scholarly journals Enhancing the Employability of Chinese International Students: Identifying Achievements and Gaps in the Research Field

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-89
Author(s):  
Xuemeng Cao ◽  
Xuemeng Cao

This article shows what achievements have been made by existing studies on graduate employability, and what gaps need to be filled in this field. It starts with a retrospective account of the changing concept of employability, followed by a presentation of the practices that have been used to support graduate employability enhancement in different countries. Moreover, this article gives a critical review of Chinese contexts of graduate labour market. Last but not least, limitations of existing studies are identified, which reflect an expectation for future research on graduate employability to meet the demand of an increasingly international dimension of higher education.

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1173-1197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qianqian Zhang-Wu

Using database searches in ProQuest Sociology, Education Research Complete, ERIC, and Google Scholar, this landscape literature review provides research synthesis and analysis on research designs, underlying assumptions and findings of 21 recent peer-reviewed scholarly articles focusing on Chinese international students’ experiences in American higher education institutes. Patterns observed across studies regarding colorblind racism are presented in the discussion. Towards the end, this review closes with implications and directions for future research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-241
Author(s):  
Eunjeong Park

Higher education institutions in the United States provide placement essay tests to ensure international students’ readiness for college courses. The high-stakes nature of placement tests makes educators and researchers seek significant components of differentiating levels of placement tests. This study investigated the prediction of two levels (i.e., low vs. intermediate) of 411 placement test essays written by Chinese international students and examined the influence of linguistic and demographic features on placement test levels through logistic regression. The results show that the type-token ratio (TTR), tokens, college type, and graduate status were significant indicators to differentiate students’ placement test essays. However, several demographic features were not statistically significant. The results may shed light on improving writing skills of Chinese international students who scored intermediate or low in the placement tests.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Olo ◽  
Leonida Correia ◽  
Maria da Conceição Rego

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse whether there is an adjustment between the Portuguese higher education supply and the needs of the labour market.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical study is performed, using a quantitative approach, relating the job offers for graduates registered at the employment centres and the number of graduates by higher education institutions (HEIs) in Portugal, at an aggregate level and NUT II regions, by areas of education and training, over the 2003–2018 period. To understand how job offers and graduates are correlated, bilateral Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were calculated.FindingsThe results show that, in large groups of educational areas, exists a match between the higher education supply and the labour market needs, with an emphasis on the fields of “social sciences, business and law”, “engineering, manufacturing and construction” and “health and welfare”. However, at a more disaggregated level, a mismatch in the sub-areas of “teacher training and education science” and “computing” was found since labour market needs are much greater than graduates by HEIs and the two variables are moving in opposite directions.Practical implicationsThe study has revealed important aspects that the educational policy should take into account in order to create the conditions for a gradual adjustment to the labour market needs. Also, the results demonstrate that some measures should be taken in short/medium term to avoid problems in the medium/long term.Originality/valueOne implication of this empirical study was the elaboration of a correspondence table to standardise the data analysis units from two different sources. As this correspondence did not exist prior to this study, this output is a relevant contribution to the research field. Another important contribution is the demonstration of a mismatch in some educational sub-areas that deserves special attention from educational policymakers.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Maria Correia Loureiro ◽  
Ricardo Godinho Bilro ◽  
Fernando José de Aires Angelino

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review studies on the use of virtual reality (VR) and gamification to engage students in higher education for marketing issues to identify the research topics, the research gaps and to prepare a future research agenda. Design/methodology/approach A literature review is performed based on two search terms applied to Web of Science, resulting in a final pool of 115 articles. A text-mining approach is used to conduct a full-text analysis of papers related to VR and gamification in higher education. The authors also compare the salient characteristics presented in the articles. Findings From this analysis, five major research topics are found and analysed, namely, teaching methodologies and education, experience and motivation, student engagement, applied theories in VR and gamification. Based on this and following the theory concept characteristics methodology framework, the paper provides directions for future research. Originality/value There is no comprehensive review exploring the topics, theories, constructs and methods used in prior studies concerning VR and gamification applied to higher education services based on all the articles published in well-regarded academic journals. This review seeks to provide deeper insights, to help scholars contribute to the development of this research field.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Valdez

The purpose of this study was to explore undergraduate Chinese international students’ perceptions about their classroom experiences in the United States institutions of higher education. Double consciousness, introduced by W.E.B. Du Bois, was used as the theoretical framework for this study. After analyzing the 15 interviews to Chinese international students, the following areas were discussed: comparison of classroom experiences in the United States and China; positive and negative classroom practices in the U.S.; perceptions of the way American faculty and students perceived Chinese international students; and double consciousness of Chinese international students. While most of the participants preferred the American classroom practices over practices in China, their perceptions about the way American students and faculty perceived them were conflicting. The concept of double consciousness also helped to illustrate the internal identity conflict of being Chinese and being “Americanized.”


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Jelonek ◽  
Maria Urbaniec

The aim of this paper is to explore the key sustainability competencies increasing the employability of higher education graduates in Poland. Based on the results of a broad literature review on key sustainability competencies, the substantive contribution to a coherent framework of typologies of sustainability competencies will be synthesised. The developed research framework will subsequently be analysed with empirical data, collected by in-depth interviews (IDI) and focus group interviews (FGI) on the relevant employability competencies for the Polish labour market. This enables the elimination of critical gaps in the conceptualisation of the key sustainability competencies of higher education (HE) graduates related to the current and future labour market needs. The results of the analysis can make a contribution to sustainable HE graduate employability literature by exploring the links between employability and sustainability competencies. The results may be relevant to institutional support in the design and review of educational programs and training in order to foster sustainability competencies development.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 607-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tang T. Heng

Scholars have critiqued the current understanding of international students for glossing over its diversity, resulting in the reification of the “international student experience” as either homogeneous or clustered along nationality. Through a qualitative case study of 18 Chinese international students, this article examines the heterogeneity of their experiences despite a common nationality. Findings reveal that Chinese international students’ communication in English, engagement with subject content, preparation for the future, and participation in extracurricular activities vary by year of study, field of study, and, to a small extent, gender. Even within a single nationality, experiences of students are uneven and intersect across various categorical lines, suggesting the possibility that other international students may encounter diverse and intersectional experiences as well. Findings point to how we need to re-conceive and research international students by examining the heterogeneous nature of their experiences, and how higher education institutions can differentiate support given to internationals.


2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 338-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Tomlinson

Purpose In the context of far-reaching changes in higher education and the labour market, there has been extensive discussion on what constitutes graduate employability and what shapes graduates’ labour market outcomes. Many of these discussions are based on skills-centred approaches and related supply-side logic. The purpose of this paper is to develop an alternative, relational conceptualisation of employability based on the concept of capitals. It discusses how this provides a more detailed and multi-dimensional account of the resources graduates draw upon when transitioning to the labour market. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a new model on graduate employability, linked to five areas of capital which are seen as constitutive of graduates’ employability and significant to their transitions to the labour market. The paper draws together existing conceptual approaches and research studies to illustrate the different features of the model and how they relate to graduate employability. It also discusses some practical implications for those helping to facilitate graduates’ transitions to the job market. Findings The paper argues that the graduate capital model presents a new way of understanding graduate employability which addresses the challenges of facilitating graduates’ transitions and early career management. The forms of capital outlined are conceived as key resources that confer benefits and advantages onto individuals. These resources encompass a range of human, social, cultural, identity and psycho-social dimensions and are acquired through graduates’ formal and informal experiences. Research limitations/implications Whilst this is a conceptual model, it has potentially strong implications for future research in this area in terms of further research exploration on the core components and their application in the labour market. Practical implications This re-conceptualization of graduate employability has significant implication for graduates’ career management and strategising in developing resources for enhancing their transitions to and progression within the labour market. It also has implications for career educators in developing practical employability strategies that can be used within institutional settings. Social implications The paper raises salient implications for the effective and equitable management of graduate outcomes post-graduation which has clear relevance for all stakeholders in graduate employability, including students/graduates, career educators and employers. Originality/value The paper develops a new model for conceptualising graduate employability and illustrates and applies this to discussion of graduate employability. It also raises practical applications around the different components of the model.


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