Recollected Experiences of Chinese Students Who Study in the UK in a Pathway
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1 Recollected Experiences of Chinese Students Who Study in the UK in a Pathway Program by Song Wang A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education August 8, 2020 2 Abstract Many students in China seek post-secondary educational opportunities in the UK because graduating from or even just attending a college or university there can facilitate upward social mobility and employability in China once they have returned there to live. However, these Chinese students face a number of challenges when they attend a university in the UK, ranging from culture shock and social isolation to academic difficulties encountered because of their problems with the English language. If not adequately addressed, these challenges can lead to poor academic performance and ultimately dropout. Pathway programs, bridging programs tailor-made for international students that aim to provide the students with the adequate supports they need to help them cope with their initial transition period and even through their integration into a university, began to be developed in the UK in the early 1990s. Today, more and more universities in the UK—even the most prestigious ones—offer pathway programs, and many are heavily dependent on pathway programs for their international student recruitment. Chinese students account for almost 50% of the pathway students in the UK, and the number promises to grow in the future. A better understanding of why and how pathway programs can be most useful to Chinese students, and what supports are most needed by the students who use them, can help more Chinese students succeed in the future. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the key factors that are relevant to the retention of Chinese students enrolled in pathway programs at a for-profit private college in the UK. Using Tinto’s theory of student retention, this Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study seeks to answer the following research question: What are the pathway program experiences of Chinese students studying in a for-profit private college in the UK? 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Before I began this program, I understood it must be a challenging and enjoyable experience. However, I absolutely underestimated both the challenges and enjoyment. It was really enjoyable when I completed a periodic task, especially when I successfully passed my thesis defense. However, I was also almost overwhelmed several times by certain time-consuming tasks. I owe massive thanks to several people who have helped me throughout this memorable journey. I understand I could never have made it this far without their help. I am indeed grateful to my wife, Jingtao Lei. Her daily encouragement and supports in every possible way made me feel guilty if I didn’t complete my study successfully. I am also indeed grateful to my mum and dad, Xiuling Bi and Qinghe Wang. Their “reality distortion field” of “Our son is always capable of anything” makes me believe in it gradually. The joy of competition with my sweetheart daughter, Henan Wang, may easily kiss away all my dismay during the journey. I still remember the scene when my daughter and I sat in the same IELTS examination room (I needed a qualified standard language level score in order to be admitted into this doctoral program and she just didn’t want me to walk alone!). She was just in the right and five rows in front of me. I hope time may stop at that moment and it was such a beautiful freeze-frame in my life! I want to give my heart-felt thanks to Dr. Kelly Corn. I was really overwhelmed by the module semester taught at the very beginning. Her almost real-time reply to my questions with amazing details, and her face-to-face tutorial dispersed the fog of all my concerns. I also want give my special thanks to my thesis chair, Dr. Lynda Beltz. Her great professionalism, consideration, and 4 patience took me all the way through my dissertation year smoothly without hassle. Many thanks also to my thesis committee members, Dr. Kristal Clemons and Dr. Kevin MeKelvey. They reviewed my thesis twice, picked out my errors and gave me professional advice. I also want to give my special thanks to my proofreader, Dr. Lee Sebastiani. Her massive patience and her attention to details polished my thesis so well that I am very proud to present it to anyone. At last but not least, I want to give my sincere thanks to my Kaplan colleagues in Beijing, Hong Kong, UK, US, and Australia for their support and encouragement; some colleagues are really considerate after they knew about my doctoral study. Special thanks to my colleague, Linda Cowan—she asked me twice to share my research findings and it makes me feel my study does have some practical value in it! It is autumn in Beijing now. Autumn is a season of harvest. When I look back, combing through all my memories on the way, I feel so fulfilled as I harvest not only practical knowledge, unforgettable stories, but also so many friends during the trip! Now, I have deeper understanding of the Chinese saying: To make life meaningful, keep either your heart or your feet on the road… 5 Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 3 Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter One: Introduction .......................................................................................................... 9 Chinese Students Abroad -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Education Agents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12 Challenges Faced by Overseas Chinese Students in the UK ---------------------------------------- 13 Pathway Programs for Chinese Students in the UK -------------------------------------------------- 14 English Pathway Programs ................................................................................................... 16 Pathway Programs Versus Degree Programs ....................................................................... 16 Kaplan and China ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Kaplan International Colleges and Other Pathway Providers --------------------------------------- 19 Significance of the Research Problem ----------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Research Central Questions/Hypothesis and Sub-Questions/Hypothesis ------------------------- 22 Positionality Statement ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 Positionality From the Ecology and Epistemology Perspective ........................................... 24 Theoretical Framework ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 Student Retention Theory ..................................................................................................... 26 Summary ............................................................................................................................... 28 Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 Chapter Two: Literature Review .............................................................................................. 29 Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 29 The Seminal Work of Tinto and Altbach on Student Retention ------------------------------------ 30 Vincent Tinto ........................................................................................................................ 30 Philip Altbach ....................................................................................................................... 32 Focus of the Chapter: The Pathway Program ....................................................................... 33 A Comparison of Pathway and Traditional Degree Programs .............................................. 34 The History of Chinese Students’ Study Abroad ----------------------------------------------------- 36 The Beginning of Study Abroad in Groups .......................................................................... 36 The Republican Period .......................................................................................................... 38 The People’s Republic of China ........................................................................................... 39 China’s Opening Up Policy .................................................................................................. 40 The Opportunities of Chinese Students’ Overseas Study ------------------------------------------- 41 Improving English Language Fluency .................................................................................. 41 The Job Market ..................................................................................................................... 42 Enhancing “Hard” and “Soft” Employability ....................................................................... 43 The Rise of Chinese Universities .......................................................................................... 45 Staying in the Host