The challenge of academic writing for Chinese students within ...

The next section of this chapter explores the latest research on the differences in
teaching, learning and assessment between the UK and China.
Teaching, learning and assessment
There is an extensive literature in cross-cultural psychology and in intercultural
and multicultural education that documents differences in teacher and student
expectations and behaviours across cultures (Ward, 2001). Teaching, learning
and assessment approaches vary across cultures. The importance of extending
knowledge is stressed in western higher education, by which Kern (2000, p.175)
citing Ballard and Clanchy (1991) means that knowledge is socially constructed,
not absolute, and the goal of education is to train people to be independent
learners and thinkers, capable of challenging existing knowledge. The western
cultures of teaching and learning encourage students to analyze, question and
critique ideas, Ballard and Clanchy (1991) argues, as opposed to many East
Asian cultures with the conserving attitudes towards knowledge that encourage
the reproduction and transfer of knowledge from one generation to another.
International students from such an educational background might have different
preferences of teaching and learning methods. The different teaching and
learning methods of the host country can cause obstacles for international
students who are not accustomed to their academic practice.
The teacher-student relationship is an important aspect of students‘ learning
experiences. Cultural differences may cause differences in perceptions of
teacher-student relationship, roles of teacher and students in the process of
learning. Students from a Confucian cultural background tend to respect their
teachers and not to challenge them as ‗being a teacher for only one day entitles
one to lifelong respect from the student that befits his father‘ (Hu, 2002b).
Chinese education intends to foster a ‗hierarchical but harmonious‘ (Hu, 2002b,
p.98) teacher and student relationship. Teaching methods are largely expository
and the teaching process is teacher-centred and didactic (Biggs, 1996; Cortazzi
& Jin, 2001). The transmission and imparting of knowledge predominates the
classroom activity in China; the student is not encouraged to ask questions and
express their own viewpoint. Unlike facilitating understanding as reflected in
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