In today’s world, many industrialized nations compete with one another for academic supremacy. The United States and Japan are the main contenders of this education rivalry. In America, teachers push their students to become the best. This, in turn, breeds competition amongst students in which compete with one another to earn the top spot. In Japan, teachers encourage their students to work together in a cooperative manner. Although the American and Japanese education systems may seem similar, they differ vastly in the following areas: the approach each country’s system uses to edify children and their students’ perception of how important higher education is.
Firstly, these two educational systems differ in their approach to educating children. …show more content…
“Japanese schools are often characterized by their collectivist culture. They value cooperation and harmony induced by small group activities rather than individual needs” (Futaba 649). In many Japanese schools, Japanese teachers are kind and nurturing and encourage students to think and function in a unified manner. For example, when an instructor is teaching algebra, he or she will ask students how to solve a problem such as the Pythagorean Theorem. Then, the students form a small group to think of solutions. After they spend some time, the group leader will ask each member for his or her input. Once the clique has come to a decision, the leader presents their group’s ideas to the …show more content…
In American schools, teachers and parents tell children at a young age that they need a college degree to be successful in the work world. However, as they become older and are about to graduate high school, some students are uncertain if they even want to attend college. As stated in Boesel’s article “Student Attitudes toward High School and Educational Expectations,” “In America, high school seniors seem to be aware of the increasing relevance of education to their occupational futures” (6). On one end of the spectrum, some students feel that they need to attend college and earn a bachelor's degree in order to climb the social ladder. Conversely, other students think that they can attain skills necessary for a job without going to college. Many American students view college as one of many paths one can take to succeed in life, so to
Firstly, these two educational systems differ in their approach to educating children. …show more content…
“Japanese schools are often characterized by their collectivist culture. They value cooperation and harmony induced by small group activities rather than individual needs” (Futaba 649). In many Japanese schools, Japanese teachers are kind and nurturing and encourage students to think and function in a unified manner. For example, when an instructor is teaching algebra, he or she will ask students how to solve a problem such as the Pythagorean Theorem. Then, the students form a small group to think of solutions. After they spend some time, the group leader will ask each member for his or her input. Once the clique has come to a decision, the leader presents their group’s ideas to the …show more content…
In American schools, teachers and parents tell children at a young age that they need a college degree to be successful in the work world. However, as they become older and are about to graduate high school, some students are uncertain if they even want to attend college. As stated in Boesel’s article “Student Attitudes toward High School and Educational Expectations,” “In America, high school seniors seem to be aware of the increasing relevance of education to their occupational futures” (6). On one end of the spectrum, some students feel that they need to attend college and earn a bachelor's degree in order to climb the social ladder. Conversely, other students think that they can attain skills necessary for a job without going to college. Many American students view college as one of many paths one can take to succeed in life, so to