Teaching demands engagement with a diverse world. When teaching about distant places, school textbooks commonly employ mediation devices of comparison, contrast and narratives of change. To what extent are such pedagogical strategies inherently othering? This question is addressed in the context of representations of Japan in English geography…

Although bioaccumulation-related concepts are important scientific knowledge, a study on whether high school textbooks include appropriate explanations has not been conducted. The present study investigated science and biology textbooks from Korea, Japan, and the U.S., focusing on how bioaccumulation-related concepts were defined, what types of…

This article examines how recent history textbooks from the United States, Japan, China, and South Korea present the Korean War. The comparative analysis focuses on four areas: the causes of the Korean War, American involvement in the war, Chinese involvement in the war, and the results of the war. Analysis of the central story lines reveals that…

History and social studies textbooks have often been the object of heated political debate in various countries, since they relate directly to issues of national identity and citizenship. This article analyzes how "foreigners" are portrayed in two versions (the 2000 and 2006 versions, date of issue) of the best-selling elementary social…

Investigates how the Rape of Nanking is reported in 88 Japanese high school history textbooks authorized by the Japanese Ministry of Education. Analysis of language used in the textbooks reveals that a consistent language pattern isolates knowledge of the Rape of Nanking from Japan and the Japanese. (Author/PAL)

Examines the cultural contents of English textbooks in Japan over the past 120 years. When Anglo-American culture was admired, textbooks reflected British and American values. When Japanese culture was admired, English textbooks reflected traditional Japanese values. Implications for the role of nationalism in teaching English for cross-cultural…

In both Japan and the United States textbooks are regarded as one of the primary tools for classroom instruction. The curricula for elementary and secondary education is the responsibility of each of the 50 states in the United States. In Japan, the Ministry of Education determines the course of study, and curriculum for elementary and secondary…

In an analysis of Japanese, Korean, and American elementary school reading textbooks to determine their differences, the weight and size of each book were measured, the number of pages totaled, and the content analyzed. Categories chosen for the content analysis included science (physical, life, and social science), literature, and basic skills.…

This study was conducted to investigate what and how much is presented about American culture in English courses in Japan. A review of previous studies on the same subject indicates that only textbooks for conversation courses are likely to contain substantial cultural information. For the present study, ten series of senior high school English…

Mathematics curricula in Japan, Taiwan and the United States are compared for concepts and skills, and a cross-national test of mathematics achievement is described. Among selected first- and fifth-grade children, students in Japan and Taiwan consistently outperformed their American counterparts. Achievement levels and curriculum content do not…

Expounds on two headline articles from the "Edmonton Journal" (Canada) that prompted the columnist to reflect on the history of the textbook in social studies. The two articles refer to politically motivated editing of history texts in Hong Kong and Japan. Urges history teachers to teach history "the way it happened." (DSK)

A study recorded and analyzed instances of how middle school students develop their skills of historical thinking and perspective taking through the use of two methods: textbook analysis and oral history interviews. First, students analyzed textbook treatment of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in their U.S. and Japanese history…