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In 2015, for the first time in its history, PISA (the Programme for International Student Assessment) asked teachers to describe the various aspects of their working environment and teaching practices. This paper examines how teacher, student, and school characteristics are related to science teachers' satisfaction in 19 PISA-participating countries and economies. The findings show that the most satisfied science teachers tend to be those who are initially motivated to become teachers. The results also highlight the positive relationship between science teachers' satisfaction and teacher collaboration, good disciplinary climate in science classes, availability of school resources, and the opportunity to participate in professional-development activities.

The main objective of this Working Paper is to show a set of indicators on the knowledge-based economy for China, mainly compiled from databases within EAS, although data from databases maintained by other parts of the OECD are included as well. These indicators are put in context by comparison with data for the United States, Japan and the EU (or the G7 countries in case no EU totals are available) and data for some of the Asian neighbours of China (Korea, Singapore, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong) where data for these countries were readily available. This document draws heavily on the Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard, copying many of the indicators presented there and borrowing a substantial amount of contextual and methodological explanations. After listing the main outcomes of this study, the paper starts with a section on the economic structure of China and the other economies, followed by a set of trade indicators, showing the opening up of China's economy and the growing importance of trade in high-technology products. Two indicators of foreign investment in China are examined: foreign affiliates and foreign direct investment. Recognizing the importance of human resources to a knowledge-based economy, a range of human resources indicators is presented. Final sections present indicators on R&D (as one of the inputs to the innovation process), and patents (as one of the outputs). A statistical annex brings together a selection of tables of the main indicators shown in the document. OECD database information is also annexed. (A bibliography is included. Contains 11 footnotes, 60 figures, 5 boxes and 26 tables.)

Utilizing mainly Chinese publications, this paper reviews the existing data on childhood diseases in order to assess the health status and morbidity patterns of Chinese children. China's infant mortality rate is among the very lowest in the developing world. The number of post-neonatal deaths as a proportion of total infant deaths has decreased to a level comparable to that of a developed country. The epidemiologic pattern of vaccine preventable diseases indicates that immunization activities have had a significant impact on the occurrence of these diseases. The overall prevalence of infectious diseases is decreasing and, relatively, the frequency of congenital defects is increasing as a major cause of childhood mortality. However, fecal-borne diseases such as dysentery, hepatitis, and ascariasis are still the predominant causes of morbidity. A secular improvement in the nutritional status of Chinese children is noted, but mild to moderate malnutrition still persists. Discussion focuses on several issues: the impact of the one-child family policy, which is creating different demands on the maternal and child health care service network; technological shortcomings in immunization activities, which are affecting coverage; the lack of better technical training, which is influencing health reporting and surveillance systems; and the lack of corrective programs to further decrease malnutrition. (Author/RH)

This publication contains 20 learning activities for developing basic skills while teaching about China at the secondary level. The activities, which were field tested, are self-contained and include short readings followed by student work sheets. For developing skill in reading about China, the learning activities focus upon translating Chinese into English, pronouncing Chinese in English, classifying sources of information on China, and using reference books on China. The learning activities which teach critical thinking involve students in applying Chinese mathematical skills, comparing the economy of China with other Communist nations, and judging right from wrong using American and Chinese perspectives. To develop skill in understanding the history of China, students learn to tell time in the Chinese tradition, make a timeline in Chinese history, assess the Chinese Ladder of Success, and analyze the 1978 Constitution of China. Students develop skill in interpreting the geography of China by drawing inferences about the location of China and by analyzing satellite pictures of China. A posttest is included. (Author/RM)

Located at a meeting place between the West and the East, Hong Kong has been chosen in this comparative investigation to reconfirm a theoretical model of "reciprocal relationship" between mathematics achievement and self-concept using the 8th grade databases from TIMSS and TIMSS-R. During the time between these two projects, Hong Kong experienced a political transition in 1997 to switch from a British colony to a special administrative region (SAR) of China. Pertinent indicators have been selected to reflect key educational changes during the sovereignty handover. Results from this large-scale data analysis may not only help generalize the reciprocal model in a different culture setting, but also facilitate assessment of educational adjustment brought by the political transition. (Contains 4 tables, 1 figure, and 3 notes.)

The text of a workshop lecture and demonstration focus on the use of instructional materials to enhance the communicative competence of students of English as a Second Language in China. The text of the presentation addresses, in question-and-answer form, seven issues: (1) the varied teaching techniques of teachers in different cultural contexts (in this case, Hungary and Japan); (2) why English should be taught for communication; (3) the nature of communication within and across cultures; (4) the primary goal in teaching students to communicate in English; (5) how teachers can emphasize certain skills to facilitate communication; (6) the kinds of materials useful in teaching communication in English; and (7) how non-native ESL teachers can design communicative language lessons. A lesson is then presented that has workshop participants act as ESL beginners. Materials and classroom procedures are suggested for a lesson on a visit to New York City and a reading lesson. A lesson plan for a workshop activity involving the participants as teachers is also included. Contains 14 references. (MSE)

An integrated curriculum allows children's learning in all traditional subject areas to occur primarily through projects that the teachers plan and that reflect children's interests. This paper presents a curriculum web on Chinese festivals, specifically, the Chinese New Year, for kindergarten and first grade levels. The paper first presents a teacher brainstorm of a curriculum web on celebrating Chinese festivals, and then presents the thematic web for the subtopic Chinese New Year, which includes the origin of the festival, things people do, special activities, foods people eat, clothing, greetings, and the animal of the year from the Chinese zodiac. Next, the paper lists the curriculum subject areas and learning activities for the New Year subtopic: reading-listening-speaking; writing; math; science; art; social studies; music; and movement. Key events for the unit are then listed, including book making, field trips, dragon making, dragon parade, display center, and party. A student evaluation checklist for each of the subject areas is included. Two appendices contain a story map and a description of the origins of the Chinese New Year and its customs. (HTH)

A National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant funded a study to establish an International Humanities Curriculum that would serve as a model of curricular internationalization upon which interested observers might draw for revision of their own curricula. This curriculum revision project introduced the study of texts, ideas, themes, and issues from China and Japan into the literature curriculum of Robert Morris College. China and Japan seemed obvious choices for enhancing the international dimension of the humanities curriculum at that college. China, which is both the oldest and the largest country in the world promises to exert a major economic and cultural influence upon global affairs in the future, and since rebounding from World War II Japan has become a model of industrial efficiency and success. Goals for this business-focused curriculum included (1) enabling students to gain a deeper understanding of the human experience as it has been lived in two major world cultures; and (2) building a valuable foundation of contextual knowledge for making sense of professional practices, strategies, issues, and obstacles that students will face on an international scale as workers and leaders in business and industry. The study and the interdisciplinary collaboration which was essential to its implementation led to the conclusion that curricular internationalization provides valuable common ground between disciplines traditionally indifferent or hostile towards each other. Participants further concluded that forging meaningful interdisciplinary partnerships not only requires rethinking traditional notions of disciplinary borders, but also requires learning to cross those borders. (Four tables are included.) (SAM)

This paper explains the principles involved in tape editing and recording for foreign language teaching and in the assessment of the quality of the finished product. Three major points involved in tape making are discussed: (1) compilation of a listening text (requires familiarity with foreign language learning and teaching, as well as an awareness of the needs of society as a whole); (2) tape editing and recording (requires a clear specification of the aims and purposes of learners, specific learning contents, teaching requirements, and forms; a recognition that a recorded tape is only a part of the whole text; and careful planning and proper arrangement of audiovisual materials); and (3) technical problems of language recordings (technical quality, recording acoustics, language standards, and artistic techniques). Discussions of these points provide some constructive guidelines for the assessment of the quality of a recorded tape. Common terms used in quality assessment are explained and classified as commendatory or derogatory. Because the history of audiotape making in China covers such a short span of time, it is recommended that experiences in this area of technology be summed up frequently in order to promote its further development. (CGD)

This report reviews development of Sino-Canadian academic relations over the past 25 years. It offers an overview of four periods of Sino-Canadian academic relations (1970-79, 1979-83, 1983-89, and 1989-95), and briefly describes a number of programs in six areas: (1) foreign trade and economic cooperation, (2) foreign affairs and international trade, (3) science and technology, (4) natural sciences and engineering, (5) social sciences and humanities, and (6) provincial initiatives. Included also are profiles of China-related activities at 30 Canadian universities, including: University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, Carleton University, Concordia University, Dalhousie University, University of Guelph, Laurentian University of Sudbury, Universite Laval, University of Manitoba, McGill University, McMaster University, Universite de Montreal, University of New Brunswick, University of Ottawa, Universite du Quebec a Chicoutimi, Universite du Quebec a Montreal, Universite du Quebec a Trois Rivieres, Queen's University at Kingston, University of Regina, Ryerson Polytechnic University, Saint Mary's University, University of Saskatchewan, Simon Fraser University, Technical University of Nova Scotia, University of Toronto, University of Victoria, University of Waterloo, University of Western Ontario, and York University. Study findings are summarized from both a Canadian and a Chinese perspective. Twenty-five appendixes contain tables and charts of data and reference material on Sino-Canadian academic cooperative programs. (Contains 14 references.) (CH)

Presents a comprehensive plan for restructuring the intermediate grade curriculum. Emphasizes hands-on training, extracurricular activities, and vocational and physical education. Includes eight tables detailing weekly time allotted for core and elective courses throughout the grades. Emphasizes the need for active, vigorous young people to lead China into the 21st century. (MJP)

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 successful formula when it comes to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education? In this report, the authors challenge the nation's approach to STEM education and argue that reforms are urgently needed to better match the talents of students, the needs of employers, and its goals. (Contains 19 tables, 42 figures, and 623 endnotes.) [Funding for this paper was provided by the Intel Corporation. For "Refueling the U.S. Innovation Economy: Fresh Approaches to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Executive Summary," see ED521736.]

This paper identifies some problems Chinese universities have when they offer English literature as a compulsory course to advanced level English majors. One constructive approach is discussed, and some suggestions on improving literature teaching are put forward.

Explores three problems emerging since transfer of Canadian English as second language teaching method to People's Republic of China: (1) assumption that teaching methodologies are exportable and acceptable in same way as modern technology, (2) lack of clarity between scientific and educational theories, and (3) assumption that these teaching methodologies are value-free, and thus, applicable to all teaching situations. (SL)

English for specific purposes (ESP) coursebooks compiled by writers in the People's Republic of China are described. Eight textbooks are examined focusing on their common features in terms of reading passages, reliance upon Chinese language, focus upon the Chinese environment, emphasis upon structural grammar, focus upon vocabulary, rhetorical modes of passages, exercise types, and skills emphasis. The major similarities are that all eight are reading translation texts, all emphasize vocabulary and sentence level grammar, and all defer to the needs of China and its students. These similarities may be due to the belief of Chinese scholars that there is a need for Chinese specific ESP materials. There are fewer differences than similarities among the texts. The differences are in terms of selection and gradation of grammatical items, vocabulary choices, topic appeal and categories, and use of visuals. (RW)

Written for students participating in the Close Up government studies program, a week-long field experience in Washington, D.C., the readings in this booklet may be incorporated into social studies units on government, political science, or current events. Following an introduction to members of the Reagan Administration and the Supreme Court and to the key issues of the 98th Congress and the 1983 budget, the booklet is divided into 2 sections. Section 1, focusing on domestic policy issues, includes readings on the economy, environment, education, social welfare, civil rights, energy, urban problems, crime, transportation, agriculture, and immigration. Readings in section 2, foreign policy issues, cover the Soviet Union, defense, nuclear proliferation, international trade, world poverty and U.S. foreign aid, Western Europe, Central America and the Caribbean, China, the Arab-Israeli conflict, South Africa, and Namibia. Each reading selection includes the following components: an introduction to the issue; a list of key questions to focus reading; background, current issues, and future outlook on the issue; and a brief debate on the pros and cons of one key question raised in the reading. (LP)

This document is a revised version of a teaching unit originally published in 1980 and designed to familiarize both elementary and secondary students with the Chinese language and thus lessen the strangeness often attached to it. The goal is not that students "learn Chinese;" rather the hope is that, through a series of exercises that actively involve students with written Chinese, students will engage in a process of demystifying the Chinese language so that they can begin to view it simply as a system of written communication different from, but equally plausible as, those of Indo-European origin. No prior knowledge about Chinese is required of either the teacher or students to use this unit. The unit is appropriate for many areas of the curriculum; for example, social studies courses in which China is studied, multicultural studies courses, specialized coursework on communication, sociology, or linguistics, or in conjunction with the language arts curriculum. It is particularly appropriate for use as a comparative study in courses in world history/cultures or in U.S. history/culture. The unit is organized into a six-day format. All necessary instructional materials to teach the unit are provided, including 13 handouts, the first of which consists of a set of "flashcards" showing selected characters. The following appendices also are included: (1) a paper on "The Chinese Language"; (2) a paper on "Language Reform in the People's Republic of China"; (3) a reprint of simplified Chinese characters; and (4) a chart showing Pinyin pronunciation. (DB)

The approaches used for reading instruction in the United States and in the People's Republic of China are different and incompatible. In China, English reading is taught intensively, through close-reading or detailed oral analysis of brief texts and with great attention to individual words and phrases. This "bottom-up" processing style, which emphasizes lexical, morphological, and syntactic skills, neglects "top-down" strategies, including proposition-making, integration of ideas, and inference-making. American reading instruction is based on current theory and research focusing on processing speed and reading comprehension, treating reading as a silent process, and emphasizing "top-down" skills. Experience in English classes in China suggests that the close-reading approach, which may reflect cognitive processes needed to decode ideographs, produces some unexpected positive results in language training and analysis, especially in the written, or more academic, form of English. However, the lack of training in speed and comprehension produces Chinese readers of English who are unprepared for study in the United States. The optimum approach to reading instruction might maintain the current emphasis on global comprehension while incorporating close-reading into the overall process, combining the most effective aspects of both techniques. (MSE)

In this lesson, designed to be taught within a unit on China, primary-grade students will learn about the history of papermaking and its origins in China and even learn how to make their own paper. After learning about Chinese art and culture in the lesson, students will write their own "cinquain" poem about China. The lesson presents an overview; suggests length and grade levels; lists subjects and subtopics; cites intelligences being addressed and dimensions of learning; notes materials needed and teacher resources; and discusses National Standards for Arts Education and other standards. It then cites instructional objectives; lists strategies; and provides a detailed, step-by-step instructional plan for the teacher to follow in the classroom. The lesson also suggests assessment and extension activities. A papermaking and poetry rubric is attached. (NKA)

This unit of study focuses on belief systems from China. It is crucial that students understand there are different ways of viewing the world, all of which may be valid. The 20 lessons in the unit stem from the presumptions that place students in the role of "historian" for the duration of these China studies. The unit is divided into the following sections: "A Note to the Teacher"; "Standards Addressed in This Unit"; "Resources"; "Literacy Connections"; "Historian Tips"; "Essential Questions for Inquiry"; "Document Based Questions"; "Lesson Plans"; and "Resource Packet." The unit contains the following lessons: "Historian Tip 1: What Is a Historian?"; "Historian Tip 2: What We Already Know about China"; "Historian Tip 3: Where Is China?"; "Historian Tip 4: Maps of China";"Historian Tip 5: The Daily Lives of the Ancient Chinese"; "Historian Tip 6: The Chinese Zodiac"; "Historian Tip 7: Oracle Bones"; "Historian Tip 8: The Chinese Writing System"; "Historian Tip 9: Chinese Paper Making"; "Historian Tip 10: Confucian Sayings"; "Historian Tip 11: Chinese Folktales and Confucius"; "Historian Tip 12: Confucian Relationships"; "Historian Tip 13: The Life of Buddha"; "Historian Tip 14: The Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path"; "Historian Tip 15: Karma"; "Historian Tip 16: The Silk Route"; "Historian Tip 17: Daoism"; "Historian Tip 18: Legalism"; "Historian Tip 19: School Rules in 1315 and Today"; and "Historian Tip 20: Gender Stereotypes, China in the 1300s and the U.S. Today." (BT)

This paper describes how the global talent pool is changing. The expansion of higher education in rapidly-developing G20 nations has reduced the share of tertiary graduates from Europe, Japan and the United States in the global talent pool. If current trends continue, China and India will account for 40% of all young people with a tertiary education in G20 and OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries by the year 2020, while the United States and European Union countries will account for just over a quarter. The strong demand for employees in "knowledge economy" fields suggests that the global labour market can continue to absorb the increased supply of highly-educated individuals.

California State Standard 7.3 is delineated in the following manner: "Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structure of the civilizations of China in the middle ages." Seventh-grade students focus on the reunification of China under the Tang Dynasty and reasons for the spread of Buddhism; agricultural, technological, and commercial developments during the Tang and Sung periods; the influences of Confucianism; the importance of overland trade and maritime expeditions between China and other civilizations; the historic influence of such discoveries as tea, the manufacture of paper, wood block printing, the compass, and gunpowder; and the development of the imperial state. China in the Middle Ages provides a rich landscape in studying how a sophisticated global civilization maintained a traditional culture. With the stability regained by the Sui, Tang, and Song Dynasties, China solidified the political structure of a strong centralized government through practical methods of unifying the various Chinese subcultures. The lesson discusses the uses and significance of the topic; presentation and activities ("Beginning the Topic"; "Developing the Topic"; "Culminating the Topic"); extended and correlated activities; resources for the sample topic; and contains two figures. Appended are selections from Confucian Teachings, Doist Teachings, and Buddhist Teachings; four readings about China; and three poems. Suggested time for lesson implementation is three to five class periods. (BT)