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Japanese Education in Comparative Perspective

Description

This course has four major goals: 1) to provide a descriptive and analytic introduction to Japanese education (kindergarten through university) in the post World War II era; 2) to introduce fundamental concepts from the sociology of education; 3) to identify what is distinctive about Japanese education through comparison and contrast with British and American education; 4) to broaden the international perspective of students by using British-Japanese comparisons as a counter to the more commonly used US-Japanese comparisons.

Format

Lectures supplemented by slides and other visual materials. 

Grading and Required Work

One short essay (five pages or less) on a topic within the course rubric; one final examination.

Text

Motonori TSUCHIYA and Kaori Okano, Education in Contemporary Japan: Inequality and Diversity (Cambridge, 1999).

Readings

Supplementary and alternative readings will be given for specific topics.

 

Session

Lecture topics

1

Introduction to the course – Whatfs interesting about Japanese education?

2

The historical development of education in Japan contrasted with the US and Britain

3

Foreign studies of Japanese education – an historical overview

4

The structure and provision of education in Japan, the US, and Britain

5

Pre-school in Japan, the US, and Britain

6

Primary schools and education in Japan, the US, and Britain

7

Becoming a teacher in Japan, the US, and Britain

8

Secondary schools and education in Japan, the US, and Britain

9

Minorities and education in Japan, the US, and Britain

10

Gender and education in Japan, the US, and Britain

11

Elites, social mobility and education in Japan, the US, and Britain

12

College entrance in Japan, the US, and Britain

13

Graduate education in Japan, the US, and Britain

14

Recent educational reform movements in Japan, the US, and Britain

15

Technology and education in Japan, the US, and Britain

 

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