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АНАЛИЗ ОСОБЕННОСТЕЙ ОБУЧЕНИЯ КИТАИСКИХ СТУДЕНТОВ Н. Вайс1
'Статья подготовлена в рамках реализации Проекта «Совершенствование практики преподавания в системе высшего образования в России и Китае» Программы «ЭРАЗМУС+»
Аннотация. Подходы к преподаванию и обучению различаются ввиду высокого разнообразия социальных, культурных и образовательных традиций в рамках страны, региона, континента. Общемировые тенденции глобализации образования и образовательной миграции обусловливают задачу глубокой интеграции студентов в систему высшего образования, способствующей эффективности обучения. Изучение национальных образовательных практик и традиций, очевидно, будет способствовать выявлению возможностей вовлечения студентов иностранцев в разнообразные проекты, дискуссии и другие педагогические мероприятия. Автор обобщает особенности обучения китайских студентов с целью их наилучшей адаптации к системе высшего образования в Великобритании и предлагает способы их включения в образовательную деятельность.
Ключевые слова: высшее образование, образовательные традиции, китайские студенты, интеграция, адаптация.
HOW CHINESE STUDENTS LEARN AND ENCOURAGING ENGAGEMENT: A REVIEW PAPER
N. Wise1
'The article is written within the Capacity Building Project «Enhancing Teaching Practice in Higher Education in RUSSIA and CHINA» (ENTEP). ERASMUS+ Programme
Abstract. There exists a breadth of literature focusing on how we learn. However, approaches to teaching and learning differ around the world because there are social and cultural differences associated with how we learn. This paper will start by reviewing literature on how Chinese students learn before addressing challenges and solutions to better integrating Chinese students into higher education in the UK-so that they become independent thinkers and are encouraged to engage more in classroom discussions and activities. This is a conceptual reflection paper to explore the topic of student engagement and different education practice so to gain some foundation knowledge as a contributor to the Erasmus+ capacity building project on: Enhancing Higher Education Teaching Practices in Russia and China.
Keywords: How we Learn; Active/Passive Learning; Student Engagement; UK; China.
There exists a breadth of literature focusing on how we learn [6;7;14;15;18;24]. However, approaches to teaching and learning differ around the world because there are social and cultural differences associated with how we learn [10;16;28]. Researchers are continually assessing educational approaches, practices and challenges in different countries, for example in the United States [2], Brazil [11], Nigeria [27] and China [13]. This critical issue analysis is concerned with how Chinese students learn because an increasing number of students from China enter UK universities each year at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Psychologists analyses how we learn, and while this can differ by country, or be influenced by cultural norms, student mobility adds to this complexity because in international classroom settings, common across a range of UK universities, students from different backgrounds sometimes struggle because the approach to teaching and learning may differ greatly from what they are used to. The UK is the top destination in Europe for Chinese students [3]. Teaching and learning in the UK is very much student driven, where students are encouraged to be independent thinkers and challenge ideas when
thinking about topics from a range of disciplinary perspectives [22]. Alternatively, teaching and learning in China is drastically different, and students do not often challenge the teacher or what is written-as their learning in based around what is taught to them [19;23;30], a more passive learning approach.
This paper will start by reviewing literature on how Chinese students learn before addressing challenges and solutions to better integrating Chinese students into higher education in the UK-so that they become independent thinkers and are encouraged to engage more in classroom discussions and activities. I am interested in this topic because I am actively involved with working to develop international partnerships and teaching abroad. I believe gaining background insight on how Chinese students learn will assist how I interact with Chinese students in the UK and abroad, so that I can better work with and teach Chinese students. I will also be contributing to an Erasmus+ Capacity Building Project working with lecturers at Chinese universities so this content will also enable me to understanding teaching delivery better once the project commences.
The teaching and learning experience in China is based on students will "respect teachers' authority" and
"only students at the top of performance hierarchy have power to raise questions in class; face value" [30]. This is conceptually based on Confucian thought framed on obedience, justice and moral character that comprise the Chinese psyche [19]. Likewise, speaking back to traditional approaches "Chinese school students will be mostly learning through listening, note-taking and reading the textbook. Activities such as problem solving, critical analysis, collecting evidence and experimentation are rare, and there is little emphasis on study skills in many schools" [20]. These points are reinforced by Sit [23] who mention in the traditional Chinese education system "teachers are expected to structure knowledge step by step so that students are able to build knowledge in a systematic and consolidated manner." This traditional approach is being challenged today to go beyond a teacher focused classroom to a student focused classroom [13], which is related to more applied (active learning) education practices in the UK.
There are two main areas of discussion from the literature addressing how Chinese students learn. Academic practice is discussed around techniques and adapting to applied education in the UK. The other is cultural learning patterns (discussed below). More applied approaches are based on independent learning techniques and problem solving. A blog dedicated to Chinese students studying in the UK allows students to reflect on the different academic practice. One key development was classes did not use textbooks, nor was the lecture based around a sole text [21]. Critical thinking activities, and associated independent learning, are what applied education is based on, and this is achieved by students interacting and working together on tasks to build critical thinking, analytical and attitudinal skills [19]. There is not a one-size-fits all approach across all disciplines, whereas in China 'the teacher teaches and the learner learns' approach in the classroom is not standardised in UK, or other western education practices. Neuby described that such eclectic approaches (which often differed week-on-week) meant that Chinese not only struggled with comprehending classroom activities meant to enhance the learning process, and also did not understand the lecturer's expectations. While language was not always an issue, the Chinese student did express frustration around the learning approach in Neuby's (2012) study. Foster and Stapleton (2012) conducted focus groups with Chinese students to understand how they perceived western teaching styles. Chinese students felt lost and confused by the different opinions expressed by students, and were at times concerned because other students in the class are not the subject experts, preferring to take notes from the teacher who they see as the subject expert. What was also expressed was Chinese students were conscious that they might say
something wrong and oftentimes did not understand the local context of what was being discussed [9]. I believe lecturers can get caught up in student expectations and frustrations can go both ways. UK education practice is deemed 'normal' to those who have studied and taught in such systems, and as classrooms are becoming more culturally and socially heterogeneous, there is a need for educators to understand underlying social and cultural differences [28].
Whilst the educational approach is important, there are also cultural considerations. Such cultural learning patterns are further explained in an Education Bureau and University of Hong Kong (n.d.) [8] report outlining four paradoxes on Chinese learners: 1. surface-deep; memorisation-understanding; competition-
collaboration; and didactic-constructivist. Of these four paradoxes, the one that relates to this paper is memorisation-understanding. Memorisation is further explored in other papers and when Chinese students study abroad, they are not only challenged by the different approach in to education in the UK, there are also social and cultural factors that impact on Chinese students in and out of the classroom. Memorisation in learning when being tested means responding specifically to what was learnt in the classroom (often read point-for-point from a book) without challenging ideas or perspective, which is recursive when it comes to deeper learning [5;17]. Marton [17] assessed Chinese students learning transition from passive approaches to more active approaches and found that Chinese students began to see differences in content that was repeated and content that was varied. This varied approach was part of the emphasis to get students to not just remember what was presented, but to understand and challenge ideas, and such approaches can better prepare Chinese students to achieve in the UK.
Speaking back to the point on social and cultural differences mentioned above [29], describes that Chinese students go through psychological and sociocultural adjustments and it can take time for them to adapt to very different experiences in their new setting. Not only is the education system different, but the overall cultural setting is different and this explains why so many Chinese students tend to form strong bonds and associate with each other opposed to integrating with students from the home country or students from other backgrounds [29]. This is further emphasised by Spencer-Oatey and Xiong [25] who found "social interaction with non-Chinese was consistently identified as problematic and this, as well as difficulties in adjusting to daily life, were very highly correlated with psychological stress" because they are not used to the amount of interaction [1].
To reflect on the points presented and outlined above, it seems that most of the research relates to social and cultural differences and how Chinese students are used to interacting with lecturer and other students. Much is related to respect for the lecturer because they have the highest educational level in the room, and due to this, what the lecturer states is taken as fact. This can cause challenges in discussions because students will retain information presented by the lecturer and often decide not to question or challenge the approach. This can also transfer across in assessments as well where students will take what is written in published academic books and journals as fact opposed to challenging perspectives and ideas. They will see differences across papers, but that critical analysis that is demanded in UK higher education is not always common practice in China where assessment is based on what has been attained in the lecture and lecture content is a one-way dialogue from lecturer to student opposed to co-creation between lecturer and student to build on ideas and perspectives holistically. More workshops are needed to expose international students to UK approaches. Likewise, social and cultural inductions (for all international students) need to focus on assimilation both inside and outside the classroom to avoid abrupt pedagogical changes when entering the semester. However, as referred to above, online forums (such as blogs) do exist so that students can interact with current Chinese students in the UK about what to expect. Broadly considering international students, because international students tend to stick together, it is a good ideal to put students in different groups in the classroom for the purpose of interaction so international students learn from home students and home students can learn from international students. This can help increase the co-production and knowledge and interpretation and promote subsequent socialisation. Gu and Maley [12] found that students adapt, but their results seemed inconclusive because they mention over time students get used to a different system - but there were no recommendation suggesting how to combat issues and struggles earlier. Turner's [26] study contradicts this point, who found after one year of study underlying approaches to learning did not change, because Chinese students were often isolated in the classroom.
More primary research is needed, as my observations in the classroom are in line with Turner's
[26] findings, to address and combat passive learning.
Referring back to the four paradoxes, in this reflection didactic-constructivist can help explain some of these recommendations further. Chan [4] refers to changing educational contexts and how there is a shift in China to integrate more innovative pedagogies that are based on knowledge building opposed to memorisation, but because of the traditional learning practices in China this is still evolving [5; 13] and represents the focus of an Erasmus+ Capacity Building project that LJMU will be involved in with new Chinese, Russian and European partners (including the UK Higher Education Academy). As Chan [4] and Chan and Rao [5] propose, there is a need to emphasise more constructivist teaching and learning approaches to get Chinese students more actively involved in knowledge construction and away from passive learning that is based on solely on memorisation. This is especially important for Chinese students who study in UK HE institutions who need are required to (oftentimes abruptly) transform from solely learners to students who will be required to become makers of meaning and independent critical thinkers-if they are going to excel at more demanding UK assessments.
In reflection, this work is currently being taken forward in my own teaching and through my involvement in an Erasmus+ Capacity Building project: Enhancing Higher Education Teaching Practices in Russia and China (ENTEP). In the last several years I have noticed international students tend to work together when conducting group work or on group assessments. I also notice that during class discussions Chinese students especially do not always speak up or challenge ideas that I present, or content in class readings. I believe it is important for international students to better integrate with home students and other international students so that they can share different perspectives in an attempt to challenge ideas and co-create knowledge. Although Chinese learning styles differ, they are still assessed and evaluated on the same criteria as British students who are used to UK learning and teaching. My experiences and findings from this paper will also be used in my discussion with lecturers in China as I work on the Erasmus+ project where I will engage in instruction and delivery approaches in China (and Russia) aimed at modernising teaching approaches and delivery techniques.
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Сведения об авторе:
Вайс Николас (г. Ливерпуль, Великобритания), кандидат технических наук, старший преподаватель по управлению событиями и туризмом и координатор международной мобильности, Ливерпульский университет имени Джона Мурса, e-mail: N.A.Wise@ljmu.ac.uk
Data about the author:
N. Wise (Liverpool, UK), Candidate of Technical Sciences, Senior Lecturer in Events and Tourism
Management and International Mobility Coordinator, Liverpool John Moores University, e-mail: N.A.Wise@ljmu.ac.uk
