Comparative Study of Cross-Cultural Understanding:
Japan and the United States
- Cultural Traits and Curriculum as Crucial Agents -
I. Introductory Remarks:
First of all, we would like to express our heartfelt appreciation for your participation in our cross-cultural study by having made access to our homepage. By collecting more than 1,000 responses, we believe the total number is satisfactory for the credibility of our research.
Now that we have completed Phase I of our study, we would like to announce the raw data, findings, and analysis on the homepage so that participants of this study might share the results in their schools. Whatever academic interests you may have, we hope you can make use of our research. Presently, we are working on Phase II to narrow down and explore our further research interests. We would appreciate your participation again when we start administering our revised questionnaire this fall.
Hideki Hiroishi , Akio Iwasaki, Masahiko Oe (Tokyo Denki University)
II. Research Outline:
From elementary schools to colleges during the last several decades, one cannot get away from the notion of globalization in the Japanese school situation. Therefore, promoting cross-cultural understanding demands a higher priority in the school curriculum as a whole. Moreover, encouraging cross-cultural studies also would contribute to helping redefine what our national identity is.
This study was designed to clarify the differences in the academic realities students face in their respective countries. It also points out the differences in cultural interests between Japan and the United States, and how students comprehend and digest these differences. Furthermore, based upon an identical survey translated into both languages, we were able to identify which particular curricular and cultural traits might serve as crucial agents in determining these differences.
The majority of our respondents in both countries are middle-class high school students and also college students whose majors are not foreign language or international issues. In order to find out the cross-cultural understanding domain of the students in the respective countries, we created
question items relating to daily living environment, academic aspirations, patriotism, national identity, interests in history and so on, which can be seen on our homepage. The respondents were able to directly answer our questionnaire no matter where they were by gaining access to the homepage.
III. Research Procedures:
Joint Research Home Page Link Design
IV. Findings
The survey items consist of twenty-nine questions (the Japan - US Educational Exchange Project). It is quite feasible to apply statistical research analysis by correlating each question item. This report, however, reveals only partial findings of the whole study.
Instead of analyzing the items in the numerical order of the questionnaire, we have followed the topic flow, which is:
1) backgrounds and attribution of the respondents (Q. 1, 2, 3, 4),
2) daily living comparisons between Japanese and American students (Q. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18),
3) comparing perception gaps (Q. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29),
and 4) comparisons pertaining to schooling and education per se
(Q. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13).
All of the question items as well as the raw data are included at the end of this document. Please feel free to use these according to your academic interests.
①Backgrounds and Attribution of the Respondents
(The profile of the participating schools in Japan and the US)
②Daily Living Comparisons between Japanese and American Students
③Identifying Perception Gaps and Comparative Analysis
3-1 The Degree of Interests in Things Overseas (Q. 19, 20, 21)
3-2 Interpretations of Pearl Harbor and Atomic Bombs (Q. 22, 23)
3-3 History, National Anthem, National Flag and National Identity(Q. 25, 26)
④Comparisons pertaining to Schooling and Education per se
4-1 Field of Interests, Self-Evaluating Grades, Academic Aspirations(Q. 5, 6, 7)
4-2 Curriculum and the Grades Received (Q. 9, 10)
4-3 Entrance Exam Systems and Evaluation of Prestigious Colleges(Q. 12, 13)
⑤Summary (Research Results and the Future Tasks)