Creating an Equitable Space for Chinese International Students: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy for Voice and Agency

Facilitators:
Dr. Elaine Khoo, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Coordinator, English Language Development Support, Centre for Teaching and Learning, UTSC
Dr. Xiangying Huo, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Centre for Teaching and Learning, UTSC

Chinese international students, rich in diverse experiences and backgrounds, often navigate Canadian universities battling persistent stereotypes and internalized feelings of inferiority. This roundtable ventures beyond the conventional deficit view by addressing the roots of such sentiments and illuminating the contrasts between Eastern and Western educational paradigms. Discover the unique challenges these students face and learn culturally responsive pedagogy to cultivate inclusive classrooms and empower Chinese international students. It was shown by our studies (Huo & Khoo, 2022; Khoo & Huo, 2022a, 2022b, 2023) that culturally responsive pedagogy has fostered international students’ academic reading, writing, critical thinking skills, as well as their confidence and agency in engaging with the academic community, thus countering deficit narratives formerly unjustly assumed about them. Join us to celebrate the resilience and strengths of Chinese students, understand the richness they bring to academic environments, and redefine the role of educators in the post-pandemic era. This session promises not only paradigm shifts, but also actionable insights, ensuring a more inclusive, equitable, and vibrant academic classrooms.

Part of the Creating an Equitable Classroom series

References:
Khoo, E. & Huo, X. Y. (2023). Listening to diverse voices: A liberatory writing pedagogy for empowerment and emancipation. The Peer Review Journal (a Writing Center journal sponsored by the International Writing Centers Association), 7(1).

Huo, X. Y., & Khoo, E. (2022). Effective teaching strategies for Chinese international students at a Canadian university: An online reading-writing support program. In C. Smith & G. Zhou (Eds.), Handbook of research on teaching strategies for culturally and linguistically diverse international students (pp. 241–264). IGI Global.

Khoo, E., & Huo, X. Y. (2022a). The efficacy of culturally responsive pedagogy for low-proficiency international students in online teaching and learning. Journal of Teaching and Learning, 16(2), 67–85.

Khoo, E., & Huo, X. Y. (2022b). Toward transformative inclusivity through learner-driven and instructor-facilitated writing support: An innovative approach to empowering English language learners. Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie, 32, 394–404.