CHINESE ENGINEERING STUDENTS’ CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION IN GRADUATE SCHOOL

by

Xinquan Jiang

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctoral of Philosophy (Education) in The University of Michigan 2010

Doctoral Committee:

Associate Professor Janet H. Lawrence, Chair Professor Emeritus Marvin W. Peterson Professor Twila Z. Tardif Assistant Dean John B. Godfrey

Studying in America, it really opened doors for me. People always say life is about making different choices. We open different doors and follow different paths. I’m not sure how other paths would be, but I can say for sure that this one is right for me. I will continue on this path, because it already opened up many great opportunities for me.

-- Student interviewed for the study

© Xinquan Jiang 2010

Dedication

To my parents, who gave me love, strength, and wisdom

ii

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to many people who have supported me throughout the dissertation process and my journey at the University of Michigan.

Jan Lawrence, my chair, has been a wonderful advisor, mentor and source of support to me. I am thankful for having her time and attention for the past five years. Her continuous support meant a lot to me, especially in the final stages of writing and rewriting.

Marv Peterson, was a great teacher and advisor. He guided me to see the “big picture” during the initial process of my research and has always responded promptly to my requests no matter where he was.

My other committee members, John Godfrey and Twila Tardif were genuinely interested in my research and provided invaluable feedback to my research and writing.

Pat King provided me with great opportunities to participate in research projects from which I learned tremendously.

Melinda Richardson and Linda Rayle helped me in so many ways, especially after I moved away from Ann Arbor and had many favors to ask from them.

Many fellow students provided support, encouragement, and friendships during my time at Michigan, including my cohort members and the “lasties”. They provided support and a sense of community that I needed to make it through doctoral program. From lunch conversations, road trips, to the baby shower, they made my cross-cultural adaptation experience more meaningful and enjoyable. Special thanks to Marie Kendall Brown for being a wonderful friend and willing to proofread my dissertation. I am fortunate to have bonded with Meilan, Yinmei, Xu, Rong, and Lijing who were friends and sisters to me. I also thank the ladies of Kuaibiye dissertation support group for sharing their experiences of going through the dissertation process and becoming a new parent.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge my parents for their support and love, and for always challenging and inspiring me to become a better person. Most importantly, I thank my husband Rilong for loving me, believing in me, and encouraging me every step of the way.

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Table of Contents

Dedication………………………………………………………………………….…...…ii Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………iii List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………….vi List of Tables…………...………………………………………………………………..vii List of Appendices………………………………………………………………………viii

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………….1 International Students in U.S. Higher Education: Current Context……………………1 International Graduate Students in Science and Engineering………………………….2 Chinese Engineering Students as the Focus of Analysis……………………………….4 Research Questions………………………………………