Chapter 25 - Cultural Issues in Learning

Abstract

The education of full fee paying international students has increased in popularity and importance in the university sector of most Western nations. Indeed, international education is one of Australia's largest industries, and the fees generated by international students are becoming increasingly important to the budgetary health of most Australian universities. While the student body is becoming more diverse, traditionally, many international students that study for a qualification from one of the major English speaking destination (MESD) countries originate from Asia and a majority of these students are of Chinese nationality or ethnicity, or share a common Confucian culture heritage. While there is a growing body of literature that explores learning issues of international, particularly Asian, students involved in western style higher education, there are examples in the literature that promote stereotypical views of the strengths and weaknesses of such students. Indeed, previous research has highlighted that these students have unique needs and requirements and experience a range of learning issues and problems associated with the move to a western education environment. This chapter reports on significant research undertaken in Australia that examined the learning style preferences and associated issues and problems of international students studying hospitality and tourism management. This research analysed the preferred learning style of 514 international students, examined such students' learning experiences, identified differences in educational approaches and highlighted specific problems and issues regarding such students learning experiences. Particular attention is paid to those students who are of a Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC) and this chapter compares the preferred learning style of such students with other international students studying hospitality and tourism management in Australia.