Editor's Introduction Welcome to J\1icronesian Educator, a joun1al repmting on educational research and practice in Micronesia and elsewhere in the Asia - Pacific region. We have three articles in this issue. The first article, entitled '"Self-efficacy for science careers: A comparative study between Japanese and Filipino university students," summarizes analyses ofthe psychological mechanisms behind choosing a career in science. Japan and the Philippines are both Asian countries, but there are many cultural differences between the two. In 2006, the United States National Academies expressed their concern about the declining state of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STE1vf) education, and since then, U.S. Federal government support for study in the STEM fields has substantially improved. The results of this study showed that Filipino students possessed higher self-efficacy than Japanese students. This article offers meaningful insights into both ethnically based and gender based issues regarding how school cun路icula should be implemented in order to advance STEM education in general. The second article, entitled "Physical fitness and motor ability among young people in Guam," describes the results from a two-step investigation conducted on Charter Day at the University of Guam. Friendship programs between the University of Guam and Okayama University began in 2003. This year they celebrated their 1Oth anniversary of the friendship programs. This article is a product of cooperative efforts between the two universities. Because of its climate, which is hot and hmnid throughout the year, physical education here in Guam is not so effective, including in the areas of physical fitness and motor abilities. Even though the sample is a group of volunteers, the results are informative and useful. The results indicate indeed that people who have greater flexibility tend to have better results in physical fitness tests. For those developing curricula in schools and higher education, the results from this study can be applied as a basis for action. The third article, entitled "Perceptions of emotional intelligence of administrators at a Pacific island community college," reports the results of a study of emotional intelligence as a critical component of effective leadership. Leadership theories have identified the ability to experience and express empathy as an important part of leadership. At the same time, these theories propose that emotional intelligence is distinct from empathic intelligence, as well as cognitive intelligence. This study operationally defmes emotional intelligence as the capacity to reason about emotions, and of emotions to enhance thinking. The results identified significant differences between faculty and administrators in tern1s of self-perceived emotional intelligence. As one of the reviewers pointed out, analyses of emotional intelligence as a correlate of leadership could provide a foundation for future research on higher education in the Pacific. We welcome active responses from our readers, and hope they will be encouraged to submit their work for future issues, so that this publication continues to provide an important medium for sharing empirical research, theoretical perspectives, opinion papers, and practical applications. Finally, I would like to thank all of the authors who contributed to this issue; and all of the reviewers, for their enthusiasm and dedication: without which this journal could not exist. Yukiko Inoue- Smith, Editor
Page4 Micronesian Educator -Volume 17, 2013