Hybridization: An "American" Education In A Culturally Chinese Setting A Senior Honors Thesis By Jennifer Laura Selke International And Area Studies/East Asian Studies Contents Introduction ....................................................................................... P. 3 Organization And Communication ............................................................. P. 7 Differences And Similarities In The Classroom, At Home, And In The Community ...... P. 25 Conclusion And Goals For The Future ......................................................... P. 60 I) Introduction During The Summer Of 2005 I Worked As A Teaching Assistant At The Taipei American School (T As). This Experience Not Only Provided The Foundation For My Thesis, But Also Inspired Me To Pursue A Career In Elementary Education. I Observed Many Differences Between My Experience In The Public School System In St. Louis County And The Teaching Styles And Communication Between Parents, Teachers And Students At T As. Among These Differences, There Were Three That Stood Out As Most Exceptional: The Heightened Role Parents Played In The Education Of Their Children, The Enthusiasm Expressed By All The Children, And The Entertaining Manner In Which Classes Were Conducted. I Spent My First Week Feeling Shocked At The Magnitude Of The Separation Of My Childhood Experiences From The Experiences Created Daily For Tas Students. During My Elementary School Years, I Remember There Were Several Mothers Who Helped Out In Class. My Own Mother Was Very Involved According To My Standards As An American, But What I Saw In Tas Was Overwhelming. These Mothers Were Excited About The Education Of Their Children And That Excitement Transferred Over To The Children And Created A Group Of Students More Eager To Learn Than I Would Have Thought Possible. They Came To School Ready To Learn And Seemed To Enjoy Every Minute Of It. At The Same Time, The Teachers Used Hands-On Experiments To Keep The Students Actively Involved In Their Studies And Allowed Frequent Breaks So The Children Could Release Some Of Their Pent-Up Energy. Upon Returning Home I Began Some Research On Taiwan Schools Because I Was Curious To See If The Characteristics I Had Noticed At T As Were The Same All Over The Island And In Chinese1 Culture In General. What I Found Was Even More Intriguing Than I Had Originally Expected. Instead Of Being A Strictly Chinese Or Strictly American School, Tas Seems To Be A Sort Of Hybrid, Capitalizing On The Benefits Of Education In Both Cultures And Combining Them Into Something New, Sometl1Ing More Efficient And Successful Than Any School I Had Attended As A Child. Because Of The School'S Setting In A Culturally Chinese Environment, It Is Immersed In Tile Chinese View Of The Value Of Education And Of The Importance Of Parental Involvement, Both In The School And At Home. Perhaps It Is Best To Now Take The Time To Explain How I Define The Term "Parental Involvement" Because There Are Many Possible Definitions, As Well As A Wide Range Of Levels Of Involvement. My Use Of The Term Refers To The Presence Of Communication Between Parents, Teachers, And Children. It Also Includes The Willingness Of Parents To Assist Their Children With Their Homework And To Be Certain That They Are Understanding Their Lessons, And The Willingness Of Parents To Become Involved Within The School Itself, Whether Through Helping With Special Activities Or By Actively Participating In The School Government Or Policy. A Strong Dialogue Between Parents And Teachers Is Crucial To Ensuring That Children Receive The Best Possible Education. This Dialogue Would "Enable Parents To Have A Significant Voice In Making Appropriate Decisions That Impact ... Their Children'S Educational Experience" And Would Also Give Teachers Tile Feedback And Support Throughout My Paper I Will Use The Tenn "Chinese" To Refer To The Chinese Culture Present In Both Mainland China And Taiwan. Much Oftl1E Material For My Research Dealt With General Chinese Culture As Well As Specific Studies Conducted In Several Cities, Including Taipei, Beijing, Minneapolis, And Chicago. They Need To Help Each Child Achieve His Or Her Fullest Potential.2 Following Hand In Hand With Communication Is The Need For Parents To Help Their Children Willingly And Actively With Their Homework. As Nearly All Parents In The Studies I Will Touch On Later In This Paper Agreed, Homework Is A Very Important Part Of The Educational Experience. It Should Be Geared Toward Providing Both A Recap And An Application Of The Knowledge Learned That Day In Class And Should Ideally Prepare The Child For The Following Class. When Parents Are Too Busy To Help With Homework Or Become Resentful Of The Idea That They Are Expected To Assist Teachers In Educating Their Children, They Paint A Picture That Homework And Learning Are Less Important Than Other Family Activities And Thus Create A Divide Between

Author

• Jennifer Laura Selke, Washington University in St. Louis

Language

English (en)

Date of Award

5-1-2006

Author's School

College of Arts & Sciences

Author's Department

International and Area Studies

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (A.B.)

Restricted/Unrestricted

Restricted

Abstract

During the summer of 2005 I worked as a teaching assistant at the Taipei American School (T AS). This experience not only provided the foundation for my thesis, but also inspired me to pursue a career in elementary education. I observed many differences between my experience in the public school system in St. Louis County and the teaching styles and communication between parents, teachers and students at T AS. Among these differences, there were three that stood out as most exceptional: the heightened role parents played in the education of their children, the enthusiasm expressed by all the children, and the entertaining manner in which classes were conducted. I spent my first week feeling shocked at the magnitude of the separation of my childhood experiences from the experiences created daily for TAS students. During my elementary school years, I remember there were several mothers who helped out in class. My own mother was very involved according to my standards as an American, but what I saw in TAS was overwhelming. These mothers were excited about the education of their children and that excitement transferred over to the children and created a group of students more eager to learn than I would have thought possible. They came to school ready to learn and seemed to enjoy every minute of it. At the same time, the teachers used hands-on experiments to keep the students actively involved in their studies and allowed frequent breaks so the children could release some of their pent-up energy. Upon returning home I began some research on Taiwan schools because I was curious to see if the characteristics I had noticed at T AS were the same all over the island and in Chinese1 culture in general. What I found was even more intriguing than I had originally expected. Instead of being a strictly Chinese or strictly American school, TAS seems to be a sort of hybrid, capitalizing on the benefits of education in both cultures and combining them into something new, sometl1ing more efficient and successful than any school I had attended as a child. Because of the school's setting in a culturally Chinese environment, it is immersed in tile Chinese view of the value of education and of the importance of parental involvement, both in the school and at home.

Recommended Citation

Selke, Jennifer Laura, "Hybridization: An "American" Education In A Culturally Chinese Setting A Senior Honors Thesis By Jennifer Laura Selke International And Area Studies/East Asian Studies Contents Introduction ....................................................................................... P. 3 Organization And Communication ............................................................. P. 7 Differences And Similarities In The Classroom, At Home, And In The Community ...... P. 25 Conclusion And Goals For The Future ......................................................... P. 60 I) Introduction During The Summer Of 2005 I Worked As A Teaching Assistant At The Taipei American School (T As). This Experience Not Only Provided The Foundation For My Thesis, But Also Inspired Me To Pursue A Career In Elementary Education. I Observed Many Differences Between My Experience In The Public School System In St. Louis County And The Teaching Styles And Communication Between Parents, Teachers And Students At T As. Among These Differences, There Were Three That Stood Out As Most Exceptional: The Heightened Role Parents Played In The Education Of Their Children, The Enthusiasm Expressed By All The Children, And The Entertaining Manner In Which Classes Were Conducted. I Spent My First Week Feeling Shocked At The Magnitude Of The Separation Of My Childhood Experiences From The Experiences Created Daily For Tas Students. During My Elementary School Years, I Remember There Were Several Mothers Who Helped Out In Class. My Own Mother Was Very Involved According To My Standards As An American, But What I Saw In Tas Was Overwhelming. These Mothers Were Excited About The Education Of Their Children And That Excitement Transferred Over To The Children And Created A Group Of Students More Eager To Learn Than I Would Have Thought Possible. They Came To School Ready To Learn And Seemed To Enjoy Every Minute Of It. At The Same Time, The Teachers Used Hands-On Experiments To Keep The Students Actively Involved In Their Studies And Allowed Frequent Breaks So The Children Could Release Some Of Their Pent-Up Energy. Upon Returning Home I Began Some Research On Taiwan Schools Because I Was Curious To See If The Characteristics I Had Noticed At T As Were The Same All Over The Island And In Chinese1 Culture In General. What I Found Was Even More Intriguing Than I Had Originally Expected. Instead Of Being A Strictly Chinese Or Strictly American School, Tas Seems To Be A Sort Of Hybrid, Capitalizing On The Benefits Of Education In Both Cultures And Combining Them Into Something New, Sometl1Ing More Efficient And Successful Than Any School I Had Attended As A Child. Because Of The School'S Setting In A Culturally Chinese Environment, It Is Immersed In Tile Chinese View Of The Value Of Education And Of The Importance Of Parental Involvement, Both In The School And At Home. Perhaps It Is Best To Now Take The Time To Explain How I Define The Term "Parental Involvement" Because There Are Many Possible Definitions, As Well As A Wide Range Of Levels Of Involvement. My Use Of The Term Refers To The Presence Of Communication Between Parents, Teachers, And Children. It Also Includes The Willingness Of Parents To Assist Their Children With Their Homework And To Be Certain That They Are Understanding Their Lessons, And The Willingness Of Parents To Become Involved Within The School Itself, Whether Through Helping With Special Activities Or By Actively Participating In The School Government Or Policy. A Strong Dialogue Between Parents And Teachers Is Crucial To Ensuring That Children Receive The Best Possible Education. This Dialogue Would "Enable Parents To Have A Significant Voice In Making Appropriate Decisions That Impact ... Their Children'S Educational Experience" And Would Also Give Teachers Tile Feedback And Support Throughout My Paper I Will Use The Tenn "Chinese" To Refer To The Chinese Culture Present In Both Mainland China And Taiwan. Much Oftl1E Material For My Research Dealt With General Chinese Culture As Well As Specific Studies Conducted In Several Cities, Including Taipei, Beijing, Minneapolis, And Chicago. They Need To Help Each Child Achieve His Or Her Fullest Potential.2 Following Hand In Hand With Communication Is The Need For Parents To Help Their Children Willingly And Actively With Their Homework. As Nearly All Parents In The Studies I Will Touch On Later In This Paper Agreed, Homework Is A Very Important Part Of The Educational Experience. It Should Be Geared Toward Providing Both A Recap And An Application Of The Knowledge Learned That Day In Class And Should Ideally Prepare The Child For The Following Class. When Parents Are Too Busy To Help With Homework Or Become Resentful Of The Idea That They Are Expected To Assist Teachers In Educating Their Children, They Paint A Picture That Homework And Learning Are Less Important Than Other Family Activities And Thus Create A Divide Between" (2006). Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses. 118.
https://repository.library.washu.edu/undergrad_etd/118