differences between analytic and holistic thinking
This is the final chapter that tells nineteen true stories of mindset misalignments in schools arising from cultural differences. Most stories in this chapter describe hurdles that arose when a teacher who perceived the world analytically faced students who regarded it holistically. Story 10.11 turns that upside down; it’s about American students who perceived the world analytically attending a special presentation by a visiting teacher from Africa who regarded it holistically. Story 10.19 isn’t particularly about analysis and holism. I included it because it superbly describes the challenges encountered by research teams investigating cross-cultural misalignments in lower-grade classrooms.
10.01
Students perplexed by advice on how to write American style
Place: United States
Level: graduate school
People: writing coach for graduate students
Summary: Coach discusses foreign students’ challenges writing U.S. academic prose.
10.02
Simple bar graphs prove to be anything but “intuitive”
Place: Poland
Level: adult German class
People: Polish students, German teacher
Summary: Students with only a few years of schooling can’t grasp bar graphs.
10.03
Differing assumptions about the meaning of “1”
Place: Carolina Piedmont
Level: first grade
People: white teachers, Black pupils
Summary: Viewing the same drawings, pupils and teachers see different things.
Note: See also Appendix C.
10.04
Fluent German speaker flunks every German language test
Place: Germany
Level: adult German class
People: Somalian student, German teacher
Summary: After 12 years in Germany, student is fluent but fails German tests.
10.05
Becoming accustomed to a different style of prose writing
Place: United States
Level: graduate school
People: Nepalese student, U.S. teachers
Summary: The writing of this fully fluent English speaker upsets his professors.
10.06
The pupil who could be either deficient or sophisticated
Place: United States
Level: second grade
People: Black pupil, white teacher
Summary: Pupil’s double negatives, seen as deficient, also could be viewed as sophisticated.
10.07
Teaching students from the steppes how to give directions
Place: Mongolia
Level: adult German class
People: students from Mongolian steppes, German teacher
Summary: Students cannot grasp how a map works.
10.08
Fictional characters and Hmong English language learners
Place: U.S. Midwest
Level: adult English class
People: Hmong students, U.S. teacher
Summary: Hmong assume readings’ fictional characters are real people.
10.09
Teachers’ and preschoolers’ differing uses of classroom space
Place: Carolina Piedmont
Level: lower primary
People: Black pupils, white teachers
Summary: Pupils make use of classroom space differently from their teachers.
Note: See also Appendix C.
10.10
The graduate student who found everything relevant
Place: United States
Level: graduate school
People: Kenyan student, U.S. teacher
Summary: Assigned to write a case study about a church, student produces thick volume.
10.11
The questions that seemed to remain unanswered
Place: United States
Level: university
People: West African performer, U.S. students
Summary: Students upset by African’s responses to their post-performance queries.
10.12
Two types of pupil behavior in a remote Inuit classroom
Place: Alaska
Level: lower primary
People: Inuit pupils, Anglo teacher, local Inuit elder
Summary: Pupils’ behavior in contrasting classroom situations compared.
10.13
Hurdles to teaching “half” to children of the Kpelle tribe
Place: Liberia
Level: lower primary
People: Kpelle pupils, U.S. researchers
Summary: Pupils have great difficulty grasping and using the concept “half.”
10.14
The long-drawn-out answer to a simple question
Place: United States
Level: middle school
People: inner-city students, white teacher
Summary: Students asked how they spent their summer; one talks and talks…
10.15
To speak or not to speak while class is in session
Place: United States
Level: graduate school
People: Chinese student, U.S. teachers
Summary: Urged by her teachers to participate in class, student remains unconvinced.
10.16
Getting the correct answer but not knowing how
Place: Liberia
Level: adults
People: Kpelle men, U.S. researchers
Summary: Men learn to perform an experimental task, but don’t understand how.
10.17
The kindergarten music activity that dissolved into chaos
Place: United States
Level: kindergarten
People: Black and white children, two separate teachers
Summary: Children’s behavior with two different teachers compared.
10.18
Corporate “developmental assignment” fails to attain its goals
Place: United States
Level: corporation
People: Japanese trainee, U.S. trainer
Summary: Despite a plan for trainee’s learning over six months, he becomes dissatisfied.
10.19
Hawaiian pupils don’t work well alone: A story in two parts
Place: Hawaii
Level: lower primary
People: Hawaiian pupils, white teacher; researchers
Summary: Teacher frustrated by constant student collaboration.