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“Marrying Chinese and Western Values”: Teacher identity grafting in collaborative efforts to improve student learning via mixed-ability learning

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Abstract

This paper extends the theorization of identity grafting (Lee 2017), developed to understand individual cultural identity processes that buttress repression, born-again, integrated, and situational strategies to reconcile identity tensions that arise from change in a Chinese context. A qualitative case study approach is employed to examine two groups of teachers at an elementary school engaged in professional learning communities (PLC) to implement mixed-ability learning. Childhood home language (CHL) is used to identify homogeneous or diverse group cultural identities to typologize the identity grafting strategies of the two PLCs in the case school. The findings show that homogenous and diverse group cultural identity PLCs serve different purposes, and mixed-ability learning is more likely to emerge from PLCs of diverse group cultural identities engaging integrated/situational identity grafting. This paper is the first to extend the theory of identity grafting to study group cultural identities, and the findings demonstrated the potential for transforming identity grafting strategies as teachers engaged these collaborative spaces. The findings also broadened the scope to the study of language as a cultural construct, unveiling how CHL functions as a form of tacit cultural identity, as opposed to overt identities such as nationality and ethnicity.

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Abbreviations

CHL:

Childhood home language

HA:

High ability

LA:

Low ability

MA:

Middle ability

OECD:

Organisation for economic co-operation and development

PISA:

Programme for international student assessment

PLC:

Professional learning community

SES:

Socioeconomic status

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the reviewers and the editorial team for their support, and acknowledge the following funding sources: Ministry Academies Fund, Ministry of Education Singapore (Grant Code: AFR05/14LHL); and Research Grants Council Hong Kong (Grant Code: 28605318). The author would also like to thank all research collaborators who contributed to the research efforts that made this publication possible, especially Ms. Helen Hong.

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  1. Educational Policy and Leadership Department, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Daphnee Hui Lin Lee

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Lee, D.H.L. “Marrying Chinese and Western Values”: Teacher identity grafting in collaborative efforts to improve student learning via mixed-ability learning. J Educ Change 22, 271–295 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-020-09368-1

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