Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 10 | Page 56

56 | JADE
ARTICLE #4 | 57
TIANTIAN LIU, KEITH WALLEY,
PAUL ADKINS, GEOFF PUGH, SANDRA TURNER, & FENG TAN
in China and the final year delivered in the UK (Walley et al., 2017).
Ethical approval was obtained from the HAU Ethics Committee prior
to data collection.
The survey questions were developed from the literature on student
motivations and expectations regarding study abroad and presented
to the students in English. Prior to use, the research instrument was
pilot tested and the data used to test for validity, reliability and
normality. Content validity was determined by the comprehensive
literature review and face validity via the questionnaire being piloted
with a group of academics with substantial international experience.
The fieldwork took place in September 2016 with a total of 72
students who had just arrived in the UK to complete the final year
of their TNE programme. The questionnaire was presented to the
students in an online format (Google Forms) and the purpose of
the study was made clear at the outset. Participants were asked to
indicate their motivations and expectations with regard to a range of
statements using five-point Likert-scales with a sixth point for Don’t
Know responses.
Analysis of the data was undertaken with SPSS version 24. The
completed questionnaires were examined and those with missing
values excluded from the analysis. In total there were 60 (83.3%)
fully completed questionnaires used for the subsequent analysis.
Cronbach’s Alpha (CA) model of reliability was used to measure
internal consistency. All the data had CA scores of 0.7 or above and
so internal consistency was deemed to be good (Bonett and Wright,
2015).
The sample comprised 36 females and 24 males with a mean age
of 21. It is believed that this profile is typical of Chinese students
registered on undergraduate TNE programmes in the UK (CCG, 2016;
Bolton, 2018). According to CCG (2016), there were 60% female
compared with 40% male Chinese undergraduate students enrolled
in UK TNE 2015/16, with an average age of 21.
Results
The data relating to motivations for studying abroad are shown
in Table 2. The most important motives for studying abroad were
“I wanted to broaden my horizons” and “I wanted to experience
different cultures”, followed by the desire “to improve my foreign
language skills” and “improve the chances of getting a good job”.
The statements with which the respondents agreed the least were “I
particularly wanted to study in the UK”, “I particularly wanted to study
at an institution with an international reputation”, and “I thought
that my preferred course is better quality in foreign countries”. The
MOTIVATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS OF STUDY ABROAD:
EVIDENCE FROM A STUDY OF CHINESE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ON A
HIGHER EDUCATION TRANS-NATIONAL EDUCATION (TNE) PROGRAMME
ratings confirm the importance of cultural experience in the study
abroad decision-making process which indicate that non-academic
reasons are primary motives driving Chinese students to study
abroad. Moreover, it appears that the international students from this
study consider course type or subject area first, institution second
and country third. These results suggest that they may not have a
particular overseas study destination or particular institution in mind
before they make the decision to study abroad.
Frequency Percentage
1. Broaden my horizons
Variable
43 71.7%
2. Experience different cultures 43 71.7%
3. Improve my foreign language skills 39 65.0%
4. Improve the chances of getting a good job 36 60.0%
5. Better English for better employment opportunities 24 40.0%
6. Become more independent 18 30.0%
7. A better-quality education than offered in my home country 17 28.3%
8. Make a change in my life 16 26.7%
23.3%
9. My preferred course is better quality in foreign countries 14 10. Study at an institution with an international reputation 14 23.3%
11. Study in the UK 12 20.0%
Table 2: Motivation; Reasons for study abroad
The data relating to expectations of study abroad are shown in Table
3. According to Table 3, participants expected to develop a variety
of personal traits ranging from social development to emotional
development. The expectation was highest for “problem-solving
ability”, followed by “control over my own actions”. The lowest ratings
were for “willingness to take risks” and “developing a social network”.
It is interesting to note that the mean value of all the variables is
more than three (on a five-point scale) which indicates the perceived
importance of all the factors measured.
In terms of practical skills, the respondents indicated that those
they most expected to develop while on the TNE programme were
“advanced knowledge and skills” and “foreign languages”. The least
useful practical skill that they expected to develop was “knowledge
of different cultures”. However, all the practical skills listed in the
survey scored more than three which, again, suggests that the
students perceive them all to be important.