Cultures in East Asia tend to be collectivistic societies. Collectivistic societies are those that emphasize the needs of a group, or of all society, before the needs of the individual. Most of the time, the role of an individual in society is crucial to determining that person's identity. People in these cultures tend to work within groups effectively. They also put a lot of emphasis on family and communities. These societies tend to value people- or content-oriented listening.
It helps develop the theme because with the teacher being strict Kevin no longer tries to get answers from his father and listens to the teacher and Kevin learns from it.