examined. As an ongoing investigation, Li and Yue (2003) collected written
data from nearly 2000 Chinese elementary and secondary school children
across several regions on their own beliefs about learning. Preliminary data
analysis (Li, 2003, April) indicates that these children’s own beliefs resemble
their culture’s beliefs. As a further empirical effort, actual processes involving
both thoughts and affect need to be examined as learners engage in learning.
If research is generally scarce on cultural beliefs about learning, there is
even less attention to how these beliefs are developed in children. To begin ex-
ploring this topic, Li also examined U.S. (again middle class Euro-American)
and Chinese preschool children’s stories about learning (Li, 2002b, 2003d; Li
& Wang, in press). As predicted, children in their respective cultures begin to
develop beliefs about learning early on. Their beliefs resemble each culture’s
adult beliefs. This trend becomes clearer when children get older. Develop-
mental research focusing on socialization processes at home and school as
well as children’s own constructions of various beliefs will illuminate more
the pathways of such development (Fischer et al., 1990).
Although there is more research on learning in the West and Asia, there is
less on other cultures. As research by Delgado-Gaitan (1988), Gallimore and
Reese (1999), and Serpell (1993) demonstrated, Latino and African cultures
also have different beliefs about learning and these differences may provide
important clues for children’s formal learning in school and their develop-
ment in this domain.
Finally, today’s world is witnessing ever more intense interactions among
cultures. More and more children grow up bilingual and bicultural, which
presents even greater challenges to research in this area. For example, how do
children from Asia deal with both systems of beliefs when they immigrate to a
Western culture? Are there new forms of integration between thought and af-
fect? How do these new forms function in children’s learning?
These and many more questions only attest to the need for more research.
Our chapter has fulfilled its goal if our research and analyses have helped
generate more research questions on thought and affect in intellectual func-
tioning across cultures.
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