Education Difference Between East Asian and American
Education difference between East Asian and American
One of the phenomenon I experienced and observed a lot is East Asian students, comparingly, speak less in class than American students. More precisely, the students impacted by western education is more talkative (in a class discussion) than the students learned under East Asian education system. Besides the language issue, I am more interested in the foundation of different that drove behind this phenomenon. And I believe this is a good example of how culture affects our mind, further, our behavior.
To explore this question, I will discuss the differences between East Asian and Western education system in several aspects: First, the major cultural difference existing in two cultures. Why western education values discussion and why does east asian education value lecture? The difference in professor-student relation, Students’ expectation in learning, and finally, the benefit in each education system.
For the major cultural difference between East Asian and Western education system, we can look at the core difference of two culture. That East Asian culture values homogeneous and society as a whole while Western culture emphasizes dynamic and individual. So what does this apply to learning? Amy and Jin, both writers in cross-cultural education field, pointed out that East Asian education values self to be perfect morally and socially while Western education emphasizes creativity and critical thinking. (Chua, 2011, Li, 2012) The purpose of learning shaped education so differently from east to west, that it reflects on every aspect of learning.
Teaching method, for instance, American school usually has seminar and East Asian school has mostly lecture. In a seminar, it is the students who are the presenters, so one can hear others opinion and the professor has only a limited role for leading the discussion. It forces students to participate and think about what he/she is learning, and helps students to reform the
One of the phenomenon I experienced and observed a lot is East Asian students, comparingly, speak less in class than American students. More precisely, the students impacted by western education is more talkative (in a class discussion) than the students learned under East Asian education system. Besides the language issue, I am more interested in the foundation of different that drove behind this phenomenon. And I believe this is a good example of how culture affects our mind, further, our behavior.
To explore this question, I will discuss the differences between East Asian and Western education system in several aspects: First, the major cultural difference existing in two cultures. Why western education values discussion and why does east asian education value lecture? The difference in professor-student relation, Students’ expectation in learning, and finally, the benefit in each education system.
For the major cultural difference between East Asian and Western education system, we can look at the core difference of two culture. That East Asian culture values homogeneous and society as a whole while Western culture emphasizes dynamic and individual. So what does this apply to learning? Amy and Jin, both writers in cross-cultural education field, pointed out that East Asian education values self to be perfect morally and socially while Western education emphasizes creativity and critical thinking. (Chua, 2011, Li, 2012) The purpose of learning shaped education so differently from east to west, that it reflects on every aspect of learning.
Teaching method, for instance, American school usually has seminar and East Asian school has mostly lecture. In a seminar, it is the students who are the presenters, so one can hear others opinion and the professor has only a limited role for leading the discussion. It forces students to participate and think about what he/she is learning, and helps students to reform the