A Comparative Study: The Influence of Cultural

Values on Teaching of Secondary Schools in Canada

and in Mainland China

Xiaoxiao Du The University of Western Ontario

xdu7@uwo.ca

Thesis statement

Different cultural values can have different influences on schools’ teaching styles, classroom learning environment and classroom management.

Methodology

It is a qualitative study based on observations and interviews. It is also an ethnographic approach combined with the analysis of forces and factors, especially on the power of culture and the Ministry of Education.

Discussions and Findings

1. Different cultural values

a. Individualism is a moral and social philosophy which emphasizes individual liberty and the primary importance of the individual and personal independence.

b. Collectivism

is an ideology focusing on the importance and benefits of a collective rather than of an individual. The individual should be subordinate to the collective.

The collective may refer to a group of

individuals, a whole society, or a nation.

2. Two secondary schools

One is an Canadian secondary school.

Sudbury

The secondary school in Sudbury is “a quality school where character counts” and teachers constantly explore new ways to meet the students’ needs and interests.

The Canadian secondary school

The other is a senior middle school in mainland China.

Anshan

is dedicated to creating an academic atmosphere of overall development and demonstrating quality education by training students’ creativity and imagination.

The senior middle school in Anshan

3. The influence of cultural values on teaching

a. Teaching styles

Project-based teaching vs. Exam-centered teaching

is that a key question or problem serves to organize the whole process and ends up with a final product that has solved the question (Blumenfeld et al, 1991. P.370).

The essence of project-based teaching

A laptop English class of Grade 11 university level:

Catcher in the Rye independent study assignment (an initial proposal, multimedia presentation and a literary essay).

1.The comparing question serves to drive teaching and learning activities.

2. This assignment shows that learners are in control of the learning process.

3. This assignment emphasizes on students individual uniqueness.

Exam-centered teaching

Teacher-centered teaching

Teacher-designed teaching

b. Classroom learning environment

Personalizing environment

vs.

Serious/strict environment

Adelman and Taylor (2001) defined personalizing learning environment as “ the structures, policies, and practices that promote relationships based on mutual respect, trust, collaboration, and support” (p.19).

1.A learning environment where all students feel connected.

2. Diverse learning opportunities are provided that emphasize choice, voice, and multiple intelligence.

3. Learning tasks have personal meaning and value, and emphasize critical thinking and problem solving.

Serious/strict learning environment

There are strict rules to facilitate teaching.

Teachers treat the class as a whole.

c. Classroom management

Teacher effectiveness

vs.

Assertive discipline

Teacher effectiveness emphasizes the importance of teaching students to regulate and manage their own behavior (Gordon, 2004, p.149)

Assertive discipline There are strict regulations and rules in class.

Conclusion

Culture cannot explain every difference in different education systems.

BUT culture is a significant factor in analysis.

Culture is complicated and dynamic.

Therefore, it is of great importance and necessity to locate cultural analysis in contexts.

between self-determination of individualism and group focus and restrictions of collectivism have great effects on the teaching styles, classroom learning environments, and classroom management of two secondary schools in Canada and mainland China.

Different cultural values