Question

socio cultural context of learning (essay?)

Answer 1

According to sociocultural theories, child development differentiates in different social and cultural contexts. Culturally- specific beliefs and practices in each sociocultural context influence children's development in its unique way (Berk, 2009). This essay sets out to examine how Chinese children's developments in academic knowledge and temperament are impacted by culturally-specific child rearing in Chinese society. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and Vygotsky's sociocultural theory are applied to analyse the general practices, the assumptions, the beliefs and the upheld values of child rearing in China.

Definitions of Culture and Society

Culture and society may mean different things to different people. For instance, society is defined as "an association with one's fellows…, the system of customs and organization adopted by a body of individuals…, the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community…" in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (2002, p.2906, cited in New Zealand Tertiary College[NZTC], 2010). In this essay, society refers to the aggregate of people living together. Therefore, the Chinese society means the populations living in China. Culture in this essay refers to "the distinctive customs, achievements, products, outlook, etc., of a society…"as defined in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (2002, p. 575, cited in NZTC, 2010). By culturally-specific child rearing practices within this essay, it means the consistent and similar child rearing practices adopted by Chinese, such as feeding, toilet training, sleeping arrangement, and discipline.

Academic Knowledge and Temperament of shyness

Generally speaking, there are three broad domains of child development: physical, emotional and social, and cognitive (Berk, 2009). This essay will focus on studying the influence of culturally-specific child rearing on Chinese children's academic learning (cognitive development) and temperament (emotional and social development).

In a study of Hong Kong-Chinese preschool children's literacy skills, it is advised that: 75% of five years olds can write their names in Chinese correctly; more than 50% of four years olds can write appropriately using strokes and stroke patterns (the two smallest units in Chinese writings); 75% of three years olds can differentiate drawing from writing, and 20% can write appropriately (Chan & Louies, 1992, cited in Chan, Juan, & Foon, 2008). In international cross-cultural studies of reading, mathematics, and science achievement, children from all the participating Chinese cities, namely Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, are rated top performers, way above the international level (Programme for International Student Assessment, 2003, 2006, cited in Berk, 2009).

Despite relevant high academic achievement, most cross-cultural studies define Chinese children as shy and withdrawn (Chen, Rubin, & Li, 1995, Chen et al., 1998, cited in Berk, 2009). In a cross-cultural study of Chinese and Canadian two years olds, Chinese toddlers were found significantly more inhibited than Canadian ones (Chen et al., 1998, cited in Papalia, Olds, & Feldman, 2004).

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