Teaching and Learning in Japan [Paperback]

Thomas P. Rohlen (Editor), Gerald K. LeTendre (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521651158 | ISBN-13: 978-0521651158 | Publication Date: January 28, 1999

In this important work, major scholars on Japan draw on ethnographic and experimental studies of learning throughout the lifespan to explore the Japanese style of learning. The reader will get an inside view of Japanese teaching methods, where the emphasis is on the process of learning, rather than the end product. In Japan, applications across contexts--from religion to music, to mathematics, to guidance are very differently handled than in the West. Contributors analyze various models of learning within and without the Japanese school system. The examples considered here allow the reader to understand better the rich coherence and variety of educational experiences in the broader social context. A carefully articulated introduction and conclusion by the editors provide salient comparisons of East and West and cautions that we do not simplify our model of either one. Teaching and Learning in Japan will be of interest to educators, Japan scholars, and to educational psychologists.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This text provides an in-depth examination of Japanese learning and teaching in many contexts across the life span of the Japanese people." Contemporary Psychology

"Teaching and Learning in Japan resonates within the scholarly tradition of Robert Bellah's landmark study of the relationship of Japanese religion to the everyday lives of people in the Tokugawa period." James J. Shields, Journal of Japanese Studies

"Teaching and Learning in Japan resonates within the scholarly tradition of Robert Bellah's landmark study of the relationship of Japanese religion to the evryday lives of people in the Tokugawa period." James J. Shields, Journal of Japanese Studies

Book Description

Major scholars on Japan explore the Japanese style of learning in this important volume, drawing upon ethnographic and experimental studies of learning throughout the lifespan. The reader will get an inside view of Japanese teaching methods, where the emphasis is on the process of learning, rather than the end product. Contributors analyze various models of learning within specific contexts, and their significance in the broader social framework. A carefully articulated Introduction and Conclusion by the editors provides salient comparisons of East and West and cautions that we do not simplify our model of either one.

Product Details

• Paperback: 412 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (January 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521651158
• ISBN-13: 978-0521651158
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,382,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Reading on Japanese Education, July 13, 2004

By 

UmitoYama (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teaching and Learning in Japan (Paperback)

I first came across this book towards the end of my first year in the Japan Exchange Teaching (JET) Programme as an Assistant Language Teacher at a junior high school in rural Japan. The essays in the book (particularly the pieces by Fukuzawa and LeTendre examining adolescent development in junior high schools) helped me to place in order and begin understanding what had up until then been a rather confusing and oftentimes frustrating experience.

The book consists of 13 essays, all based upon extensive first-hand observation, that examine not only formal education in Japanese pre-, primary and secondary schools but also looks at other manifestations of education throughout Japanese society from company retreats to a Zen monastery to the Kumon schools to the Suzuki violin method.

The essays are balanced and easy to understand, even for those like myself not formally trained in education. And they provide some fascinating insights; I found the essays on elementary school education to be particularly fascinating in that they made me realize that my stereotypes about Japanese education being factory style rote-learning are probably more applicable to the elementary school education I received growing up in the US. The essays reveal an appproach to teaching young children in Japan that emphasizes the sound development of both the hearts and minds of students and that strives to always place instructional content in meaningful contexts. This focus on nurturing both the "heart and mind" actually seems to be a unifying thread that runs through all of the essays in the book.

The observations in the book have all been borne out by my own experiences teaching and observing pre-school, elementary and junior high school classes over the past several years.

If you are planning to do work on or within the Japanese education system (and I say this in particular to new JET participants), this book is essential reading. I believe educators in general will also find this book to be a fascinating and valuable look at a very different approach to education.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Window into the World of Japanese Education, July 9, 2006

By 

T. Hooper "thdizzy" (Osaka, Japan) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Teaching and Learning in Japan (Paperback)

This is a book I recommend for all foreign teachers in Japan, especially for those who will be working in the public school system. The world of Japanese education is quite different from that of western countries, and without some sort of preparation, you might experience some culture shock. This book consists of several articles which discuss different aspects of Japanese education from elementary school through high school, and it even covers some esoteric teaching situations such as education in a zen temple, or as a student of Japanese Noh drama. The only aspect of Japanese education not covered is university education. However, if you are going to be teaching in a university, I think it would still be beneficial for you to read this book, so that you know what kind of environment your students come from and how it may be different from your own country's situation. For example, Japanese high school students don't do much critical or research based writing, so if you assign such a writing task, it may be the first time they have had to do it.

If you will teach in Japan, pick this up to prepare yourself. If you are already teaching in Japan, this may answer some of the questions that you have. Check it out.

5.0 out of 5 stars Teaching and Learning in Japan, November 22, 2009

By 

Jacquelyn A. Williams - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Teaching and Learning in Japan (Paperback)

The book is in excellent condition. The information in the book serves to enhance the information I gathered while working in a Japanese junior high as the native English language speaker. I had an opportunity to gain information from students, teachers and administrators concerning the good points and the bad about their system and how the U.S. system can utilize the Japanese system and the Japanese system can integrate U.S. education theory. Great book.