Abstract:

Compares the values and practices in primary to secondary state schoolsin the USA and Japan in the light of Dr W. Edwards Deming's philosophy.Deming teaches that the first step towards improving quality is reducingthe variation in products. If our students are considered the productsof our educational system, student performance must be uniform forquality education to be achieved. However, this concept is currentlymissing from the tradition of American education because emphasis ofcompetitiveness, a contributing factor to widening the variation, is aprominent and deeply ingrained characteristic of American culture. Onthe other hand, the Japanese school system traditionally encouragesco-operation at all levels, from the national and prefectural levelsdown to school districts and individual schools, from administrators toteachers and students, to reduce the variation in students' performance.These Japanese educational practices and current issues in Americaneducation, such as choice of school programme and national standards ineducation, are evaluated from the perspective of Deming philosophy.

Keywords: Co-Operation; Deming; Education; Group Working; Improvement; Japan; Learning Styles; Quality Management; Schools; Usa

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1108/09513549410065738