Chapter 5: Comparative Analysis of Instructional Texts and the Cross-Cultural Dialogue Between Teachers: Scenes From a Chinese and an American Classroom

Selected instructional texts are utilized differently in educational settings based on the curriculum and institutional goals. For some, this may incorporate learning processes, while for others, there may be a cultural component more heavily embedded within the learning objectives. This chapter examines two textbooks, Standard Textbook for Compulsory Education (Institute of Curriculum Development, 2015) and Realms of Gold (Marshall & Hirsch, 2000). The goal was to find the similarities and differences in the practices of the Chinese and American classrooms in which textbooks are used. Based on the interpretations of the two textbooks, I was interested in determining what cultural traits could be extracted from the selected texts to provide insight into the values of the two cultures. Furthermore, this chapter explores the benefits to the field of education to initiate network opportunities that allow educators from across oceans to collaborate and learn from one another.