Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 10

54 | JADE ARTICLE #4 | 55 MOTIVATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS OF STUDY ABROAD: EVIDENCE FROM A STUDY OF CHINESE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ON A HIGHER EDUCATION TRANS-NATIONAL EDUCATION (TNE) PROGRAMME TIANTIAN LIU, KEITH WALLEY, PAUL ADKINS, GEOFF PUGH, SANDRA TURNER, & FENG TAN and Churchill, 2006; Allen and Herron, 2003) while key expectations are personal growth and development, including self-confidence (Anderson et al., 2006), adaptability and flexibility (Wilkinson, 1998), and the attainment of practical skills and abilities, for example, foreign language proficiency (Presley et al., 2010). Categories Factors Sources Motivations Academic Cultural experiences Categories Factors Sources Expectations Practical skills and abilities Foreign language proficiency Presley et al., 2010; Anderson, 2007 Time management McKeown, 2009 Enhanced employment opportunities Anderson, 2007 Capability to handle stress and difficult situations Carlson, 1990 Capacity to learn quickly in new situations Cushner and Karim, 2004 Appreciation of differences and cultures Engle and Engle, 2003 High quality of overseas education Hernández, 2010b; Morshidi, 2006 Desire to improve global competence Chirkov et al., 2008 Desire for understanding foreign culture DuFon and Churchill, 2006 Interest in different cultures Miller-Idriss and Hanauer, 2011 Travel to other countries Wilkins and Huisman, 2012 Increased understanding of global, economic, and political matters Badstbner and Ecke, 2009 Experience something new Allen and Herron, 2003 Advanced knowledge and skills DeKeyser, 2007 Personal development Kauffmann, 1992 Problem-solving skill Williams, 2005 Environment conditions Freed, 1990 Improve career prospects Anderson, 2007 Career development Broader career opportunities Isabelli-García, 2006 Educational achievement Salisbury et al., 2009 Future job prospects Chirkov et al., 2007 Entertainment Personal pleasure DuFon and Churchill, 2006 Language skills Language acquisition Van der Wende, 2003 Developing English language skills Dwyer, 2004 Personal growth Expectations Personal growth and development Self-confidence Anderson et al., 2006 Adaptability and flexibility Wilkinson, 1998 Creativity Martin, et al., 1995 Independence McLeod and Wainwright, 2009 Responsibility Burns et al., 2018 Crisis and resource management Salisbury et al., 2009 Patience Petzold and Moog, 2018 Enthusiasm Burney et al., 2017 Initiative Schmidt and Pardo, 2017 Perseverance Suutari and Brewster, 2003 Increased cultural tolerance Dwyer, 2004 Table 1: Motivations and expectations of study abroad (Table 1 continued) Student expectations regarding studying abroad are often closely linked to their motivations and the expected benefits and learning outcomes. These expectations not only influence the decision to study abroad but also the choice of destination and post-study evaluations of their experience abroad as well as the TNE programme with which the students engage (Kim and Goldstein, 2005). Knowledge and understanding of motivations and expectations is key to operating successful TNE programmes. However, motivations and expectations are dynamic and change over time, which means that there is a need for regular and ongoing research in this area. Thus, the aim of the research underpinning this paper was to generate data and contemporary insight into the motives and expectations of a group of students engaged in a TNE programme offered by a UK university and a partner institution in China. Methodology The study reported here was part of a larger project based on students enrolled in the TNE programme operated by Harper Adams University (HAU) and Beijing University of Agriculture (BUA). This TNE collaboration is based on a 3+1 model, with three years delivered

Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 10 | Page 54