How my culture and identity shaped my education

My education has experienced two major distinctive phases in two countries. My schooling in China before university and two years in an Australian university so far allow me to draw a comparison between my educational experiences and reflect on how my culture and identity influenced my education.

The culture I was exposed to had an enormous impact on my experience within education. Before I moved to Australia, I was immersed in a culture where more emphasis was put on grades than anything else in school. Going to a top university was considered by most people as the only path to a decent life. As a consequence, my school life was purely about getting good grades. When I was in high school, all the P.E., music, and art classes were cancelled and replaced because they would not be tested in the university entrance exam (the equivalent of HSC). It was believed that our valuable time was better to be spent on “more important classes” such as Maths, Physics, Biology, and Chemistry. My education was greatly affected as some knowledge was selectively left out. Now I often feel embarrassed about my ignorance in music, arts, and my lack of interest in sports.

This culture also indirectly altered my learning patterns and strategies. In high school, we were taught to unimaginatively memorise facts to score well on tests. Teachers used to write down or read out answers on the board for us to copy and memorise. After years, I gradually learnt to study for the test rather than for the knowledge. Rote learning seemed to work better for me and my learning strategy was cramming before exams. However, having spent two almost two years in university, I am starting to realise that my old ways of learning are becoming much less effective. Courses like “Culture, Identity and Education” require critical thinking and reflection that are based on the overall understanding of the course content. When there aren’t right or wrong answers, rote learning and cramming wouldn’t help at all.

My identity as an international student also affected my education experience in Australia to some extent. Often, I am more hesitant to ask questions, to express my opinions in discussion, or to speak in class or in social situations. It is because of the fact that English is my second language and it makes me worried that I might not be able to articulate or make embarrassing mistakes. Lacina (2002) pointed out that many international students face challenges with English used in social situations although they can perform well in classrooms (p. 22). Sometimes I am also not able to engage in group activities and discussions when they are related to certain topics. For example, in the first year management class, we were asked to talk about Australian politicians. At that time I didn’t even know who Tony Abbott was and no background information was given. So during the whole discussion, with no background knowledge, I wasn’t able to participate. Also, in education classes, students often talk about their experiences such as multiculturalism, racism, and how the teachers addressed these issues in their schools, none of which I could relate to because I had no similar experience.

References

Lacina, J.G. (2002). Preparing international students for a successful social experience in higher education. New Directions for Higher Education, 117, 21-28. doi:10.1002/he.43