Teaching Is Like...: A Metaphorical Analysis of Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching in the United States and China

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This study presents metaphors as a tool to gain insights about teachers’ conceptualizations of teaching in a comparative study of teachers in the United State and China. These metaphors provide an opportunity for 11 U.S. teachers and 33 China teachers to reflectively examine their beliefs. The participants’ metaphors reveal a focus on various qualities of teacher professional knowledge and effectiveness. The metaphors highlight the significance of teachers’ relationships with students along with the importance of having a solid knowledge base to contribute to student learning. The metaphors also reveal an emphasis on personal characteristics of perseverance, resilience, and passion about teaching, particularly among the China teachers. The study further examines the similarities and differences between the metaphors of the two cultures.

Authors

• Leslie W. Grant, College of William and Mary

• James H. Stronge, College of William and Mary

• Xianxuan Xu, Stronge & Associates Educational Consulting, LLC