Identity negotiation of Chinese international students in Canada: A study on cosmopolitan post-graduation settlement

This study focuses on analyzing the acculturation of Chinese international students in Canada, emphasizing students' post-graduation settlement in China, Canada, or in other countries. Chinese international students commonly experience a multilayered acculturative adjustment when they are challenged by a new culture. In this process, they develop an identity negotiation that impacts their settlement into a new country. This study mobilizes four notions of acculturation (e.g., assimilation, integration, marginalization, and separation), to evaluate Chinese international students’ identity negotiation after university. This research uses 17 semi-structured interviews to understand how participants' identities were negotiated through their acculturative adjustment. First, the findings highlight the importance of career factors and family values in participants' settlement decisions. Second, the balance between Chinese identity and Canadian identity has some impact on student’s migration plans.

“Yearning for it” and “no turning back”—A study on Chinese international high school students’ motivations in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak

This paper studies the macro situation of studying abroad in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak and the motivations of Chinese international high school students studying abroad. The research shows that from the macro situation, the “push” growth is caused by the epidemic situation, racial discrimination, tightening employment and immigration policies, online teaching, and other reasons, while the “pull” growth is caused by the good control of the epidemic situation and the sense of belonging and security for students in China; however, from the perspective of individual choice, most international high school students still insist on studying abroad, “demand effect” and “cost effect” can explain their motivations of studying abroad. The motivation of those students going abroad unshakably mainly shows “demand effect.” They tend to satisfy the differentiated demand of personal development through studying abroad and believe that this demand is more difficult to obtain in home country. While the motivation of those students going abroad reluctantly mainly shows “cost effect.” The cost of early investment including not only monetary expenditures but also behavioral choices in K-12 education leads to their continued investment.

Who are studying at International Branch Campuses in China? A case study

International Branch Campuses (IBCs) grow rapidly, and China is the largest host country of IBCs. This article examines the student characteristics at an IBC in China. The student characteristics arise from the literature regarding college choice and the choice of IBC. A documentary study examines the academic performance, represented by gaokao scores, of the students from an IBC with independent legal person status in China. Further, using the data of 798 survey respondents, the student characteristics are analyzed with a descriptive analysis, and the results are compared to the data in existent documents and reports. The results show that the development of IBCs in China favors urban and socioeconomically advantaged students. Family income becomes a stronger and direct factor on the choice of IBC. Chinese middle- and upper-class utilize their capitals to obtain study opportunities at IBCs. This article fills the gap in the student characteristics and identifies the inequalities at an IBC. The implications are discussed.

From massification towards post-massification: Policy and governance of higher education in China

Chinese higher education institutions have experienced an unprecedented expansion and major reforms since the late 1990s. The revolutionary growth has not only established the largest higher education system in the world but has also transformed an elite system to a post-massified one over the last two decades. The expansion policy was largely an economically justified proposal that has emerged under certain conditions. However, reform has been criticised for not delivering the promised outcomes. The article examines the historical development of higher education expansion in China, investigating its rationales, practices and the extent to which the policy has become a paradox during massification. As China moves into the post-massification stage, the article forecasts emerging policy trends and highlights future challenges. It considers restructuring state-education relationship through mechanisms of funding, provision and regulation as options for governing the ever growing and massifying system more sustainably in the upcoming era.

A comparison between Chinese and American male and female college students’ critical thinking dispositions

This quantitative research study compared the critical thinking dispositions of 91 college students studying in a public university in South East Florida. Forty-one students identified as Chinese and 50 students identified as American. The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) measured these students’ critical thinking dispositions. There were differences between students on the scale of open-mindedness and gender. A dis-ordinal interaction occurred. American males scored lower than American females on the CCTDI scale of open-mindedness. However, the opposite occurred for the Chinese students. Chinese males received a higher score on the CCTDI scale of open-mindedness than Chinese females. These findings are significant for educators and organizations when designing curriculum and workplace training development for leaders. Being open-minded feeds into decision-making and problem-solving are skills which are necessary for leadership. It is helpful to understand which variables impact individual’s disposition to critical thinking so that leadership skills can be developed.

Book review:Review of “research handbook on university rankings: theory, methodology, influence and impact”

This article reviews ‘The Research Handbook on University Rankings- Theory, Methodology, Influence and Impact’ edited by Ellen Hazelkorn and Georgiana Mihut. This informative book looks at the worldwide impact of university rankings. With 37 chapters grouped into six themes, the book discusses the challenges, imperatives and innovation facing rankings into the future. The book makes a comprehensive contribution to higher education research and practice.

Understanding the barriers faced by TNE-students when completing advanced-level laboratory-based practical classes

This study reports the barriers faced by Transnational Education (TNE)-students when completing practical work in the UK, having transferred to the UK for their final year of study as part of a chemistry degree. Self-identified barriers these students faced included the following: recall of information, difficulties writing the technical reports required for assessment, different educational cultural norms between China and the UK, especially in relation to health and safety, and a lack confidence using English, in particular with the technical language. It was noticed by both participants and researchers that there was minimal interaction with the domestic students and prevalent use of Chinese within the TNE-students’ social group, which may have created a ‘cultural enclave’. The results from this study have been used to derive a number of recommendations for practice for TNE-programmes that contain a significant practical element.

Big fish in a big pond: Peer effects on university students’ academic self-concept

The big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) has been proved by numerous studies. However, few researchers have focused on university students, particularly gifted students in elite universities (big fish in the big pond). This study adopted a two-level linear model to discuss the BFLPE on talented students in an elite university through a longitudinal survey involving two waves ( n = 1073). The results indicated that peer achievements had negative effects on the ASC of competent students in the elite university. Additionally, student–faculty interactions and university support had remarkable effects on ASC, despite students’ personal achievements. This study contributes toward enriching the BFLPE research framework and encouraging more researchers to focus on university students’ ASC, not limited to intelligent students in elite universities. Furthermore, the study provides an example of minimal research for building hierarchical linear models. Finally, the findings of the study can help elite students build a positive ASC in elite universities.