Likened to “a boiled egg”: a new framework for understanding Chinese postgraduate taught students’ transitional experience

Zhang, J., Elliot, D. L. and Makara, K. A. (2024) Likened to “a boiled egg”: a new framework for understanding Chinese postgraduate taught students’ transitional experience. Journal of International Students, 14(3), pp. 42-60. (doi: 10.32674/jis.v14i3.6046)

Abstract

International students make significant contributions to the UK and Chinese international students represent the largest body of overseas students in the UK. Although previous studies have examined different aspects of this cohort, an in-depth and comprehensive investigation of the experience of Chinese postgraduate taught students is seemingly very limited. This research employed a longitudinal design and conducted 34 interviews with the facilitation of photograph- and diagram-elicitation techniques. With a phenomenological focus, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, an inductive approach, was employed for the data analysis of this research investigation. Nine superordinate themes emerged to capture academic, social, linguistic and psychological aspects of students’ experience as well as motivations prior to their experience and expectations subsequent to their journey. This research offers a holistic framework of student experience by illustrating various emerging needs in different layers and highlighting English proficiency and social connections as two influential factors on other elements of student experience.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Elliot, Dr Dely and Makara Fuller, Dr Kara
• Authors: Zhang, J., Elliot, D. L., and Makara, K. A.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education > People, Place & Social Change
• Journal Name: Journal of International Students
• Publisher: Journal of International Students
• ISSN: 2162-3104
• ISSN (Online): 2166-3750
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2024 Journal of International Students
• First Published: First published in Journal of International Students 14(3):42-60
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License