Teaching in China: Two Views

This article documents the experiences of two American professors who have taught in China and describes the similarities and differences between their students at home and abroad. Brian Coppola, who taught organic chemistry at Peking University (PKU), observes how the strengths in science preparation that Chinese students achieve in their precollege schooling are not exploited at the university, while the structure of US higher education seems to make up for the weaker preparation of US students relative to their Chinese counterparts. Keith Kerr taught sociology at Ningxia University, which is located in an isolated region of northwest China. He describes how Chinese students, who in some ways appear strikingly similar to their American counterparts, also reflect the distinctly communal and traditional aspects of their culture. (Contains 1 table and a list of resources.)