Globalization and Science Education: Current State, Problems, and Prospects

Abstract

At present, globalization is still in process, and from now on, globalization will continue to accelerate. In this article, “globalization and science education” will be dealt with from the following perspectives:

1. From the Meiji Era, in the process of Westernization and standardization, the establishment and the development of Japanese science education.

2. In the present world, the character of globalization and educational policy.

3. The present situation and problems of science education in globalization.

4. The prospects of science education in Japan correspond to globalization.

In this article, the following conclusions were made. First, Japanese science education began amidst the globalization of Westernization since the Meiji Era, and after world war II, Japanese science education developed amidst the globalization of Americanization. Second, globalization has multiple meanings, under the bottom line there is neoliberalism, and in globalization there are aspects of objective reality and ideology, which influence world educational policy. Third, among the points of view of globalization there are some problems concerning the objectives and the curriculum of Japanese science education. Finally, from the point of view of diversity and peculiarity, Japanese science education has the potential to improve world science education.