Learning and Teaching in the Chinese Classroom: Responding to Individual Needs

Preface

Preface This book is one of a number of volumes in the Hong Kong Teacher Education Series, published by Hong Kong University Press. Our aim is to bridge the gap between a number of theories in educational psychology relating to both learning and teaching, and the Chinese learner; and to do so, we rely on some of the relevant research in the areas of learning and teaching. We have written this book in a way that challenges readers’ understanding about the purpose and practice of teaching. We argue that professional teachers need to take into account the different potentialities and learning needs of each student, and that their teaching should be based on sound research findings. Although we avoid simple prescriptions for practice, each chapter will add to the teacher’s professional ‘toolbox’. Inherent in the book’s title is the notion that learning and teaching is contextual. In other words, research findings from the West should not be imported and applied directly in Chinese classrooms as there is a danger that the adoption of such practices will reduce the effectiveness of teaching. It is vital that teachers think broadly and critically about their own teaching and consider practices from all cultures in order to maximize student learning. The title of the book refers to the ‘Chinese classroom’ and we continually refer to the ‘Chinese student’. Chinese classrooms and Chinese students are found mainly, of course, in China, its Special Administrative Regions (SARs) Hong Kong and Macau, and countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. These countries and SARs share to a greater or lesser degree a common cultural heritage, which is often referred to as Confucian. In writing this book, we are aware of the problems associated with ‘… over-generalizing Asian learners under the Confucian aegis …’ (Lee 1996, 26). However, Lee also considered that their common cultural heritage, particularly in their conceptions of learning and teaching, permits their being grouped together. Because much of the research on the Chinese classroom focuses on the examples from Hong Kong, most of the findings cited in this book come from this city. This book will be useful for students in teacher education awards such as the bachelor of education and the postgraduate diploma in education. We believe that xvi Preface practising teachers will also benefit from reading this book because it describes examples of current research in the area. In addition, for teachers wanting to pursue research degrees in education, this book will serve as a useful starting point in their thinking about possible research topics. In approaching our task, we based our thinking and writing on a number of outcomes. After reading and being actively engaged in the learning activities, we expect readers to be able to: • draw links between theory and research; • access current research related to learning and teaching; • apply their knowledge in understanding the possible basis of student underachievement and help students to realize their learning potential; and • view teaching as an active process requiring ongoing and thoughtful personal development. This book draws on our many years of teaching in our respective fields at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Very early in our teaching we realized that our students wanted to know how theory can be applied to contexts with which they were familiar. We encouraged our students to think about the influence of culture on effective learning and teaching; and, in turn, our students wanted examples that they could relate to rather than those that differed in time and context. Our separate research programmes complemented our teaching. This research helped us to examine the usefulness of theory in understanding learning and teaching in the Hong Kong Chinese classroom. As well as our own research, we are able to draw on a rich tradition of research that focuses on Chinese learners, their parents and their teachers. Much of this research has been conducted by scholars working within Hong Kong, complemented by the work of researchers outside Hong Kong who are interested in making cross-cultural comparisons. Clearly, Hong Kong is ideally placed for this type of research because of its international accessibility and progressive attitude towards research concerning the education of its children. The book’s contents are organized into 11 chapters. Chapters 1, 2, 6, 10 and 11 are written by Bick-har Lam and Chapters 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9 are written by Shane N. Phillipson. This organization reflects our different areas of expertise and interests. Chapter 1 discusses the philosophical and cultural basis...