Asian learners through western eyes: an astigmatic paradox

Abstract

Asian students from Confucian-heritage cultures (CHCs) have been criticised for their commitment to a rote-based or ‘surface’ approach to learning. Yet CHC students generally have a more ‘academic’ approach to learning than Australians, and their academic performance is consistently higher than that of students from most Western countries. This paper suggests that this apparent paradox is a result of Western misperceptions, both of CHC students’ approaches to learning and of the environments in which they are taught. Some implications for handling international students in Australia are discussed.