The Teaching Methods in China - Term Paper Example

Difference between Chinese and Western Systems of Education The term education originates from Latin word ""Educere"" which essentially signifies to lead forward or to bring up or to rise. It consequently indicates that education generally refers to a form of learning in which knowledge; abilities, values and propensities for an individual or a group of individuals are exchanged starting with one generation to the next. Education looks to impart great qualities in a man and draw out the best in every person (Adamson,et al.43 ). This simply implies that any type of experience that has a compelling impact on the way a person acts, thinks or feels may be considered as education. Education happens through exploration, preparing or teaching under the direction of instructors and can too be self-teaching. Teachers have the obligation to instruct their learners in the most ideal ways that could be available. Educating is the giving of information, aptitudes and qualities to the learners through the use of suitable teaching methods that are satisfactory. Through the routines the general public has the capacity accomplish set objectives and instructive destinations (Chua 67). Good teachers know how to viably teach their students the skills they really require in life based on the numerous teaching techniques. Therefore, educators must be adaptable in their teaching methods and frequently modify their styles to have the capacity to suit all students, thus effective education. However, the obvious question that has led to heated debates is “what makes the difference in education?” The difference comes as a result of different education systems that are adopted by the various nations; most countries use different approaches in their teaching and learning. This brings the big difference that is between Chinese system of education and that of the Westerners. First and foremost, the most detectable contrast at the center school and secondary school level is the size of the classes (Hsu, and Yuh-Yin 17). In china teachers regularly teach two classes with 55 to 60 students. While on the other hand, American secondary teachers regularly teach five or six classes with class sizes extending from 25 to 30. It should be noted that students have got different behavioral entries based on their psychological development, socio-economic background and culture as well. This makes it very important that the teacher-student ratio be manageable, so that every student gets special attention. In Western culture, students are free to ask and answer questions in order to get clarifications, they are more willing to speak share their problems with their teachers and counselor and are more flexible about other people’s positive pieces of advice. This is based on the fact that, westerners consider emotional problems as part of life and normally tries to be optimistic about them (Adamson,et al.42). While on the other hand, in Chinese system of education, teachers are the sole providers of knowledge; the student’s role is to learn and not to question what has been said. This relationship between teachers and students has always been tense between students in the Eastern culture. It is not easy to approach a teacher and talk to them about your concerns, moreover, the students are supposed to bear with their bad temper and respect them too. Chinese and Western education system uses different fundamental concepts of education value. In Chinese education system, teaching concept based on textbook contents is widely used. Here, children perceive knowledge through classes by listening to what teachers tell them. On the contrary, Western education system mostly uses the guiding concept which emphasizes children rights and respects. Children are offered with opportunities to discover their abilities and specialties because schools provide them with fulfilled self-management. Traditionally Chinese society pressures students to study carefully for the anticipated tests to allow them move onto the next level of learning, without worrying over diverse things like extracurricular activities and young notion. Consequently, Chinese students are less mindful of their general surroundings, all-around progression is frail and they have no opportunity to re-design their own qualities in various respects (Hsu, and Yuh-Yin 23). Their parents trust them so much, the students too are overwhelmed with other people’s desires for their education; basically, they end up lacking individualistic character. Though, at the long run the individuals who perform better and get promoted to the next levels are viewed as free and self-propelled to face genuine difficulties all alone; but still they need to be shown what is need to be guided in what is right. On teacher-student relationships, western education grants students to be more open. They are able to air their views as opposed to the Chinese students who entirely are restricted to what the “master” says. In Western education, most of time outside the school curriculum is at students own disposal and they are asked to express an alternate feeling before their teacher, much the same as with fellow students (Liu 42). This can help them in being independent, making well-thought decisions and to be better masterminded for future study. An obvious inclination towards self-governing instinct, is moreover one of the parts that western education identifies with the hobbies of larger part of Chinese parents and students as well. As an impact of this kind of education and pressure from both the parents and government as well, auxiliary school students are altogether more focused and all that much acted. All the stake holders are not inclined to develop more independent and whole-round students, they are not trained to think on their own (Liu 54). They focus a lot on memorization of fact, repetition that leads to rote learning. In contrast, Western students are basically independent and think on their own; this is because the education system puts strong weight on creative and critical thinking as well as questioning things; they get help on how to go about challenging situations hence reinforcing their understanding, which is different from Chinese students who are supposed to learn by themselves. The course book remains the focus of both systems, however customarily; Chinese instruction concentrates more on the aggregation of realities and presenting students to specific convictions. Characteristically, Western instruction is more advanced and changed, urging students to incorporate the thoughts displayed to them to frame particular feelings. This helps the teachers to identify and to nurture their talents at a very tender age (Hsu, and Yuh-Yin 32). The distinctions in education systems are most striking at the essential instruction level; while 5-year-olds in China are replicating fundamental characters again and again in their exercise books, their Western partners are learning educational melodies or utilizing pastels to outline what they discovered that day. Beyond question, the Western education structure produces students that are unnecessarily fixated on scores and pay rates. While the best of an adjusted western training brings out segregating derivation aptitudes, imaginative business and a significant understanding of the world through an interdisciplinary lens, the most exceedingly awful character must be said. Western culture similarly produces individuals who are exceptionally subject to their guardians and parent’s riches, who automatically walk through the diverse levels of state testing to get a touch of paper and over the long haul, an entire of money for their weaknesses (Leung,et al.71). In the Western system of education, teaching and learning is basically accentuated on innovativeness, the educational curriculum is produced in such a way, to the point that it advances distinction, identity and remaining all alone; this teaches a considerable measure on the thought of inventiveness in all subjects that are being taught in different levels of learning. While then again, inventiveness is not regularly considered in Chinese system of education; much inclination is just on scholarly execution which is seen to be more essential. Unlike Chinese System of education, in the Western education system, mistakes are seen as constructive, mistakes are common in normal life situations and for westerners, and these are basically steps towards learning and faultless chances to create. Rather than the Easterners evaluating systems, they survey students by examination of their execution. Accordingly, students who put a considerable measure of effort in their studies can be contented by the grades they get and will keep up the motivation to keep doing better, while those who do not put more effort also learn that lack of it is not sufficient to procure a decent result (Liu 65). Inventiveness and extracurricular activities are highlighted and upheld, activities like a blessing test, passing by a shelter or building houses for destitute individuals. Consequently, they make more skilled workers and fashioners that command the style trends and make a more concerned group. In conclusion, the difference between Chinese and Western education is based on the various teaching and learning approaches that are used independently. The difference also depends much on the government education policies, reforms, goals and objectives. Moreover it is also the role of the teacher to choose on the best teaching method that suits the individual differences, this is because it is teacher who can carefully examine what approach will help him or her to achieve the set goals and objectives; and producing an all round individual. Work Cited Adamson, Bob, and Michael Agelasto. Higher Education in Post-Mao China. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Univ. Press, 1998. Print. Chua, Amy. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. London: Bloomsbury, 2011. Print. Hsu, Shihkuan, and Yuh-Yin Wu. Education As Cultivation in Chinese Culture. , 2014. Internet resource. Leung, Frederick K. S, Klaus-D Graf, and Francis J. Lopez-Real. Mathematics Education in Different Cultural Traditions: A Comparative Study of East Asia and the West. New York: Springer, 2006. Internet resource. Liu, Xiuwu R. Western Perspectives on Chinese Higher Education: A Model for Cross-Cultural Inquiry. Madison [u.a.: Farleigh Dickinson Univ. Press [u.a., 1996. Print. Read More