ERIC Number: EJ1021646
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1359-6748
EISSN: N/A
Challenging the Western Stereotype: Do Chinese International Foundation Students Learn by Rote?
Mathias, Jinhua; Bruce, Megan; Newton, Douglas P.
Research in Post-Compulsory Education, v18 n3 p221-238 2013
The dissonance between Eastern and Western learning approaches is regarded as an obstacle for Chinese students in adjusting to Western education environments, and one of the reasons is the lack of an understanding of Chinese learning approaches, that is, Chinese learners are uncritically perceived as rote learners. This paper investigates Chinese international foundation students' learning approaches when they were in China and here in the UK. Their experiences indicate that, similarly to UK students, Chinese students learn with the intention of understanding, they use memorisation only when they fail to understand or have examination pressure. Consequently, Chinese students adjust well to Western teaching styles. Some difficulties they experienced in classrooms are due to language problems and a lack of understanding of Western cultural backgrounds and expectations. Moreover, similarly to UK students who leave home for the first time, the greatest challenge is to develop self-regulated learning. The paper argues that, although Eastern and Western teaching styles are significantly different, students' underlying learning approaches can be similar in China and the West.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Foreign Students, Two Year College Students, Asians, Stereotypes, Rote Learning, Learning Strategies, Memorization, Cultural Differences, Student Adjustment, Student Experience, Independent Study, Case Studies, Interviews, Focus Groups
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Postsecondary Education; Higher Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China; United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A