A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Effective Teaching in U.S., China, and East Asian International School Classrooms: Analysis of Engagement and Learning Director

• In Event: Comparative Insights on Effective Teaching, Teacher Education, and Digital Literacy

Proposal

Introduction
Education is a fundamental driver of individual, societal, and economic advancement (Snoek, 2021) in every country. Consequently, the quality of education is closely linked to teachers being positioned as the most important in-school effect on student success. Investing in quality teachers and ensuring equitable distribution of this resource can help bridge student learning opportunities and close learning gaps in any school and country (Morgan et al., 2016; Author et al., 2011). The backdrop of educational reforms in the United States (U.S.) and China, coupled with heightened global economic and educational competition in virtually all countries around the world, makes this an opportune time to conduct international comparative studies of teacher quality to develop a deeper understanding of this complex topic (Crossley & Waston, 2003; Tierney & Kan, 2016; Zajda, 2020). The purpose of this paper is to examine selected United States and Chinese government teachers and to compare them to teachers in independent East Asia international schools. Particularly, we aim to answer the question: How engaged are students in their classrooms, and to what degree is learning teacher- or student-directed across varied cultural contexts? This proposal draws on numerous studies conducted over the past decade involving cross-case analyses of teachers recognized as effective in their respective school and cultural contexts (Author et al., 2013; Author, 2022; Author, et al., 2024).


Methods
Author’s (2018) teacher effectiveness framework, which has strong links with teacher quality frameworks developed by Chinese researchers (e.g., Bai, 2000; Cui & Wang, 2005, Sun, 2004), was employed in these multi-year cross-case studies. Maximum variation sampling ensured a diverse representation of participants from each context. Maximum variation sampling is an effective approach for uncovering “what is unique about each situation as well as what is common across these diverse settings” (Mertens, 2020, p. 349). Our sample consisted of 96 teachers: 16 U.S. teachers teaching in public (government-supported) schools, 50 China teachers teaching in public schools, and 30 international teachers in six East Asian countries (Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam). Teachers selected in the U.S. and China were those who had won national or regional/provincial teaching awards or nominated based on other effectiveness criteria. In international schools where such awards do not exist, teachers were selected based on teacher effectiveness selection criteria and nominations made by the principals/heads of their respective schools. The Differentiated Classroom Observation Scale (DCOS) (Cassady et al., 2004) was used to observe each teacher teaching in their typical classroom setting. Trained observers coded various teaching attributes, including documenting the director of the learning experience and student engagement in repeated 5-minute segments during each lesson. The observation protocol was field-tested in pairs to gain inter-rater reliability for the data collection.





Findings

Director of Learning
We recorded the extent to which learning was directed in the classroom using a five-point rating scale. Comparative analysis of observational data showed that the international (M=1.87) and U.S. (M =1.73) teacher groups were slightly less teacher-directed than the China (M = 1.34) teacher group, as shown in Table 1. Figure 1 reveals that the mean score across different groups was 1.57 indicating a consistent pattern in the data despite variations in teachers’ contexts and backgrounds.
Interviews with the teachers further supported this finding, with teachers being the directors of learning in the classrooms of all three teacher groups. (U.S., China, and East Asian international independent schools) is teachers. This key finding of teacher direction does NOT eliminate student-centeredness, as there were exceptions when teachers provided student choice for some lessons – and for portions of some lessons. (e.g., the proverbial “guide on the side”). The thorough examination of teaching practices showed that teachers not only prepared the lessons and designed or adapted the curriculum but also implemented the instruction based on what they anticipated students should know and be able to do, and assessed students’ learning. Nonetheless, their approach remained student-centered, fostering creativity and flexibility in the learning process (See Table 3).

Student Engagement
For teachers in all three teacher groups (China, U.S., and international schools), student engagement was exceptionally high as shown in Table 2. Among the observed classroom observation segments, low engagement was observed in a very small number of cases (approximately 1% of the overall observational time), medium engagement was observed in approximately 13% of the teaching segments, and high engagement occurred in approximately 85% of the instances. The average engagement level for the 5-minute units of analysis that we used throughout all of the studies were as follows: China students M = 2.86, U.S. students M = 2.62, international school students M = 2.75, as shown in Table 2. The total engagement level of all students in all 96 classrooms was 2.78, as shown in Figure 2.
Interview responses further highlighted that student engagement was significantly enhanced through teachers' focus on student-centered practices (See Table 3). These practices included building strong relationships with students and among them, employing teaching strategies that encouraged active participation in classroom work, and providing academic and social support. The key finding here is simple: effective teachers focus on and sustain high student engagement across countries, subjects and grade levels taught, and other contextual setting differences.

Conclusion
A noteworthy point to summarize this study is that student engagement is more influenced by teacher role as a director of learning - i.e., greater teacher directedness can lead to higher the student engagement. This may be one reason that student engagement in China was noted higher as compared to U.S. and international groups – that is, the China group was more teacher directed. We know this finding of teacher directedness runs completely counter to much of the professional literature in education. However, setting aside the wider debate on teacher or student as director of learning (sage on the stage vs. guide on the side), we are confident in assuming that pedagogical strategies and practices adopted in accordance with the local context, culture, and circumstances are fundamental components of the education system that influence young learners’ dispositions and engagement to acquire knowledge.

Authors

• Altaf Hussain Khosa, William and Mary

• Swathi Menon, William & Mary School of Education

• James H. Stronge, William & Mary

• Thomas J Ward, William & Mary

• Leslie W. Grant, William & Mary School of Education