PhD Project: Motivating beginners in Chinese language and culture learning in a Task-Based/ Problem-based Learning context

This PhD study is related to the work of education and research development of Confucius Institute for Innovation and Learning at Aalborg University (CI) in relation to Chinese language and culture courses/programs in North Denmark. With this study it is expected to reach a better understanding of challenges and possibilities of motivating Chinese language and culture learning at a beginners’ level in a cross-cultural context both conceptually and empirically. By using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the objective of this study is to investigate how beginners’ motivation in learning Chinese language and culture is influenced by alternative teaching and learning approaches in a Task-Based / Problem-based Learning context.

This study starts with a main research:
How is beginners’ motivation in learning Chinese language and culture influenced by alternative teaching and learning approaches in a Task-Based / Problem-based Learning context?

Following this main research question, there are four sub-questions to study:

1) What are the learners’ driving factors to learn Chinese language and culture in a Danish context?
2) In which ways can a Task-Based / Problem-based Learning teaching design motivate beginners of Chinese language and culture learning in a Danish context?
3) In which ways can implementation of culture elements give an add-on value to beginners’ motivation on learning Chinese language in a Task-Based / Problem-based Learning context?
4) How to maintain learners’ motivation so as to maximize the learning?

This three-year PhD study will consist of three mini studies to help to answer the four sub-research-questions, and the results will all be presented in book chapters and journal articles. The mini studies have been focused on a Chinese language and culture course at a primary school, a Chinese culture course at Aalborg University and a Chinese language and culture elective course at Aalborg University.