A COMPARISON OF AMERICAN-BORN CHINESE AND TAIWANESE COLLEGE STUDENTS IN APPROACHES TO STUDYING

Abstract

Purpose:The purpose of this study was designed to bracket both population’s culturally-related study skills in an attempt to know their similarities and dissimilarities.
 Methodology:The current study used a quasi-experimental quantitative researchto examine 62 American-born Chinese and 79 Taiwanese college students by using the Approaches to Studying Inventory to compare their learning study approaches.
 Results:Data analysis revealed three significant results: (a) American-born Chinesestudentsexpressed more interesting in ideas in deep approach and syllabus-boundness in surface approach than Taiwanese students. (b) Taiwanese students showed more in seeking meaning in deep approaches and time management in strategic approach than American-born Chinese students (c) American-born Chinese students displayed grater extrinsic motivation than their Taiwanese counterparts whereas Taiwanese students were more intrinsically motivated academically than American-Born Chinese students.
 Implications:Results suggest that American-born Chinese students’ learning approaches were influenced by their learning and social contexts. Further studies could be conducted to identify the learning approaches in various generations of American-born Chinese to differentiate learning and social context influences.