Western Teachers Research Articles

Patterns of Internationalising Higher Education and the Flows of Education Resources during the Late Qing Dynasty of China

During late Qing, neocolonialism was a serious phenomenon situated in the higher education, forcing universities to globalise and adopt foreign education patterns. Furthermore, there are also some outward flows of education resources, although there were more tints of inward flows of education resources. This paper aims to address two research questions: What are the patterns of internationalization in higher education institutions during the Late Qing Dynasty? To what extent, the higher education resources flow inbound and outbound during the Late Qing Dynasty? Based on the telephone interview with six professors of education history in China, it is found that as impacted by Western colonialism, Chinese universities showed a strong signal of globalisation in the late Qing. Meanwhile, some traditional teaching patterns and textbooks with Chinese characteristics were also used to stir the learning enthusiasm of local students. In the late Qing, inward/inbound flows of education resources were more evidenced than outward/outbound flows. This could be exemplified by some major sources of the textbooks used at universities. Specifically, the first source was the western teachers, who bought textbooks from the mother countries. The second source was many Chinese ambassadors to France and Britain, who sent back to China the original western textbooks. It is hoped that future study will focus on the patterns of internationalizing higher education and flows of education resources during Modern China.

Cultural Perspectives on Englısh Language Teachıng Styles: A Study in The Indonesıan Context

This research investigates teaching style models employed by Western and Southeast Asian teachers in senior high schools in Toraja, Indonesia. It explores students' perceptions of these teaching styles using qualitative descriptive methods. Data was collected from ten randomly selected students, an English teacher from Toraja, Indonesia, and an English teacher from the Netherlands. Research instruments included observation, questionnaires, and interviews. Descriptive analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings reveal cultural differences in teaching styles between Western and Southeast Asian teachers. Western teachers prioritize facilitating student learning, valuing individuality, encouraging independent thinking, using group discussions as a mode of instruction, considering mistakes as part of the learning process, and exhibiting varying degrees of formality in student-teacher interactions. In contrast, Southeast Asian teachers adopt an authoritative teaching style, placing less emphasis on individuality, highlighting the importance of group dynamics, and observing hesitancy among students to aşk questions.

The recontextualisation and cultural compatibility of student-centred education: the case of the United Arab Emirates

This article examines the purposeful introduction of the pedagogy of student-centred education (SCE) in one educational institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to consider its cultural compatibility. The study was undertaken in the largest higher education (HE) institution in the country where a key element of the institution’s two strategic plans over a nine-year period was to blend traditional and innovative teaching methods, including student centred approaches, into programmes of study. Interpretative phenomenological analysis is used to analyse the perspectives of seven non-citizen, Western teachers, as they recontextualise their practice. Drawing on Heidegger, the study explores the philosophical nature and significance of place as a way of thinking about the world. Findings revealed aspects of the teachers’ student-centred practice are challenging; the universal value of SCE is understood in relative rather than absolute terms with an overall need to diversify universal imaginings of pedagogy. Centralised curricula, high stakes final assessments and individualised performance management models ultimately determined learning experiences, leaving little room for any sustained inquiry into the recontextualisation of SCE. The study concludes that pedagogy is inescapably situated: practiced in terms of place orientated thinking. Transformation necessitates an epistemic institution where change is a public endeavour and teachers are positioned inside participatory processes with possibilities to renegotiate, rearticulate and resignify pedagogy.

Quando o captor é cativo

In the 1970s, the Malaysian sociologist Syed Hussein Alatas proposed an analysis to account for the teaching of social sciences in the developing world, and especially in Asia. He coined the phrase “captive mind” to describe those students whose training was biased towards Western theories, concepts, meanings and authors taught to them by “captor minds”, the latter being either Asian social science instructors reproducing what they had been taught in the West or Western teachers merely transplanting their “universal” sociology to students wherever they may be. Even if Alatas wrote in 1974 that “there is no counterpart of the captive mind in the West”, we may wonder whether, in the past and also nowadays, sociological teaching in the West has not suffered from the same drawback, almost constantly reproducing both the same kind of visual bias (hyperopia in the South and myopia in the North) and the same form of almost continuous reliance on the same canon. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that this “hegemonic” gaze also relies on a specific end of teaching in the West, examines its effects and proposes an alternative centered on a new understanding of universalism.

The Three Centers: A Framework for Inclusivity in the Acting Classroom

ABSTRACT This essay presents a framework for teaching the art of acting in service of the urgent, moral need to ensure acting classrooms are inclusive. Inspired by a study of the Enneagram as a tool for spiritual formation, the essay reorganizes acting pedagogy into the “Three Intelligences,” or the engagement of the heart, the body, and the mind. The author presents how the art of acting can be taught in a way that charts growth through a student’s integration of these intelligences through a variety of training methods rather than privileging mastery of a particular acting technique. This methodology also makes space for new and more diverse approaches to the art of acting, broadening the American pedagogical heritage of acting techniques belonging to primarily white, Western teachers.

The specific development of piano technique at secondary educational institutions of China and Russia: comparative analysis

The research object is the process of developing piano technique among students of secondary educational institutions (schools and colleges) in China and Russia. The article substantiates the methodological aspects of forming finger actions of college students necessary for performing musical pieces and dwells on the professional training of pianists in music academies of China and Russia. The authors of the article have drawn a number of conclusions. The work on musical technique in the Chinese secondary educational institutions is divided into several stages. Each stage focuses on the repetition of technical exercises and rote memorization. Western teachers consider this approach to learning unproductive, but it corresponds to such Chinese personality traits as diligence, hard work and perseverance. The article discusses effective teaching methods that allow the Chinese colleges to achieve high results in the professional training of pianists.

Negotiating ‘global middle-class’ teacher professionalism: using transnational habitus to explore the experiences of teacher expatriates in Shanghai

This paper investigates the experiences of Western teacher expatriates in a Shanghai international schooling organization. We explore the risks and benefits associated with transnational mobility and how teacher expatriates, as part of the global middle-class (GMC), maintain and reaffirm their middle-class status. Focusing on adaptation and constraint in professional contexts, the data illustrates how the teachers respond to new discourses and the rules of exchange in the rapidly changing Chinese education market. We operationalise transnational habitus, as a conceptual tool, to explore how certain identities are sustained and negotiated in various moments of unsettlement. As these teacher expatriates navigate new professional contexts, we see how their habitus remains heavily influenced by class and previous professional experiences in their country of origin as they engage in new work environments, in order to secure an advantageous position.

A Chinese family: teaching and learning in a clinical case conference

The authors show the interrelated processes of teaching and learning both for the Chinese student and the Western teacher. This article focuses on a clinical case conference as a co-constructed teaching and learning opportunity for Chinese therapists and Western teachers of family therapy. We present an account of a clinical case conference for family therapy students which occurred as part of a week-long training event, during the two-year continuous training programme in psychoanalytic couple and family therapy organised by Professor Fang Xin in Beijing. The first author, a Chinese family therapy student, made the family case presentation to her classmates and to the second author, a Western psychoanalyst as the discussant. The student introduced the referral to her of an index patient, a teenage boy who was refusing school, staying home to play videogames, and threatening suicide. She reported vividly on her consultation with the concerned mother, stern father, and rebellious adolescent son in a family group setting. Without process notes, the Western discussant could not comment on the presenter's analytic family therapy technique or move more deeply into the family unconscious. Yet, the material presented enabled the class to see how the boy had become the symptom bearer for his family, and at the same to learn about the strain of absence and the threat of death on a Chinese family. The article closes with a template for how to get the most out of a clinical case conference.

Saudi public primary school teachers’ perspectives on inclusive education

ABSTRACT The successful implementation of inclusive education depends on many factors, among the most important of which are as teachers’ attitudes about and perspectives on inclusive education. The current study employed a qualitative research design to explore and identify factors that public school teachers identify as obstacles to successful inclusion of students with disabilities in the mainstream classroom. Semi-structured individual interviews allowed respondents to share their personal perspectives in narrative detail. Twenty-four public primary school teachers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia participated. The results indicated that, in concert with their Western colleagues, Saudi teachers identified several factors as especially obstructive of inclusive education, including school readiness, lack of teacher training, and lack of effective partnerships with parents. We situate these results alongside previous research focused on Western teachers’ attitudes about inclusive education, and we identify several areas for future research to advance the policy and practice of inclusive education in Saudi Arabia.

Rhetorical Practices of the State Duma of the Russian Empire: Features of the Transfer of European Parliamentary Traditions into the Russian Political Context (1906—1916)

The article analyzes the influence of the European parliamentary experience on the process of formation of Russian parliamentarism and development of parliamentary rhetorical practices in late imperial Russia. Particular attention is paid to parliamentary rhetoric. In addition to the political context and the acuteness of certain public problems, it was greatly influenced by the nature of the meeting room in the Tauride Palace, the order of the sessions, and the professional skills of the speaker and the members of the presidium. Russian liberals, who were considered students of their “Western teachers”, acted as translators of European political experience in the first place. The channels for the spread of Western influence can be seen in the experience of Russians in Europe during their student years, during short private visits, or on official business. Books and the mass publication of translated literature on oratory were also of great importance in the transfer of rhetorical experience. In addition to considering the main channels for the transfer of Western parliamentary traditions, it is also important to analyze how the influence of European parliamentary practices was evaluated and interpreted by different political forces both inside and outside the Tauride Palace, especially during political debates.

Estrategia Etnoeducativa sobre cuidado del medio ambiente apoyada en saberes ancestrales de etnia Emberá Katío

El actual artículo tiene como propósito presentar el diseño de una estrategia etnoeducativa desde los saberes ancestrales de la etnia Emberá Katío sobre el cuidado del medio ambiente para el área de Ciencias Naturales y Educación Ambiental del grado 5 básica primaria, sede Volador de la Institución Educativa Los Morales de Tierralta, Córdoba. A partir del paradigma interpretativo – hermenéutico, un diseño etnográfico con enfoque cualitativo y con la aplicación de técnicas de observación, entrevista y grupo focal, se indaga una muestra de 14 estudiantes indígenas, un docente occidental, dos docentes Emberá Katío y cinco miembros de la comunidad Doza (el Jaibaná, Alguacil, Hierbatero, Cazador y Anciano). Se obtiene como resultado una estrategia etnoeducativa con cinco talleres que hacen énfasis en las categorías que emergieron de la caracterización e interpretación de la información: Territorio, Plantas Medicinales, Alimentación, Chagra y Memorias. En conclusión, se logra una estrategia que incorpora una secuencia didáctica de talleres, con perspectiva de interculturalidad, en los que se propicia el diálogo de saberes entre las Ciencias Naturales y las Cosmovisiones Indígenas acerca de la naturaleza y el medio ambiente. Se propone que los talleres se implementen mediante el método reflexión- acción-participación (rap) en el área de ciencias naturales y educación ambiental de la básica primaria.

Comparison of Chinese and Western Teachers’ Professional Identity Research Method

The purpose of this paper is to compare the differences between Chinese and western teachers’ professional identity research method. This article mainly used the literature method and comparison method. It is found that western researchers mainly used qualitative research method, while Chinese researchers mainly used quantitative research method.

Опыт комплектования и подготовки административных и технических кадров России в системе интеграции отечественных и зарубежных правовых традиций (историко-правовой анализ)*

The article takes a historical and legal analysis of the formation of the experience of personnel practice of the Government of Russia in the field of recruitment of management and economy sectors by educated specialists, including foreign employees, through the prism of using foreign administrative and cultural achievements; an overview of sources (materials of diplomatic relations, official correspondence, decrees) and forms of personnel training (internships abroad, Embassy trips, learning from the Western masters and teachers) is given.

Examination of Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Western Regional Perspective of China’s Compulsory Education System

Educational technology can provide many advantages for teaching and learning. However, the regional disparity is a well-known result of imbalanced development in China, and the understanding of Western teachers’ technological competence is incomplete. This study utilized the Technology, Pedagogy, Content Knowledge Framework (TPACK) in order to examine the overall status and influence of gender toward teachers’ technological competence in Western China. The survey method was employed to understand the participants (n = 361) perception of their level of TPACK. The results showed that teachers’ pedagogy knowledge and content knowledge were perceived as the highest among the seven types of knowledge examined. All types of technology-related knowledge were perceived as the lowest. Examination of gender influences showed that males perceived significantly higher levels of pedagogy knowledge, technology knowledge, and technological content knowledge. These findings contributed preliminary evidence of the status of teachers’ TPACK in Western regions of China and suggested that additional policies and initiatives should be targeted toward improving all teachers’ technological competence, particularly among female teachers in the compulsory education system.

The History of CAPA

ABSTRACTThis article describes the history of CAPA (China American Psychoanalytic Alliance), from its unplanned conception in 2001, to its birth (incorporation as a 501c3 nonprofit) with Yale University as the midwife in 2006, to its development and growth over the next 13 years with more than 400 Western teachers, treaters and supervisors acting as godparents engaged in training more than 500 Chinese mental health professionals as analytic psychotherapists, more than 35 of whom are now in distance training at APsaA psychoanalytic institutes. CAPA’s goal, which seems within reach, has been for the Chinese graduates of CAPA to take over psychoanalytic psychotherapy training and ultimately, psychoanalytic training in China.

Intercultural Competence of Western Teachers for Nepalese Rescuers.

Introduction: Educational projects in mountain rescue in Nepal have a long tradition. They are usually led by Western experts who train their Nepalese colleagues using teams of people with diverse cultural background. To better understand the challenges of these encounters, we conducted a prospective cohort study during the first mountain rescue instructor course in Nepal.Methods: Western instructors (WIs) and Nepalese instructor candidates (NICs) were asked to self-assess their intercultural competence with the help of questionnaires. The responses were compared and analyzed for differences between WIs and NICs and differences in a pre–post assessment of the WIs. In addition, semistructured interviews were conducted with randomly selected NICs.Results: We found significant differences in communication styles between NICs and WIs: NICs showed a preference to establish relationships before discussing business and not to speak openly in conflict situations. WIs were much more direct and preferred dispassionate exchanges. In an assessment after the course, WIs had changed their attitude toward the host culture.Conclusions: We found differences in communication styles between WIs and NICs that are relevant to globalized medical education. Faculty members should be prepared before implementing medical training abroad and should have time to experience the host culture.

Writing Posthumanist Subjects

In this article I explore the problem of thinking and writing about post-humanist human subjects (as objects) who are no longer given as such. I draw on my attempts to represent such subjects in my doctoral dissertation, a study of Western teachers in Vietnam. Drawing on the work of Deleuze, I considering how representations of participants are constructed, and experiment with piecing together impressionistic vignettes that attend to the impossibilities of representation. However, in this process of careful text construction also highlights the paradox of artfully fabricating convincingly realistic and natural ethnographic description, in ways which potentially disrupt notions of transparency and verisimilitude as indicators of the quality of qualitative research.

Academic English and elite masculinities

This paper addresses the ways in which the teaching of English for academic purposes by ‘Western’ teachers in Japanese higher education institutions is shaped by gender and sexuality. The paper draws on findings from a 5 year ethnographic study of white Western teachers of English in Japan. Drawing on interview data with 18 male participants, the paper points to the way elite status is attached to the teaching of English for academic purposes (TEAP) in contrast with teaching general English; the way TEAP is reproduced as a male-dominated activity among English-native-speaker teachers; and the way white Western men teaching in these contexts display an enhanced professional masculinity. Discourses articulated by the men also serve to position gendered Others as illegitimate or unworthy participants in TEAP. Although the men's accounts tend to frame TEAP as a rational, disembodied, asexual occupation, the paper argues that gender and sexuality are deployed as identity gatekeeping tools that serve to police the borders of academic English as an elite, male-dominated professional category. In closing, I make proposals for transformation of gendered hierarchies in this context, but these would require shifts in deep-seated cultural, institutional, and interpersonal gender ideologies.

Role of Email in Intercultural Communication of Criticism in a Chinese English Curriculum Reform Context

Western teachers working in China often experience cultural conflicts arising from, for instance, the ways that Chinese students perceive face and express criticism. To better understand these face-concerned conflicts, this paper explores the role and significance of email for a group of Chinese students to communicate pedagogical criticism with their western teacher as part of an undergraduate program in Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). A quantitative and qualitative examination of the politeness strategies employed by the Chinese students in their critical emails revealed the three roles of email: email as a safe, polite and effective channel for the Chinese students to express critical views directly (without turning to a third party) and collectively (on behalf of the other students), email as a major means for their western teacher to be informed about problems privately, and email as a springboard for the western teacher to communicate later with more other students publicly. What was criticized in the emails indicated the fundamental disparities in their perceptions of knowledge, the identity of English, and the classroom behavior of silence. Interpretation and discussion of findings were informed by the studies of Chinese psychology and the writer’s insider knowledge gained from her four-year longitudinal participant observation.

An Investigation on the Perspectives of Parents on the Impact of the Western Teachers' Values and Cultures on Developing Their Children's Character and Morality

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the Western teachers’ values and cultures on the Emirati students’ character and morality in the international schools that implement the British curriculum from the Emirati parents’ point of view. As this study followed a mixed method approach, a total of forty-nine parents answered the questionnaire of the study in the quantitative part. While in the qualitative section, ten Emirati parents were interviewed in semi-structured interviews to get deeper insights. Quantitative data suggested that the majority of parents believed that parents are the best teachers of character (mean of 1.55) and social skills are more important for their children than academic skills (mean of 1.73). The qualitative data revealed that the UAE national students are influenced by the values and the cultures of their Western teachers in various ways. According to the Emirati parents, Western teachers who act as role models for their children have influenced their children positively as well as negatively. The results also demonstrated that there is an immense gap in the Western teachers’ knowledge about the UAE culture as their Western values and cultures are different from those in the UAE; therefore, this situation needs to be underlined to ensure that the Western teachers’ teaching and practices do not contradict what the Emirati students are expected to learn.