The impact of Chinese teachers' cultural beliefs about teaching and learning on their interpretation and implementation of the concept-based curriculum and instruction in the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme language acquisition classrooms

Abstract

Concept-based Curriculum and Instruction (CBCI) emphasises the development of conceptual understanding and transfer skills in preparing students to face the challenges of the 21st century, where knowledge is rapidly updating in a changing world. The International Baccalaureate (IB) has embraced CBCI in all its programmes, from primary and secondary to diploma levels. Several empirical studies have explored the effect of CBCI and proved that it fosters students’ conceptual thinking and increases students’ learning motivation. However, it has also been reported that teachers have encountered difficulties implementing CBCI. It has also been observed that Chinese teachers have found CBCI challenging to understand and implement, but no studies have addressed how Chinese teachers’ cultural beliefs play a role when implementing the Western-value-oriented CBCI. This study aims to fill the gap in the existing research literature by investigating how Chinese teachers understand and implement CBCI and how their cultural beliefs impact how they interpret and implement CBCI when teaching Chinese as a second language in the context of the IB Middle School Programme (MYP) at Hong Kong’s international schools. The study employs a two-stage qualitative methodology comprising individual interviews and case studies. Around 18 MYP Chinese teachers were interviewed individually to determine their CBCI understanding and implementation and their cultural beliefs. Among the interviewees, three teachers who showed unique perspectives on CBCI were invited as case studies for lesson observations and further interviews. The data analysis employed thematic analysis and content analysis. The study found that Chinese teachers interpret and implement CBCI in different ways. Some teachers interpret CBCI as a school paperwork requirement and do not implement it; some interpret it as a curriculum framework and follow the guidelines to plan the unit but do not fully implement it in classrooms; and some internalise CBCI values and use a variety of inductive inquiry activities to teach different layers of conceptual understanding. It was found that teachers’ beliefs, especially their cultural beliefs about authority, seeking stability, collectivism, and clock time management, play a crucial role in shaping their interpretation and implementation of CBCI. The findings make a meaningful contribution to our understanding of the relationship between teacher beliefs and CBCI. The findings also highlight that it is significant for all intercultural educational organisations to consider teachers’ cultural beliefs for teaching training development.