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Supportive learning environments at elementary level in China

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Abstract

Since the first curriculum reform in the 1990s, education reforms in China have aimed at creating a student-centred education model based on creativity. The effectiveness of such strategies is, however, questionable. This paper explores the current level of supportive learning environment at elementary schools. Through empirical research conducted at a primary school in China, the study sheds light on situations that affect the implementation of creativity at school. The researchers adopted qualitative methodologies for the examination of three aspects: classroom activities, teaching behaviour and assessments. The results suggest that, to a certain extent, teachers at the selected primary school are aware of the significance of facilitating a creative learning environment. Interviews with students and researchers’ observations demonstrate, nonetheless, that strategies to foster student creative potential are put into practice at a very low level, bringing forth a learning environment that is far from creative.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of International Communications, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Room 317, Admin Building, 199 Taikang East Road, Ningbo, 315100, China

    Lili Hernández-Romero

  2. Department of Sociology, University of Cambridge, Floor 2, 16 Mill Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1SB, UK

    Xiaokun Sun

Authors
  1. Lili Hernández-Romero
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  2. Xiaokun Sun
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lili Hernández-Romero.

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Appendices

Appendix 1

Interview Questions (For Teachers)—Semi-structured

General

Part1 Teacher’s attitude towards creativity:

  1. 1.

    What do you value most in education?

  2. 2.

    What is your opinion towards relationship between creative potential and education?

  3. 3.

    How can you measure a student’s creativity level in classroom?

Part2 Teacher’s expectation towards student’s development of creativity

What are your expected characteristics of a creative student?

Part3 Teacher’s practice in overall classroom climate

Classroom activities

  1. 1.

    What kinds of activities do you usually do to foster creativity in classrooms?

  2. 2.

    Have you ever deliberately given time for students to think? Why or why not?

  3. 3.

    How many minutes are encouraged for students to do classroom activities?

Teaching behaviour

  1. 1.

    What do you think of nonconformity in learning process?

(How do you feel of if your students trying out their own ideas and deviating from what you have shown them?)

  1. 2.

    What do you think of risk-taking in learning process?

  2. 3.

    To what extent do you think you should control student’s behaviour in learning process? In what ways?

Assessment

  1. 1.

    What do you think of the importance of getting high achievement test scores in assessment?

  2. 2.

    What do you think of getting the ‘right’ answer in assessment?

  3. 3.

    What do you usually do to assess students’ learning?

  4. 4.

    Have you used any special assessment form to increase students’ interest in learning? Could you give me examples of them?

Appendix 2

Interview Questions (For Students)

Part1 Student’s attitude towards their teacher:

  1. 1.

    What do you like most of your teacher?

  2. 2.

    If you finish the task according to teacher’s requirement, which one do you think your teacher will be happy to see, the process you went through or your final result?

Part2: Student’s idea of teacher’s expectation towards a creative student

  1. 1.

    Could you name the five most important things that you think your teacher expects from you?

Part3: Student’s idea of the overall classroom climate

Classroom activities

  1. 1.

    Are there any activities that your teachers do in the classroom that allow you to imagine or create new ideas by yourself? List of them.

  2. 2.

    What kinds of activities does your teacher do in the classroom that you are particularly interested about?

  3. 3.

    How many minutes do you have to do classroom activities in class? What do you think of it?

Teaching behaviour

  1. 1.

    Do you think your class is relaxed enough for you to express yourself openly? Why?

  2. 2.

    If you response your teacher with a different answer from the right one, what do you think your teacher will do?

  3. 3.

    What do you think about the atmosphere in class?

Assessment

  1. 1.

    What do you think of the importance of getting high achievement test scores in examination?

  2. 2.

    What do you think if your teacher asks only have one right answer?

  3. 3.

    Do you have choice when it comes to doing assignments?

  4. 4.

    Name some methods/forms by which your teacher evaluates your learning.

Appendix 3

  • Classroom Observation Form

  • Date:

  • Class:

  • Teacher:

  • Seating Arrangements (Physical Environment):

  • General Information in Classroom

  • Teacher-Emotion and Feeling:

  • Student-Emotion and Feeling:

  1. 1.

    Classroom activities

    1. 1.1.

      Record of classroom activities (activity type, time of duration):

      (What kind of activities does this teacher do to foster creativity in class? How much time is given to each activity?)

    2. 1.2.

      Time duration for students to think:

      (Does the teacher deliberately give time for students to think? How many minutes are given for that?)

  2. 2.

    Teaching behaviour

    1. 2.1

      Nonconformity in learning process:

      (Is there any nonconformity allowed in the class? How does the teacher encourage nonconformity behaviour in the classroom?)

    2. 2.2

      Control behaviour:

      (What is the teacher’s role in controlling students’ behaviour?)

  3. 3.

    Assessment

    1. 3.1

      Teacher’s attitude towards high marks:

      (Is getting high marks encouraged by the teacher? How?)

    2. 3.2

      One right answer in teaching:

      (Does the teacher encourage the one right answer in teaching? How?)

    3. 3.3

      Assessment types:

      (What kind of assessments does the teacher use to increase students’ interest in learning? Do students have choices of assessments?)

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Hernández-Romero, L., Sun, X. Supportive learning environments at elementary level in China. Educ Res Policy Prac 20, 325–347 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-020-09286-2

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