A Qualitative Study of the Role of Social Ties and Learning Style Differences in Affecting Chinese International Students’ Perceived Academic Performance
Jian Zhang （ Northeast Normal University，5268, Renmin Street, Changchun city, Jilin province, China ）
Guopeng Wang （ China Scholarship Council，No.9, Chegongzhuang Ave., Beijing, China ）
Abstract
This qualitative study aimed to solicit the perceptions of Chinese international students about their social tie formation and learning styles in a European country (Belgium) and relations to their perceived academic performance. Four focus groups, involving 21 Chinese students were conducted. This focus group study provided a picture of the interactional and learning experiences of Chinese international students in Belgium. The results indicated that Chinese students have built primary co-national ties, secondary international ties and tertiary host-national ties (i.e., domestic students) and perceived a number of learning style differences as compared to the western students. Furthermore, this qualitative study captured some essence of how these different social ties and learning style differences influenced Chinese students’ academic performance.
Keywords
Chinese international student; Social tie; Learning style; Academic performance; QualitativeFull Text
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Wong, J. K. K. (2004). Are the Learning Styles of Asian International Students Culturally or Contextually Based?. International Education Journal, 4(4), 154-166.
Yan, K., & Berliner, D. C. (2009). Chinese international students’ academic stressors in the United States. College Student Journal, 43(4), 939-960.
Yum, J. O. (2001). Multidimensional analysis of international images among college students in Japan, Hong Kong, and the United States. The Journal of Social Psychology, 128, 765-777.
Zhang, J., & Goodson, P. (2011). Acculturation and psychosocial adjustment of Chinese international students: Examining mediation and moderation effects. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(5), 614-627.
Zhu, C., Valcke, M. & Schellens, T. (2008). A cross-cultural study of Chinese and Flemish university students: Do they differ in learning conceptions and approaches to learning? Learning and Individual Differences, 18 (1), 120-127.
Busato, V. V., Prins, F. J., Elshout, J. J., & Hamaker, C. (2000). Intellectual ability, learning style, personality, achievement motivation and academic success of psychology students in higher education. Personality and Individual differences, 29(6), 1057-1068.
Cao, C., & Meng, Q. (2017). Mapping the Paths from Language Proficiency to Adaptation for Chinese Students in a Non-English Speaking Country: an Integrative Model of Mediation. Current Psychology, doi: 10.1007/s12144-017-9708-3.
Cao, C., Meng, Q., & Shang, L. (2018). How can Chinese international students’ host-national contact contribute to social connectedness, social support and reduced prejudice in the mainstream society? Testing a moderated mediation model. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 63, 43-52.
Cao, C., Zhu, C. and Meng, Q. (2016a). A Survey of the Influencing Factors for International Academic Mobility of Chinese University Students. Higher Education Quarterly. 70: 200–220.
Cao, C., Zhu, C., & Meng, Q. (2016b). An exploratory study of inter-relationships of acculturative stressors among Chinese students from six European Union (EU) countries. International journal of intercultural relations, 55, 8-19.
Cao, C., Zhu, C., & Meng, Q. (2017). Predicting Chinese international students’ acculturation strategies from socio-demographic variables and social ties. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 20(2), 85-96.
Guest, G., Namey, E., & McKenna, K. (2017). How many focus groups are enough? Building an evidence base for nonprobability sample sizes. Field methods, 29(1), 3-22.
Gu, Q. (2009). Maturity and Interculturality: Chinese students' experiences in UK higher education. European Journal of Education, 44(1), 37-52.
Hendrickson, B., Rosen, D., & Aune, R. K. (2011). An analysis of friendship networks, social connectedness, homesickness, and satisfaction levels of international students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(3), 281-295.
Ho, D. Y. (1989). Continuity and variation in Chinese patterns of socialization. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 51, 149-163.
Kashima, E. S., & Loh, E. (2006). International students’ acculturation: Effects of international, conational, and local ties and need for closure. International journal of intercultural relations, 30(4), 471-485.
Kelly, B. T. (2003). Focus group interviews. In F. K. Stage & K. Manning (Eds.), Research in the college context: Approaches and methods (pp. 49-62). New York: Brunner Routledge.
Kim, Y. Y. (2001). Becoming intercultural: An integrative theory of communication and cross-cultural adaptation. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.
Kwon, Y. (2013). The sociocultural adjustment of Chinese graduate students at Korean universities: A qualitative study. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 37(5), 536-549.
Lebcir, R. M., Wells, H., & Bond, A. (2008). Factors affecting academic performance of international students in project management courses: A case study from a British Post 92 University. International Journal of Project Management, 26(3), 268-274.
Lee, B., Farruggia, S. P., & Brown, G. T. (2013). Academic difficulties encountered by East Asian international university students in New Zealand. Higher Education Research & Development, 32(6), 915-931.
Li, G., Chen, W., & Duanmu, J. L. (2010). Determinants of International Students' Academic Performance: A Comparison between Chinese and Other International Students. Journal of Studies in International Education, 14(4), 389-405.
Lu, J., Yu, C. S., & Liu, C. (2003). Learning style, learning patterns, and learning performance in a WebCT-based MIS course. Information & Management, 40(6), 497-507.
Lynch, T. G., Woelfl, N. N., Steele, D. J., & Hanssen, C. S. (1998). Learning style influences student examination performance. The American Journal of Surgery, 176(1), 62-66.
Maundeni, T. (2001). The role of social networks in the adjustment of African students to British society: Student’s perceptions. Race Ethnicity and Education, 4, 253–276.
Morgan, D. L. (1997). Focus groups as qualitative research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Ozer, S. (2015). Predictors of international students' psychological and sociocultural adjustment to the context of reception while studying at Aarhus University, Denmark. Scandinavian journal of psychology, 56(6), 717-725.
Paul, B., & Lynne, M. (2001). Organizational research methods: A guide for students and researchers. London, England: SAGE.
Rienties, B., Beausaert, S., Grohnert, T., Niemantsverdriet, S., & Kommers, P. (2012). Understanding academic performance of international students: the role of ethnicity, academic and social integration. Higher education, 63(6), 685-700.
Saenz, T., Marcoulides, G. A., Junn, E., & Young, R. (1999). The relationship between college experience and academic performance among minority students. International Journal of Educational Management, 13(4), 199-207.
Schartner, A. (2015). ‘You cannot talk with all of the strangers in a pub’: a longitudinal case study of international postgraduate students’ social ties at a British university. Higher Education, 69(2), 225-241.
Wang, C. C., & Greenwood, K. M. (2015). Chinese nursing students' culture-related learning styles and behaviours: A discussion paper. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 2(3), 253-258.
Wang, C. C. D., & Mallinckrodt, B. (2006). Acculturation, attachment, and psychosocial adjustment of Chinese/Taiwanese international students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(4), 422-433.
Wang, Q., & Hannes, K. (2014). Academic and socio-cultural adjustment among Asian international students in the Flemish community of Belgium: A photovoice project. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 39, 66-81.
Watkins, D. & Biggs, J. (eds) 1996, The Chinese Learner: Cultural, Psychological and Contextual Influences. CERC & ACER, Melbourne.
Westwood, M. J., & Barker, M. (1990). Academic achievement and social adaptation among international students: A comparison groups study of the peer-pairing program. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 14(2), 251-263.
Wong, J. K. K. (2004). Are the Learning Styles of Asian International Students Culturally or Contextually Based?. International Education Journal, 4(4), 154-166.
Yan, K., & Berliner, D. C. (2009). Chinese international students’ academic stressors in the United States. College Student Journal, 43(4), 939-960.
Yum, J. O. (2001). Multidimensional analysis of international images among college students in Japan, Hong Kong, and the United States. The Journal of Social Psychology, 128, 765-777.
Zhang, J., & Goodson, P. (2011). Acculturation and psychosocial adjustment of Chinese international students: Examining mediation and moderation effects. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(5), 614-627.
Zhu, C., Valcke, M. & Schellens, T. (2008). A cross-cultural study of Chinese and Flemish university students: Do they differ in learning conceptions and approaches to learning? Learning and Individual Differences, 18 (1), 120-127.
Copyright © 2022 Jian Zhang, Guopeng Wang
Publishing time:2022-10-30
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
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