Learning the Confucian Way

Abstract

Confucius was a great philosopher and educator in ancient China. His followers recorded his thoughts and philosophy in The Analects. Confucian philosophy developed around 551 to 479 BC, and included his ideas on learning and education. His philosophy has had a fundamental influence on contemporary people all over Asia (including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia). Contemporary students in Confucian heritage culture (CHC) contexts share some similar motivations, strategies, and beliefs about learning. Understanding of those learning motivations can help non-Asian instructors to deliver their teaching in a way that fits the cultural context and thus teach more effectively. Knowing about the strategies and beliefs can help instructors understand the advantages and shortcomings of the Confucian way of learning and recognize how to adjust their teaching strategies to meet the needs of students. Furthermore, an awareness of the common misunderstandings about Asian students' learning will prevent instructors from making wrong or unnecessary demands on the students. Finally, this chapter addresses some signs that indicate active and deep learning and other signs that indicate passive and surface learning in CHC contexts; understanding these signs can help instructors from making wrong judgments about students' learning. Learning Motivations in Confucian Heritage Culture ContextsThis chapter explores the historical objectives of education in Asian countries where a typical Confucian approach and input-driven teaching and learning style is evident. To begin, the chapter first discusses the learning motivations shared by many contemporary students in Confucian heritage culture (CHC) contexts. Then the focus is on the methods of and beliefs about learning emphasized in Asian countries and regions. These methods and beliefs include the emphasis on effort and persistence in learning, the NEW DIRECTIONS FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING, no. 142, Summer 2015

Experiences of Chinese International Doctoral Students in Canada Who Withdrew: A Narrative Inquiry

“…This recipient mode leads to the criticism of Chinese students as lacking selfdirection and individual study skills. It has been argued that when Chinese students are provided with much freedom and autonomy, they lose direction and they experience difficulty finding the meaning of their daily tasks (Cross & Hitchcock, 2007;Gu, 2001;Guo, 2015;Tan 2012). This was the case for all my participants.…”

“…However, what hindered their communication was not language itself but the cultural differences (Kim, 2011;Kuo, 2011;Lin & Scherz, 2014;Zhang & Zhou, 2010). Compared to students in Western cultures, Chinese students tend to see the teacher and the texts as highly authoritative sources of knowledge; they are more likely to operate in a recipient mode in the process of learning rather than challenging and questioning (Gu, 2001;Guo, 2015;Tan, 2012). For example, Jingwei mentioned she did not dare to contact her supervisor (recording 5, P.6).…”

“…Participants hardly related those content to their lives. Guo (2015) explained that given the emphasis of a pragmatic outcomes in Confucian cultures, it is not surprising to learn that learners in Asian contexts may show more curiosity toward practical issues rather than theoretical issues. They generally believe that education should provide them with prestigious jobs and high social status.…”

Reading and Writing for Critical Reflective Thinking

“…Before we go further, it is important to point out that while this chapter focuses on Asian students, it may also be applied—with some modification—to all students in higher education. Additionally, because the academic and social‐behavioral characteristics of Asian students are addressed in the first volume of this two‐volume series (Guo ; van Schalkwyk ), this chapter will not risk redundancy by addressing those in detail. However, very briefly, teaching and learning among Asians, particularly those of Chinese origin, are based on the traditional Confucian approach, which is characterized by unidirectional delivery of information from instructor to student, academic rigor, and rote memorization rather than active engagement with and transformation of the material to be learned.…”

Why Did You Withdraw? Experiences of Chinese International Doctoral Students in Canada

“…Educational differences between China and Canada. Compared to students in Western cultures, Chinese students tend to see the teacher and the texts as highly authoritative sources of knowledge; they are more likely to operate in a recipient mode in the process of learning rather 10 than challenging and questioning (Gu, 2001;Guo, 2015;Tan 2012). This recipient mode leads to the criticism of Chinese students as lacking self-direction and individual study skills.…”