Asian Perspectives on Education: Inclusivity and Diversity

The idea of “Asia” is contested in the literature as a concept in terms of unification in any sense e.g., regionally, economically, and politically (see Duara [1995] 2019; Acharya, 2010), which makes a book of this nature challenging. The use of inclusion and diversity as a lens of discovery is not only synchronically topical but provides an important outlet for unheard voices and marginalized perspectives otherwise silenced or ignored in education and Asian literature. The lens by which the book is written combines multiple streams of diversity and inclusion with that of K-12 and higher education in an Asian context, and it allows room for individual Asian voices and perspectives both in and outside the classroom.

Inspired by a panel presented at the 2021 New York Conference on Asian Studies (NYCAS) on the very topic of inclusivity and diversity in Asian education, the book broadened the original focus from the COVID-centered to one that allowed the exploration of a wider geographic area and cultural area as well as new subjects. Moreover, our text includes a focus on individuals with disabilities, multicultural education, and cross-disciplinary efforts across cultures. This book covers broader topics regarding inclusivity and diversity in education from multiple Asian perspectives and ranges from various educational levels (that is, elementary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions), different school settings (that is, public and private schools), and a variety of Asian countries and areas (that is, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, and Taiwan). This book gives a well-rounded representation of the issues through theoretical focus, practical applications, and research studies, contributed by authors from various international institutions and countries or countries of origin, including Bangladesh, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, and the United States.

List of Figures and Tables
Foreword
John J. Wheeler
East Tennessee State University
Introduction

Part 1: The Pandemic
Chapter 1
The Pandemic Made it (Im)Possible: Remote Teaching in the PRC
Rebecca Ehrenwirth
University of Applied Sciences/SDI Munich, Germany
Chapter 2
Shiyuyuanwei (Expectations vs. Reality): Chinese International Students’ Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Zhaoying Chen
George Washington University
Jocelyn Lai
University of Washington in St. Louis
Hongdi Wang
University of California, Irvine
Jessica L. Borelli
University of California, Irvine

Part 2: Identity and Gender
Chapter 3
Building a Sense of Belonging: Two Chinese Female Academics’ Journey at Higher Education Institutions in the United States
Jie Zhang
SUNY Brockport
Fangzhi He
Davidson College
Chapter 4
Gendered and Religion-based Exclusion in Indonesian Public School
Suzanna Eddyono
Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia

Part 3: The Curriculum
Chapter 5
Reflections on Bengali Literary Canon Formation and Linguistic Engineering in a Post-Colonial World
Suhail Islam
Nazareth University
Chapter 6
Access, Inclusion, and Diversity in Indian Education
Natalie Sarrazin
SUNY Brockport
Sanchali Chakraborty
Woodstock School, Mussoorie, India
Chapter 7
Multicultural Education Curriculum Development in Taiwan: For Seeking Inclusivity and Diversity
Daiki Yamashita
Yamaguchi University, Japan
Chapter 8
Connecting East with West Through Sustaining Virtual Exchange Partnerships
Jie Zhang
SUNY Brockport
Ann Giralico Pearlman
University of Rochester

Part 4: Different Abilities
Chapter 9
Special Education in Jordan: A Challenge in Acceptance and Development
Lubna Alzayyat
Duquesne University
Ann X. Huang
Duquesne University
Chapter 10
Backgrounds, Competencies, and Perspectives of Teachers who Serve Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in China
Xiaohan Chen
Duquesne University
Ann X. Huang
Duquesne University

Appendix 10-A.
Author Biographies
Index

Dr. Jie Zhang is Professor of Special Education at State University of New York (SUNY) Brockport. She left Shanghai, China to pursue her lifelong dream to become a teacher and earned PhD in Exceptional Learning from Tennessee Technological University. Her research focuses on the efficacy of interventions for children with disabilities, services for children with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds and their families, and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in higher education, especially as related to pedagogy and assessments. She has published 31 peer-reviewed journal articles at the national/international level, four book chapters, 85 conference presentations and 21 invited presentations at the national/international level. Dr. Zhang received SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, Open SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador Award, Outstanding Academic Advising Award, and the Inaugural Outstanding Global Engagement Award from SUNY Brockport.

Dr. Natalie Sarrazin is Professor of Music at the State University of New York (SUNY) Brockport. Natalie is an ethnomusicologist and music educator and was interim Co-Director of the Arts for Children Program for five years. Natalie earned her PhD in Ethnomusicology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Master’s in Music Education from Peabody Institute of Music at the Johns Hopkins University. Natalie’s research areas include music education and ethnomusicology; her music education research includes multicultural and integration, and her ethnomusicology focus includes popular music and music education in India, where she has completed over 20 years of fieldwork and research. Dr. Sarrazin has authored 4 books, and numerous book chapters, articles and invited presentations. She received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activity in 2021.

inclusivity, diversity, education, Asia, Asian perspectives