Master of Science / Journalism and Mass Communications / Nancy W. Muturi / Background: Depressive and anxiety disorders are common mental health disorders that threaten the well-being of ethnic minorities. Asian international students are suggested experience higher level of depression and anxiety, but less likely to use mental health services than students in general. This study examines factors that motivate and impede Chinese international students from seeking college counseling services from the perspective of health communication. Method: An online, self-administered questionnaire was conducted among a randomized sample of 150 Chinese international students from a Mid-Western university. The questionnaire was structured with key variables derived from the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), such as perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, and self-efficacy of using counseling services. Key variables are measured by 5-point Likert scale. Data analysis was conducted with Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression. Results: Chinese international students’ counseling seeking behavior is influenced by their perceived self-efficacy and external impediments of using counseling services. Perceived knowledge of mental health disorders and counseling contribute significantly to Chinese international perceived self-efficacy of using counseling services; however, perceived knowledge of the two items are generally low. The adherence of Asian cultural values, especially to collectivism and emotional self-control, contribute significantly to Chinese international students’ negative perceptions of counseling. Conclusion: College counseling services should conduct health communication campaigns that aim at improving Asian international students’ knowledge of depression/anxiety and psychological counseling, in order to encourage them to engage in college counseling system. College counseling services should also enhance the cultural sensitivity of counselors, and provide culture-matched counseling services to Asian international students.

An increasing number of graduate students are choosing to pursue their studies internationally and Canada is one of the principal host countries for these students, particularly students from China. The push by many Canadian universities to increase their foreign enrollment has led to new classroom dynamics. Chinese international students (CIS) are at the centre of this change. However, getting accepted into a Canadian graduate program does not necessarily mean that the challenges facing these students are over. Often, they encounter social, cultural, linguistic, and academic challenges that as they navigate the unfamiliar environments they find themselves in. The purpose of this study is to use a conceptual framework based on the notion of acculturation to explore these challenges faced by four Chinese international students who have completed their Master’s of Education degrees in Second Language Education. My goal is not only to provide a platform to highlight the voices of these students, but also to create a greater understanding of the challenges they face for the edification of their classmates, professors and university administrators. The findings of this study demonstrate that my respondents encountered a variety of challenges during their graduate studies in Canada, both inside and outside of the classroom. Although numerous studies have been conducted that examine various aspects of the experiences of international students, none have used the Seidman (2013) three-interview qualitative method. This method provides opportunities for prolonged lengths of time to be spent with each participant, which therefore allows for greater depth of investigation to be reached with each. This study demonstrates how a sample of Chinese international students met and dealt with the socio-cultural, linguistic, and more particularly academic challenges they encountered in Canadian graduate-level courses.

This research aims to understand the experiences of a new generation of Chinese international students in Canadian universities and the role of their identities in shaping such experiences, including their resistance toward stereotypes. Data was collected through semi-structural, in-depth interviews with eight international students who were studying at universities in Southern Ontario, were from mainland China and were born during 1990s. The study leads to several major findings. First, these students did not necessarily internalize stereotypes about Chinese international students, China and Chinese culture from other groups, producing from lack of culture exchange, language barrier, cultural difference and the biased mass media, and that they also made their efforts to change this situation. Second, participants appeared to have different relationships with three groups in Chinese student communities. Third, informal support from individual social network was perceived much more effective than formal services on campus. Fourth, they viewed challenges they had experienced as a process of growth, and advanced technology and globalization also helped them to better adapt to the new environment. Across these findings, there is a dynamic relationship between these students’ experiences in Canadian universities and their identities in relation to their national, ethno-cultural, generational and international backgrounds. Although their generally positive and critical thinking on their experiences of studying abroad is related to their generation-related resources, common challenges they collectively encountered also indicate the importance of accessible institutional support. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

Over the past twenty years, high school students in China have been learning the British Columbia (BC) public curriculum in certified private offshore schools with the intention of attending post-secondary institutions abroad. This internationalization and privatization in the Chinese education system began after critical reforms that allowed non-state actors to own and operate schools or programs that offer foreign curricula and credentials. BC offshore schools (BCOS) are one of the foreign curriculum options available to students in China and are comprised of approximately 12,000 students in thirty-seven certified schools. These students then may become international students when they migrate abroad, often to Canada. Within this setting, this case study explores the perspectives and experiences of five female first-year university students who have just recently graduated from three different BC offshore schools. The theoretical framings of sociocultural theory, second language socialization, community of practice, and transnationalism help situate the perspectives of the students in this dynamic educational phenomenon. The primary data sources include semi-structured interviews at the beginning of their first and second semesters at a large BC university and participant responses to journal prompts through the semester, as well as publicly available BC educational documents. This study’s findings indicate that graduates of BCOS were prepared for undergraduate academic courses because of their socialization into foundational research skills, essay writing, lecture listening, and project-based assessments. The similarities between the BC and university curricula have helped these participants transition from high school to university as well as from China to Canada. Each participant revealed different challenges that they faced including systematic grammar knowledge, increased reading requirements, and socializing with Canadian peers. Overall, Chinese BCOS graduates are a dynamic, diverse, and under-researched population. Participants’ socialization into the learning environments in British Columbia offshore schools has helped them prepare and learn skills necessary for favourable experiences in university. / Graduate

ABSTRACT This research investigated Chinese international students' gambling experiences in New Zealand. It explored why some students become involved in gambling and how their gambling behaviour changes over time. Initial and follow-up interviews were conducted with nine male and three female students. Initial interviews focused on participants' gambling biographies in China and New Zealand. Cultural influences on their gambling experiences, and possible links between the development of gambling problems and their study experiences in New Zealand, were discussed. Follow-up interviews gathered further information on participants' gambling experiences, paying particular attention to their gambling activities over the six months prior to, and then after, the initial interviews. The methodology and analysis in this study were informed by a narrative approach. Findings suggest that Chinese international students rarely reported that they had problems relating to gambling in China. However, some participants in this study presented as problem gamblers in New Zealand. Study shock, acculturation stress, not feeling welcomed by the host society and achievement anxiety, all played a part in participants' problem gambling in New Zealand. These participants claimed that they usually started gambling recreationally, but then gradually shifted to self-reported problem gamblers. Problem gamblers were distinguished by prolonged gambling hours, wagering greater amounts of money, an augmented craving for winning money, and an inability to stop gambling at will in a single session. In this study, many participants who might have a gambling problem, had achieved some success in changing their gambling behaviour. Filial piety, acknowledgement of the importance of family, peer models, the experience of success, and financial hardship were some of the catalysts for stopping gambling. In addition, support from families, the community, professional services and exclusion programmes also assisted participants to address problems related to gambling. Successful re-rooting in New Zealand is significant in participants' post-change life. Positive post-change lifestyles involving aspects such as spirituality, music, study and work, supported Chinese international students to maintain change. This research demonstrates multiple levels of analysis, which adds to our knowledge about the socio-cultural meanings of gambling among Chinese international students. A number of recommendations are made for preventing and reducing the negative consequences of gambling for students.

In the 2010/11 academic year, more than one fifth of international students in the American higher education institutions were from Mainland China. However, these Chinese students were often addressed by American professors as "passive listeners" or "inactive learners": they were quiet in the classroom and seldom asked question. In this paper, the investigator examined five Chinese graduate students in an American university on their experiences and perceptions on asking question in the American classrooms. A qualitative multiple case study was conducted with individual face-to-face interview as the major data collection instrument. The two research questions are: 1) What are the experiences of Chinese international students about asking questions in graduate level classes in the United States? 2) How do Chinese international graduate students feel about asking questions in the American classroom? It was found that the major issues influenced the participants' question-asking behavior were: 1) English deficiency, 2) cultural differences between China and America, and 3) the different educational environment between these two countries. Specifically, the participants' motivation and opportunity to ask question in the classroom was influenced by their belief that teacher should be respected, the value of question, and the Chinese concepts of thinking and speaking. The classroom environment in terms of the classroom behavior of American professors and other students also had impacts on the participants' question-asking behavior as an external contextual factor. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations were offered for American faculty members and staffs working with international students and incoming Chinese students. This study might help American professors better understand the unique learning styles of their Chinese students and inform institution administrators to improve the services for international students. The results may also help Chinese students adapt to the American educational community smoothly. Suggestions for further study were also provided for researchers who were interested to increase international/ Chinese students' classroom participation.

Chinese international students are the largest group among international students in Canada. They play an important role in Canadian universities as well as in leisure research. The current study aims to reveal Chinese international students’ leisure experience, and to explore their leisure constraints and negotiation strategies in their everyday lives. The framework of leisure constraints negotiation (Jackson, 1993) was employed. Eight interviews with Chinese international students from the University of Manitoba were conducted to hear the stories about their leisure experiences. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data. Chinese international students were found to be constrained intrapersonally, interpersonally, structurally, and culturally in their leisure. However, they were trying to be active by applying some negotiation strategies. The results of this study can not only benefit this group but also other international student groups by identifying their leisure preferences and constraints, and help leisure service providers to facilitate leisure activities on campus.

Chinese international students are the largest group among international students in Canada. They play an important role in Canadian universities as well as in leisure research. The current study aims to reveal Chinese international students’ leisure experience, and to explore their leisure constraints and negotiation strategies in their everyday lives. The framework of leisure constraints negotiation (Jackson, 1993) was employed. Eight interviews with Chinese international students from the University of Manitoba were conducted to hear the stories about their leisure experiences. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data. Chinese international students were found to be constrained intrapersonally, interpersonally, structurally, and culturally in their leisure. However, they were trying to be active by applying some negotiation strategies. The results of this study can not only benefit this group but also other international student groups by identifying their leisure preferences and constraints, and help leisure service providers to facilitate leisure activities on campus.

Chinese society has greatly emphasized filial piety and other related societal norms. This thesis explores how Mainland Chinese international students, especially those who are from one-child households, maintain their familial responsibilities while studying in Canada away from home. The research is framed by the family migration strategy literature and empirically adopts a qualitative approach. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews with Mainland Chinese international students are undertaken. The findings show that as with many other types of migration, student migration, in this case, is a familial decision. To a certain extent, obtaining a foreign degree is the foundation for fulfilling familial responsibilities in the future. In addition, a new concept, delay remittances, is introduced as a way of conceptualizing the concrete meaning of familial responsibility for Mainland Chinese international students. The findings also show that the most significant tension for Mainland Chinese international is related to the uncertainty of how and where they will be able to fulfill their familial obligations to their parents.

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