Sarah Bickel PhD Coordinating Presenter

Thomas J. DeStefano Ed D Principal Investigator

Susan Longerbeam PhD Co Investigator

Yu, Lixin PhD Co Investigator

Wang, Feng International Student

Seeking Lives of Purpose: Chinese international

student success in the U.S.

The number of Chinese students studying on U.S. university campuses has grown significantly over the past several decades since Deng Xiaoping in 1978 first charged the Chinese Ministry of Education to find the means to send Chinese students to study abroad.

Since that initial development, U.S. universities have become the number one choice of Chinese students seeking a study abroad opportunity (Blumenthal & Yang, 2008).

Introduction

Today the number of Chinese students studying on U.S. campuses exceeds 70,000, with expectations of even greater growth in the future

The Peoples Republic of China has suggested a goal of 500,000 Chinese students studying abroad by 2020.

Introduction

Through the years, student development and college impact research on the experiences of U.S. college students has led to significant improvement in academic instruction and student affairs practice.

This knowledge has led to increased success of greater numbers of U.S. students in higher education (Astin, 1993; Kuh & Hu, 2001; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005).

Due to distinct cultural and developmental differences of international students, the U.S. university experiences of Chinese international students may be very different from that of U.S. students.

Introduction

Several researchers have found that international students face culturally unique challenges in adjusting to the U.S. university experience (Wong, 2004; Lacina, 2002; Hayes & Lin, 1994).

Research suggests that Asian international students experience greater adjustment stress than other international students (Yoon & Jepsen, 2008), possibly a result of the distinct differences between several aspects of Asian culture and U.S. culture (Furnham & Bochner, 1986).

Introduction

Campus climate studies indicate that student success is influenced by campus racial and ethnic climates (Hurtado, 1992; Hurtado, Milem, Clayton-Pedersen, & Allen, 1999).

This is particularly important for international students who come from non-western cultures (Furnham & Bochner, 1986; Wang & Mallinckrodt, 2006). Students who engage across ethnic diversity benefit academically, socially and economically (Milem, 2003).

Introduction

Learn some of the important factors that influence and contribute to the success of Chinese international students who study in the US.;

Understand to what extent Chinese international students become engaged in the academic and socio-cultural domains of U.S. universities;

Learn factors that influence and contribute to Chinese international student engagement;

Understand the role that student affairs educators can play in enhancing campus and community climate of Chinese International students who study on U.S. campuses;

Learn how student affairs educators can partner with faculty and U.S students in creating a positive campus climate for international students.

PARTICIPANTS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO:

Funded by: The Center for International Education of

Northern Arizona University The TOEFL Board of the Educational Testing

Service The Chinese Center for International

Educational Exchange The American Association for State Colleges

and UniversitiesShannxi International Cooperation Research

Fund

Xi’an Shiyou UniversityXi’an University of Science

and TechnologyChongqing University of

Post and TelecommunicationsShandong University at

Wehai Soochow University Nanjing Normal University

Chinese University Participants

Troy University George Mason University,Northern Arizona University, Ball State University, University of North Carolina at Pembroke,

U.S. University Participants

This project utilized quantitative and qualitative analyses to evaluate the Dual Degree program Focus groups and interviewsStudent EssaysAcademic dataArchival dataSurvey data

Procedure

81 students participated in focus groups on US campuses.

20 U.S. roommates of Chinese study abroad students

99 U.S. faculty and staff participated.

Focus Group Participants in the US

54 faculty and staff participated in focus groups in China

A total of 36 4th year Chinese study abroad students participated in focus groups on Chinese campuses.

15 parents participated in focus groups on Chinese campuses.

15 2009 program graduates attended a focus group in Wehai China

Focus Group Participants in China

Academic records of 659, Chinese study abroad students attending a U.S. university from fall of 2001 through fall 2009 were utilized for the analyses of archival academic variables

361 current and former Chinese study abroad students who participated in the survey phase of this assessment

59 2009 graduate essays were analyzed

Other Analyses

The ICSES developed by Lan-Sze Pang (2007) is a 40 item standardized instrument that measures international student experience at U.S. colleges and universities.

The four sub-scales are: The Perceived cultural tolerance from U.S.

nationals; Social & academic interactions with U.S. students;Perceived residential climate; personal & academic interactions with U.S. faculty.

International College Student Experience Scale (ICSES)

The dual degree graduation rate was found to be 91.2% for the cohort groups entering the program between 2001 and 2006

The mean final cumulative GPA at U.S. universities for those students in the data base was 3.22.

When GPA was compared over time students showed gradual increases in their American campus grade point averages.   

Students are Academically Successful

Students were “at the top of the class” academically

Students win awards in their departments for extraordinary academic work.

Students were among the most successful students at their institutions.

Students are Academically Successful

Students who took up to two semesters of Intensive English classes were found to be just as academically successful as the students who tested out of Intensive English because of higher levels of English proficiency.

Students’ perceptions of contributors to academic success were:

having good study habits, being personally motivated, having close relationships with professors, receiving help from other Chinese students.  attending tutoring centers improved English skills

Contributors to Academic Success

Chinese study abroad students have positive perceptions of their personal and academic interactions with U.S. faculty

Students have positive perceptions of the overall campus climate at their U.S. university.

Students were slightly less positive regarding their social and academic interactions with U.S. students

Students had less positive perceptions of the cultural tolerance from U.S. Citizens .

Student Perceptions of Campus Climate

How much do you feel like you belong to this university?” 26.8% indicated “very much” 64% indicated “somewhat” 9.2% indicated “very little” 1% indicated “not at all”.

When asked to respond to :

When asked to respond to :

I made a right choice in attending this university: • 51.6% indicated very much; • 40.1%Indicated somewhat; • 6.4% indicated very little; • 1.9% indicated not at all.

When Chinese study abroad students had positive experiences with U.S. students, they tended to view themselves as more engaged in the academic and socio-cultural domains of U.S. universities.

Students with stronger personal and academic relationships with faculty had higher perceived sense of involvement on the campus.

Student Perceptions of Campus Climate

Chinese students who had the opportunity to live on campus with U.S. roommates had more positive perceptions of U.S. citizens than Chinese study abroad students who did not have a U.S. roommate.

Chinese students who lived off campus with other Chinese students had the least positive perceptions of U.S. citizens

Student Perceptions of Campus Climate

These included: improved English skills obtaining two degrees and learning practical applications related to their

academic majors. In addition students described:

an appreciation for obtaining a more global perspective the development of personal leadership and

communication skills an increased sense of confidence and self-reliance.

Chinese study abroad students identified numerous program benefits.

Appreciated the assistance their students received with the U.S. visa process.

appreciation for facilitating partnerships with U.S. universities.

the Dual Degree program has become a recruiting advantage for students who specifically want to participate in the Dual Degree program.

Benefits to Chinese universities

intercultural communication between U.S. and Chinese universities joint faculty exchangesdiscussion related to curriculum

improvements. Chinese faculties believe Dual Degree

students are provided with a greater variety of course offerings through attendance at two universities.

Benefits to Chinese universities

personal confidence clearly focused vocational direction. very good communication skills, and are

effective in making public presentations. improvements in their English language

skills. 

Chinese faculty suggest that Chinese study abroad students return to their Chinese universities with

to have more breadth of knowledge compared to their non-Chinese study abroad students counterparts

less depth of knowledge in specific content areas compared to their non-Chinese study abroad students counterparts

to score lower than non-Chinese study abroad students on fourth year examinations

to sometimes have difficulty on specific aspects of their final dissertations

.   Chinese faculty observed that some Chinese study abroad students tend

roommates who had positive experiences with Chinese roommates expressed interests in global issues and in opportunities for travel abroad.

Chinese study abroad students students challenge U.S. students to do their best

Chinese study abroad students can provide a global perspective to U.S. students

Benefits To U.S. students

Chinese study abroad students contribute to a diverse student body on U.S. university campuses

Chinese study abroad students provide a global perspective to U.S. academic instruction

Dual degree programs have become a catalyst for other types of exchanges between U.S. and Chinese partner universities

Chinese study abroad students provide a financial benefit to U.S. universities through increased tuition revenue.

 

Benefits to U.S. universities

Benefits of the Dual Degree program far outweighed the challenges.

Students are not simply graduating from two universities; they are also achieving their goals, gaining a global perspective, learning English, and preparing for a better future.

Conclusions

Chinese student learning while in the U.S. was significant – particularly in gaining self-efficacy and confidence in leadership, teamwork, and discussion-based skills.

Chinese students grew through challenges ranging from learning to cook, and travel on their own, to learning to make class presentations

Conclusions

U.S. campuses are under-utilizing the presence of Chinese students. Multiple opportunities to connect with U.S. students and faculty are not fulfilled.

Some U.S. students under-appreciate the global learning opportunity of developing relationships with Chinese students.

Conclusions

English skills play a large role in the academic and social success and cultural integration of Chinese students.

The importance of English proficiency to success in the program is significant.

Conclusions

There are benefits to both Chinese and U.S. university systems of the Dual Degree program.

Administrators in both systems are gaining valuable knowledge from the other. Continued communication and travel between countries heightens the benefits.

Conclusions

For Chinese students who need additional instruction in English, it appears that up to two semesters of intensive English study are most facilitative of improving GPA.

It may also be beneficial to pair Chinese students with English speakers who can help them to integrate and improve their English skills.  

Recommendations

Given the importance of positive perceptions of not only campus communities, but of U.S. citizens in general, and in particular the important role of the U.S. roommate, campus living and learning communities should be intentionally designed.

Purposeful selection of U.S. roommates with an interest in Chinese culture will enhance their role as ambassadors to Chinese college students.

Recommendations

Chinese students not only benefit from living on campus with culturally receptive U.S. roommates, but they also have better academic and social integration when they work on campus.

Campuses could look for ways to increase Chinese student campus employment and other involvement opportunities.

Recommendations

Chinese students have much to offer and much to learn through active participation in course discussion.

To heighten the cultural and global exchange opportunities offered by the classroom presence of Chinese students, faculty could increase discussions in classes

Recommendations

Improvement in communication through strengthening relationships between Chinese and U.S. university administrators and faculty should continue to improve articulation and curriculum challenges.

Recommendations

Personal rather than institutional

The University experience should transform the worldviews of our students

Recognize the mutual benefits for U.S students and international students when these respective students learn and interact together

Transformative Internationalization Model (Tuner & Robson, 2008)

Personal Introduction

Feng Wang (Bruce)

• 2006 – 2008: Beijing International Studies University

• 2008 – Present: Northern Arizona University

• Major: Finance and Marketing

Language

Difficulties that We Encounter

Cultural

Difference

Academic Success

Language

Well…Something wrong with the ceiling?

Make friends with American

students

Join clubs and organizations

Don’t afraid of making mistakes

ASK !!!

Tips:

Bigger than Language,

because they are

intangible

Example: Food, Work

Cultural Differences

Etiquette and Manners

Non-verbal Communications

Working Environment

Example: Personal Space: The “bubble”

Work on English Language

Understand Cultural Difference

Learn to respect others’ culture before expect others to respect yours

Conclusion

Raise Diversity Awareness for Instructors

a. Teaching Models b. Faculty Exchange

More Opportunities for Multi-cultural Events

Suggestions for U.S. Universities