Xianghan O’Dea
Perceptions of Chinese TopUp Students Transitioning through a Regional UK University A Longitudinal Study Using the U Curve Model
163 - 170
2022
16
3
International Journal of Educational and Pedagogical Sciences
https://publications.waset.org/pdf/10012486
https://publications.waset.org/vol/183
World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
This article argues an urgent need to better understand the personal experiences of Chinese topup students studying in the UK since the number of Chinese students taking yearlong topup programmes in the UK has risen rapidly in recent years. This lack of knowledge could potentially have implications for the reputation of some UK institutions and also the attractiveness of the UK higher education sector to future international students. This longitudinal study explored the academic and social experiences of 12 Chinese topup students in a UK institution indepth and revealed that the students felt their experiences were influenced significantly by their surrounding contexts at the macro and meso levels, which, however, have been largely overlooked in existing research. This article suggests the importance of improving the communications between the partner institutions in China and the UK, and also providing sufficient predeparture and after arrival support to Chinese topup students at the institutional level.
Open Science Index 183, 2022