IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i17p6831-d402838.html

Student Engagement for Sustainability of Chinese International Education: The Case of International Undergraduate Students in China

Author

Listed:
  • Mei Tian

    (School of Foreign Studies, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China)

  • Genshu Lu

    (West China Higher Education Evaluation Centre & Institute of Higher Education, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China)

  • Hongbiao Yin

    (Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR., China)

  • Lijie Li

    (School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China)

Abstract

Student engagement has been attracting attention in the discussion of higher education (HE) quality. Despite the rapid increase of international students in China, little understanding has been gained for quality management on these students’ engagement in learning. This paper focuses on international undergraduate students in Chinese higher education institutions, exploring the nature and characteristics of their academic engagement and the environmental factors influencing the engagement. The discussion was based on a synthesis of the findings of two studies, i.e., an exploratory qualitative study following a small group of international students at a research university and a large-scale survey involving 1428 international students at 34 Chinese universities. The analyses revealed less than satisfactory levels of international students’ engagement, with a high proportion of the participants being passively or ineffectively involved in learning. The qualitative findings highlighted pedagogical and attitudinal factors that affected international students’ engagement. The survey results indicated six environmental factors, categorized into three groups, having significant effects on the respondents’ engagement. Although located in China, the analyses bear implications for practitioners striving for the sustainable development of international education in a broader range of contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Mei Tian & Genshu Lu & Hongbiao Yin & Lijie Li, 2020. "Student Engagement for Sustainability of Chinese International Education: The Case of International Undergraduate Students in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-16, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:17:p:6831-:d:402838
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/17/6831/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/17/6831/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. George D. Kuh & Ty M. Cruce & Rick Shoup & Jillian Kinzie & Robert M. Gonyea, 2008. "Unmasking the Effects of Student Engagement on First-Year College Grades and Persistence," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 79(5), pages 540-563, September.
    2. Arcidiacono, Peter, 2004. "Ability sorting and the returns to college major," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 121(1-2), pages 343-375.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jingwei Fan & Mei Tian, 2022. "Influence of Online Learning Environment and Student Engagement on International Students’ Sustainable Chinese Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-15, September.
    2. Jingwei Fan & Mei Tian, 2024. "Satisfaction with Online Chinese Learning among International Students in China: A Study Based on the fsQCA Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-18, January.
    3. Junqi Zhu & Mengdi Gu & Li Yang & Shoukui Xun & Ming Wan & Jie Li, 2022. "Academic Adaptation of International Students in China: Evidence from the Grounded Theory and Structure Equation Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-22, December.
    4. Junqi Zhu & Guangxia Li & Ming Wan & Shanshan Li & Liyan Sun & Jie Li & Xue Wang, 2022. "Survey Study of the Cultural Integration of International Students in East China under Ecosystem Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-21, November.
    5. Fenglong Yu & Qian Chen & Bing Hou, 2021. "Understanding the Impacts of Chinese Undergraduate Tourism Students’ Professional Identity on Learning Engagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-16, December.
    6. Mag-aso, Samer John S. & Albiso, Krysthel Mae R. & Condeza, Kenneth B. & Edaño, Ronnel V. & Evangelista, Angela F. & Lazaro, Edz Laurence O., & Luzon, Lance Lawrence R. & Maliguid, Gian Khaira A. & M, 2025. "The Influence of School Climate and Subjective Well-Being on Students’ Engagement," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(3), pages 1844-1855, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yamaguchi, Shintaro, 2010. "The effect of match quality and specific experience on career decisions and wage growth," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 407-423, April.
    2. Hoffman, Mitchell & Burks, Stephen V., 2017. "Worker Overconfidence: Field Evidence and Implications for Employee Turnover and Returns from Training," IZA Discussion Papers 10794, IZA Network @ LISER.
    3. Ralph Stinebrickner & Todd R. Stinebrickner, 2014. "A Major in Science? Initial Beliefs and Final Outcomes for College Major and Dropout," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 81(1), pages 426-472.
    4. Jaison R. Abel & Richard Deitz, 2017. "Underemployment in the Early Careers of College Graduates following the Great Recession," NBER Chapters, in: Education, Skills, and Technical Change: Implications for Future US GDP Growth, pages 149-181, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Xia, Xiaoyu, 2016. "Forming wage expectations through learning: Evidence from college major choices," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 132(PA), pages 176-196.
    6. Pia M. Orrenius & Madeline Zavodny, 2015. "Does Immigration Affect Whether US Natives Major in Science and Engineering?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 33(S1), pages 79-108.
    7. Wayne A. Grove & Andrew Hussey, 2011. "Returns To Field Of Study Versus School Quality: Mba Selection On Observed And Unobserved Heterogeneity," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 49(3), pages 730-749, July.
    8. Pedros Silos & Eric Smith, 2015. "Human Capital Portfolios," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 18(3), pages 635-652, July.
    9. Maria K. Humlum & Kristin J. Kleinjans & Helena S. Nielsen, 2012. "An Economic Analysis Of Identity And Career Choice," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 50(1), pages 39-61, January.
    10. Delaney, Judith M. & Devereux, Paul J., 2020. "Choosing differently? College application behavior and the persistence of educational advantage," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    11. Philip Oreopoulos & Kjell G. Salvanes, 2009. "How large are returns to schooling? Hint: Money isn't everything," NBER Working Papers 15339, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Karnani, Mohit, 2016. "Freshmen teachers and college major choice: Evidence from a random assignment in Chile," MPRA Paper 76062, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Pamela Giustinelli & Charles F. Manski, 2018. "Survey Measures Of Family Decision Processes For Econometric Analysis Of Schooling Decisions," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 56(1), pages 81-99, January.
    14. Anthony LokTing Yim, 2023. "How Early Morning Classes Change Academic Trajectories: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," Purdue University Economics Working Papers 1334, Purdue University, Department of Economics.
    15. Basit Zafar, 2011. "How Do College Students Form Expectations?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 29(2), pages 301-348.
    16. Angela Boatman & Bridget Terry Long, 2016. "Does Financial Aid Impact College Student Engagement?," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 57(6), pages 653-681, September.
    17. Ofer Malamud, 2011. "Discovering One's Talent: Learning from Academic Specialization," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 64(2), pages 375-405, January.
    18. Maria De Paola & Francesca Gioia, 2011. "Risk Aversion And Major Choice: Evidence From Italian Students," Working Papers 201107, Università della Calabria, Dipartimento di Economia, Statistica e Finanza "Giovanni Anania" - DESF.
    19. John Eric Humphries & Juanna Schr¿ter Joensen & Gregory F. Veramendi, 2025. "Complementarities in High School and College Investments," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2446, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    20. Humburg, M., 2014. "Personality and field of study choice," ROA Research Memorandum 001, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:17:p:6831-:d:402838. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.