Promoting Intercultural Understanding in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme: A Qualitative Case Study in Hong Kong Second Language Chinese

Classrooms

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Alliance for International Education Mumbai,

10 – 12 October, 2014Strand D. Intercultural Understanding in the Curriculum

Kwok-Ling LAUPhD candidate, Faculty of Education

The University of Hong KongSupervisor Dr. Mark Shum

The Aim of Study The aim of this study seeks to examine the enabling

factors for successful implementation of ‘intercultural understanding” and ʻinternational mindednessʼ in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) in a Chinese as a second language Chinese classroom in three international schools. The IB programme promotes intercultural understanding and international mindedness in education and it is of great interest to see how it is implemented in second language Chinese classrooms in Hong Kong

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Research questions and Methodology

Research Questions Research methodology

1. How successful do the teachers of Chinese as a second language of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme teach the concept of international mindedness and intercultural understanding in Chinese lessons?

I apply multi-methodological approach in order to get triangulation.Classroom observation,In-depth interview teachers with semi-structured questions. •Classroom discourse analyze (Christie, 2008) , Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) (Halliday, 1994) and Appraisal theory (Martin and White 2005) are be applied.

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Research questions and Methodology

Research Questions Research methodology

2. How successful do the students of Chinese perform in class work in the teaching and learning cycle?

Classroom observation,In-depth interview students with semi-structured questions. Classroom discourse analyze (Christie, 2008) , Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) (Halliday, 1994) and Appraisal theory (Martin and White 2005) are used for student text analyze.

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Research Methodology Choice of the Case Study I collected the data from three IB schools which were not be

chosen only for the sake of convenience. School A was opened in 1894 which has been authorized as

an IB school and it has been authorized to offer the IB Chinese B Diploma Programmes since in 2005.

School B was opened in 1983 and it has been authorized to offer the IB Chinese B Diploma Programmes beginning in 1991.

School C has been authorized to offer the IB since 2000. Since the choice of the representative cases contributes much

to the external validity of the case study, it is important to show that the school in question is typical example of the implementation of an IB Chinese Diploma Programme.

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Theoretical Framework In the theoretical framework, I refer to Thompson

(2012), Haywood (2007:86-87), UNESCO Declaration in 1974 and Hill (2006, 2012), McKenzie (2012:227) and Harrison (2013:95-96) contribute new insights on international mindedness.

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Theoretical Framework of International mindedness

7Adapted from Thompson (1998, 2013), Hill (2012:258-259 and 2014 HK Seminar)

Adapted from Thompson (1998, 2013), Hill (2012:258-259 and 2014 HK Seminar)

Table 3 Judgement of IBO’s mission statement•Text •Judgement positive

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

inquiring, knowledgeable (Social esteem: positive 〔 capacity 〕 )caring, better , peaceful, respect (Social sanction: propriety〔 ethics 〕 )

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

challenging, rigorous (Judgement: positive 〔 capacity 〕 )

•These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

active, lifelong learners (Social esteem: capacity)compassionate, respect (Social sanction: propriety 〔 ethics 〕 )

8(www.ibo.org/mission/)

Analysing Appraisal Theory

White (1998) indicates that JUDGEMENT is obviously a system which is very much culturally and ideologically determined and particular judgements of behaviour will depend on socio-semiotic position, on the set of social values to which the evaluator subscribes. JUDGEMENT provides one of the most explicit means by which writer/speakers can inscribe their heteroglossic position in a text. ……They thereby confront those who would ascribe a different set of judgements to those behaviours. We are concerned with, what Fairclough (1989: 78) terms the ‘conception’ of the world, including normative values.”

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Curriculum Macrogenre

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Curriculum Macrogenre: School B: (Christie: 2000:162, Shum, 2010: 140): each lesson 60 minutesCurriculum Macrogenre: School B: (Christie: 2000:162, Shum, 2010: 140): each lesson 60 minutesCurriculum Macrogenre: School B: (Christie: 2000:162, Shum, 2010: 140): each lesson 60 minutes

Curriculum Macrogenre

Curriculum Initiation1.Introduction: Teacher gave an introduction on aims of the unit plan objectives in the first lesson. 2.Task Specification: Teacher set the task and gave the instructions and expectation about the aims of tasks; and define the definition of poverty by scaffolding through question and answers . Teacher initiates students' learning motives and fixes the direction of learning by inquiry based learning & give assignment of homework by group research in lesson 1.

Curriculum NegotiationStudents were divided into 5 groups to research about the topic of Poverty in China and the world in group discussion. Teacher gave comments on each group’s presentation. Students had group presentations from lesson 2 and lesson 5 as shown in Figure 1.

Curriculum closureTeacher gave comments and drew the conclusion of the lesson.

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Table 1

Intercultural Understanding 老師：這個是中文課，你們必須要知道中國的情況 , 香港的情況，因為你們住在香港，然後呢，歐洲、美國、非洲，你們找另外一個國家，或兩個國家，但起碼要找一個國家，它的情況是怎麼樣的？他們怎麼處理？到最後呢，你們要講出你們自己的看法，你們的critical thinking （ +ve Judgment Social Esteem: Capacity ) ,到底你們覺得這些國家處理得怎麼樣？還有什麼東西他們可以做 ? 可是沒做的，（ -ve Judgment Social Esteem: tenacity (resolve) 或是說哪一個國家的處理手法比較有效，為什麼？ （ +ve Judgment Social Esteem: tenacity (resolve)在香港或者中國可不可以用？這些東西你要能夠表現出來的。第 1 點：定義、第 2 點 : 起因、第 3 點：影響、第 4 點（中國和香港的情況及政府解決的方法）跟第 5 點其他歐美和非洲國家的情況（一國），能幫助你們學習國際視野 （ +ve Judgment Social Esteem: Capacity )，起碼你們知道的不是只有自己國家的東西，你們關心（ +ve Judgment social sanction propriety (ethics) 這個社會，這個世界上到底發生什麼事？ 12

Intercultural Understanding Hill stresses that intercultural understanding is the

most important component in international mindedness.

“International mindedness has the following components to it: I think the first and most important is intercultural understanding, awareness and what we sometimes called intercultural literacy and that is absolutely fundamental; without that you can’t have international mindedness.” (Interview with Hill 2012)

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Intercultural Understanding

Harrison (2013:95-96) indicates that intercultural understanding is an important component in and subset in international mindedness. Students develop intercultural understanding and respect for cultural diversity through learning experience and languages in internationally minded curricula.

Cambridge (2000:26) indicates that it was very important to have sustainable development and intercultural dialogue in a global village.

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Intercultural understanding School A 老师： Why are we learning global issues? This is because

you can understand and respect other cultures and heritage.

你必须要知道其他国家发生什么，因为这样你才可以能够理解他们的文化遗产 understand other cultures (+ve Appren ）其他的文化，对不对？你才可以尊重 respect (+ve Appren）它。

Teacher： Why are we learning global issues? This is because you can understand other cultures and heritage, (+ve Appren ） and 尊重 respect (+ve Appren ） them.

 

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Intercultural understanding School B Group Presentation: Group 1 Chris: Moreover, internet promotes learning cultural

heritages such as Cantonese Opera and Chinese Opera around the world. It can also promote and preserve cultural heritages.

Chris: The fourth point is that we can use internet to admire the essence of the cultures of all other countries. +ve [Apprecn] intercultural understanding ,respect other cultures. For example, people from other countries can also watch the Cantonese or Beijing opera.

Appreciateand preserve cultural heritage16

Intercultural understanding Teacher indicated that students should cultivate intercultural

understanding as students were come from different cultural background. She asked students to explore global issues in the world in order to cultivate intercultural awareness, cultural diversity and knowledge of cultural identity in a global village through learning Chinese.

Students answered that Hong Kong is part of China and they were living in Hong Kong and they have to know about the cultural identity in Hong Kong through learning Chinese language. Students also need to learn the world through global issues.

老师：我们现在这个世界呢，已经不是自己的一个社区了，因为世界发生的所有事情都会影响到我们，而且世界上发生的事情，我们现在都可以一下子就知道了。那我们要多去理解，多去了解为什么。 Why are we leaning 全球性的问题 ?

老师：你要了解他们的文化遗产，你才会了解他们的文化，这才是重点。

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Values Education

In the following group discussion, students make moral judgement on the social sanction such as gender equalities. In their research presentation, they criticized that gender inequalities caused poverty in China. They criticized the government not to improve the quality of living of girls in rural villages because of government corruption.

Student: 政府腐败，都可以导致贫穷 causing poverty.

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Values Education Lee (2004:139) indicates that values education promote orderly

and caring school communities, improving human rights for girls and women and promote values of justice and equity.

Teacher asked students to think why girls cannot go to school because they have to do household in the family and give birth for the next generation in traditional Chinese ideology. Students make the Judgment social sanction propriety (ethics) and criticize that the inequalities and social injustice were caused by the government’s corruption and the unreasonable Chinese traditional ideology and discrimination. Students make the inscribed judgment on world-view or ideological position or heteroglossic diversity.

Therefore, students think that girls should have same human right to receive education.

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Values Education

Students also learn caring and compassion. In their presentation, students found that they did not have caring for others. However, students reported that they learn the human values and caring for others through discussion of case study. They reported that they were willing to help and give donation in order to improve the life of poor children. They learn and cherish these valuable experiences and understand social injustice and discrimination.

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Global Citizenship

Harrison (2013:97) indicates that global citizenship and intercultural understanding embrace the large scale of human civilization, issues that affect global populations and what can happen when cultures interact. Global poverty is one of the global issues, which is related to large scale of human civilization.

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Global Citizenship

Students build up the knowledge of global awareness to think globally.

Teacher used transdisciplinary approaches to ask students thinking about the transdisciplinary knowledge of poverty. Students can connect prior knowledge of other subjects such as geography and history to generate questions about economy, education, poverty and inequity and health problems with poverty in the rural area. Students mentioned that the poor were facing illness and death caused by lack of healthcare in the poor countries.

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Human Rights and Democracy Group 2

Student Feng:……As the first effect, the network can be used as a platform for discussion. Everyone can comment or express their own opinion so we have to protect the freedom of speech and respect human right. When it comes to express our opinions, we can promote (social esteem: capacity) the democratic development. (propriety (ethics) inscribed: Positive judgement). We have a good example, it is the Arabic Spring.

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Human Rights and Democracy Student C: The Internet has also become a tool for

controlling thinking. (Ideological position (propriety (ethics) inscribed: Negative judgement) It is beneficial that the government has closed down certain websites for propagating their own political thinking. displacing and replacing the culture of the indigenous country (propriety (ethics) inscribed: Negative judgement)

Some developed countries do not realise promoting forcibly (a high value of INTENSITY: FORCE) their own cultures and values to other countries by depending on their economies and political standing in the international society. (Propriety (ethics) inscribed: Negative judgement)

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Human Rights and Democracy

Students discussed human rights and democracy in their group presentation.

It was like China closing down the websites regarding Liu Xiaobo 劉曉波after winning this Nobel Peace Prize (propriety (ethics) inscribed: Negative judgement) because Liu fought for democracy. (propriety (ethics) inscribed: Positive judgement)

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Human Rights and Democracy

Another example is that a lot of the local mainland Chinese do not know the truth regarding the June 4 incident. (inscribed: negative judgement, veracity (truth)

Because the Chinese government has closed down these websites so that the Government does not want others to know what they had done and what had really happened. (inscribed: negative judgement, propriety (ethics) inscribed: Negative judgement)

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The Pedagogical approaches

The pedagogical approaches include scaffolding, inquiry based learning, research skills, critical thinking, collaborative learning, student-centered teaching.

Students realized international mindedness by making moral judgments and applying interdisciplinary knowledge of social issues to learn the concepts of intercultural understanding, global citizenship.

I hope that this study will contribute to promote intercultural understanding and international mindedness and give suggestions on improvement in IB curriculum development, teaching and learning.

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The Pedagogical approaches Student-centered teaching In the teaching cycle, teacher implemented

inquiry based teaching. Teacher identified that they had discussed regarding the social issues such as poverty and media by questioning in order to enhance students’ understanding, engagement in the classroom interaction in order to arouse their curiosity and confidence in further discussion.

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Scaffolding

Vogotsky (1978: 86, Christie 2000, 125 ) indicated that ‘Zone of proximal development’ is the distance between the actual development level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers.” The teacher showed scaffolding in her teaching in order to help her students to reach their level of potential development.

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Scaffolding, collaborative learning, research skills and critical reflection

Teacher: If you look for the poverty definition, you have read the United Nations and World Bank, United Nations dedicated to improving the well being of present and future generations through the promotion of sustainable development. (inscribed: Social Esteem: capacity Positive Judgement)

老师：其实并不难，只要你找到贫穷的定义，看看联合国的，看看世界银行的。开始先看联合国，不是去看世界银行，为什么去看联合国，因为联合国是一个世界性的机构，对不对啊？而且他在这方面呢，是不断地支持、发展、帮助需要社会有问题的国家和人民。

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Communication skills

In the communication skills, teacher taught students to read the poverty references not only learning for vocabulary expansion, comprehension skills but also learning culture and the global poverty problems. They learn how to understand and analysis the poverty line.

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Research skills and Collaborative skills

Davies, L. (2006:23) indicates that global citizen should have research skills and the schools should encourage research skills on global issues such as rights, poverty or conflict in their local area.

Hill (2012:259) indicates that critical thinking and collaboration are applied beyond the national borders in the education for international mindedness which will help teachers and students to shape the attitude towards intercultural understanding, peaceful co-existence and global sustainable development for the future of the human race. Students found that poverty will be caused by war because of unstable political situation.

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Collaborative learning, research skills and critical reflection

Teacher encourages students to develop research skills, collaborative and critical reflection which are the key components of ways of knowing. They are applying new knowledge in real-life situation.

Teacher: Now, I want all of you to search for information and after 2 to 3 weeks present an oral presentation. The main theme is related to culture, that is the influence of the internet on cultural exchanges. As far as the economics part, it is better that all of us learn together because it is a bit more difficult. Sometimes, we do not know how to analyse it.

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Conflict resolution skills

UNESCO (2010:8) and Oxfam (2006:1) stress that learning conflict resolution skills are important components in international mindedness which requires mutual understanding, nondiscrimination, respect for difference, inclusion and equal opportunity, regardless of race, culture, gender, language or religious or political beliefs. It is difficult for a society without equity or justice to remain peaceful or socially cohesive. Without peace or harmony, economic and environmental sustainability are also threatened.

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Conflict resolution skills

In the following student presentation, students found that poverty was globalised including social problem, climate change and civil war. Civil war caused a lot of children were killed and they lost their homes

Students: Poverty was globalised which was mainly caused by war, social problems, climate change. Civil war caused a lot of children were killed and they lost their homes and destroying infrastructures. Children could not receive education and therefore it took a lot of time to rebuild the society. Moreover, the government should provide education and necessities.

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Critical thinking Teacher ： This is a Chinese class. You have to know about

poverty in China and Hong Kong ， because you are living in Hong Kong. Then you need to look for poverty in another country. You have to express your opinions critically （ +ve Judgment Social Esteem: Capacity ) on how the government solve the poverty problems effectively. ( -ve Judgment Social Esteem: tenacity (resolve)) You have to criticize the government should handle the poverty problems but they had did not handle the poverty problems properly. (-ve Judgment Social Esteem: tenacity (resolve) )

You hav to look for the definition, cause and effect and suggested solutions and compare with other countries in the world which can help you to learn international mindedness （ +ve Judgment Social Esteem: Capacity ) ， You are caring the global issues. (+ve Judgment social sanction propriety (ethics). 36

Critical thinking Skills Teacher used probing questions to engage students to

make judgement and self-reflection on personal beliefs and ethics. Students have to think the relationship between poverty and ethics. She encouraged students to learn from the peers through discussion and critical thinking. Students criticize that poverty was caused by the corruption of the government. Students make the Judgment social sanction propriety (ethics) and criticize that the inequalities and social injustice were caused by the government’s corruption and did not care the poor in Africa.

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Critical thinking Chris：因为网上大量的信息，所以会导致人们很难分辨信息的真伪，所以会引起误会和错误地接受信息，这就会使网民对其他国家的文化可能有不正确的印象，引起对事物看法的偏差，严重的情况下会引起种族歧视。

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Critical thinking Chris: The large volume of information on the Internet

makes it difficult to differentiate between genuine and false information, causing misunderstanding and errors when the information is received. This will lead Internet citizens to have incorrect impressions of the cultures of other countries. This will give rise to bias. Under more severe conditions, it will lead to racial discrimination. (inscribed: Social Sanction:propriety (ethics) Negative Judgement). Students analyze casual relationship of the reasons of internet abuse, which caused ethics problems.

Students engage in self-reflection on personal beliefs and values.

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Critical thinking

老师：……每个论点的话呢，你一定要有一个论据，然后你要有个论证，论证就是所谓的实际，现实生活能找到的例子，没有例子的话谁都会说，这是很明显的。

Teacher: For each argument point, you must have a corresponding evidence. Then, you need to prove that argument. Evidence for the argument is the fact. Facts are the examples that you can find in real life.

Teacher requests students have to apply reasoning, justification, induction and deduction in order to get rid of biases.

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Critical thinking skills Discussion of controversial issues can build skills such

as listening, debate, handling conflict, self awareness, distinguishing between fact and opinion, creative problem solving, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, recognizing bias, evaluating evidence, justifying an argument, logical "We should be teaching students how to think. Instead, we are teaching what to think." (Clement and Lochhead, 1980, Cognitive Process Instruction). Critical thinking can help students to have self reflection and classification of values. Teacher promotes thinking and discussion can encourage students to have critical thinking skills and whole class engagement which can offer more opportunities for students to share their opinions, receive feedbacks and

achieve challenge tasks by groups. 41

Results and Discussion It is very important that teacher to be a role model to

promote international mindedness.

Halliday points out (2007:187) that the second language learning likes the first language learning is a problem solving activity and information processing.

The teacher encourages students to learn and respect different points of view on social issues. Christie (2000:169) indicates that teacher’s open-mindedness will help students to develop international mindedness and their independent points of view critically.

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Results and discussion Interview with teacher: Teacher: I think the ideology of the IB mission statement

is very deep. It hope to educate children to be internationally minded. It is very important. So they will also be open-minded and willing to express their own opinions. Therefore, I think in the classroom they should be able to express their own view freely.

老师：我想呢，因为 IB Mission Statement这个理念是很广，希望教出来的孩子是有国际视野的，这很重要，然后有开广的胸怀，勇于发表意见。所以我觉得在课堂里面他们可以比较自由的发挥他们的想法

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Conclusion In order to be able to accept and respect other cultures

and have tolerance towards cultural differences. Both teachers and students need to cultivate intercultural understanding and have the ability to think globally in a critical and logical way, mutual trust and respect and work co-operatively, take responsibilities in society, resolve conflict in a non-violent manner. (Judgment Social Esteem: Capacity ).

The teaching and learning tradition has been shifted to conceptualized international mindedness, global citizenship, knowledge acquisition as well as shifted towards independent learning. (Judgment Social Esteem: Capacity ).

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Conclusion

Zhou (2006) advocates Learning to be: developing professional attributes, including commitment, sense of responsibility and love for teaching and for learners to improve human communicationLearning to live together: breaking isolation for team work and guiding learners as ‘coach’ of learning and as co-learners with their pupils in achieving educational aims of human development and full flowering of human potential.

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Peaceful World IBO’s mission statement is to create a better and more pe

aceful world through education.” Confucius advocated a perfect world of brotherhood of

mankind which is an ideal world or Utopia “Da-Tong” 大同世界 encompasses equality, union, harmony, welfare, justice and universal peace.

Mencius promoted peace and justice for the entire world. As Liu (2000) argues that Neo-Confucian philosophers

promote respecting different cultures, multiculturalism, humanity’s “ultimate concern” “ 終 極 關 懷 ” and compassion by sustainable development and intercultural dialogue in a global village.

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