Abstract

All teachers perform in accordance with different layers of societal, organizational, and educational expectations. These expectations are built into the fabric of schooling by communal choice, official sanctions, and professional inclinations. Some are cultural derivatives that have been nurtured by history, while others are fashionable imaginings that appear fleetingly over the educational horizon. When ingrained, these expectations become an integral part of the culture of teaching. For teachers in East Asian societies—the Chinese societies, Japan and South Korea—performing to different layers of expectations is a normal part of the job.