Abstract

This research explored the differences in undergraduate ceramics teaching and learning between China and the UK through the analysis of interviews and ceramic programme documents. Interviews were held with twenty students and two tutors in the University of Sunderland and a university in Inner Mongolia, China. Based on the number of interviews this might be seen as that could be developed at BA level or by comparing MA and PhD ceramics teaching and learning in more different countries. NVivo software was used to code the collected qualitative data to aid the analysis process. Quantitative research was used as a supplementary method to help analyise programme documents and aspects of the transcribed interviews.

Three key findings were identified: 1. Chinese students studying ceramics felt a pressure to learn due to increasing social employment pressures in China. Whereas, for UK students the main motivation was an interest in the subject of ceramics. 2. UK students preferred group tutorials and seminar teaching methods because they had more chance to communicate with other people, while Chinese students preferred one-to-one tutorials because they thought these focused more on helping them personally. 3. Both countries had similar ceramic course assessment methods, and both cohorts believed that formative assessment was helpful for their learning.

The research was conducted by a lecturer in the Chinese university, who has studied in both China and the UK. The positioning and approaches to curriculum development with High Education are subject to frequent changes both in China and the UK, but the arguments presented in this study are relevant with those changes, and subject specific local contexts. From this perspective, some suggestions on how to improve learning and teaching in ceramics education are offered: to design lessons in China which students with different levels of expertise attend together to encourage communication and peer learning; to use sketch books more in China to help students develop and inspire their interests in ceramics; to include group tutorials in China‘s ceramic courses to increase the opportunities for idea exchange around, problem solving, multiple learning, and essay writing instead of formal examinations used currently. Finally, this research has proposed some advice for UK ceramic teachers concerning understanding the different needs and expectations of Chinese students who attend their ceramics classes in the UK in order to help them know how to approach their teaching of these students to achieve the best outcomes for their Chinese students. In particular, the recommendation is that UK teachers should put more ‗study pressure‘ on the Chinese students, and should set some homework or writing exercise to encourage them to learn.