Ethics Case Study： Would Chinese Teaching Style Fits in Western Education System？

Ying+Yan

Chinese students usually get very high grades in schools or international academic competitions. Therefore， BBC releases one documentary recently which is titled as “Are Our Kids Tough Enough？ Chinese School” to find out if the Chinese teaching style fits in British education system. In this documentary， an experiment is carried out in one British middle school. This four-week long experiment involves five experienced Chinese teachers to teach different subjects in a traditional Chinese style to ninth-grade British students. All traditional Chinese teachers are strict and are definitely familiar with Chinese teaching methods. On the contrast， the students are all local and they are creative with a strong British cultural background.

The traditional Chinese class is strictly carried out in this local British school. During four weeks， students should listen to Chinese teachers and obey all the Chinese classroom rules. Specifically， students are asked to wear the special uniforms during the school time. School days starts at seven oclock in the morning and no late excuses are allowed. By using traditional Chinese teaching methods， all the lessons are focused on repetition and note-taking. In this teacher-centered class， the teacher has the highest authority. From the Chinese perspective， in order to be a good student， students should be quite and listen to the lectures all the time. With huge educational and cultural differences between China and Britain， both teachers and students cannot accept each other at first. As for teachers， they have great enthusiasm and confidence about teaching in Britain at the beginning. However， after teaching for a while， they find out that British students are not good students from the typical Chinese perspective. Students are not focused on learning in the class and they do not really respect teachers with a Chinese style. Students， on the other hand， also have many complaints about these Chinese teachers. They are not used to learning in a large class and studying a very narrow curriculum. They feel like they are treated as robots. With repetition and practicing， they cannot have any other creative thinking or group activities. Under the high expectation from Chinese teachers， students are studying with great pressure. However， as time passes by， the relationship between teachers and students improves and some students even express their preference for the Chinese teaching style.

Obviously， traditional Chinese teaching methods shock British culture and are much valued within these British students. Both the teacher and the student cannot adapt themselves to each others cultural or educational background within four weeks. However， with more time spent on， teachers and students are able to know each other well and find an appropriate way to teach and learn. People cannot decide which teaching method is better， but for educators， we should find the most appropriate way to teach and to meet our students needs.

There are many factors that cause the differences between Chinese education and British education. Chinese education system is established and managed by the government. Same outlines guide teachers to teach in the same way nationally， which is repetition and drilling. Chinese students are familiar with this kind of teaching style and method since they have been exposed to this teaching and learning environment for a really long time. Under the pressure of society and competition， students are expected to get higher grades on the tests so that they can be enrolled in a better school. With the same goal， the teacher has to develop a teaching method to satisfy students needs.

Compared to Chinese education， British education is more flexible. Students are encouraged to develop personal interests and critical thinking. Generally， the class is students-centered and varying activities will be carried on to match the learning objectives. By doing the discussions or the group activities， students are able to understand the content in a deeper way. Both Chinese and British educational methods have its own advantages and drawbacks. As for Chinese teaching style， by combining lecturing and practicing， students can get high grades， but students become less and less creative. British teaching style， on the other hand， focuses on students personal development and critical thinking， which helps students become independent. However， students would not be as competitive as Chinese students in academic tests. In my opinion， there do not have one teaching method which is superior to another. The best method is the one which meets with students needs.

Based on the documentary， there is a huge collision between traditional Chinese teachers and British students. Undoubtedly， disagreements must occur based on different perspectives. However， with more time spent， teachers and students would be able to know each other better and find appropriate ways to solve the problems. Teachers should find better ways to teach and meet with students needs， and students should communicate with teachers regularly as well.

References：

[1]Would Chinese-style education work on British Kids？（n.d.）.Retrieved August 4，2015.From：http：//www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33735517.