Cross-cultural immersion in China: Preparing Pre-service elementary teachers to work with diverse student populations in the United States

Presenter: Jessica WuAdvisor: Dr. Chin-Ying Philip LinInstructor: Dr. Pi-Ying Teresa HsuDate: October 28, 2013

Citation

• Zhao, Y., Meyers, L. & Meyers, B. (2009). Cross-cultural immersion in China: Preparing pre-service elementary teachers to work with diverse student populations in the United States. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 37(3), 295-317.

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ContentsIntroduction

Literature review

Methodology

Result

Conclusion

Future Study3

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Introduction

Introduction• Background

American schools have become increasingly diverse in the past decade.

More and more classes with a greater diversity of cultures and languages have emerged in many pasts of the country.

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Introduction• Background

• Pre-service teachers are not adequately prepared to teach these students, especially when the students’ ethnic and cultural backgrounds differ from that of the pre-service teachers’.

The purpose of study

• To investigate pre-service teachers’ perceptions of their overseas student teaching and how this experience might affect their future teaching in culturally diverse school settings in the United States.

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Gap

• Although there is an increase in the number of American students going to Asian countries in recent years, there is a lack of research exploring American pre-service student teachers’ elementary teaching experiences in Asian Countries.

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Literature Review

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Literature Review

• Cross-cultural immersion experiences have been considered an effective way to help pre-service teachers achieve the goal of a broader and more global perspective.

(Gay, 2000; Nieto, 2006)

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Literature Review• Cross-cultural experiential learning would

assist pre-service teachers to better understand their students’ cultures and to teach through their own cultural and experiential filters.

(Gay,2000; Nieto, 2006)

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Literature Review

• Many educators believe that, to work more successfully with culturally diverse students, teachers need to adopt a culturally responsive pedagogical stance.

(The Education Alliance, 2006;

National Education Association, 2008)

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Research Questions• Q1: How did pre-service teachers perceive

their cross-cultural student teaching

experience in Chinese schools?• Q2: How did they perceive their professional

and personal growth as a result of this

cross-cultural teaching experience?• Q3: How can a culturally responsive

pedagogical stance be developed during a

cross-cultural immersion experience?13

Methodology

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Methodology

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10 undergradua

te pre-service

elementary education student teachers

One male/ nine females

From 21 to 55 years

China

Xingdu

Four-week

cultural immersio

n experienc

eparticipants

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Methodology

10 American student teachers

‘Lab School’ of the university large class sizes

‘Charter School’

smaller class sizes

Interview Protocol• Questions asked before going to China during student

teaching in United States:

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1 Tell me why you want to participate in this study abroad program (in China).

2 Tell me about your student teaching experiences in your school placement in the US.

3 How do you think your teaching experiences in the US will affect your teaching in China?

4 What do you expect from this cross-cultural teaching experience (in China)?

5 What concerns you most?

6 How are you prepared for teaching in China?

Interview Protocol• Questions asked upon completion of student teaching

in China:

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1 Describe your trip to China. Please be specific.

2 Tell me about your teaching and learning experiences in China.

3 How is the US teaching experience different from the Chinese teaching experience?

4 What stood out the most for you during this cross-cultural student teaching experience?

5 Were your expectations realized? Why or Why not?

6 How might this experience affect your teaching in American schools?

Result

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Result

Q1: How did pre-service teachers perceive

their cross-cultural student teaching

experience in Chinese schools?

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Student teachers perceived this cross-cultural immersion experience in China as extremely beneficial to their future teaching career, nothing that they gained knowledge, skills and insights as a result of their participation.

Participants’ dialogue

It has been a challenging experience trying to balance between the American style of teaching and the Chinese style. With the lack of resources and having to teach over 100 students, it made it difficult to teach.

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Result Q2: How did they perceive their professional

and personal growth as a result of this

cross-cultural teaching experience?

They learned new and effective teaching strategies for second-language learners from their Chinese counterparts. They learned to be more flexible and collaborative in teaching in general.

Participants’ dialogue

Michelle learned a lot of teaching strategies from her Chinese mentoring teacher in creating, designing and implementing classroom dialogues and improvisational scenarios that are both amusing and relevant to Chinese culture and student life.

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ResultQ3: How can a culturally responsive pedagogical stance be developed during a cross-cultural immersion experience?

A culturally responsive pedagogical stance can be nurtured through a cross-cultural immersion experience, and opportunities for pre-service teachers to go abroad have become more feasible in recent years.

Participants’ dialogue

Stacy has learned how to teach students who do not speak the same language as you do. She have learned how to help other professionals and how to collaborate so that everyone moves forward.

Conclusion

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Conclusion• Teacher education programs ought to provide

pre-service teachers with similar opportunities to help them develop the necessary attitudes, skills and competencies, they need in order to work more effectively with culturally diverse students.

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My Future Study

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Future Study

InterviewThe male senior

high foreign teacherOpen-ended

questionsTime: 1-2 hours

ObservationVisual VerbalTone Body language

Recording PenContents

Class observationTeaching situationStudents behavior

Four weeks (March )

Open-ended questions

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Part one: Before coming to Taiwan

• Where are you from? Please share some important information about yourself.

• What was your impression about Taiwan or Asia before coming here? Where did you get the information about Taiwan or Asia?

• How many foreign languages have you learned? Does it influence your English teaching?

Part Two: Shortly after coming to Taiwan

• Did you experience any culture shock when you first came to Taiwan, including in your daily life or job?

• Who helped you with your problems when you first came to Taiwan? Did you have close friends that you could trust and talk to at that time?

• Di d you have any teaching problems when you first taught Taiwanese students here?

Part three: Now in Taiwan• Is there still any culture shock or any cross-cultural

adjustment problems in your daily life? For example, any living problems, such as food, or the weather?

• How do you deal with those living problems now?

• Who can help you with those living problems now?do you have any Taiwanese friends that you can trust, talk to or get help from?

Part Four: Academic culture in distance

• What impressed you most when you were FIRST teaching Taiwanese students, including position or negative impression?

• What are still the problems NOW when you’re teach Taiwanese students?

• What are the strength/weakness of Taiwanese students, compared with England students?

Thank you for listening.

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