This volume draws on findings from the Canada-China Nature Notes Reciprocal Learning Program to explore cross-cultural exchanges in science education in and outside of the classroom. Under the collaborative reciprocity perspective, cross-cultural learning needs to go beyond simple comparison in practices, values, and results and moves to a paradigm that emphasizes a two-way learning process in the context of acting together. Through collaborative work between the international teams and partner schools, the program described in this book shows how collaborative efforts between the two sister schools worked to raise awareness about Chinese farming culture and extend students' outdoor learning experiences. In this book, educators from across the research team share their insights and reflect on the cross-cultural collaborative process and how it impacted the learning experiences of themselves and their students.
This volume draws on findings from the Canada-China Nature Notes Reciprocal Learning Program to explore cross-cultural exchanges in science education in and outside of the classroom. Under the collaborative reciprocity perspective, cross-cultural learning needs to go beyond simple comparison in practices, values, and results and moves to a paradigm that emphasizes a two-way learning process in the context of acting together. Through collaborative work between the international teams and partner schools, the program described in this book shows how collaborative efforts between the two sister schools worked to raise awareness about Chinese farming culture and extend students' outdoor learning experiences. In this book, educators from across the research team share their insights and reflect on the cross-cultural collaborative process and how it impacted the learning experiences of themselves and their students.
Contributes evidence- based reflections on cross cultural learning between schools Presents a unique perspective by focusing on cross-cultural learning in the K-12 level Includes findings from informal and formal learning experiences to diversify the implications for curriculum studies
George Zhou
outdoor education reciprocal learning curriculum studies sister schools Chinese farming
“This book is highly recommended for those who are interested in cross-cultural education and teaching learning curricula at the primary and secondary school levels based on environmental education. … The book also provides information on the importance of collaboration, so it is highly recommended that this useful Cross-Cultural Nature Notes Programme be adopted by other Eastern and Western countries, not only by China and Canada.” (Amsal Alhayat , Risti Dwi Lestari and Maurra Syifah Wijaya, Australian Journal of Environmental Education, September 5, 2023)
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“This book describes an extraordinary reciprocal learning program that fostered significant intercultural learning between and among students and teachers in China and Canada. It affirms the importance of school-based curricula as a way to take Canadian students out of their dominated ethnocentric viewpoint and to more widely inform Chinese students about interdisciplinary ways of understanding science and technology. It tells a story about the challenges, successes, and excitement of doing international collaboration that should lead readers to develop their own reciprocal learning programs.” (Clayton Smith, Professor, University of Windsor, Canada)
“This book is a product of a cross-culture reciprocal learning program between Canada and China. In this book, the readers will learn how students and teachers reflected on the relationship between human beings and nature and gained life aspiration from nature while they worked on their inquiry-based science projects throughclose observations of nature. Through this unique program, the sister school students and teachers learned different natural phenomena and customs of two countries and appreciated the biodiversity and cultural differences. Such an exchange program is a powerful platform for reciprocal learning!” (Changchun Lin, Professor, Chongqing Normal University, China)