Job Discussion Forums

[donb2222]

I am interested to know how students in China can be compared to students in other countries.
The Chinese propaganda is that Chinese students are more "diligent".
What do you think ?

[johntpartee]

Just like anywhere else. In fact, that was the biggest mistake I made when I first got here, i.e., "I'm going to see what these people are like".

[randyj]

In my opinion, students are pretty much the same all over the world. In general, they seek the easiest path and procrastinate as much as possible.

[nickpellatt]

My experience is limited by the amount of students I have had, but generally I find Chinese students work longer hours, but less effectively. I dont know if that makes them diligent or not...I kinda think not. They spend too long doing the wrong things, and very little time doing the right things IMO.

Mostly, and this is a rather sweeping generalisation, but they are more respectful of teachers and education.

[sharpe88]

Overall, certainly more diligent, ambitious, and respectful than in western countries. It's a generalization but a fair one

[MisterButtkins]

[The Ever-changing Cleric]

[shuanglu pijiu]

[The Ever-changing Cleric]

[waxwing]

I think that collectively, the students I've taught over the last few years are some of the very best in the world.

No, I'm not kidding. But then again I've been lucky enough to teach in some very "elite" schools.

If we are talking in general, Chinese students must be considered much, much better than those in Western countries. I wonder how many of you have, like I, actually taught in public(state) schools in the West? Have you any idea what it's like?

[brsmith15]

I can only comment on students studying business subjects, but when I taught accounting, they picked it up faster than their US counterparts even though everything (lectures, text, video stuff) was in English. When it came to management, HR, and marketing, subjects which require critical thinking, multiple outcomes and "what-if's," they fell short.

[shuanglu pijiu]

[LongShiKong]

Not that IQ tests are any overall measure of intelligence* other than test-taking skills, but according to IQ and Global Inequality, Hong Kong's still at the top:

NATION___2002 2006
Hong Kong 107 108
Singapore 103 108
North Korea 105 106
South Korea 106 106
Japan 105 105
Taiwan 104 105
China 100 105
------------------------------
UK 100 100
------------------------------
Canada 97 99
------------------------------
Australia 98 98
United States 98 98

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ_and_Global_Inequality

* To see how even those critical of IQ tests, are seemingly caught by their charms, watch, then read my comment under this Youtube clip:
Maggie Toplak: What IQ Tests Miss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGka5bQIgS4
You'll need a proxy to view it.

[malu]

My experience is limited to high school teaching and I'd venture that Chinese students are (with notable exceptions) more obedient and pliable but I don't think they are any more 'diligent' than high school students anywhere else. True, you don't get the overtly disruptive behaviour of European or Mid-East students but passive resistance seems to be part of the national psyche while having a nap in class comes naturally to many Chinese. In my (brief) time in China I taught some truly wonderful students and about an equal number of complete imbeciles. Most were, on average, very average.

[Calypso]

I've taught in South Korea, Mongolia, Australia and China only to find students are pretty much the same everywhere.

In Australia and Sth Korea I've mainly taught in the public school systems while in Mongolia and China it's been in private loanguage institutes but really, I don't see much difference between them at all.