On Study of Classroom On Study of Classroom Behavior Between Chinese Behavior Between Chinese

Students and American Students and American StudentsStudents

Malan Cai Malan Cai Guangxi Normal UniversityGuangxi Normal University

mlcai2003@yahoo.commlcai2003@yahoo.com

IntroductionIntroduction

Today, many American universities have Today, many American universities have experienced the trend of an ever experienced the trend of an ever increasing enrollment of international increasing enrollment of international students. On occasion, the number of students. On occasion, the number of international students enrolled in a international students enrolled in a particular class can even exceed the particular class can even exceed the number of American students. number of American students.

Two expectations are proposed: Two expectations are proposed:

a. American students are more active than a. American students are more active than Asian students in classroom participation; Asian students in classroom participation;

b. Asian students care more how the professor b. Asian students care more how the professor and classmates receive their answers than and classmates receive their answers than American students.American students.

MethodMethod

Participants for this study are from Morehead Participants for this study are from Morehead Sate University, 10 are American students and 10 Sate University, 10 are American students and 10 are Asian students. Among the Asian students, 2 are Asian students. Among the Asian students, 2 students are from Mainland China, one is from students are from Mainland China, one is from Japan and 7 are from Taiwan. They are assigned Japan and 7 are from Taiwan. They are assigned to complete the questionnaire of 11 items quickly to complete the questionnaire of 11 items quickly according to their first impression. Chi-square according to their first impression. Chi-square test and t-test are used to measure the data. test and t-test are used to measure the data.

TABLE 1TABLE 1 Mean evaluation of difference betweeMean evaluation of difference betwee

n Asian students and American studenn Asian students and American students in classroom discussion.ts in classroom discussion.

Questions American Students Asian Students

Q3. I feel comfortable speaking in the classroom discussion.

1.7 3.6

Q4. I feel nervous talking in the classroom discussion.

3.9 3.3

Q5. I’d let other people do the talking.

3.6 2.7

Q6. I dare not ask question in class.

4.6 3.5

Q7. I like discussing problems with the professor and the students.

2.9 2.7

Q8. I have problem in expressing myself clearly in public.

3.9 2.6

Q9. Do you care how your professor and classmates think of your answer in classroom discussion?

4.0 4.1

Q10. Are you satisfied with more or less participation in classroom discussion?

4.5 4.2

1 2 3 4 5

language problem 12 6 6 5 1

cultural diversity 2 7 3 6 7

less experience in classroom participation

1 5 4 10 10

communication apprehension 5 6 12 5 2

individual behavior 10 5 4 4 7

SA A N D SD

Q3. I feel comfortable speaking in the classroom discussion.

3 15 8 4 0

Q4. I feel nervous talking in the classroom discussion. 3 7 6 9 5

Q5. I’d let other people do the talking. 2 9 9 6 4

Q6. I dare not ask question in class. 0 9 5 9 7

Q7. I like discussing problems with the professor and the students.

3 8 10 8 1

Q8. I have problem in expressing myself clearly in public. 2 10 11 6 1

Students in Guangxi Normal Students in Guangxi Normal UniversityUniversity

DiscussionDiscussion

The findings show that there is a great The findings show that there is a great difference in classroom discussion between difference in classroom discussion between Asian students and American students. The Asian students and American students. The first expectation is true. American students are first expectation is true. American students are more active than Asian students in class. They more active than Asian students in class. They feel more comfortable speaking in class than feel more comfortable speaking in class than Asian students.Asian students.

““If we seek to understand a people, we If we seek to understand a people, we have to put ourselves as far as we can, in have to put ourselves as far as we can, in that particular history and cultural backthat particular history and cultural background […] one has to recognize that coground […] one has to recognize that countries and people differ in their approauntries and people differ in their approach and their ways, in their approach to lich and their ways, in their approach to life and their ways of living and thinking. fe and their ways of living and thinking.

The Asian students’ silent response to The Asian students’ silent response to the classroom discussion is caused by the classroom discussion is caused by the similar educational background and the similar educational background and educational philosophy they’ve educational philosophy they’ve received. received.

““Silence is gold.” Silence is gold.” ““Less speaking is the best way of speaking.” Less speaking is the best way of speaking.” “ “The superior man is diligent in duty but sloThe superior man is diligent in duty but slo

w to speak.” w to speak.” “ “Of the two persons walking with me, at least Of the two persons walking with me, at least

one can be my teacher. I would learn from his gone can be my teacher. I would learn from his good points and guard against his bad ones.” ood points and guard against his bad ones.”

““He who knows does not talk, he who tHe who knows does not talk, he who talks does not know” alks does not know”

Dewey’s educational thought Dewey’s educational thought

A culture transmits its values by A culture transmits its values by providing its young with the kinds of providing its young with the kinds of experiences that make their value experiences that make their value real and significant for their own real and significant for their own lives. lives.

We encourage them to follow their own We encourage them to follow their own purposes of communication. […] Similarly, purposes of communication. […] Similarly, learning to participate in democratic life learning to participate in democratic life involves living democratically ---students involves living democratically ---students working together on common problems, working together on common problems, establishing the rules by which their classroom establishing the rules by which their classroom will be governed, testing and evaluating ideas will be governed, testing and evaluating ideas for the improvement of classroom life, and for the improvement of classroom life, and learning, and participating in the construction learning, and participating in the construction of objectives for their own learning. of objectives for their own learning.

Dewey believed that teacher should Dewey believed that teacher should make students aware of various make students aware of various possibilities --- possibilities in the possibilities --- possibilities in the domain of ends or learning objectives domain of ends or learning objectives and possibilities among means for and possibilities among means for achieving their ends.achieving their ends.

Comparing the Eastern education Comparing the Eastern education philosophies with the Western philosophies with the Western education philosophies, we can find education philosophies, we can find that they are totally different. that they are totally different.

In order to understand them, we have to In order to understand them, we have to understand their way of life and approacunderstand their way of life and approach. If we wish to convince them, we have th. If we wish to convince them, we have to use their language as we can, not lango use their language as we can, not language in the narrow sense of the word, buuage in the narrow sense of the word, but the language of the mind.” t the language of the mind.”

Jawaharlal Nebru (1991) Jawaharlal Nebru (1991)

““As we regard the host environment as a partnAs we regard the host environment as a partner and engage ourselves in that environment, wer and engage ourselves in that environment, we need to be prepared to accept the likelihood te need to be prepared to accept the likelihood that a part of who we are maybe changed by ouhat a part of who we are maybe changed by our new experiences, at least temporarily. This wr new experiences, at least temporarily. This willingness to be changed is vital if we are to attillingness to be changed is vital if we are to attain a degree of functional fitness in the new soain a degree of functional fitness in the new socio-cultural system…this understanding of adacio-cultural system…this understanding of adaptive capacity within ourselves bring hope and ptive capacity within ourselves bring hope and strength even in the midst of severe culture-shstrength even in the midst of severe culture-shock experiences” (Young Yun Kim, 225-226). ock experiences” (Young Yun Kim, 225-226).

Thank you