Literacy Education Beliefs of Chinese and American Teachers: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

• In Event: International Perspectives on Teachers and Educational Leaders

Abstract

Two American and Chinese researchers collaborated in this comparative and reflective inquiry to examine literacy education beliefs of 44 American teachers and 40 Chinese teachers. Data included these teachers’ self-reported written narratives about their beliefs and practices in literacy education. The study is grounded in international comparative studies in teaching and teacher education. Participants were in-service teachers in graduate literacy programs in two metropolitan areas in East China and Northeast United States. An inductive content analysis of data, along with double coding and computer-aided text analysis, revealed four categories in teachers’ disciplinary and pedagogical beliefs. In this paper, we will present these categories, along with an analysis of social-cultural factors that shaped the differences in teachers’ beliefs and practices.

Authors

• Yang Hu, Hunter College, City University of New York

• Beifei Dong, East China Normal University