Accounting for Tibetan university students' and teachers' intellectual styles

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to further understand Tibetan university students' learning styles through investigating Tibetan university teachers' teaching styles and their preferred student learning styles. This objective was achieved by analysing the interview data from a group of Tibetan university teachers and the comparative survey data gathered from university teachers in Nanjing and Tibet. Quantitative data lent complete support to our prediction that Tibetan teachers were significantly more conservative in their teaching than their Nanjing counterparts. However, the data only partially confirmed our prediction that Tibetan teachers would teach less creatively. Interview data suggested that to deal with the rapidly changing world, university teachers in Tibet are becoming more creative in their teaching. Yet, for various reasons, teaching and learning in Tibet remain relatively conservative. These include Tibet's geographical location, its economy, education system that is deeply rooted in monastery education, and its traditional values such as modesty and respect, as well as Tibetan people's strong sense of culture preservation.