Memorisation is not rote learning: rethinking memorisation as an embodied practice for Chinese students

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite the many critiques of views that categorise and simplify Chinese international students’ use of memorisation as deficient or rote learning, these views persist. Using ethnographic methods to collect data over 18 months, this study identified the key practices employed by students as they negotiated their learning experiences in an Australian university. Through a practice lens, this paper disputes the oversimplification and extends existing knowledge of memorisation. It advocates memorisation as an embedded bodily activity in learning, via its deep connection to Chinese cultural and educational systems. In particular, it proposes greater theoretical nuance by suggesting (i) memorisation as entailing bundled practices; (ii) repetition in memorisation as generating new meanings, and (iii) memorisation as embodied and routinised practice. It concludes by discussing the implications of these key findings for academics seeking to understand Chinese students and support their learning experience.