Analysis of Cultural and Learning Experiences of Post-Graduate Foreign Students studying in Chinese Universities

Author(s) : Xiaoyang Wang, Nasir Hussain S. Bukhari

Abstract:

This study was conducted to explore the experiences of overseas students studying in Chinese universities. The objectives of the study were to analyze the cultural and learning experiences of International Students and to assess the students’ level of satisfaction with academic and other facilities offered by Chinese universities. Semi-structured interview protocol was used to gather data. The population of the study was post-graduate International students studying in Chinese universities. Owing to the limited time available for the study and other constraints, a purposive sampling technique was used. In total twenty five students from eight Chinese universities were interviewed. A literature review revealed that a vast array of studies have been conducted for the assessment of ‘culture shock’ , particularly social and academic shock to International students in a foreign university as well as level of satisfaction with academic and other services offered to International students by host universities. The findings revealed that all students interviewed had undergone cultural and academic shock, however, the degree of intensity varied individually. The majority of the students expressed feelings of satisfaction with the academic and other facilities offered to them by university, though language barrier and teacher-centered teaching model were significant problem emerging from the study. The most significant finding was the difference of opinion between Asian and Western students about cultural shock.