimation procedures for complex sampling designs were employed. Students included in this study were included in the TIMSS Population 2 International Sample (13-year-olds) from Japan. The findings from this study identify several instructional strategies that were related to the mathematics achievement of students in Japan and many of the relationships observed were consistent with previous research findings on instructional activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of culture in TEFL has received considerable attention in the past twenty years. While few researchers doubt its importance, how, and to what extent culture should be part of the TEFL curriculum remains unresolved. The present study investigates native English speaking teachers' views on the role of culture in TEFL. Twenty-eight university-level teachers in Japan responded to a questionnaire providing comments about the extent and nature of the culture they teach. Respondents felt that while culture should be part of TEFL, they included it in their classes more randomly than other aspects of their teaching. Teachers also had given serious thought and taken action to make changes in their teaching style based on the observation of their students' cultural style of learning. Responses to questions on ELT textbooks revealed that participants had some dissatisfaction with the way they treated culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental instructional program based mainly on an equal-whole schema in fractions was given to two fourth-grade classes of a Japanese elementary school. As a control, conventional teaching based on a traditional Japanese textbook was given to another fourth-grade class. The study tested the hypothesis that students given the experimental program would understand order and magnitude as central characteristics of fractions better than those who were instructed using the traditional textbook. Students in the experimental group showed better understanding of both the order of fractions and the representation of the sizes of fractions than did the textbook group. However, there were no differences between the experimental and textbook groups in the performance of assessment tasks which were less related to the equal-whole schema. These results are discussed in view of the important instructional aim of having students understand fractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Makes observations on how the Japanese education system treat gifted and talented students in Japan. Absence of criteria to identify and recognize intellectually gifted children; Heterogeneous grouping of students; Taking of child with talent in the arts to after-school programs; Abacus and calligraphy as foundations of Japanese educational system.

Both Japan and Hong Kong seek to enhance the English standard of their secondary school students by implementing a native-speaking English teachers scheme, named the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme in Japan and the NET (Native-speaking English Teachers) Scheme in Hong Kong. However, the implications of these programmes seem to be sociopolitical more than educational. As for Japan, JET is a consequence of an explicit political strategy to promote international relationships. The Japanese Government is keen to bring up a generation that is able to understand other countries yet retain Japanese national consciousness. On the surface, the Hong Kong NET Scheme seems to be a more straightforward language improvement programme. However, the Japanese experience suggests another level of analysis. The Hong Kong Government is never as explicit as Japan as to what it wants to achieve through the NET Scheme. Though NET is claimed to be a language improvement scheme, there is no evidence to show how effectively this kind of programme can work in local Hong Kong secondary schools. With a special interest in the ideologies behind the two language improvement programmes, this paper attempts to explore their sociopolitical and cultural meanings beyond their educational surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase of ischemic diseases of the circulatory system in Japan, the necessity for cardiovascular intervention continues to increase. However, because intervention operations have been developed only recently, the education system for the corresponding specialists in our country has not been established yet. In this study, an intervention educational support system using a virtual reality (VR) technique was developed. Of course, intervention includes percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). PTCA is an operation enlarging the stenosis of the coronary artery with a balloon through a guide catheter. The technique that lets the guide wire for the PTCA balloon cross the stenosis is one of the most difficult. A simulation system for the manipulation of a torque device for the PTCA guide wire was developed with this technology for VR. In virtual space, reconstitution of the 3-dimensional coronary artery with atherosclerosis was performed, and the virtual PTCA system was produced experimentally. An interesting system was produced experimentally as a system for the training of doctors studying to become interventional specialists. After the system was combined with an Expert system for treating ischemic heart diseases, its usefulness was steadily increased. With the development of more sophisticated VR methodology in the future, a PTCA training system without using a patient will be embodied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In introducing this special Japan issue of Language, Culture and Curriculum, this article provides some background on Japan and Japanese society and offers relevant references to works from a variety of fields that provide additional information. The article also introduces each of the papers in this issue and provides an appendix of helpful contacts where readers may obtain further perspectives (and access up-to-date information and research) on language learning and teaching in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the comparison of elementary-school science curricula in Japan, Thailand, Republic of Korea, and Philippines. Science curriculum in Japan was revised in 1977, 1980 in Thailand, and 1973 in Korea and Philippines. The basic structure of the educational system in Japan, Thailand, and Korea is based on a 6-3-3 pattern, while a 6-4 pattern is used in the Philippines. The general characteristic of science curricular design in Japan is humanistic. Thailand is having an integrated type of curricular design, scientific concept type in Korea, and process-skill type in Philippines.

The article explains revisions on the Science curricula of Japan and the introduction of a new Basic Science curricula. The paper describes science in the revised curricula which includes the newly set-up Basic Science in addition to Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Earth Sciences. The authors state that Basic Science aims at the acquisition of integral ways of thinking and observing nature through studying the course alone and is similar to the integrated science courses in other countries. The paper outlines the nature, objectives, content, and treatment of Basic Science.

The article evaluates the entire formal Japanese educational system's engagement in the realities of learning, training and competition in various industries. The general culture of language, contracts, expectations and occupational prospects gives meaning to school systems. School and college systems not only have the supporting power of law, finance and administration, they also positively teach their own importance and reinforce it via examinations, selection or rejection. Cultural tendencies, on the other hand, oftentimes affect curriculum development in Japan.