Associate Professor Chris Zirkle, left, visited Baixiang ‘Tony’ Pan this past October at Huzhou Vocational and Technical College, Huzhou, China. Pan was a visiting scholar with Zirkle in the 2019-2020 academic year.
Just say yes.
That’s the advice of Chris Zirkle when it comes to taking advantage of opportunities abroad at Ohio State. Zirkle’s international journey at the university began over 20 years ago, and he continues to use his experiences to improve his research and teaching abilities.
“I have such an appreciation for what it’s done for me personally and professionally, to meet people from other walks of life. The opportunities and good fortune I’ve had from these relationships have changed my life.”
Zirkle, an associate professor of workforce development and education, is the head of the teacher licensure programs in Business Education, Career and Technical Education and Family and Consumer Sciences Education in the college. His research focuses on teacher education in the vocational education field, which involves teaching hands-on, job-specific skills for a particular occupation.
After being offered a chance to go to East Asia in 2003, he has shared his research and conducted comparative studies all over the world through collaborations with other universities and multiple Fulbright awards. Back in Columbus, he continues to host visiting scholars at the university.
“My mother always told me, ‘If you ever get a chance to travel the world, do it,’” Zirkle said. “I was fortunate to have someone that encouraged me, and I had an opportunity because I work at Ohio State.”
A key location throughout Zirkle’s international career has been China, where he’s built several connections with institutions like East China Normal University, Nantong University and Tongji University to improve the country’s vocational education teaching programs.
Zirkle’s comparative research has shown that when it comes to vocational teaching in China, a key challenge, among others, is that many educators are hired directly out of college and do not have industry experience, which is highly valued in America and affects teaching effectiveness.
“Many of these educators have only read things out of a book,” Zirkle said. “Whereas in America we work to train industry professionals how to teach, and its actually one of the programs I run at Ohio State.”
He shares his expertise and recommendations by attending conferences, meetings and teaching lectures across the country. China has already implemented some changes to its teacher qualification policies, which Zirkle hopes is partly due to his efforts.
“A huge advantage in my career is that I’ve gotten to see how other educational systems function,” said Zirkle, who worked with China Gateway to obtain a 10-year visa to China. “I’ve learned a lot about the differences between the United States and other countries, and it’s allowed me to share my research with countries who are trying to solve problems.”
Other faculty should take advantage of the international opportunities available at Ohio State, Zirkle recommends, as it has enriched his research and given him a greater appreciation for the differences between cultures. Zirkle will continue his vocational education comparative work in China and Norway next year. He also received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award to Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia for next January through April.
“Whenever someone from China, or anywhere really, has reached out, I’ve always said yes,” recalled Zirkle. “More faculty should be open to saying yes in general when it comes to international opportunities, and it starts with being open and welcoming.”
