Narrative Inquiry for Canadian Pre-service Teachers’ Reciprocal Learning: Understanding Teacher-Student Relationships in Canada and China

This chapter explores four Canadian pre-service teachers’ understanding of the teacher-student relationship based on their three-month international intercultural internship in China through their participation in the Reciprocal Learning Program (RLP). This study investigated how these reciprocal learning experiences facilitated their reflections on the teacher-student relationship. This study adopted Clandinin and Connelly’s (Narrative inquiry: Experience and story in qualitative research. Jossey-Bass, 2000) three-dimensional narrative inquiry space as the theoretical framework. Data collection included observation, field notes, participants’ weekly reflections, Mitacs final essay, casual conversations, and in-class group discussions. The findings show that the Canadian pre-service teachers developed a deeper understanding of teacher-student relationships in both Canada and China, informed by the respective sociocultural contexts and historical backgrounds. This cross-cultural experience inspired them to reflect on their teacher identities and consider the type of teacher-student relationships they hoped to foster with their future students. The participants emphasized the importance of maintaining a balanced boundary between teachers and students to cultivate a professional and inspiring relationship. By comparing teacher-student relationships between Canada and China, the Canadian pre-service teachers re-examined the impacts of cultural differences on teaching practices and developed more nuanced and culturally responsive pedagogies. Moreover, the reciprocal learning experiences positively influenced their personal and professional development.