INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ INTERACTION PROCESSES IN RELATION TO THEIR LEARNING EXPERIENCES AT ONE UNIVERSITY IN NORTHERN CHINA

Zamzam Ibrahim Nyandara, Nneoma Grace L. Egbuonu

Abstract


This was a qualitative case study, which sought to describe international students’ interaction processes in relation to their learning experiences at one university in China. The semi structured interview was used to collect data from international Master students followed by observation on one of the learning activities. The social constructivism theory guided data collection and analysis. It was found that there were differences with regard to how students interacted with instructors and fellow students in terms of means of communication, frequency of interactions as well as feedback. In addition, participants attached intellectual development roles to their interaction with instructors, and social wellbeing roles to peer interaction. On the other hand, cultural background and language barrier influenced their interaction processes at the university.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter

DOI

Keywords


International students’ interactions, social interaction, student–instructor interactions, social constructivist learning, international students in China

Full Text:

PDF

References


Andrade, M. S. (2006). International students in English speaking universities: adjustment factors. Journal of Research in International Education, 5, 131-154. doi: 10.1177/1475240906065589.

Arkoudis, S. & Baik, C. (2014). Crossing the interaction divide between international and domestic students in higher education. Review of Higher Education (HERDSA) vol.1, 47-62.

Askham, P. (1997). An instrumental response to the instrumental student- assessment for learning. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 23 (4), 229-317.

Atherson, J. S. (2013). Learning and Teaching; constructivism in learning (online; UK), retrieved 28 June 2015 from www.learningandteaching.info/learning/constructivisim.htm

Brown, L. (2009). An ethnographic study of the friendship patterns of international students in England; an attempt to recreate home through co-national interaction. International Journal of educational Research. 48, 184-193. doi:10.1016/j.ijer.2009.07.003.

Burnard, P., Gill, P., Stewart, K., Treasure, E., & Chadwick, B. (2008). Analysing and presenting qualitative data, British Dental Journal, 204, 429-432. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2008.292.

Chege, D .N. (2013). Encountering differences: study and learning environment culture-shock in Finland (The case of Asian first year international students).Unpublished Thesis, Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, Finland.

Choo, J. C. S. & Singh, M. K. M. (2013). International students’ perspectives on quantity and quality of social interactions with host national students. Educational Research International, 2 (2), 7-15.

Dagarin, M. (2005). Classroom interaction and communication strategies in learning English as a foreign language. English Language and Literature Teaching, 1, 127-139. doi; 10.4312/elope.1.1-2.127-139.

Denscombe, M (2007). The good research guide for small scale social science projects; 3rd Ed, Open University Press.

Endo, J. J. & Harpel, R.L. (1982).The effect of student faculty interaction on students’ educational outcomes. Research in Higher Education, 16 (2), 115-138.

Forsyth, D. R. (2009).Group dynamics, 5th Edition. Wadsworth Publishing, USA.

Gebhard, J. G. (2012). International students’ adjustment problems and behaviours. Journal of International Students, 2 (2), 184-193.

Glass, C. R.; Buus, S. & Braskamp, L. A. (2013). Uneven experiences: what’s missing and what matters for today’s international students. Chicago, IL: Global Perspective institute, Inc.

Glass, C. R., Kociolek, E, Wongtrirat, R., Lynch, R. J., & Song, S. (2015). Uneven experiences: the impact of student-faculty interactions on international students’ sense of belonging. Journal of International Students, 5 (4), 353-367.

Gomez, E., Urzua, A. & Glass, C. R. (2014). International students’ adjustment to college: social networks, acculturation, and leisure. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 32 (1), 7-25.

Grant, L. W., Stronge, J. H., & Xu, X (2013). A cross cultural comparative study of teacher effectiveness: analyses of award- winning teachers in the United States and China. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 25, 251-276. doi: 10.1007/s 11092-013-9170-1.

Hee, L. S., & Woodrow, L. (2008). International students’ out of class interaction during the preparation of academic assignments: the case of six Korean TESOL postgraduate students. University of Sydney Papers in TESOL, 3, 35-72.

Jokila, S. (2015). The internationalization of higher education with Chinese characteristics: Appadurai’s idea explored. Asian Pacific Journal of Education, 35. (1), 125-139.

Kim, B. (2001). Social constructivism. In M. Orey (ed), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching and technology, retrieved on 30 June 2015, http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/

Kumpulainen, K. & Wray, D. (2002). Classroom interaction and social learning: from theory to practice, Routledge-London/New York.

Lacina, J. G. (2002). Preparing international students for a successful social experience in higher education. New Directions for higher education, 117, 21-27.

Lawani, A.O., Gai, X., & Titilayo, A. (2012). The effects of continental background, language proficiency, and length of stay on social adjustment experience of international students in Northern China. Review of Research and Social Intervention, 37, 91-106.

Lee, D. S. (1997). What teachers can do to relieve problems identified by international students. New Directions of Teaching and Learning, 70, 93-100.

Leong, P. (2015). Coming to America: assessing the patterns of acculturation, friendship formation, and the academic experiences of international students at a US college. Journal of International Students, 5 (4), 459-474.

Mesidor, J. K & Sly, K. F. (2016). Factors that contribute to the adjustment of international students. Journal of International Students, 6(1), 262-282.

Navikova, I. A. & Navikov, A.L. (2015). Relation between communicative tolerance and intercultural adaptation in international students. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6, 109-116. doi: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n2s2p109.

NBPTS, (2011). Student Learning, Student Achievement: how do teachers measure up? National Board for Professional Teaching Standards,1525 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 500 / Arlington, VA, 22209 / www.nbpts.org / 1- 800 - 22TEACH.

Nyandara, Z. I., Egbuonu, N. G. L., & Zhu, H. (2015). The role of interaction in learning Chinese language for international students in China. International Journal of Education and Research, 3 (11), 295-308.

Poyrazli, S., Kavanaugh, P.R. Baker, A. & Al-Timimi, N. (2004). Social support and demographic correlates of acculturative stress in international students. Journal of College Counselling, 7, 73-82. doi: 10.1002/j.2161-1882.2004.tb00261.x.

Pritchard, A. & Woollard, J. (2010). Psychology for the classroom constructivism and social learning. Routledge; Taylor and Francis e-library.

Ramos, A. (2014). The Chinese international students experience in a time of increased enrolment at the University of California, Santa Barbara. International Student Experience Journal, 2(2).

Rujipak, V. & Limprasert, S. (2016). International students’ adjustment in Thailand. ABAC Journal, 36 (1), 34-46.

Ryan, G. W. & Bernard, R. H. (2003).Techniques to identify themes in qualitative data. Field Methods, 15, 85-109. doi: 10.1177/1525822x02239569.

Sandhu, D. S. (1994). An examination of psychological needs of the international students; implication for counselling and psychotherapy. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 17, 229-239. doi: 10.1007/BF01407739.

Sibley, J., Hamilton, D., & Chugh, R. (2015). International students’ wellbeing, and academic progress. International Student Experience Journal, 3(2).

Sumer, S.; Poyrazli, S. and Grahame, K. (2008). Predictors of depression and anxiety among international students. Journal of counselling and development, 86. (4), 429-437.

Wang, X. & Li, W. (2016). Research on the foreign students’ education of Shandong province under the internationalization background. International Education Studies, 9, 121-129. doi: 10.5539/ies.v9n11p121.

Wiersma, W. & Jurs, S.G. (2009). Research methods in education: an introduction, 9th Ed. Pearson, USA.

Xin, C. (2013). Learning and understanding in a multinational environment over lunch time: International Student Experience Journal, 1(2).

Yan, K. & Berliner, D. C. (2011). Chinese international students in the United States: demographic trends, motivations, acculturation features, and adjustment challenges. Asian Pacific Education Review, 12. (2), 173-184.

Zhu, H. & Ma, Y. (2011). New patterns in higher education cross-cultural learning: the case of postgraduate English instruction program in China. Frontiers of Education in China, 6, 471-494. Do: 10.1007/s11516-011-0142-2.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v0i0.1431

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2018 Zamzam Ibrahim Nyandara, Nneoma Grace L. Egbuonu

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2015-2023. European Journal of Education Studies (ISSN 2501 - 1111) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.


This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All authors who send their manuscripts to this journal and whose articles are published on this journal retain full copyright of their articles. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).