| This study was designed to search for explanations of different learning behaviors in the classroom presented by American and Chinese students. The researcher speculated that thinking style might have an influence on learning behaviors and at least partially explain the different behavioral traits presented by the two groups of students in the classroom. An existing thinking style measure and a self-developed learning behavior measure were administered to three samples: American students (n = 129), Chinese students in China (n = 134), and Chinese students in the U.S. ( n = 121). ANOVA, multiple regression and tests of mediation effects were used to compare learning behavior and thinking style among the sample groups, and to examine the relationships among three variables: cultural group, thinking style, and learning behavior. It was found that American students self-reported more "active" behavioral traits in the classroom and tend to be analytic in thinking style, while Chinese students, both in China and in the U.S., self-reported more "passive" behavioral traits, and were inclined to be holistic in thinking style. It was also found that thinking style variables mediate the relationship between cultural group and learning behavior in the classroom, which suggests that thinking style might partially explain the distinct behavioral traits in the classroom presented by American and Chinese students. |
