scholarly journals Examining the Role of Theory in Qualitative Research

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 798-816
Author(s):  
Tang Tang Heng
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
International Students ◽  
International Student ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Student Agency ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Sociocultural Perspectives ◽  
Research Designs

Scholars argue that higher education and international student research suffer from a lack of theoretical engagement, which is epistemologically limiting. This is troubling as theory frames research design and findings and pluralizes our understanding of a phenomenon. Given the large number of Chinese international students worldwide (and related research), this article uses them as an analytic example to understand the role of theories in shaping qualitative research designs, focuses, and findings. I reviewed 43 qualitative research articles on Chinese international students’ experiences. Twenty-eight percent of the articles were found to lack theoretical engagement. When used, theories clustered around acculturation and sociocultural perspectives. Sixty percent of the articles foregrounded student challenges, as opposed to student agency or changes (40%). I discuss the consequences of a lack of theoretical engagement or diversity on how we understand and support international students.

International Undergraduate Student Choice of Alberta for Post-Secondary Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 292-307
Author(s):  
Darren Howes
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Secondary Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Undergraduate Student ◽  
International Student ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Student Choice ◽  
Secondary System ◽  
Post Secondary

In this chapter, the author provides an overview of the decision-making process that international students will go through when choosing a country, province, and ultimately, an institution for their international higher learning education. After conducting exploratory qualitative research from an Alberta perspective, it was determined that international students are influenced by (1) safety, (2) quality, (3) knowing someone locally, (4) jobs and strength of the economy, and (5) cost. Subsequently, the author will also consider the factors that would influence international students to enjoy or remain in a province after their studies. Having an understanding of the factors that influence international student choice can help the reader understand some of the marketing implications of recruiting international students to institutions and how international students end up studying in the Canadian post-secondary system.

scholarly journals International student migration and the postcolonial heritage of European higher education: perspectives from Portugal and the UK

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josef Ploner ◽  
Cosmin Nada
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
International Students ◽  
International Student ◽  
Postcolonial Theory ◽  
Student Migration ◽  
European Higher Education ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Industrialised Countries ◽  
Identity Formations

AbstractWhilst the presence of international students from so-called ‘developing’ or ‘newly industrialised’ countries has become a ubiquitous phenomenon in European higher education, few scholars have explored the underlying postcolonial trajectories that facilitate student migration to many European countries today. In this article, we seek to narrow this gap by critically engaging with the postcolonial heritage of European higher education and the ways in which it informs much student migration in today’s era of neoliberal globalisation. We propose a three-fold approach to reading this postcolonial heritage of higher education which comprises its historical, epistemic, and experiential (or ‘lived’) dimensions. Whilst such an approach requires a close examination of existing postcolonial theory in higher education studies, we also draw on qualitative research with student migrants in Portugal and the UK to show how the postcolonial heritage of European higher education is negotiated in everyday contexts and may become constitutive of students’ identity formations.

scholarly journals Chinese International Student Sexual Harassment on U.S. College Campuses

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunling Chang ◽  
Sakina Ali ◽  
Ankita Sahu ◽  
Sidai Dong ◽  
Carly W. Thornhill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
International Student ◽  
College Campuses ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
Student Orientation ◽  
Public Discussion ◽  
University Personnel ◽  
Chinese International Student

The #MeToo movement has brought the attention of sexual harassment to U.S. college campuses. Because the topic of sexual harassment is a hush-hush [shi] topic for many Chinese international students, their first public discussion may occur at student orientation. Thus, students come to college campuses with varying levels of awareness of sexual harassment. Given the growing number of Chinese international students, the purpose of this article is to provide an overview of their experiences and perceptions of sexual harassment as well as provide recommendations for university personnel.

scholarly journals Experiences, challenges, and supports during studying and sojourning in Canada: the case of Chinese international students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengying Qian
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
International Students ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
International Student ◽  
Chinese Student ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Chinese International Students

With the internationalization of education, Chinese students have constituted the largest international student group in the world as well as in Canada. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences, challenges, and supports specific to the Chinese student population at Canadian universities. In order to triangulate the data from different sources, individual interviews with eight Chinese international students and three International Student Advisors were conducted in this qualitative research. Hofstede's theory on cultural dimensions and the bilinear model of acculturation and enculturation are applied to explain the findings about Chinese international students' experiences and challenges with regard to second language learning, academic studies, social interaction, post-graduation plans, and personal development and identity reshaping. Moreover, based on Chinese international students' awareness and use of supports available to them, this study has implications for practice as to how to improve their support system. Key words: Chinese international students; cultural dimensions; acculturation and enculturation; international student support; second language learning; academic studies; social interaction; post-graduationhengying plans; personal development; identity reshaping

Understanding the Heterogeneity of International Students’ Experiences: A Case Study of Chinese International Students in U.S. Universities

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 607-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tang T. Heng
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
International Student ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
Small Extent ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
Content Preparation ◽  
Heterogeneous Nature

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.

Universities and research in times of crisis: the getting of wisdom

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-371
Author(s):  
Lorraine Ling
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Federal Government ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
International Student ◽  
Course Delivery ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dramatic Effect ◽  
Normal University ◽  
Australian Universities

PurposeIn a time of the COVID-19, pandemic universities and researchers have been faced with unprecedented issues and challenges, and the purpose of this paper is to explore those challenges and issues.Design/methodology/approachIn this article the role of universities and research in times of crisis and emergency is explored.FindingsCOVID-19 has impacted upon universities and their staff and students in a range of ways involving course delivery, staff location and limited campus access and university income. The decline in the amount of funding provided by the federal government to Australian universities over several decades has caused a heavy reliance on international student enrolments; thus, the decrease in international students’ numbers, especially, has had a dramatic effect on university budgets. . Research and researchers are shown to be most vulnerable at a time when their expertise, knowledge and wisdom are arguably most required.Originality/valueThis sudden and unpredicted decline in funds available in universities due to the COVID-19 pandemic along with the disruption of normal university business, poses major problems for all the activities of universities. In this article the current Australian university context is used as a vehicle to explore the role that universities have during crises with particular reference to the role of research and researchers across all discipline areas.

scholarly journals Tensions and Rewards: Behind the Scenes in a Cross-Cultural Student–Staff Partnership

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie Rose Stanway ◽  
Yiyuan Cao ◽  
Tony Cannell ◽  
Yihui Gu
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Business School ◽  
International Student ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Student Cohorts ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
Chinese International Student ◽  
Cultural Bridge

In the domain of “internationalization of the curriculum,” this article introduces the rarely incorporated dimension of “engaging students as partners” (SaP) to address and explore challenges of increasingly diverse universities. The aim of this qualitative research was to explore engaging international students as partners in a modest and targeted internationalization innovation, which was specifically designed to address the needs of Chinese international students at a prominent Australian university business school. The innovation involved embedding WeChat, a prevalent Chinese social media platform, in a postgraduate learning module to form a cross-cultural bridge to better connect academics and learning support staff at the Business School with their Chinese international student cohorts. Staff and partnered Chinese international students in this small-scale cross-cultural partnership have coauthored this article, which reports on the identified tensions and rewards behind the scenes in this partnership. Findings mostly align with existing SaP literature; however, some unique benefits also emerged from having an explicit cross-cultural focus for the partnership.

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