National Identity Crisis - Essay Example

NATIONAL IDENTITY CRISIS by The of the The of the School The and where it is located The Date A Learning Sequence which Covers LS Content in Implications of National Identity of Chinese A. Introduction The concept “national identity”, first introduced in the course of the so-called behavioural revolution in political science, has obvious significance to the problems of development, integration, international relations, and a host of other issues. The design of this learning sequence for students of liberal studies is centred on “constructivist learning model”. Constructivism, therefore, denotes that humans generate knowledge and meaning from the interaction between their experiences and ideas. However, the social cognitive theory also comes in handy as it states that knowledge acquisition can be directly interconnected to observing others within the context of experiences, outside media influences as well as social interactions. Most of these approaches rely on the practice of guided finding where the tutor avoids using the most undeviating instruction and endeavours to lead the scholar through queries and actions to determine, deliberate, appreciate, and express the new acquaintance. Therefore, the planning of teaching the above-mentioned topic adopts the constructivist learning theory (Tucker, 2005, p. 89). B. Students’ Background 1. Students‟ Level and Pre-requisite Knowledge This study will centre on The Chinese Foundation Secondary School students who are studying form 5 of their junior form course. During their junior form studies, the students should acquire the prerequisite related knowledge of “identity” from integrated humanities. According to the liberal studies Curriculum and Assessment Guide (C & A Guide EDB of 2007), the relevant learning experience (from P1 to S3) of the concept of identity are:  Roles and identities of the individual as a member of a group  The identities of individuals as Hong Kong residents and Chinese citizens  Awareness and concern for local, national, and global communities  The emergence of a global identity in an interdependent world The students need to be well equipped with the basic knowledge concerning the issue about Chinese Nationalism. The students should identify themselves with their national symbols and the court systems. Thus, national identity to them should be seen as the repository of the most cherished and sometimes even extravagant or demented, aspirations (Prazniak, 1996, p. 89).  2. Modules Related to Liberal Studies Curriculum This module is expected to cover (4-6 lessons of 40 minutes each) together with pre-lesson preparation by students as well as homework if necessary. Therefore, this issue is closely related to two modules of the NSS Liberal Studies curriculum as follows:  Module 2 – Hong Kong Today (focus on national identity and multiple identities)  Module 4 – Globalization (focus on cultural effects) The students are often encouraged to go a notch higher and try to identify other areas in the world that have the same issue of national identity like the one they do (Guo & Teng, 2012, p. 9). 3. Aspirations of Learning Upon the completion of the designated task, students are expected to have broadened their take and general understanding on matters pertaining to nationality, patriotism, cultural heritage, and open mindedness. Their overall approach to matters of problem solution cooperation as well as judgment pertaining to matters of justice is expected to improve (Dolo, 2007, p. 7). C. Teaching and Learning Process 1. Stage One - Pre-lesson Preparation by Students Before going to the theme, students are expected to search for some basic concepts or data collection from internet, books, video or other mass media (Zheng & Wan, 2014, p. 18). . For example,  Meaning of personal identity  Meaning of national identity  Definition of patriotism  Rights and obligation of a resident in a country  Migration and identity  Minority groups in Hong Kong  Racism  Multiculturalism In this preparation, the teacher allows students to use one week for searching and expects them to find out the concepts as much as possible. Students are divided into 4-6 persons in a group and can separate their duties by division of labour. Based on Mahoney & Michenbaum (1995, p. 56), the physiognomies of a constructivist tutorial room are:  The scholars are enthusiastically involved  The setting is autonomous  The actions are co-operative as well as student-centred  The instructor facilitates a course of learning in which scholars are stimulated to be accountable and independent depending on their preceding experiences or information, connected cases and, support, which may be essential for sustenance. The teacher requires providing an accurate setting for responsibilities and all information resources. Therefore, the teacher provides some suggested websites for students as a reference (Calder & Fukuyama, 2008, p. 34). It is expected of the students to have developed a sketch on the various matters of discussion in relation to national identity. The avenues that could aid in the assistance of their research include the internet, books from the library, journals or magazines regarding matters of national identity as well as video sources. It is important for the learners to work in groups to promote teamwork and symbolize the basic concept of the term “National Identity” (Horney, 1992, p. 27). The various topics that should be given on the students to research include: What is National Identity The importance of national identity Factors that promote national identity The teacher needs to provide the necessary guidelines for the students. 2. Stage Two – Engagement Point After the given duration for personal and group research elapses, the teacher is expected to summon the students together and give them the way forward. Among the common techniques that teachers often employ is the concept of group presentation (Chow, 2012, p. 27). Just as the name suggests, the students are involved in the erudition process through a single presentation of the overall groups. The teacher sums up the learning process often by giving a verdict on the whole concept mainly by an example related to the study. In this case, the teacher uses an example of the Chinese Basketball superstar Yao Ming and how he identifies himself with China although he dwells in a foreign nation. Another instance could be an African medicine student who attains Chinese citizenship and the interrelation with the other Chinese people (Launikari & Puukari, 2005, p. 123). 3. Stage Three – Knowledge Building The teacher gives a lecture about the Chinese nationals residing outside China. The teacher states that since Chinese is the highest spoken language worldwide, there could be many Chinese people living in other areas internationally. In the constructivist classroom, it is vital that the tutor’s role is to specify and oversee discussion. Therefore, the instructor’s emphasis should be on managing students by probing enquiries that will make them to improve their specific conclusions (Fayolle, Malysev & Mensikov, 1995, p. 5). The teacher, therefore, explains about the Chinese people of Chinese ancestry who are located in Indonesia and the American popular Chinatown located in Los Angeles. The Chinese face discrimination worldwide due to lack of national identity with their country as well as personal identity. Many Chinese persons are usually born and foreign lands without having personal contact with their motherland even after death. The use of students’ discussion in the classroom is grounded in theories of social constructivism (Femenia, 1996, p. 10). There are a full range of advantages from the implementation of classroom discussion such as encouraging students to generalize and transfer their knowledge of classroom learning, building a strong foundation for communication ideas orally, increasing students ability to test their ideas, synthesizing the ideas of others, building deeper understanding of what they are learning, affording students opportunities to exercise self-regulation, self-determination, increasing students motivation, collaborative skills, the ability to problem solving, and developing reasoning skills (Harper, 2006, p. 78). Students might refer to the previous suggested websites and their organized notes (at stage 2) to share their ideas and compromise their comments. In the following lesson, each group is required to present their discussion to the whole class (Carswell, 2000, p. 16). The presentation might be used with the aid of PowerPoint or Word document in point form and finally distributed as notes to other classmates. 4. Stage Four – Knowledge Transformation Students are then given time and chance to digest the whole case and come up with their own comprehension about the topic. The teacher then poses three questions: I. What is the importance of national identity? II. Other than China, are other countries affected? III. What conclusion can you draw on the issue of China’s identity crisis? The teacher should strive to ensure that the knowledge extended to the students is expanded upon to give them a broader picture of the case scenario 5. Stage Five – Knowledge Presentation Normally, the student’s level of understanding is often tested by exams. Nevertheless, in constructivist education, the procedure of gaining knowledge is regarded as being merely as significant as the product. Therefore, the valuation is grounded not only on quizzes/examinations, but also on reflections of students’ work and their points of view (Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning). In this case, the instructor can use a specification and personal observation to assess students and then decide to choose a representative from each group who will compile the whole researched information and present to their fellow students. The students are expected to form their individual opinions at their personal level as well as compile information. They will also ask questions that will further their studies for a more detailed concept of the Chinese national identity crisis. Basing on the concept of the constructive theory approach in learning, the student’s confidence will be boosted to build up on their knowledge as well as help them build on their already present understanding of the concept. The teacher should ensure that the presentation takes different forms ranging from oral to audio presentation of the same concept to build on the point and improve understanding by the learners. Valuation in the tutorial room is based on analysis and examinations. Teachers always focus on students to produce the correct responses. Though, in constructivist education, the procedure of gaining information is regarded as imperative as the product. 6. Stage Six – Follow-up Reflection a) Further reading The teacher can then suggest or provide further reading materials for the students to expand their knowledge and understanding on the issue pertaining national identity of China and Singapore as well as the lives of the Chinese persons living outside China. The teacher also encourages them to find any other related articles and read them for their own consumption and understanding. Further reading, therefore, entails the teacher suggesting various titles to the students to read at their personal level. Books, journals, video sources, print media and internet sites should be presented before the students for them to choose. This will help to break the class monotony as the students will have a larger source to choose in the process of building on their knowledge. Among the prescribed books include, “China’s Quest for National Identity, Discovering Chinese Nationalism in China, and Contemporary Chinese Politic in Historical Perspective”. Therefore, further reading often gives rise to assignments to validate that the scholars are actually reading and not merely participating lazily. Assignments can be presented after the students have already completed the prescribed material. It can be presented in group form or at personal levels. However, due to the sensitivity of the topic, the teacher should give the assignment in groups. This will depict the true picture of the Chinese Nationalism to the students and make them appreciate the study. Assignments also give the teacher the capacity to test the level of understanding of the students as well as help in expounding on the information that they currently possess. Conclusion The teacher therefore concludes that matters pertaining to national identity or the term national identity in itself bring about a different understanding within places. Others believe that the Chinese national identity lies within their cultural and ethnic grounds. However, most importantly is to note that with the modern state of affairs, the social, economic, and political matters relating to the Chinese matter most. Hence, the students should learn to deal with issues rationally and appreciate the different cultural diversities as well as be good citizens of the world at large. The teacher summarizes that people usually have their own perspective and agreement of national identity. A common value or consensus should be established in a country for the hope of establishing a harmonious society. Since the issue of national identity is worldwide, under the trend of globalization, the boundaries of the nation are becoming unclear. The world is not only facing the problems of cultural effect derived from national identity, but also continues to encounter economic and political effects. After learning the topic, students should be able to enhance the social awareness of the society, appreciate and respect diversity in cultures, and handle conflicting values, as well as develop multiple perspectives. More importantly, they could become responsible citizens of the society, the country, and even the world. Bibliography Calder, K. E., & Fukuyama, F. (2008). East Asian multilateralism: prospects for regional stability. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press. Carswell, J. (2000). Blue & white Chinese porcelain around the world. Chicago, IL, Art Media Resources. Chow, P. 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