Thomas P. Rohlen

Differences That Make a Difference: Explaining Japan's Success.

Japans success is defined as a high level of average achievement with a low degree of variation over the entire population of students accomplished at relatively low cost. The various contextual explanations for this outcome—including motivational, cultural, societal, administrative, and behavioral—are discussed, and their fit with one another is emphasized. The overall stability and simplicity of focus are basic aspects of the system underscored. The meaning of the Japanese case for American education is considered, beginning with a distinction made between understanding another system, drawing lessons from its experience, and borrowing actual practices or organizational ideas from it. Emphasis is given to the initial task of grasping the whole context and the interplay between the elements before drawing lessons or selecting something for emulation.

Teaching and learning in Japan: Introduction: Japanese theories of learning

We see teaching and learning more clearly today, not just in Japan, but in all advanced societies. Learning is a major component of the intellectual consciousness of our day; we understand learning as something that occurs not just in schools and among children, but throughout society and throughout life. It is central to organizational change, social order, economic competition, and a host of other social processes. Viewed inclusively, the world of learning is rich in practices and understandings that vary in historical time, cultural space, and institutional context. The range of “things” to be learned is enormous – facts, endurance, maturity, peace of mind, empathy, physical coordination, judgment, persistence, morality, faith, concentration, trust, and so on. How these things are taught differs greatly from society to society and reflects basic understandings about such matters as human nature and the nature of knowledge. Our growing awareness of the importance of teaching and learning allows us to see not only how ubiquitous these processes are, but also how varied and interconnected. Most research on learning focuses on distinguishing the psychological factors and processes performed by individuals in relation to specific tasks. Our formal theories of learning and teaching derive largely from the Anglo-American tradition of educational psychology. We are finding that the often reified Western theories that have dominated our perceptions and research seriously hinder our ability to perceive the numerous uncodified worlds of teaching and learning that abound in each society.

Merit or Family Background? Problems in Research Policy Initiatives in Japan

In reviewing educational trends in Japan during the post-World War II era, the authors found that current national data sets do not contain questions about family background or rank of school attended that are detailed enough to permit a significant analysis of the impact of family background on educational attainment. Given Japan’s stature in the current community of nations, the continued government aversion to collecting family income or educational background data, along with precise data on rank of school attended and/or types of cram school, appears negligent. The authors discuss both cultural and political reasons that may create a reluctance to collect such data.