Learning Through Different Cultural Lens

A few months ago, I attended a parents-teachers meeting at my 7-year-old son’s school. One of the teachers, a Singaporean Chinese, began the meeting by saying how deeply impressed she is with my child’s academic progress and inner motivation to learn. A wide smile began to appear on my face but that warm feeling did not last long, as her tone of voice suddenly changed, and she noted:
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“However, there are few issues to consider. First, your child tends to over-participate in class discussions. And secondly, he does not follow instructions and often does things in his own way contrary to teachers’ direction”.

I listened to her carefully and promised her that I will address these issues ASAP. On the same day, I received a call from my mother-in-law and decided to share with her the content of the meeting and the teacher’s observations. Her reaction was not entirely what I expected - she immediately exclaimed “THAT IS FANTASTIC!”

I was somewhat puzzled, so I immediately queried: “Why are you saying that”? Her answer was quite revealing, she says to me: “Meital…if your child is over participating it means he is a bright student and if he doesn’t always follow instructions it shows he has a strong and independent mind. I think he will be a great inventor and an inspiring leader…”

Well, living and working in Singapore for the last 12 years I needed some time to organize my thoughts and reconnect to the long-held fundamental beliefs underlying the Jewish education system for many generations. The reason my mother-in-law was ecstatic is because in the Jewish culture, people value “voicing opinions” and “thinking for oneself” as some of the most important qualities to encourage in children. In her cultural context – my-mother-in-law perceived the teacher’s observation as extremely positive and reassuring.

The value of education and continuous learning is strongly embedded in many cultures. However, the whole process of learning could not have been any different. Apparently, holding distinct belief systems, combined with other cultural values, impact the methodology of how knowledge should be acquired and transferred.

Learning Through Obedience

When I took my first academic course with a Singapore-based institution, I found the whole learning experience as very different compared with my studying in Israel. One of the key differences I immediately noticed is that the number of questions asked during class time was noticeably fewer (and most of them were asked by me!).

What I was not aware of at the time is that in Singaporean society, the hierarchy and harmony aspects of Confucianism considered it disrespectful to question the teacher in front of the entire class. When the teacher speaks and exhibits knowledge, the students should not interrupt but listen attentively and only the teacher could ask questions of the students to test their ability to think and analyze. No wonder that later on, when we received our group assignment, nobody wanted me in their group…

The process of questioning authority in Asian cultures might be seen as having a negative outcome for several reasons. Firstly, it may lead to loss of face if the question is too simple, too difficult, or irrelevant; secondly, it may be seen as implied criticism of the teacher, who should have pre-empted any relevant questions if he or she had prepared the lesson properly; and thirdly it may be seen as wasting valuable class time of fellow students. The preferred strategy is to piece the puzzle by oneself, but if unable to do so, then seek guidance outside of class time, where potential negative consequences are minimized in a one-to-one situation.

The potential for misunderstandings and hidden conflicts is ever-present. while some educators teaching in Asia may be wondering; “why isn’t anyone asking any questions?” and perhaps (wrongly) presume that students are not engaged or understand the material, these students may be seeing themselves as fully engaged in the learning process by listening intently to the teachers, showing respect, and avoiding interruptions. 

Learning Through Debate 

In comparison, attending a class in an Israeli university, you will be surprised to find out that it is acceptable and even desired for students to “interrupt” the teacher. Very often students raise their hands while the teacher is still talking to express disagreement or a need for further clarification.

Questioning authority (or otherwise known as healthy disrespect of authority) is an entrenched Jewish tradition and the roots of this learning style trace back to biblical times. From the forefathers through Moses and the later prophets to the rabbis of the Talmud (a book of questions and debate), Jewish leaders have not shied away from challenging God Himself.

In the Israeli society, characterized by egalitarian and debatable elements, the “argumentative” mindset is perceived as positive for several reasons. First, it allows teachers to gauge the level of understanding in students; secondly, it sharpens students’ personal skills at reaching depth in understanding concepts; and thirdly it enables challenging and clarifying what are presented as set assumptions. As the old joke goes - Jews always answer a question with another question.

The potential for misunderstandings is also present here. While the Jewish students may be perceived by others as disrespectful, resistant and disobedient, these same students may see themselves as fully engaged in the learning process by “debating” and not accepting things as they are.

Developing a Global Learning Mindset

There is no doubt that our early experiences with learning in childhood shape the way we behave and interact with others later in the workplace. As the world is getting more and more interconnected and diverse - organizations should learn to embrace and see the value in various learning approaches.

A “compliant style” benefits organizations by allowing people to pay more attention necessary for learning (especially in today’s world when the attention span is shortened than ever before). It also ensures efficient learning by avoiding interruptions and allowing teams to discuss and progress work tasks and projects as planned. 

An “interruptive style”, on the other hand, may also benefit organizations by allowing people to dive deeper into material and concepts - potentially enhance the ability to solve problems and come up with new ideas and thoughts – an essential skills set for the development of creativity in an innovative work environment. 

Global Learning Mindset is about learning to maintain a healthy balance between different learning styles whilst recognizing that no one mindset is optimal in all circumstances. Knowing how to synergize diverse cultural styles, even when these appear inherently contradictory, will help in attaining maximum benefits for today’s learning organizations.



“There is no real end point to learning about and experiencing new cultures. Developing a Global Mindset is a life-long journey, not a destination or a stop along the way. Developing awareness, keeping an open mind and having a non-judgmental approach will enable humanity to benefit and grow through this journey together”.

(Meital Baruch, Consultant, Global Mindset)​
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