Constructivism and Teachers in Chinese Culture: Enriching Confucianism with Constructivism

Description

This book provides a refreshing look at kindergarten teachers’ practical knowledge and their context-specific reasoning of the usefulness of constructivism from a culturally emic perspective. Examining the similarities and differences between constructivism and Confucianism from both instructional and moral perspectives, it provides a unique contribution to teaching and teacher education. An understanding of the compatibility between constructivism and Confucianism is valuable in cross-cultural exchange and learning, and as such the book is a great source for educational researchers in a time of globalization. Front Matter ....Pages i-ix Contemporary Constructivism and Its Usefulness in a Confucian Context (Zitong Wei)....Pages 1-7 Constructivism in Confucian Culture (Zitong Wei)....Pages 9-23 Constructivist Teaching in China Today (Zitong Wei)....Pages 25-48 A Hermeneutic Analysis of Chinese Teachers (Zitong Wei)....Pages 49-61 Flexibility and Balancing: Against the “Apprenticeship of Observation” (Zitong Wei)....Pages 63-92 Synchronicity and Symbolizing: Reflective Teaching and Learning (Zitong Wei)....Pages 93-118 Accompanying and Composing: Moral Accommodations (Zitong Wei)....Pages 119-154 A Relational Paradigm of Cross-Cultural Learning (Zitong Wei)....Pages 155-179 Back Matter ....Pages 181-194