Primary Science Education in East Asia: A Critical Comparison of Systems and Strategies (Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education, 47)

This edited volume is a state-of-the-art comparison of primary science education across six East-Asian regions; namely, the People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Republic of China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, and Singapore. While news of educational policies, classroom teaching, assessment, and other educational innovations here often surface in the international media, this book brings together for the first time relevant information regarding educational systems and strategies in primary science in East Asia. Above all, it is a readable yet comprehensive survey—readers would have an accurate sense of what has been accomplished, what has not worked so well, and what remains to be done. Invited experts in comparative education research and/or science education also provide commentary by discussing common themes across the six regions. These types of critical synoptic reviews add much value by enabling readers to understand broad commonalities and help synthesize what must surely be a bewildering amount of very interesting albeit confusing body of facts, issues, and policies. Education in East Asia holds many lessons (both positive and negative) to offer to the rest of the world to which this volume is a timely contribution to the literature. Front Matter ....Pages i-xii Introduction (Yew-Jin Lee, Jason Tan)....Pages 1-15 Front Matter ....Pages 17-17 Primary Science Education in Hong Kong (Wing Mui Winnie So, Zhi Hong Wan, Yu Chen)....Pages 19-48 Elementary Science Education in Japan (Kenji Matsubara)....Pages 49-77 Primary Science Education in China (Weiping Hu, Xin Shou)....Pages 79-105 Primary Science Education in Taiwan (Ying-Tien Wu, Li-Jen Wang, Teng-Yao Cheng, Zong-Rong Yang)....Pages 107-128 Progress and Challenges of Elementary Science Education in Korea (Mijung Kim, Hye-Gyoung Yoon, Mee-Kyeong Lee)....Pages 129-156 Primary Science Education in Singapore (Yew-Jin Lee)....Pages 157-176 Front Matter ....Pages 177-177 The End of Science Education in East Asia? (Adam Lefstein)....Pages 179-181 Some Comments on Primary Science from Outside the East Asian Region (Terry Russell)....Pages 183-200 Scientific Literacy in East Asia: Shifting Toward an Inquiry-Informed Learning Perspective (Umesh Ramnarain)....Pages 201-213 Curriculum, Pedagogy, Teacher Training and Recent Reforms in Primary Science Education (Lorraine Pe Symaco, Esther G. S. Daniel)....Pages 215-228 The Role of Teacher Education in Advancing Reform in Primary Science Education (Carla Zembal-Saul)....Pages 229-241 Institutional Pressures on Primary Science and the New Ecosystem of Knowledge (Elizabeth H. McEneaney)....Pages 243-257 Coda (Yew-Jin Lee, Jason Tan)....Pages 259-262 "This edited volume is a state-of-the-art comparison of primary science education across six East-Asian regions; namely, the People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Republic of China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, and Singapore. While news of educational policies, classroom teaching, assessment, and other educational innovations here often surface in the international media, this book brings together for the first time relevant information regarding educational systems and strategies in primary science in East Asia. Above all, it is a readable yet comprehensive survey--readers would have an accurate sense of what has been accomplished, what has not worked so well, and what remains to be done. Invited experts in comparative education research and/or science education also provide commentary by discussing common themes across the six regions. These types of critical synoptic reviews add much value by enabling readers to understand broad commonalities and help synthesize what must surely be a bewildering amount of very interesting albeit confusing body of facts, issues, and policies. Education in East Asia holds many lessons (both positive and negative) to offer to the rest of the world to which this volume is a timely contribution to the literature." -- Prové de l'editor