Beyond the rhetoric: A study of the intercultural sensitivity of Hong Kong secondary school teachers

David GROSSMAN, Yuet Mui Celeste YUEN

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlespeer-review

Abstract

The Hong Kong government has proclaimed the city to be a cosmoplitan meeting place between East and West. To what extent is this "cosmoplitanism" found in the education system? In this paper the authors argue that there may be a disjuncture between the government's rhetoric of "cosmopolitanism" and the actual situation in schools. The purposes of this pilot study were to determine the levels of intercultural sensitivity of secondary school teachers in three Hong Kong schools, and to consider implications of these findings for the further professional development of teachers. This study shows that majority of the sampled teachers see the world from an ethnocentric perspective, which is characterized by a tendency towards simplifying or polarizing cultural differences, or highlighting commonality and universal issues and difficulties in comprehending and accommodating complex cultural differences. It is hoped that the findings will provide a basis on which to develop programs providing support for culturally diverse learners. Copyright © 2006 Pacific Circle Consortium for Education.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)70-87
JournalPacific-Asian Education
Volume18
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 2006

Citation

Grossman, D. L., & Yuen, C. Y., (2006). Beyond the rhetoric: A study of the intercultural sensitivity of Hong Kong secondary school teachers. Pacific-Asian Education, 18(1), 70-87.

Keywords

  • Teacher Education
  • Teacher Education and Professional Development

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