Early Childhood Education In Japan

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  early childhood education in japan: Becoming Japanese Joy Hendry, 1989-01-01 The children are more than mere pictures. They tell us the truths about Japan. So wrote a visitor to Japan at the turn of the century and this view underlies the title of this book. The first few years of a child's life are vitally imporant for preparing it to be a member of the society to which it belongs. Japanese methods of childcare are consequently directed towards taking advantage of the receptivity of the early years. They are also different in many ways from Western methods and much of the colorful detail in this book will be of great interest to mothers everywhere--from family beds and toilet training to the elaborate religious ceremonies of childhood. Joyn Hendry looks at customs and traditions, at rewards and punishments, and at the day-to-day life of children at home, at school, and in the wider world. Joy Hendry's research involved working with Japanese mothers and other care takers, and with kindergartens and day nurseries. She has drawn on the work of sociologists, psychologists and educationalists in English and Japanese, but the theoretical framework for the study is drawn from social anthropology.
  early childhood education in japan: Early Childhood Education in Three Cultures Liyan HUO, Susan B. NEUMAN, Atsushi NANAKIDA, 2014-12-01 This book, written by an international team of experienced researchers, investigates unique and dynamic approaches to key issues in policy transformation, curriculum reforms and teacher training in three cultures – China, Japan and the United States – in a globalized world. By examining their respective policy choices and evidence-based practices, the authors show how best to provide for young children based on their needs and interests, and the three countries’ strategies for doing so. This book provides the latest information on the rapid developments already underway and further changes to be expected in these diverse cultures.
  early childhood education in japan: Contested Childhood Susan D. Holloway, 2013-10-08 In Contested Childhood, Holloway, an educational and developmental psychologist, examines the Japanese preschool and identifies the cultural models that guide Japanese child-rearing as being contentious and fragmented. She looks at the societal, religious and economic factors that shape various preschool programs and shows how culture influences child-rearing beliefs and practices.
  early childhood education in japan: Japanese Childcare Eyal Ben-Ari, 2013-08-01 First published in 1997. This book represents an analysis of Japanese preschools as organizations, as administrative frameworks. This volume tackles this set of themes by examining one such institution: Katsura Hoikuen (Day-Care Center). Based on fieldwork carried out in the summer of 1988, and for a short period in October 1994, my perspective is basically ethnographic in its approach.
  early childhood education in japan: Body Projects in Japanese Childcare Eyal Ben-Ari, 2013-12-16 Examines the place of body practices and the management of emotions in Japanese preschools. Early childhood socialization is explored as a set of 'body projects': a series of practices undertaken (over time) to design the body according to prevailing cultural definitions and images.
  early childhood education in japan: International Handbook of Early Childhood Education Marilyn Fleer, Bert van Oers, 2017-10-10 This international handbook gives a comprehensive overview of findings from longstanding and contemporary research, theory, and practices in early childhood education in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The first volume of the handbook addresses theory, methodology, and the research activities and research needs of particular regions. The second volume examines in detail innovations and longstanding programs, curriculum and assessment, and conceptions and research into child, family and communities. The two volumes of this handbook address the current theory, methodologies and research needs of specific countries and provide insight into existing global similarities in early childhood practices. By paying special attention to what is happening in the larger world contexts, the volumes provide a representative overview of early childhood education practices and research, and redress the current North-South imbalance of published work on the subject.
  early childhood education in japan: Qualitative Research in Education: A User's Guide Marilyn Lichtman, 2013 This textbook provides readers with a blend of practical and theoretical information, using real-world examples and illustrations to help users grasp abstract ideas and apply them to their research.
  early childhood education in japan: Preschool in Three Cultures Revisited Joseph Tobin, Yeh Hsueh, Mayumi Karasawa, 2009-08-01 Published twenty years ago, the original Preschool in Three Cultures was a landmark in the study of education: a profoundly enlightening exploration of the different ways preschoolers are taught in China, Japan, and the United States. Here, lead author Joseph Tobin—along with new collaborators Yeh Hsueh and Mayumi Karasawa—revisits his original research to discover how two decades of globalization and sweeping social transformation have affected the way these three cultures educate and care for their youngest pupils. Putting their subjects’ responses into historical perspective, Tobin, Hsueh, and Karasawa analyze the pressures put on schools to evolve and to stay the same, discuss how the teachers adapt to these demands, and examine the patterns and processes of continuity and change in each country. Featuring nearly one hundred stills from the videotapes, Preschool in Three Cultures Revisited artfully and insightfully illustrates the surprising, illuminating, and at times entertaining experiences of four-year-olds—and their teachers—on both sides of the Pacific.
  early childhood education in japan: Educating Hearts and Minds Catherine C. Lewis, 1995-01-27 How do children become eager, motivated learners and caring, responsible citizens? Educating Hearts and Minds, first published in 1995, is a portrait of Japanese preschool and early elementary education which examines these questions. Its thesis - which will surprise many Americans - is that Japanese schools are successful because they meet children's needs for friendship, belonging, and contribution. This book brings to life what actually happens inside Japanese classrooms. What do children learn? How do they learn? What values are emphasised, and how are they taught? In a sharp departure from most previous accounts, this book suggests that Japanese education succeeds because all children - not just the brightest or best-behaved - somehow come to feel like valued members of the school community. Ironically, Japanese teachers credit John Dewey and other progressive Western educators for many of the techniques that make Japanese schools both caring and challenging. This book brings to a wider readership the voices of Japanese classroom teachers - voices that are at once deeply consonant with Western aspirations and deeply provocative.
  early childhood education in japan: International Perspectives on Early Childhood Teacher Education in the 21st Century Wendy Boyd, Susanne Garvis, 2021-10-22 This book provides significant information regarding the policies and provisions for early childhood teacher education programs in universities in fourteen different countries. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is expanding rapidly across the globe with unprecedented numbers of children attending EC centres, requiring the investment in educators to provide good quality ECEC. Yet, there is an inconsistent approach to early childhood teacher preparation and the quality of existing programs is not known. Each country’s contributing author/s is/are well known in their field for their in-depth knowledge of early childhood teacher education programs including content, structure, and professional experience that works within the scope of policy and registration agencies. The chapters address the current situation of staffing—shortage or oversupply—of early childhood teachers in their country. The book informs policy regarding content of early childhood teacher preparation programs and provides evidence of current courses across many under-represented countries throughout the world. It makes a significant contribution to understanding the environment for early childhood teacher programs.
  early childhood education in japan: Japanese Education in an Era of Globalization Gary DeCoker, Christopher Bjork, 2015-04-25 This volume documents the significant changes that have occurred in Japanese schools since the collapse of that nations economic bubble. Before the recession, Japan was the country that most others sought to emulate due to its students performance on standardized tests. Now, however, a different and more complicated picture of the Japanese education system emerges. This book places Japanese education in a global context, with particular attention given to how their education system is responding to changing expectations and pressures that emerge from rapid social change. Chapters written by respected scholars examine issues related to equality, academic achievement, privatization, population diversity, societal expectations, and the influence of the media, parents, and political movements. The research in this book will provide valuable lessons for policymakers and practitioners facing similar challenges.
  early childhood education in japan: Preschool in Three Cultures Joseph Jay Tobin, David Y. H. Wu, Dana H. Davidson, 1989-01-01 Compares preschool education in the three countries, discusses how child care reflects social change and considers the issues of freedom, creativity, and discipline
  early childhood education in japan: Education Policy in Japan OECD, 2018 Japan's education system is one of the top performers compared to other OECD countries. International assessments have not only demonstrated students' and adults' high level of achievement, but also the fact that socio-economic status has little bearing on academic results. In a nutshell, Japan combines excellence with equity. This high performance is based on the priority Japan places on education and on its holistic model of education, which is delivered by highly qualified teachers and supported by the external collaboration of communities and parents. But significant economic, socio-demographic and educational challenges, such as child well-being, teacher workload and the high stakes university exam, question the sustainability of this successful model. Policy makers in Japan are not complacent, and as Japan starts implementing its Third Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education (2018-22), they are carefully analysing tomorrow's threats to Japan's current success. This report aims to highlight the many strengths of Japan's education system, as well as the challenges it must address to carry out reforms effectively and preserve its holistic model of education. The ultimate goal is to ensure that the education system delivers the best for all students, and that Japanese learners have the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values they need for the 21st century.
  early childhood education in japan: Teaching Embodied Akiko Hayashi, Joseph Tobin, 2015-07-23 When we look beyond lesson planning and curricula—those explicit facets that comprise so much of our discussion about education—we remember that teaching is an inherently social activity, shaped by a rich array of implicit habits, comportments, and ways of communicating. This is as true in the United States as it is in Japan, where Akiko Hayashi and Joseph Tobin have long studied early education from a cross-cultural perspective. Taking readers inside the classrooms of Japanese preschools, Teaching Embodied explores the everyday, implicit behaviors that form a crucially important—but grossly understudied—aspect of educational practice. Akiko Hayashi and Joseph Tobin embed themselves in the classrooms of three different teachers at three different schools to examine how teachers act, think, and talk. Drawing on extended interviews, their own real-time observations, and hours of video footage, they focus on how teachers embody their lessons: how they use their hands to gesture, comfort, or discipline; how they direct their posture, gaze, or physical location to indicate degrees of attention; and how they use the tone of their voice to communicate empathy, frustration, disapproval, or enthusiasm. Comparing teachers across schools and over time, they offer an illuminating analysis of the gestures that comprise a total body language, something that, while hardly ever explicitly discussed, the teachers all share to a remarkable degree. Showcasing the tremendous importance of—and dearth of attention to—this body language, they offer a powerful new inroad into educational study and practice, a deeper understanding of how teaching actually works, no matter what culture or country it is being practiced in.
  early childhood education in japan: Young Children and the Arts Carol Korn-Bursztyn, 2012-04-01 Young Children and the Arts: Nurturing Imagination and Creativity examines the place of the arts in the experiences of young and very young children at home and in out-of-home settings at school and in the community. There is great need for development of resources in the arts specifically designed to introduce babies and toddlers to participatory experiences in the visual arts, dance, music, and storytelling/theater. This book presents valuable guidelines for early childhood teachers, families, caregivers and community organizations. Young Children and the Arts presents a comprehensive approach to the arts that is aligned with early childhood developmentally appropriate practice and that combines an exploratory, materials-based approach with an aesthetic-education approach for children from birth to eight years of age. It addresses both how the arts are foundational to learning, and how teachers and parents can nurture young children’s developing imagination and creativity. The models presented emphasize a participatory approach, introducing young children to the arts through activities that call for engagement, initiative and creative activity. Additionally, Young Children and the Arts addresses the intersection of early childhood education and the arts—at points of convergence, and at moments of tension. The role of families and communities in developing and promoting arts suffused experiences for and with young children are addressed. Young Children and the Arts examines the role of innovative arts policy in supporting a broad-based early arts program across the diverse settings in which young children and their families live, work, and learn.
  early childhood education in japan: Teaching Expertise in Three Countries Akiko Hayashi, 2022-05-06 A comparison of the development of expertise in preschool teaching in China, Japan, and the United States. In Teaching Expertise in Three Countries, Akiko Hayashi shows how teachers from Japan, China, and the United States think about what it means to be an expert teacher. Based on interviews with teachers conducted over the span of fifteen years and videos taken in their classrooms, Hayashi gives us a valuable portrait of expert teachers in the making. While Hayashi’s research uncovered cultural variations in the different national contexts, her analysis of how teachers adapted their pedagogy throughout their careers also revealed many cross-national similarities. Younger teachers often describe themselves as being in a rush, following scripts, and “talking too much,” while experienced teachers describe themselves as being quieter, knowing children better, and being more present. Including a foreword by scholar of early childhood education Joseph Tobin, Teaching Expertise in Three Countries provides a foundation for understanding the sequence and pathways of development over the first decade of teaching in three national contexts, demonstrating the value of the field of comparative education in the process.
  early childhood education in japan: Teaching Expertise in Three Countries Akiko Hayashi, 2022-05-06 While many of us assume that experience makes teachers better at their jobs, remarkably little research has been done to understand how teachers develop expertise and how it affects their teaching. In Teaching Expertise in Three Countries, Akiko Hayashi gives us a remarkable look at the careers of teachers over the course of more than fifteen years. Not only does her research cover a remarkable timespan, it also studies teachers from three national contexts: Japan, China, and the United States. Hayashi builds on the research that began with Joseph Tobin et al.'s celebrated 1991 book Preschool in Three Cultures, examining six teachers profiled in Tobin's 2009 follow up Preschool in Three Cultures Revisited. Hayashi showed those six teachers videos shot in their classrooms twelve years earlier and asked them to reflect on how they have changed. She also interviewed 120 experienced childhood educators from China, Japan, and the US. The teachers' analysis of changes in teaching style and even the way they talked about their trajectory from novice to expert uncovered important cultural differences. While Japanese teachers described experienced educators as less in their own heads, Chinese teachers said they took command of a classroom. And American teachers with experience reportedly knew when to let things go. Across the three cultures, experienced teachers also had remarkably similar things to say about their approach to teaching. Experienced teachers in all three cultures describe themselves as being quieter, knowing children better, being more present and in the moment, and having better judgment about which incidents require their intervention. All the same, they followed different professional trajectories. While Chinese educators embraced new ideas and the younger educators that brought those ideas into the classroom, Japanese educators valued traditional methods. US educators were encouraged to adopt new research in their teaching practices, but the new ideas required them to follow rules and scripts, limiting their ability to make use of years of experience. Teaching Expertise in Three Countries helps us see how experience forms teachers, despite national differences, and how we can best support them to make use of their incredible knowledge--
  early childhood education in japan: Bodies as Sites of Cultural Reflection in Early Childhood Education Rachael S. Burke, Judith Duncan, 2014-10-30 Taking the body as a locus for discussion, Rachael S. Burke and Judith Duncan argue not only that implicit cultural practices shape most of the interactions taking place in early childhood curricula and pedagogy but that many of these practices often go unnoticed or unrecognized as being pedagogy. Current scholars, inspired by Foucault, acknowledge that the body is socially and culturally produced and historically situated—it is simultaneously a part of nature and society as well as a representation of the way that nature and society can be conceived. Every natural symbol originating from the body contains and conveys a social meaning, and every culture selects its own meaning from the myriad of potential body symbolisms. Bodies as Sites of Cultural Reflection in Early Childhood Education uses empirical examples from qualitative fieldwork conducted in New Zealand and Japan to explore these theories and discuss the ways in which children’s bodies represent a central focus in teachers’ pedagogical discussions and create contexts for the embodiment of children’s experiences in the early years.
  early childhood education in japan: Teaching and Learning in Japan Thomas P. Rohlen, Gerald K. LeTendre, 1998 Includes biblographical references and index.
  early childhood education in japan: Child's Play Sabine Frühstück, Anne Walthall, 2017-10-24 Few things make Japanese adults feel quite as anxious today as the phenomenon called the “child crisis.” Various media teem with intense debates about bullying in schools, child poverty, child suicides, violent crimes committed by children, the rise of socially withdrawn youngsters, and forceful moves by the government to introduce a more conservative educational curriculum. These issues have propelled Japan into the center of a set of global conversations about the nature of children and how to raise them. Engaging both the history of children and childhood and the history of emotions, contributors to this volume track Japanese childhood through a number of historical scenarios. Such explorations—some from Japan’s early-modern past—are revealed through letters, diaries, memoirs, family and household records, and religious polemics about promising, rambunctious, sickly, happy, and dutiful youngsters.
  early childhood education in japan: Revisiting Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed Michel Vandenbroeck, 2020-09-28 This reflection on Paulo Freire’s seminal volume, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, examines the lessons learnt from Freire and their place in contemporary pedagogical theory and practice. Freire’s work has inspired ground-breaking research which Vandenbroeck has collated, demonstrating the ongoing influence on early childhood educators. Vandenbroeck brings together an international cohort of early childhood experts to present cross-cultural perspectives on the impact of Freire’s research on education around the globe. This book covers discussions on: The background to and impact of Freire’s work Alternative approaches to supporting child development Pedagogical approaches in Portugal, South Africa, Japan, New Zealand and the United States Vandenbroeck concludes with a vision for theorising and implementing emancipatory practice in early childhood education in contexts of neoliberalism. An insightful resource for academics and students in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care, Revisiting Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed is a benchmark of the progress made in the field over the last half a century.
  early childhood education in japan: Learning Gap Harold Stevenson, James W. Stigler, 1994-01-26 Compares United States elementary education practices with those in Asia and comes to some surprising conclusions.
  early childhood education in japan: Innovation in Language Teaching and Learning Hayo Reinders, Stephen Ryan, Sachiko Nakamura, 2019-03-30 This book examines a wide range of innovations in language learning and teaching in Japan. Each of the chapters describes the impetus for a change or new development in a particular context, from early childhood to adult learning, details its implementation and provides an evaluation of its success. In doing so, they provide a comprehensive overview of best practice in innovating language education from teaching practice in formal classroom settings, to self-directed learning beyond the classroom, and offer recommendations to enhance language education in Japan and beyond. The book will be of interest to scholars of applied linguistics and language development, and in particular to those involved in managing change in language education that attempts to mediate between global trends and local needs.
  early childhood education in japan: Starting Strong Engaging Young Children Lessons from Research about Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care OECD, 2018-03-27 The first years of life lay the foundations for a child’s future development and learning. Reflecting on the important role of early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in providing all children with the skills they need to be successful in school, many countries have increased their ...
  early childhood education in japan: Early Childhood Education Moncrieff Cochran, Rebecca S. New, 2007-01-30 Early childhood education has reached a level of unprecedented national and international focus. Parents, policy makers, and politicians have opinions as well as new questions about what, how, when, and where young children should learn. Teachers and program administrators now find curriculum discussions linked to dramatic new understandings about children's early learning and brain development. Early childhood education is also a major topic of concern internationally, as social policy analysts point to its role in a nation's future economic outlook. As a groundbreaking contribution to its field, this four-volume handbook discusses key historical and contemporary issues, research, theoretical perspectives, national policies, and practices.
  early childhood education in japan: Quality Matters in Early Childhood Education and Care: Japan 2012 Taguma Miho, Litjens Ineke, Makowiecki Kelly, 2012-09-28 This book focuses on quality issues in early childhood education and care in Japan.
  early childhood education in japan: Comparative Early Childhood Education Geeta Rani Lall, Bernard M. Lall, 1983
  early childhood education in japan: TALIS Quality Early Childhood Education and Care for Children Under Age 3 Results from the Starting Strong Survey 2018 OECD, 2020-07-02 The experience of children under age 3 with early childhood education and care (ECEC) is crucial for their learning, development and well-being and for parents’ return to work. Despite increasing recognition of the importance of ECEC for the youngest children, little is known about this sector.
  early childhood education in japan: Studying Teachers in Early Childhood Settings Bernard Spodek, Olivia Saracho, 2003-05-01 The chapters in this volume reflect the impact that teachers have on their students when they stand in front of the classroom and the effect their performance have on children such as teachers gender, preparation, certification, knowledge, beliefs, cognitive style, creativity, accountability, and other actions on the part of the teachers. They describe research related to the preparation and certification or credentialing of early childhood practitioners, the issues regarding the nature of early childhood practice, and the needs of the field as it prepares for the future.
  early childhood education in japan: Primary School in Japan Peter Cave, 2007-11-30 The balance between individual independence and social interdependence is a perennial debate in Japan. A series of educational reforms since 1990, including the implementation of a new curriculum in 2002, has been a source of fierce controversy. This book, based on an extended, detailed study of two primary schools in the Kinki district of Japan, discusses these debates, shows how reforms have been implemented at the school level, and explores how the balance between individuality and social interdependence is managed in practice. It discusses these complex issues in relation to personal identity within the class and within the school, in relation to gender issues, and in relation to the teaching of specific subjects, including language, literature and mathematics. The book concludes that, although recent reforms have tended to stress individuality and independence, teachers in primary schools continue to balance the encouragement of individuality and self-direction with the development of interdependence and empathy.
  early childhood education in japan: Research in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability Julie Davis, Sue Elliott, 2014-06-20 Sustainability is a global issue that urgently needs addressing, and for which the most serious consequences are for children and future generations. This insightful research text tackles one of the most significant contemporary issues of our times – the nexus between society and environment – and how early childhood education can contribute to sustainable living. By offering international and multidisciplinary research perspectives on Early Childhood Education for Sustainability, each chapter explores and investigates the complex topic of sustainability and its relationship to early childhood education. A particular emphasis that runs through this text is young children as empowered citizens, capable of both contributing to and creating change for sustainability. The chapter authors work from, or are aligned with, a transformative education paradigm that suggests the socio-constructivist frameworks currently underpinning Early Childhood Education require reframing in light of the social transformations necessary to address humanity’s unsustainable, unjust and unhealthy living patterns. This research text is designed to be provocative and challenging; in so doing it seeks to encourage exploration of current understandings about Early Childhood Education for Sustainability, offers new dimensions for more deeply informed practice, and proposes avenues for further research in this field.
  early childhood education in japan: Leadership in Early Education in Times of Change Johanna Heikka, Eeva Hujala, Jillian Rodd, Petra Strehmel, Manjula Waniganayake, 2019-07-29 The collection brings together the latest work of researchers from Australia, Africa, Asia, and Europe focusing on early childhood leadership matters. It covers different aspects of leadership in early education: professional education and development, identity and leadership strategies as well as governance and leadership under different frame conditions.
  early childhood education in japan: Shadow Education and Social Inequalities in Japan Steve R. Entrich, 2017-12-07 This book examines why Japan has one of the highest enrolment rates in cram schools and private tutoring worldwide. It sheds light on the causes of this high dependence on ‘shadow education’ and its implications for social inequalities. The book provides a deep and extensive understanding of the role of this kind of education in Japan. It shows new ways to theoretically and empirically address this issue, and offers a comprehensive perspective on the impact of shadow education on social inequality formation that is based on reliable and convincing empirical analyses. Contrary to earlier studies, the book shows that shadow education does not inevitably result in increasing or persisting inequalities, but also inherits the potential to let students overcome their status-specific disadvantages and contributes to more opportunities in education. Against the background of the continuous expansion and the convergence of shadow education systems across the globe, the findings of this book call for similar works in other national contexts, particularly Western societies without traditional large-scale shadow education markets. The book emphasizes the importance and urgency to deal with the modern excesses of educational expansion and education as an institution, in which the shadow education industry has made itself (seemingly) indispensable.
  early childhood education in japan: Handbook of International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education Jaipaul L. Roopnarine, James E. Johnson, Suzanne Flannery Quinn, Michael M. Patte, 2018-02-21 The Handbook of International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education provides a groundbreaking compilation of research from an interdisciplinary group of distinguished experts in early childhood education (ECE), child development, cultural and cross-cultural research in the psychological sciences, etc. The chapters provide current overviews of ECE in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, the US, and Canada, and convey how ECE is multi-sectorial, multi-cultural, and multi-disciplinary, undergirded by such disciplines as neuroscience, psychological anthropology, cross-cultural human development, childhood studies, and political science.
  early childhood education in japan: Early Childhood Education From an Intercultural and Bilingual Perspective Huertas-Abril, Cristina A., Gómez-Parra, María Elena, 2018-05-11 Around the world, school districts and institutions are exploring ways to provide quality education to their students. With this, there is a deeper need for multiculturalism in classrooms, as many students are from varying cultures and speak different languages. Early Childhood Education From an Intercultural and Bilingual Perspective provides emerging research on the use of play, toys, and games as tools for meaningful multicultural and bilingual education. By highlighting topics such as cross-cultural psychology, classroom management, and second language acquisition, this publication explores the importance of culture in games and play. This book is an important resource for educators, academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on the role of intercultural education in society and modern approaches to early education.
  early childhood education in japan: Early Childhood Education from an Intercultural and Bilingual Perspective Cristina A. Huertas-Abril, María Elena Gómez-Parra, 2018 This book identifies ways of intertwining key areas of early childhood education, namely: intercultural education, bilingual education, and the role of play and toys as means for meaningful intercultural and multilingual learning, among others--
  early childhood education in japan: Education and Social Justice in Japan Kaori H. Okano, 2020-12-09 This book is an up-to-date critical examination of schooling in Japan by an expert in this field. It focuses on developments in the last two decades, with a particular interest in social justice. Japan has experienced slow economic growth, changed employment practices, population decline, an aging society, and an increasingly multi-ethnic population resulting from migration. It has faced a call to respond to the rhetoric of globalization and to concerns in childhood poverty in the perceived affluence. In education we have seen developments responding to these challenges in national and local educational policies, as well as in school-level practices. What are the most significant developments in schooling of the last two decades? Why have these developments emerged, and how will they affect youth and society as a whole? How can we best interpret social justice implications of these developments in terms of both distributive justice and the politics of difference? To what extent have the shifts advanced the interests of disadvantaged groups? This book shows that, compared to three decades ago, the system of education increasingly acknowledges the need to address student diversity of all kinds, and delivers options that are more varied and flexible. But interest in social justice in education has tended to centre on the distribution of education (who gets how much of schooling), with fewer questions raised about the content of schooling that continues to advantage the already advantaged. Written in a highly accessible style, and aimed at scholars and students in the fields of comparative education, sociology of education and Japanese studies, this book illuminates changing policies and cumulative adjustments in the daily practice of schooling, as well as how various groups in society make sense of these changes.
  early childhood education in japan: Learning to Go to School in Japan Lois Peak, 2023-11-10 Japanese two-year-olds are indulged, dependent, and undisciplined toddlers, but by the age of six they have become obedient, self-reliant, and cooperative students. When Lois Peak traveled to Japan in search of the magical childrearing technique behind this transformation, she discovered that the answer lies not in the family but in the preschool, where teachers gently train their pupils in proper group behavior. Using case studies drawn from two contrasting schools, Peak documents the important early stages of socialization in Japanese culture. Contrary to popular perceptions, Japanese preschools are play-centered environments that pay little attention to academic preparation. It is here that Japanese children learn their first lessons in group life. The primary goal of these cheerful--even boisterous--settings is not to teach academic facts of learning-readiness skills but to inculcate behavior and attitudes appropriate to life in public social situations. Peak compares the behavior considered permissible at home with that required of children at preschool, and argues that the teacher is expected to be the primary agent in the child's transition. Step by step, she brings the socialization process to life, through a skillful combination of classroom observations, interviews with mothers and teachers, transcripts of classroom events, and quotations from Japanese professional literature.
  early childhood education in japan: Starting Strong VI Supporting Meaningful Interactions in Early Childhood Education and Care OECD, 2021-06-28 Children’s learning, development and well-being are directly influenced by their daily interactions with other children, adults, their families and the environment. This interactive process is known as “process quality”, and leads to a key question – which policies set the best conditions for children to experience high-quality interactions in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings?
  early childhood education in japan: Technology for Early Childhood Education and Socialization: Developmental Applications and Methodologies Blake, Sally, Izumi-Taylor, Satomi, 2009-08-31 This book provides readers with valuable and authentic research on how technology relates to early childhood growth--Provided by publisher.
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