Family Studies Young Child Program Students Travel to China
What is early childhood education in China like today? Assistant Professor of Family Studies Dora Chen, along with four UNH undergrads and one alumna, set out this past summer to explore and learn. Their trip was made possible thanks to a 2008 ASIANetwork Freeman Student-Faculty Fellowship award of $25,270.
In about three weeks time, this adventuresome group visited 15 preschools in three cities—Hohhot, Tianjin, and Beijing. Through close observation, the students were able to gain a deeper understanding of the daily routines and experiences of the teachers and children enrolled in China’s early childhood education in both rural and urban settings.
“This has been a most unique learning opportunity not only for the students but also for me as their mentor,” said the students’ faculty mentor Dora Chen. “I have seen their wonder and excitement, and the Ah-Ha’s as they entered different schools, and as they encountered new situations in the cities, be it at the Beijing train station with thousands of eyes staring at them, or in Hohhot, when suddenly, the streets became flooded with a sea of children in school uniforms on their daily lunch break from school.”
Senior Jennifer Mongelli focused on the influence of Western approaches to early education, through which she said she’s learned that Chinese preschools have adopted many Western techniques to teaching.
“I found myself marveling at the extent of influence of Western approaches to early education in these preschools, at the various ways children responded to different approaches to teaching, as well as how committed the teachers and administrators are to providing the best education for the children,” said Mongelli.
Amy Martin focused on how children responded to their school activities. She noted, “When engaged with play-based activities, their faces lit up and their laughter was infectious.” She also found in Inner Mongolia schools that fostering an understanding of Chinese culture was very important.
Emilee Minkwitz observed “how much the children’s behavior was dependent upon expectations [set] . . . by the larger culture they live in.” She plans to bring this awareness to her own future classroom.
Jacqueline Maude was interested in the teachers. Their core set of beliefs emerged for her: patience, passion, commitment to safety for the children, and love and respect for them. The teachers, Maude found, are highly qualified, meeting more specific qualifications than preschool teachers in the U.S.
Mongelli added that unexpectedly, she also developed a stronger sense and understanding of what it means to be a minority. She now understands the importance of being able to overcome a cultural barrier as a teacher and create an open window of communication with the children and teachers in the schools and in the community around them.
“I am honored to have had this opportunity to learn about the school experience of young children in China. Most of all, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to understand what it is like to be a minority in a foreign culture,” said Mongelli.
For Chen, the trip “reinforced [her] belief in providing students with first-hand, real-life, cross-cultural experiences.”
By Keriann Coffey