Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 10 | Page 52
JADE | 52
ARTICLE #4
Title
Motivations and expectations
of study abroad: evidence
from a study of Chinese
undergraduate students on
a higher education Trans-
National Education (TNE)
programme
Authors
Tiantian Liu, Keith Walley, Paul
Adkins, Geoff Pugh, Sandra Turner,
& Feng Tan
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.21252/
KEELE-0000032
Contact
[email protected]
Keywords
Trans-National Education (TNE);
study abroad; motivations and
expectations of study abroad;
Chinese students
Abstract
Universities
around
the
world
are
providing
increased opportunities for
students to participate in
international
education.
It
is important, however, that
both the recipient and source
universities understand the
motivations and expectations
of students wishing to study
abroad in order that they
may design Trans-National
Education (TNE) programmes
that meet the needs of
the students as well as to
inform
their
promotional
and
marketing
activities.
The difficulty, however, is
that
student
motivations
and expectations can and
do develop and change over
time and so it is necessary to
conduct regular research in
order to ensure that decision
makers are aware of the latest
trends. The purpose of this
paper, therefore, is to report
the findings of a contemporary
study that sought to generate
insight
into
students’
motivations and expectations
relating to study abroad. The
study is based on a survey of
Chinese students registered on
a TNE programme operated
by a UK university and a
Chinese partner university.
While this study is limited by
sample size and restricted
to only one TNE programme
involving a Chinese partner,
the findings do provide
insights into the motivations
and expectations of students
currently engaged in TNE.
The findings indicate that
experience with other cultures
and a desire to broaden
horizons were the primary
motivations for the students
to consider study abroad
while the main expectations
were that they would develop
their personal and practical
skills. The findings confirm the
importance of the intercultural
aspects of TNE programmes
and may be used by university
administrators
and
policy
makers to assist in the design
of courses and promotional
campaigns.
Content and Objectives
Since the 1970s, the number
of students studying abroad
has increased considerably
worldwide (Altbach et al.,
2009). In 2017, approximately
five million HE students were
enrolled in studies outside
their home country (ICEF,
2017). The Organisation for
Economic
Co-operation
and Development (OECD)
has estimated that the total
number
of
international
students will reach eight
million by 2025 (Mok et al.,
2017).
In the UK, official figures
(HESA, 2018a) reveal that
442,375 students, some 19% of
the total number of students
studying in UK universities in
2016–17, were international.
Chinese students account
for almost a third of the non-
EU
international
students
attending UK universities. The
trend for Chinese students to
study abroad has developed
over several decades but
recently
received
fresh
impetus when the Chinese
government adopted the Belt
ARTICLE #4 | 53
MOTIVATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS OF STUDY ABROAD:
EVIDENCE FROM A STUDY OF CHINESE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ON A
HIGHER EDUCATION TRANS-NATIONAL EDUCATION (TNE) PROGRAMME
and Road initiative which encourages collaboration between Chinese
and foreign HE institutions (Wu, 2018). China is currently the largest
exporter of international students with 15.2% of all students enrolled
in HE outside their home country (Chen, 2016) and, according to
Jacob et al. (2017), there is a growing trend for Chinese students to
study in western countries like the UK, USA, Australia and Canada.
Indeed, today 55% of Chinese students studying in the UK start their
studies in a TNE program (UKCISA, 2018).
In the academic year 2015–16, the number of students studying for
a UK HE qualification outside of the UK reached 701,010 with 65,199
being in China (UUK, 2016). Thus, the number of Chinese students
studying for a UK qualification in China increased 14.5% from the
previous year, and over 80% over the past five years. This makes
China the fastest growing host country of UK TNE, with 275 approved
joint programmes and institutes (HESA, 2018b) possibly because the
UK is the favoured overseas partners for Chinese universities wishing
to deliver undergraduate TNE programmes (Wilkins, 2016).
A useful working definition of TNE proposed by Blight et al. (1999)
is “…the provision of a HE degree programme leading to a UK
qualification for students based in a country other than the one in
which the awarding institution is located”. As such, TNE may take
many forms including branch campuses, distance learning, online
provision, joint and dual degree programme, short courses, or mixed
models (Hussain, 2007).
TNE has the potential to confer advantages on the sojourner students
such as, improved intercultural competences and an openness to
cultural diversity, language proficiency, and personal development
(Hayden et al., 2003; Morshidi, 2006; Naidoo, 2015; Sirat, 2005). TNE
may, however, also benefit others including the domestic students,
the teaching staff, the universities, and even countries and their
governments (Adam, 2001; McBurnie and Pollock, 2000; McBurnie
and Ziguras, 2001 and 2006). Indeed, according to Universities UK
International (UUKI), TNE is now an important component of the
UK government’s education export strategy and some 82% of UK
universities now offer TNE with two thirds being at undergraduate
level and the balance being postgraduate (Boe, 2018).
In order that TNE provision be properly managed and promoted,
various authorities on the subject (e.g. Knight, 2015; Tarrant et
al., 2014; Soria and Troisi, 2014; Altbach, 2015) have recognised a
need to understand student motivations and expectations. These
motivations and expectations are summarised in Table 1. Although
the motives to study abroad may vary from one student to another
(DuFon and Churchill, 2006) key motivations include the perceived
high quality of overseas education (Hernández, 2010a), and a desire
to improve inter-cultural competence (Chirkov et al., 2008; DuFon