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Comparing U.S. and Chinese Public School Systems
USINFO | 2014-01-03 14:36
TEACHING AND TEACHING STRATEGIES (US AND CHINA)
In China:
To Become a Teacher:
In order to become a teacher in Mainland China, it is necessary for senior-middle-school teachers to be graduates with two additional years of training in a professional institution . Primary-school teachers need to be graduates of secondary schools .
Teaching Strategies:
Different teaching strategies are employed in China as compared to the United States. In China, if a student is having difficulty grasping concepts in math class, the teacher may ask the student to come in front of the class to try to solve a problem so that the teacher and other students can help the student to correct his or her mistakes. If the student needs additional help, he will stay after school and work one-on-one with the teacher. The student's parents will also be involved and will help him with his math homework when he gets home from school, and on the weekends as well.
Data shows that students in Chinese schools, students perceive their classroom environments to be competitive and teacher-controlled. Students feel that this is a productive route to learning . Students enjoy a friendly learning atmosphere where students and teachers work together in interesting and challenging class activities . Chinese students feel that a collaborative learning environment promotes deeper and achievement-oriented approach to learning, which they prefer to other approaches to learning .
In the U.S.:
To Become a Teacher:
To become a teacher at an American elementary, middle or high school, it is necessary for all teachers to complete a four-year undergraduate higher education program. Undergraduate education programs exist, where after four years the student has a degree in education and only needs to take a teaching certification exam in the state that they want to teach in to become a teacher. For other students, post undergraduate education, future teachers need to complete a thirteen-month to two-year teaching certification degree (depending on the speed of the courses taken). These future teachers as well will need to take a certification examination in the state in which they want to teach and pass it to become a teacher. Many elementary, middle and high school teachers go on to get their Masters degree in education, which is an additional two years of education. A Masters degree (MA) can allow a teacher to be paid a higher salary than they would otherwise receive. In addition, it may make them a more attractive candidate when applying for a job in a school located in a higher SES area. In order to become a college or University professor, most students will need to complete an undergraduate education, as well as get their Masters degree. Depending on the University, it may be wise to go on for an additional two years to get a Doctorate degree (Dr.). In more prestigious universities, professors are usually doctors (have a doctorate degree).
Group vs. Individual (China & U.S)
Teachers in China focus on the group as opposed to on the individual. If one student is lagging behind, the class will stop and help the student, and bring him as quickly as possible to the level of the rest of the group. It is believed that every student has the ability to achieve in every subject, although some students will need to work harder than others to achieve the same results. Teachers and parents seem willing to help students who are not "naturals" at a subject to learn the tools that they need to succeed in that particular subject, even if it means working outside of school and on the weekends.
In Contrast, in America, being called in front of a class and being critiqued by not only your teacher, but also by other peers, could be downright damaging to a student's psyche. In the U.S., education focuses on the individual, and maintaining students' self-esteem is considered critical.
Further, if a U.S. student is lagging in his or her math class, we have the tendency to attribute the student's failure to him simply not being good at math. Students in this situation will often move into a lower level math class (different math levels are usually associated with middle school or high school).
Implications for Success:
Because Chinese teachers and parents expect that all students have the ability to succeed in all subjects, students themselves tend to believe that they can succeed as well. This is a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, as when adults believe in a child's ability to do well, the child in turn is likely to believe in himself as well, and therefore work to succeed. Because Chinese teachers and parents expect more from their students, students succeed more.
In China:
To Become a Teacher:
In order to become a teacher in Mainland China, it is necessary for senior-middle-school teachers to be graduates with two additional years of training in a professional institution . Primary-school teachers need to be graduates of secondary schools .
Teaching Strategies:
Different teaching strategies are employed in China as compared to the United States. In China, if a student is having difficulty grasping concepts in math class, the teacher may ask the student to come in front of the class to try to solve a problem so that the teacher and other students can help the student to correct his or her mistakes. If the student needs additional help, he will stay after school and work one-on-one with the teacher. The student's parents will also be involved and will help him with his math homework when he gets home from school, and on the weekends as well.
Data shows that students in Chinese schools, students perceive their classroom environments to be competitive and teacher-controlled. Students feel that this is a productive route to learning . Students enjoy a friendly learning atmosphere where students and teachers work together in interesting and challenging class activities . Chinese students feel that a collaborative learning environment promotes deeper and achievement-oriented approach to learning, which they prefer to other approaches to learning .
In the U.S.:
To Become a Teacher:
To become a teacher at an American elementary, middle or high school, it is necessary for all teachers to complete a four-year undergraduate higher education program. Undergraduate education programs exist, where after four years the student has a degree in education and only needs to take a teaching certification exam in the state that they want to teach in to become a teacher. For other students, post undergraduate education, future teachers need to complete a thirteen-month to two-year teaching certification degree (depending on the speed of the courses taken). These future teachers as well will need to take a certification examination in the state in which they want to teach and pass it to become a teacher. Many elementary, middle and high school teachers go on to get their Masters degree in education, which is an additional two years of education. A Masters degree (MA) can allow a teacher to be paid a higher salary than they would otherwise receive. In addition, it may make them a more attractive candidate when applying for a job in a school located in a higher SES area. In order to become a college or University professor, most students will need to complete an undergraduate education, as well as get their Masters degree. Depending on the University, it may be wise to go on for an additional two years to get a Doctorate degree (Dr.). In more prestigious universities, professors are usually doctors (have a doctorate degree).
Group vs. Individual (China & U.S)
Teachers in China focus on the group as opposed to on the individual. If one student is lagging behind, the class will stop and help the student, and bring him as quickly as possible to the level of the rest of the group. It is believed that every student has the ability to achieve in every subject, although some students will need to work harder than others to achieve the same results. Teachers and parents seem willing to help students who are not "naturals" at a subject to learn the tools that they need to succeed in that particular subject, even if it means working outside of school and on the weekends.
In Contrast, in America, being called in front of a class and being critiqued by not only your teacher, but also by other peers, could be downright damaging to a student's psyche. In the U.S., education focuses on the individual, and maintaining students' self-esteem is considered critical.
Further, if a U.S. student is lagging in his or her math class, we have the tendency to attribute the student's failure to him simply not being good at math. Students in this situation will often move into a lower level math class (different math levels are usually associated with middle school or high school).
Implications for Success:
Because Chinese teachers and parents expect that all students have the ability to succeed in all subjects, students themselves tend to believe that they can succeed as well. This is a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, as when adults believe in a child's ability to do well, the child in turn is likely to believe in himself as well, and therefore work to succeed. Because Chinese teachers and parents expect more from their students, students succeed more.
