This thesis systematically explores the interactive experiences of Chinese students and scholars in the U.S. Specifically, the research asks: How do Chinese students and scholars (from the People's Republic of China) interpret their interactions in the U.S., and how do their interpretations change over their tenure in the U.S.? Research on general issues of cultural experience and adjustment is reviewed. Further, meta-theoretical issues in the study of cultural experience and adaptation are addressed. These issues provide a background for both the phenomenological grounding of this study and the qualitative approach used for data collection and analysis.

Following China's open door policy in the late 70's and early 80's, there has been a significant increase in the number of Chinese students and scholars attending academic institutions in the U. S. As sojourners in a foreign culture, Chinese students inevitably experience difficulties in their daily life and academic endeavors. The purpose of the thesis is to examine what are the specific situations that are perceived by Chinese students as stressful, how , they cope with the situations, and whether there are correlations between the perceived stressors, coping strategies, and the academic, performance of the Chinese students.

Postgraduate research presents particular challenges to students: self-management, independent research, extended writing, and working with a supervisor. If we add to these challenges those faced by international students - the complexity of a new culture, a new academic culture, and the difficulties of a second language - we begin to see the hurdles that such students must overcome. Postgraduate students are already well socialised into their discipline, its discourse, research, and methodology. However, when students undertake their study abroad, how easily do they 'fit' into their new environment? And in what ways does their previous disciplinary socialisation, clash with, or complement their new academic socialisation? Given the large numbers of Chinese international students studying abroad particularly at postgraduate level, a focus on individual student experiences was seen as important in advancing our understanding of these students' experiences and sensitising international providers of such education to the ways in which they may better respond to such students. The purpose of the study was to examine the experiences of Chinese international postgraduate students studying in Singapore to find out how they perceived their new learning environment, and to explore the coping strategies they employed to manage, understand and construct meaning out of their learning situation. The study also sought to focus on their particular learning needs, given their perception of their environment, and the ways in which higher education providers could best accommodate these needs. A qualitative constructivist methodology was used to examine the learning experiences and coping strategies of 12 Chinese international postgraduates balanced by gender and level of higher degree study involved. The students were interviewed twice over a five-month period, with each interview lasting approximately one hour. The study focused on understanding students' experiences of positive and negative incidents in their learning environment, on the construction of meaning around those incidents, and on students' subsequent responses to them. Potential differences across the variables of level of degree study, gender and marital status were also considered in the analysis. Four major themes were identified in the student experiences those of marginalisation: student/supervisory relationship, academic/organisational marginalisation, social marginalisation, and advantaging. The coping strategies identified are those of self-determination and technique. It was found that adjustment for students was most difficult in the first six to twelve months from entry into the new cultural context, largely due to the influence of previous educational and cultural experiences on expectations. Also highlighted was the range of interpersonal and intrapersonal coping strategies that students used to help manage their cultural transition. The importance of collegial support as a key coping strategy for international student adjustment was confirmed in the study. Self-determination was also shown to be a strong motivator for managing research work and interpersonal relationships. The research indicated a number of important differences between masters and doctoral students' experiences and highlighted differences concerning traditional gender roles. Implications arising from the study may inform intervention programmes that are directed to the points of tension identified in students' experiences. The tensions in student experiences may largely be understood in terms of unrealistic or unfulfilled expectations being brought to the new study context but grounded in the home culture. Addressing these needs may be seen in various ways, including: (1) changing student expectations to make them more realistic; (2) sensitising students in cross-cultural issues; (3) sensitising host university staff in understanding and responding to cross-cultural issues in students; (4) providing appropriate levels of support in dealing with issues as they arise; and (5) structuring opportunities for mutual support by students in the host institution. Further research is indicated into the investigation of the cultural transition experiences and coping strategies of other national or ethnic groups at postgraduate level. Investigation of the experiences of international Chinese students in other disciplines, other host countries, and at other education levels is also indicated.

This Field Study Report aims to advocate that the target culture should also be taught while teaching the English language to Chinese students. Chinese students are learning English to communicate and socialize with the English speaking people. But learning only the English language is not enough for this purpose. They have to learn the way the English speaking people express themselves, their value judgements, and their customs. In the review of literature, many linguists like Chastain and Rivers share this same opinion. English teaching in China started more than one hundred years ago. The traditional teaching method still has some influence. The present curriculum appears a little unbalanced. Some of the teaching materials are found to be inadequate to teach the target culture. To illustrate some cross-cultural interferences, a survey questionnaire was conducted among some Chinese students and some Australian students. The data obtained from the survey indicated some selected problem areas for the Chinese students in talking with the native speakers of English. Two teaching aids were designed. One is a fifteenminute video tape, the other is three simulation exercises. They demonstrate several cultural conflicts between the English speakers and Chinese English learners. Both the video tape and the simulation were trialled among the Chinese students. They proved to be relatively effective in teaching the target culture. The trialling convinced this writer that it was possible for a teacher of English to prepare teaching aids such as video and simulation exercises. However, this may be very time consuming. But the result of the trialling proved that it was worth the time and effort.

The purpose of this study was to explore American and Chinese college student underlying cultural assumptions, which influence their perceptions and behaviors in various domains of life. The objectives of this study were to: (a) To generate timely knowledge of Chinese and American youth's cultural images, meanings, and frame of reference. (b) To evaluate the extent and nature of psycho-cultural difference between American and Chinese population samples. (c) To increase the cross-cultural awareness of both cultural groups and offer deeper insights of perceptions and belief system of their contemporaries. (d) To examine how the economic, social and political changes affect people's images and cultural frame of reference. (e) To provide a better tool to prepare future study abroad students. The methodology employed in this research includes Associate Group Analysis (AGA), focus groups, and participant observation. The data derived from 73 returned surveys on 25 stimulus words (42 from Chinese respondents and 31 from American respondents). These were analyzed using AGA. Focus groups and participant observation were used as follow-up research methods to clarify, extend, and qualify findings on the topics explored in the analysis. The findings revealed that American self-image and their attitudes towards family, education, values, conscience and other domains of life showed strong individualistic traits with an emphasis placed on self-reliance. Compared to American students, Chinese students' cultural assumptions are related to broad cultural factors derived from Chinese traditional beliefs about self-control and group harmony. Under the influence of western culture, Chinese youth have undergone certain changes in their perceptions and practices. They are experimenting with independent thinking and more concerned with developing their interests and potentials. They readily visualize their material goals and struggle for more personal freedom. However, in spite of the strong pull of western culture and materialism, Chinese students still hold the traditional aspirations of "group harmony," "reciprocity," "mutual obligation" and "self-cultivation," reflecting the stability of community norms over time. / Graduation date: 2003

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-99).

This thesis explores one particular facet of contemporary state-society relationship in China, i.e. state-student relationship. By arguing against the popular observation that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) retreated from Chinese universities as a way of winning students’ support, this thesis claims that the party-state has adopted a “bird cage” strategy in post-Tiananmen university governance. That is to say, the party-state has not only re-established and strengthened its control institutions in universities, but at same time expanded its zone of tolerance and created new outlets for students’ political enthusiasm and participation. A four-city, seven-university field survey was conducted, the result of which supports the view that the CCP’s post-Tiananmen governance strategy has been effective. Respondents agree that party’s governing institutions are resilient and play important roles in students’ life. They also seem to be in agreement with, at least as the survey results indicate, important political ideas promoted by the party-state.

This thesis explores one particular facet of contemporary state-society relationship in China, i.e. state-student relationship. By arguing against the popular observation that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) retreated from Chinese universities as a way of winning students’ support, this thesis claims that the party-state has adopted a “bird cage” strategy in post-Tiananmen university governance. That is to say, the party-state has not only re-established and strengthened its control institutions in universities, but at same time expanded its zone of tolerance and created new outlets for students’ political enthusiasm and participation. A four-city, seven-university field survey was conducted, the result of which supports the view that the CCP’s post-Tiananmen governance strategy has been effective. Respondents agree that party’s governing institutions are resilient and play important roles in students’ life. They also seem to be in agreement with, at least as the survey results indicate, important political ideas promoted by the party-state.

The purpose of this study was to determine if significant relationships exist among terminal values, demographic variables and health care preferences for information and behavioral involvement for graduate students from the People's Republic of China and Taiwan. The Rokeach Value Survey and the Krantz Health Opinion Survey were used to collect data from graduate students at Oregon State University. The data derived from 161 returned questionnaires (91 from the People's Republic of China and 70 from Taiwan) were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test, multiple regression, and the t-test. Results showed subjects from the People's Republic of China and Taiwan differed significantly on two terminal values. Students from the People's Republic of China valued more a comfortable life and a world of beauty than the students from Taiwan. The terminal value of health was ranked in the lower half of the 18 terminal values by both groups of students which contradicts the literature. Respondents from the People's Republic of China had a significantly higher preference for information than Taiwan students who had a significantly higher health care preference for active participation and behavioral involvement. Preferences may be related to the political community and institutional differences in the health care delivery in the two countries. The value for an exciting life and use of a community physician or hospital were significant predictors of a health care preference for information. The values a world of beauty and social recognition were significantly related to a health care preference for behavioral involvement. / Graduation date: 1991

As one of the most influential constructs in educational psychology, academic motivation represents individuals’ drives and energies to learn; as an emerging construct attracting increasing interest, engagement manifests individuals’ drives and energies, such as the use of self-regulation strategies. However, little existing research simultaneously considers these two groups of constructs within one framework, or takes their antecedents and outcomes into account, especially in regards to Chinese university students. The present study attempts to systematically study motivation and engagement on the basis of social-cognitive motivation theory and achievement orientation theory as a means of unifying substantive and empirical claims. To accomplish these purposes, two studies, each with two parts, have been conducted with Chinese university students as participants. In Study One, Part One explores the factor structure of several instruments – including the Motivation and Engagement Scales-University/College (MES-UC), the Goal Orientation and Learning Strategies Survey (GOALS-S), the Scale of Institution Integration (SII) and the Academic Satisfaction Questionnaire (ASQ) – in half the sample (426 cases). Cross-validation with the other half of the sample is then undertaken (423 cases). Part Two investigates a process model, which includes student multiple motivational beliefs, engagement and educational outcomes through path analysis. The results suggest that students’ work avoidance goal predicts their academic dissatisfaction directly and indirectly via maladaptive engagement; their social concern goal indirectly predicts intellectual development via adaptive engagement; their social approval goal directly influences achievement; and student engagement mediates the impacts of other motivational beliefs on their academic dissatisfaction, intellectual development and achievement. Furthermore, social concern, social approval, social status goals and work avoidance goals are significantly related to motivation and engagement. 　　In Study Two, Part One cross-validates the MES-UC instrument in a new independent sample (836 cases) of Chinese university students. Other instruments including the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Survey (PALS) are also validated. Part Two investigates a process model, which includes classroom goal structure, motivational beliefs, engagement and achievement through path analysis. The results find that the classroom mastery goal structure predicts adaptive and maladaptive engagement via adaptive motivation, and the classroom performance-avoidance goal structure affects maladaptive engagement via personal performance-approach goal orientation and maladaptive motivation In summary, by considering the classroom goal structure as a contextual antecedent and a variety of motivational beliefs as individual antecedents, as well as achievement-related constructs as outcomes, the thesis finds the mediation effect of motivational beliefs between classroom goal structure and student engagement, as well as the mediation effect of engagement between motivational beliefs and achievement-related outcomes. The thesis also summarizes the main contributions, and implications, noting the limitations and pointing out some directions for future research in the field of student motivation and engagement. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy