Learning, teaching, and assessing science in the Asia-Pacific context

The Asia-Pacific region is well known for its wide range of geographical, political, economic, and religious diversity, both among and within the countries in the region. There are countries with vast landmasses (e.g., Russia, China, and India) and also tiny island countries (e.g., the Maldives and Pacific Island countries), there are some of the world’s richest economies (e.g., Japan, Hong Kong, and Australia) and some of the poorest (e.g., Bangladesh and Burma), there are societies administered under feudal, communist, and capitalist political systems, and there are a huge number of believers of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Education is by its nature socio-culturally embedded. Given the abundant variety among and within the countries in the Asia-Pacific region, research in both classical areas of science learning and teaching and analysis of trends in the latest curriculum reforms in this region is not only of value to local educators, curriculum designers, and policymakers, but to their counterparts elsewhere who can also gain insights from this highly complex and diversified context. Copyright © 2018 selection and editorial matter, May May Hung Cheng, Alister Jones and Cathy Buntting; individual chapters, the contributors.