Despite the benefits of integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education that have been discussed for decades; many teachers still find it challenging to implement integrated STEM education due to lacking confidence and experience. Numerous models and frameworks exist, but they tend to focus on enhancing teachers'…

The last two decades have seen unprecedented interest in science curricula, with many governments seeing improvements in the performance of their school students in science as key to future economic prosperity. We present the results of an analysis of the curriculum documents for primary and secondary science in Australia (New South Wales and…

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,…

The ways in which vocational education and training (VET) systems are structured vary significantly from country to country, both because different countries have different objectives for their VET systems and because VET is differently embedded within the education and labour market systems of any individual country. International research in…

This paper sets out the main findings of the International Instructional Systems Study (IISS), conducted by the UCL Institute of Education and funded by the Center on International Education Benchmarking (CIEB). The study examined the instructional systems and intended curricula of six "high performing" countries and two US states. The…

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) requires learner-centred and interactive teaching strategies such as critical thinking, participatory decision-making, value-based learning, and multi-method approaches, all of which to some degree contrast traditional lecture-based teaching practices. As there is very little evidence providing…

Papers from the proceedings of the 14th Annual Conference of the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society was submitted in two volumes. Volume 1 contains papers submitted at the conference held in Sofia, Bulgaria, June 14-17, 2016. Volume 2 contains papers submitted at the 4th International Partner Conference of the International Research Centre…

Describes a cross-curricular mathematics and physics course offered at Kanazawa Technical College in Japan. The course facilitates students' understanding of the connection between mathematics and physics through hands-on activities. Outlines the advantages of the cross-curricular approach, including students' increased levels of interest in…

Describes the Association of American Colleges and Universities' Faculty and Curriculum Development Seminar, held in Japan and designed to open faculty minds to global issues. The year-long seminar involves three-person teams from eight institutions, competitively selected through proposals. Its three phases include preparatory reading and…

The purpose of this study was to compare attitudes and practices among general music teachers in Japan (n = 135) and the USA (n = 136) concerning the integration of music with other academic subjects. Teachers completed a researcher-designed questionnaire, and results revealed significant differences in both areas. Music teachers from the USA…

The theme of the 38th meeting of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME 38) and the 36th meeting of the North American Chapter of the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME-NA 36) was "Mathematics Education at the Edge." Academically, the theme provides opportunities to highlight and examine…

This packet was developed to demonstrate for Illinois educators the integration of fine arts with foreign languages and social studies. The model may be adapted for use by instructors of a variety of language, social studies, and fine arts courses. Following a descriptive overview of the fine arts, the packet includes: (1) "Introductory…

Liberal education in Japan, and specifically at Japan's Tenri University, is described. The conflicts between the society's need for well-rounded educated individuals versus well- educated specialists are noted. (CJ)

Eight general areas were addressed in this conference on Japanese/United States chemical education, including: introductory courses; adequacy of texts, manuals, laboratory workbooks for non-majors; laboratory role in non-major courses; adaptation of such techniques as computers, programmed instruction and videotapes; evaluation and testing…

Is the United States getting it wrong when it comes to educating tomorrow's innovators in critical fields? It has been known for years that the only way to compete globally in information technology, engineering, nanotechnology, robotics and other fields is to give students the best educational opportunities possible. But do individuals have a…