学霸 Academic Hero

An Investigation of an Informal Bilingual Volunteer Peer Teaching Model in Supporting Chinese International Students’ Learning

Authors

  • Jinqi Xu Office of Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education) - Education, Enterprise & Engagement, University of Sydney https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2333-5447
  • Lynne Keevers Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v13i1.3996

Keywords:

Chinese students, practice-based, international students, peer teaching, higher education, diversity, bilingual teaching

Abstract

The growth in the number of Chinese students in Western universities has prompted academics to explore different pedagogical practices suitable for diverse classrooms. Some persisting contradictions between Western and Eastern conceptions of education exist in the practices and institutional structures that students encounter daily. Designing appropriate curricular and learning activities is crucial to the embedding of Chinese international students’ learning experience in the West. Adopting a practice-based approach, this ethnographic study investigates how an informal bilingual volunteer peer teaching model, entailing a mix of pedagogical practices, contributed to improving Chinese international students learning experience in a Western context. This paper advocates a movement beyond the boundaries and the limits of the fixed pedagogies and turns toward diverse pedagogical practices in teaching Chinese students. This paper also provides new insights about curricular design for academic and institutional practices in order to further develop Chinese students’ positive learning experiences in the West.

Author Biographies

  • Jinqi Xu, Office of Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education) - Education, Enterprise & Engagement, University of Sydney

    Jinqi Xu, Ph. D, is a Lecturer in interdisciplinary education, Office of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) – Education, Enterprise & Engagement, at the University of Sydney, Australia. Her major research interests span diversity in education, Chinese international Students in Higher Education, interdisciplinary education, and Confucius education. She develops this interest through a focus on practice theory and practice-based studies using collaborative ethnography. Email: jinqi.xu@sydney.edu.au

  • Lynne Keevers , Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong

    Lynne Keeves, Ph.D, Associate Professor in Social Work at the University of Wollongong. Social Justice is the connecting thread of Lynne Keever’s research. She has a professional and research interest in the practices of social justice in civil society organisations and higher education. She develops this interest through a focus on practice theory and practice-based studies using collaborative methodologies such as participatory action research, collaborative ethnography, and feminist-informed participatory research. Email: lkeevers@uow.edu.au.

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Published

2022-02-18

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Research Articles (English)

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How to Cite

学霸 Academic Hero: An Investigation of an Informal Bilingual Volunteer Peer Teaching Model in Supporting Chinese International Students’ Learning. (2022). Journal of International Students, 12(3), 756-776. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v13i1.3996