Chinese Students In A 'sea' Of Change: One Teacher's Discoveries About Chinese Students' Learning And Emotions Through Use Of Song

摘要

The research examines one teacher's perceptions of the value of offering a song which allowed her to teach not only the 'content' of her unit of study, but which has also become the focus of her 'process' and 'pedagogy' in the unit. The study also examines the teacher's reactions to the deep level to which (she maintains) the Chinese learners engaged with her teaching of the song. The study has taken place over the past three years, and data have been sourced through the reflective journalling strategies of the Australian university teacher/researcher as she routinely reflects on noteworthy aspects of her teaching in an offshore postgraduate education programme in China. Her reflections imply that the Chinese learners not only saw the surface meaning of the song lyrics, but also due to the material being offered in song genre, were touched emotionally to engage with the meaning of the song lyrics for their own lives and their further understanding of their Chinese heritage beliefs.