Abstract
This chapter outlines some key challenges that Chinese students face while studying in UK higher education and the nature of their learning and personal growth in intercultural contexts. The empirical work is based upon a series of research projects that the author has led over the past five years (2004–09), including a two-year Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) research project on the experiences of international undergraduate students at British universities (Gu et al., 2010) and a British Academy-funded two-year research project which investigated how, why and to what extent overseas educational experiences may (or may not) contribute to the personal, professional and career development of Chinese students who return to work in China (Gu et al., 2009).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Anderson, L. E. (1994) A new look at an old construct: cross-cultural adaptation, International Journal of Intercultuml Relationships, 18(3), 293–328.
Biggs, J. (1996) Western misperceptions of the Confucian-heritage learning culture. In D. Watkins & J. Biggs (eds) The Chinese Learner: Cultural, Psychological and Contextual Influences. Hong Kong: CERC and ACER.
Blair, T. (1999) Attracting More International Students, 18 June. http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page3369.asp.
Bochner, S. (1977) Friendship patterns of overseas students: a functional model, International Journal of Psychology, 12(4), 277–294.
Bochner, S., Hutnik, N. & Furnham, A. (2001) The friendship patterns of overseas and host students in an Oxford student residence, Journal of Social Psychology, 125(6), 689–694.
Bond, M. (ed.) (1986) The Psychology of the Chinese People. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press.
British Council (2007) The Prime Minister’s Initiative for International Education. http://www.britishcouncil.org/eumd-pmi.htm/eumd-pmi.htm.
British Council (2008) China Market Information, http://www.britishcouncil.org/eumd-information-background-china.htm/eumd-information-background-china.htm.
Chang, W. C. (2000) In search of the Chinese in all the wrong places!, Journal of Psychology in Chinese Societies, 1(1), 125–142.
Coleman, J. A. (2004) Study abroad. In M. Byram (ed.) Routledge Encyclopaedia of Language Teaching and Learning. London: Routledge, pp. 582–584.
Coolahan, J. (2002) Teacher Education and the Teaching Career in an Era of Lifelong Learning. OECD Education Working Papers, no. 2. Paris: OECD. http://www.oecd.org/edu/workingpapers/edu/workingpapers.
Cortazzi, M. & Jin, L. (1997) Communication for learning across cultures. In D. McNamara & R. Harris (eds) Overseas Students in Higher Education: Issues in Teaching and Learning. London and New York: Routledge, pp. 76–90.
Cushner, K. & Karim, A. (2004) Study abroad at the university level. In D. Landis, J. Bennett & M. Bennet (eds) Handbook of Intercultural Training (3rd edn). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, pp. 289–308.
Day, C. W, Stobart, G., Sammons, P., Kington, A., Gu, Q., Smees, R. & Mujtaba, T. (2006) Variations in Teachers’ Work, Lives and Effectiveness. Final report for the VITAE Project. London: DfES.
de Wit, H. (2008) Changing Trends in the Internationalisation of Higher Education. http://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/research/seminarpapers/deWitPres061008.pdf.
Dimmock, C. & Ong Soon Leong, J. (2010) Studying overseas: Mainland Chinese students in Singapore, Compare, 40(1), 25–42.
Friedman, T. L. (2005) The World is Flat. London: Penguin Books.
Furnham, A. (2004) Foreign students education and culture shock, The Psychologist 17(1), 16–19.
Furnham, A. & Bochner, S. (1986) Culture Shock. London: Methuen.
Gan, A. (2009) Chinese students’ adjustment to the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme: experiences of an Australian high school, Journal of Research in International Education, 8(3), 283–304.
Grimshaw, T. (2007) Problematizing the construct of ’the Chinese learner’: insights from ethnographic research, Educational Studies, 33(3), 299–311.
Gu, Q. & Brooks, J. (2008) Beyond the accusation of plagiarism, System, 36(3), 337–352.
Gu, Q. & Maley, A. (2008) Changing places: a study of Chinese students in the UK, Language and Intercultural Communication, 8(4), 224–245.
Gu, Q. & Schweisfurth, M. (2006) Who adapts? Beyond cultural models of ‘the’ Chinese learner, Language, Culture and Curriculum, 19(1), 74–89.
Gu, Q., Schweisfurth, M., Day, C. & Li, F. (2009) The Impact of UK Educational Experiences on Chinese Returnees’ Lives and Careers: Final Report. London: British Academy Small Research Grant.
Gu, Q., Schweisfurth, M. & Day, C. (2010) Learning and growing in a ‘foreign’ context: intercultural experiences of international students, Compare, 40(1), 7–23.
Guardian (2006) Who will be welcomed to Britain, 8 March. http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,1725982,00.html#article_continue/homeaffairs/story/0,,1725982,00.html#article_continue.
Gudykunst, W. (ed.) (2005) Theorizing about Intercultural Communication. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Held, D., McGrew, A., Goldblatt, D. & Parraton, J. (1999) Global Transformation: Politics, Economics and Culture. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press.
Hoffman, E. (1989) Lost in Translation. London: William Heinemann.
Hofstede, G. (2009) Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions. http://www.geert-hofstede.com.
Jenkins, R. (2004) Social Identity (2nd edn). Abingdon: Routledge.
Jones, A. (2005) Culture and context: critical thinking and student learning in introductory macroeconomics, Studies in Higher Education, 30(3), 339–354.
Kingston, E. & Forland, H. (2008) Bridging the gap in expectations between international students and academic staff, Journal of Studies in International Education, 12(2), 204–221.
Leung, C, Pe-Puab, R. & Karnilowicz, W. (2006) Psychological adaptation and autonomy among adolescents in Australia: a comparison of Anglo-Celtic and three Asian groups, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 30(1), 99–118.
Lewthwaite, M. (1986) A study on international students’ perspectives on cross-cultural adaptation, International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 19, 167–185.
Li, A. & Gasser, M. (2005) Predicting Asian international students’ sociocultural adjustment: a test of two mediation models, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29, 561–576.
Little, A. & Green, A. (2009) Successful globalisation, education and sustainable development, International Journal of Educational Development, 29, 166–174.
Montgomery, C. & McDowell, L. (2009) Social networks and the international student experience, Journal of Studies in International Education, 13(4), 455–466.
Montuori, A. & Fahim, U. (2004) Cross-cultural encounter as an opportunity for personal growth, Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 44(2), 243–265.
Mori, S. (2000) Addressing the mental health concerns of international students, Journal of Counselling and Development, 78(2), 137–144.
Morrison, J., Merrick, B., Higgs, S. & Le Métais, J. (2005) Researching the performance of international students in the UK, Studies in Higher Education, 30(3), 327–337.
Murphy-Lejeune, E. (2003) An experience of interculturality: student travellers abroad. In G. Aired, M. Byram & M. Fleming (eds) Intercultural Experience and Education. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, pp. 101–113.
Oberg, K. (1960) Culture shock: adjustment to new cultural environment, Practical Anthropology, 7, 177–182.
OECD (2007) Cross-Border Tertiary Education: A Way Towards Capacity Development. Paris: OECD.
OECD (2008) Policy Brief: Cross-Border Higher Education and Development. Paris: OECD.
Rizvi, R. (2010) International students and doctoral studies in transnational spaces. In P. Thompson & M. Walker (eds) The Routledge Doctoral Companion (Students). London: Routledge.
Schweisfurth, M. & Gu, Q. (2009) Exploring the experiences of international students in UK higher education: possibilities and limits of interculturality in university life, Special issue of Intercultural Education, 20(5), 463–473.
Searle, W. & Ward, C. (1990) The prediction of psychological and socio-cultural adjustment during cross-cultural transition, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 14, 449–464.
Seddoh, F. K. (2001) Internationalisation of higher education: what for, how and at what cost?, International Association of Universities Newsletter, 7(3), 1–3.
Shen, F. (1989) The classroom and the wider culture: identity as a key to learning English composition, College Composition and Communication, 40(4), 459–466.
Signorini, P., Wiesemes, R. & Murphy, R. (2009) Developing alternative frameworks for exploring intercultural learning: a critique of Hofstede’s cultural difference model, Teaching in Higher Education, 14(3), 253–264.
Strauss, A. (1959) Mirrors and Masks: The Search for Identity. San Francisco: Sociology Press.
UKCISA (2007) Benchmarking the Provision of Services for International Students in Higher Education Institutions. London: The Council for International Education.
UKCOSA (2004) International Students in UK Universities and Colleges: Broadening Our Horizons — Report of the UKCOSA Survey. London: The Council for International Education.
UNESCO (2009) Global Education Digest 2009. Paris: UNESCO.
Universities UK (2006) Universities UK Response to Immigration Point System Proposal, 7 March, http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/mediareleases/show.asp?MR=451.
Ward, C, Bochner, S. & Furnham, A. (2001) The Psychology of Culture Shock (2nd edn). Hove: Routledge.
Ward, C. & Kennedy, A. (1993) Where’s the ‘culture’ in cross-cultural transition?: Comparative studies of sojourner adjustment, Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 24(2), 221–249.
Watkins, D. & Biggs, J. (eds) (1996) The Chinese Learner: Cultural, Psychological and Contextual Influences. Hong Kong: CERC and ACER.
Watkins, D. & Biggs, J. (eds) (2001) Teaching the Chinese Learner: Psychological and Pedagogical Perspectives. Hong Kong: CERC.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2011 Qing Gu
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Gu, Q. (2011). An Emotional Journey of Change: The Case of Chinese Students in UK Higher Education. In: Jin, L., Cortazzi, M. (eds) Researching Chinese Learners. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230299481_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230299481_10
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-31865-0
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-29948-1
eBook Packages: Palgrave Language & Linguistics CollectionEducation (R0)