The Learning Gap

by Harold Stevenson

Overview

From Simon & Schuster, The Learning Gap explores why our schools are failing and what we can learn from Japanese and Chinese education.

Authors Harold W. Stevenson and James W. Stigler compare United States elementary education practices with those in Asia (specificall Japan and China) and comes to some surprising conclusions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780671880767
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	01/26/1994
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	736,988
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Harold Stevenson is an educator and Simon & Schuster author.

Editorial Reviews

Stevenson (psychology, Univ. of Michigan) and Stigler (psychology, Univ. of California, Los Angeles) offer a comparison between American (Chicago, Minneapolis) and Asian (Taiwan, China, Japan) elementary schools. Quantifiable variables include instruction time, test data, length of school year, curriculum studied, and instruction strategies. Another factor the authors consider is attitude (e.g., parental attitudes toward schooling, children toward learning, society toward educators, etc.). The writing style is informal, and sufficient statistical data is presented to support the findings. Some challenges are offered: ``The American educational system as it currently exists is producing an educationally advantaged minority and a disadvantaged majority.'' The authors conclude that ``Americans are proud of their individualism; Asians are proud of their group orientation.'' For large public and academic libraries.-- Lois F. Roets, Drake Univ., Des Moines

Library Journal