Cross-Cultural Experiences of Canadian Science Educators Visiting the Sister Schools in Chongqing, China: A Cross-Cultural Experience

Abstract

The benefit of cross-cultural learning is two-fold: first is recognizing the practices and foundations that build education in another country. The second is reflecting on the educational practices within one’s home country. Cross-cultural learning also allows one to put the practice of education into perspective by having another side to which they can compare their experiences. This research is a narrative inquiry case study of the Canadian perspective and experience of two in-service science teachers who visited sister schools in China. This case study explores Canadian teachers’ perceptions of teaching science, what inquiry-based teaching looks like, what equipment aids in the process, and what experiences and teaching methodologies can be shared between Canadian schools and the Sister Schools in Chongqing, China. This research was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant.