An exploration of differences in cultural values in teacher education pedagogy: Chinese English language teacher trainees’ perceptions of effective teaching practice review

This study reports the impact of different cultural values on the teacher education of Chinese teacher trainees. By examining their perceptions of the effectiveness of teaching practice feedback, the study uses Hofstede’s dimension of ‘individualism’ (IDV) to explore the ‘culture bumps’ which may occur between teacher educators and trainees during their six-week, Hungarian teaching practice, part of their postgraduate diploma in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Questionnaire, recorded conversation and interview explore how far Chinese trainees’ perceptions are due to the different cultural orientations at play in this context. The findings have implications for teacher educators working with trainees from different cultural backgrounds, since there is a need to improve cross-cultural competence to avoid culture bumps and lead to a more effective TP review pedagogy.