East Asian Students Research Articles

Asian Pacific Islander Desi American college students and COVID-19-related racial discrimination: Mental health and the moderating role of ethnic identity.

In 2020, the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) triggered the latest wave of anti-Asian discrimination. During the first year of the pandemic, symptoms of depression and anxiety increased seven-fold within Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) communities. Among this population, APIDA college students were at particularly high risk for mental health challenges due to COVID-19-related racial discrimination. This study examined the association between COVID-19-related racial discrimination and the mental health of APIDA college students, conceptualizing ethnic identity as a moderator in the association. Secondary analysis was conducted on data from 2,559 APIDA college students aged 18 to 29 who participated in the Fall and Winter/Spring Cohorts of the 2020-2021 Healthy Minds Study (HMS), a non-probability web-based survey administered to students in higher education in the United States. Descriptive statistics, comparative analysis (e.g., Chi-square and t-test), and multivariable linear regression were conducted using STATA 17.1 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX). Survey weights were applied in all analyses. There were significant positive associations between COVID-19-related racial discrimination and symptoms of depression (b = 2.15, p < 0.001) and anxiety (b = 1.81, p < 0.001) among the overall sample. Furthermore, a greater sense of ethnic identity was associated with lower symptoms of depression (b = -0.15, p< 0.001) among the overall sample. Finally, ethnic identity buffered the association between COVID-19-related racial discrimination and symptoms of anxiety among East Asian students and symptoms of both depression and anxiety among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students. In contrast, ethnic identity intensified the association between COVID-19-related racial discrimination and symptoms of depression among Filipino students. The research found that COVID-19-related racial discrimination was associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety among the full sample of APIDA college students during the first year of the pandemic. Additionally, higher levels of ethnic identity were associated with decreased depression among the entire group. The striking results on the moderating role of ethnic identity among subgroups call for further research on the ethnic identity development of APIDA college students, to help mitigate the effects of racial discrimination within a variety of systemic, complex, and dynamic sociocultural contexts.

Encounters and disencounters in becoming creative workers: motivations and experiences of postgraduate East Asian students in an elite UK university

In this paper, I examine the motivations and experiences of international postgraduate students from East Asia in a creative industries-related (digital media) master’s program in the United Kingdom/UK. Grounded on the landscape of neoliberalisation and internationalisation of Higher Education/HE in Anglophone contexts, on the emergence of the creative industries (including in HE settings), and on notions of coloniality and locality, I examine the encounters and disencounters between international students’ expectations and professional aspirations, and their experiences in a digital media degree in a highly ranked UK university. From interviews with seven former students, two main findings emerged from this study: an interest in becoming creative media workers and an articulation of different values attributed to Western/UK HE. These findings highlight encounters and disencounters between participants’ expectations and the degree, and shed light on the diversity across an apparently homogenous student body and on how different geo-onto-epistemologies (i.e. the indissociable links between localities, realities, and knowledges) around creative industries and HE mediate these students’ expectations and experiences. Such findings can be relevant to the creative industries HE community, especially to those interested in the generative pedagogical and curricular potential of (dis)encounters in international and intercultural creative industries HE settings.

English digital reading achievement for East Asian students: identifying the key predictors using a machine learning approach

ABSTRACT Students’ digital reading literacy has attracted increasing attention in the current digital era; however, few studies have been conducted to explore how factors at different levels influence students’ digital reading achievement. Grounded by socio-ecological theory, the current comprehensively explored the relative importance of 24 individual, microsystem, and mesosystem variables in predicting English digital reading achievement through the machine learning approach (i.e. random forest regression). The secondary data were retrieved from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018, including 7,703 15-year-old students from Macao, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Our study identified 12 key factors that best predicted East Asian students’ English digital reading achievement. Among them, students’ socioeconomic status, subject-related ICT use during lessons, and interest in ICT ranked as the top three factors. The disparities in the roles played by disciplinary climate, gender, being bullied, immigrant status, and home language among the three economies were discussed.

Ethno-racial disparities in psychosis-like experiences among students in higher education: Findings from the Healthy Minds Study 2020–2021

BackgroundEthno-racial variations of psychosis-like experiences exist in the general population; however, it is unknown whether this variation exists among emerging adults in higher education, and whether there are differences across ethnic groups within racial categories. MethodsUsing the Health Minds Study data from 2020 to 2021, we used multivariable logistic regression models to examine race/ethnicity and psychosis-like experiences, adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, international student status). We then adjusted for food insecurity, parental education, and social belonging. ResultsBlack, Hispanic/Latinx, multiracial, and American Indian/Alaska Native students had greater odds of 12-month psychosis-like experiences when compared with White students. These associations attenuated and were no longer statistically significant for Black and Hispanic/Latinx students after adjusting for food insecurity and parental education. Multiracial and American Indian/Alaska Native students still had greater odds of psychosis-like experiences after further adjusting for sense of belonging. When looking at ethnic subgroups, Filipinx and multi-ethnic Asian students had significantly greater odds than East Asian students, and multi-ethnic Black students had greater odds than African Americans. ConclusionOdds of psychosis-like experiences vary across and within ethno-racial categories among emerging adults in higher education. Future research may explore psychosis as a disparity impacting Native American/Alaska Native and multiracial/multi-ethnic populations.

Predicting Factors that Affect East Asian Students’ Reading Proficiency in PISA

Teachers, schools, and parents contribute to equipping students with essential knowledge and skills during their education years. When students are approaching the end of their education, they are randomly selected to participate in Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) to assess their reading proficiency. Existing work on analyzing PISA achievement results concentrates solely on identifying factors related to Parent or in combination with Student. Limited work has been proposed on how factors related to Teacher and School affect the students’ reading proficiency in PISA. This study focuses on identifying the factors related to Teacher and/or School that affect East Asian students’ reading proficiency in PISA. The PISA achievement results from East Asian students are chosen as the domain study because they are consistently the top performers in PISA in the past decade. Decision Tree (DT), Naïve Bayes (NB), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and Random Forest (RF) are compared. Hamming score is used as the evaluation metric. The results indicate that RF produces the best predictive models with highest Hamming score of 0.8427. Based on the findings, School-related factors such as the number of school’s disciplinary cases, size of the school, the availability of computers with Internet facilities, the quality and educational qualifications of teachers have higher impact on the PISA achievement results. The identified factors can be used as a reference in assessing the current school’s teaching, learning environment, and organizing extra activities as part of intervention programs to cultivate reading habits and enhance reading abilities among students.

Educational Dilemmas in East Asia: The Impact of Confucianism in Modern Society

As education-related social issues in East Asia have become more prominent, there has been an increasing amount of discussion about education in East Asia. While the political and economic situations of East Asian countries are very different, there are many similarities in their educational issues, which are thought to be related to the influence of Confucianism on East Asian culture over the centuries. The importance of education and the pursuit of achievement in Confucianism has become part of East Asian culture, and this has become the cultural background of East Asian education issues. This article analyzes three of the more prominent social problems related to education issues in East Asian countries, namely, education fever, the general shortcomings of East Asian students, and the low level of happiness in East Asian societies. The article concludes with a discussion of the issues that governments in East Asian countries need to focus on in solving East Asian education problems.

What are the effects of formative assessment on students’ science learning motivational beliefs and behaviours? Comparison between Western and East Asian learners

ABSTRACT Formative assessment has been long emphasised as a powerful means for enhancing science learning. However, there is still a lack of research to investigate the impacts of formative assessment on both students’ motivational beliefs and behaviours in science learning. This study examined such impacts using data from six Western and six East Asian countries/economies in PISA 2015. 96,491 15-year-old students were included. The SEM analysis of overall data showed that (i) formative assessment had both direct effects on students’ science learning behaviours and indirect impacts mediated by students’ motivational beliefs and (ii) the total effect of teacher feedback on science learning behaviours was greater than adaptive instruction. The comparison between Western and East Asian datasets indicated that (i) the impact of teacher feedback on East Asian students’ motivational beliefs was greater than that on their Western counterparts, (ii) the impact of adaptive instruction on Western students’ motivational beliefs was greater than that on East Asian counterparts, and (iii) the direct impacts of teacher feedback and adaptive instruction on science learning behaviours were similar for both groups of students. Suggestions were made on how to effectively implement formative assessment to enhance science learning in different cultural contexts.

Theorizing shadow education and academic success in East Asia: Understanding the meaning, value and use of shadow education by East Asian students. Edited by Young ChunKim and Jung‐HoonJung, New York: Routledge. 2021. pp. 278. £33.29 (ebook) £120.00 (hardback). ISBN: 9780367564605

Theorizing shadow education and academic success in East Asia: Understanding the meaning, value and use of shadow education by East Asian students. Edited by Young ChunKim and Jung‐HoonJung, New York: Routledge. 2021. pp. 278. £33.29 (ebook) £120.00 (hardback). ISBN: 9780367564605

Book Review

East Asia has contributed greatly to the field of shadow education through various studies. In this study, “Theorizing Shadow Education and Academic Success in East Asia: Understanding the Meaning, Value, and Use of Shadow Education by East Asian Students” edited by Young Chun Kim and Jung-Hoon Jung and published by Routledge is examined. The book stands out as an original work in the context of the historical, cultural, and sociological examination of shadow education among East Asian countries. Considering that the field of shadow education is still in its developmental stage worldwide, this book will be an important reference source as it includes literature and research on the subject. The book appeals to a wide audience, including experts in the field of shadow education, educators, and those interested in education policies.

East is East: Socratic classroom communication is linked to higher stress in students from confucian heritage cultures

East Asian students are often educated in a more instructor-led and less interactive manner than their North American and European peers. Therefore, as international students at Western universities, they need to adapt to unfamiliar teaching practices that involve classroom communication emphasising critical thinking, debating, and challenging others' views. We explored the stress from such communication by assessing the relationships between East Asian students' perceived ease of engaging in Socratic communication and stress. 51 students from various majors completed the Ease of Socratic Communication scale and the Conceptions of Learning Inventory. One week later, students rated on the Perceived Stress Scale their levels of helplessness and self-efficacy. East Asian students found it less easy to engage in Socratic communication than their non-Asian peers,. The harder students found Socratic communication, the higher were their stress levels. On the other hand, higher Socratic communication ease was associated with higher self-efficacy. Moreover, the relationship between Socratic communication ease and stress was less pronounced the more students viewed learning as the development of personal competence. Complementing extant qualitative research, our findings suggest that Socratic communication may act as a stressor to East Asian international students. Reducing that stress might help improve international students’ learning experience and thus foster their academic integration.

Racial Discrimination during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health of Young Adults

With the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in mental health problems in the population worldwide. During the pandemic, individuals from East Asian backgrounds have been blamed for COVID-19 and faced xenophobic attacks, leading to increased incidents of racial discrimination. We administered an online survey to examine (a) associations between in-person and online racial discrimination and mental health (i.e., anxiety and depression) among East Asian university students (n=169) in Canada; and (b) the extent to which coping strategies and ethnic/cultural identity stage (e.g., exploration, resolution, affirmation) moderate the associations between discrimination and mental health. Results from hierarchical regressions indicated that experiencing online racial discrimination predicted more anxiety (b= .263, SE= .070, p&lt; .001) and depression (b= .296, SE= .073, p&lt; .001) symptoms. Using emotion-focused disengagement coping strategies predicted more anxiety (b= .705, SE= .129, p&lt; .001) and depression (b= .763, SE= .127, p&lt; .001). However, identity affirmation (i.e., positive feelings towards ethnic group) predicted less depression (b= -.533, SE= .245, p= .031). Results suggest that exposure to online racial discrimination during the pandemic has a negative effect on East Asian students’ well-being. However, positive feelings towards one’s ethnic identity may protect against mental health problems related to experiences of racial discrimination.

Ideal Types and Ideal(ized) students in Internationalized Post-secondary Pedagogy

This article explores the relevance of Weber’s sociocultural concept of ideal types in the context of modern Canadian post-secondary education. Ideal types are simplified or distilled representations of socio-cultural values, with relevance to various social (Prandy, 2002) and educational (Hayhoe, 2007; Hayhoe &amp; Li, 2017; Wong &amp; Chiu, 2021) analyses. This article builds upon Hayhoe and Li’s (2007) comparison of Confucian and Western ideal types, focusing on implications for internationalized education and implicit values within. The article explores the caveats of reductive thinking regarding cultures, particularly considering culture as a proxy for race where values differ. It revisits research exploring Western students studying in an East Asian context and East Asian students studying in a Western context (Chen, 2014; Maton &amp; Chen, 2020), using ideal types as an analytical lens for underlying values and gaps in expectations. Specifically, it considers the pedagogical implications of the differing educational cultures and values as represented by Western and Confucian ideal types, and how a broader appreciation might supplement teaching approaches founded on either type to be more inclusive and beneficial for the various learners in Canadian higher education.

Relationships Between Young/Older Japanese Women and Filipino/Western English Teachers: Age, Gender, Ethnicity and English-Speaker Status

Pre-pandemic studies indicate that East Asian students’ migration to ASEAN Outer Circle nations to study English by no means marks their departure from an idealized anglophone English world. Via research conducted during the pandemic when online learning had become mainstream, this study further explores the significance of such students’ English study with Outer Circle teachers. A questionnaire survey was administered to 200 Japanese female English learners aged 20–59 who have taken English lessons provided by both western and Filipino teachers. The textual data analyses reveal that the respondents’ essentialized appreciation of Filipino teachers’ ‘Asianness’ and their English-as-a-second-language background is caused by their identity as Asian English learners struggling to acquire ‘correct’ English. Meanwhile, quantitative analyses identify the presence of many Japanese women who study English as a hobby irrespective of their age and teachers’ ethnicity. This finding provides an additional insight about Japanese female English learners who are well discussed in light of marginalized young Japanese women's longing for western men from/in the idealized West. Moreover, based on the statistical analysis of age differences in reasons for taking private English lessons and concern about teachers’ accent, this study discusses a possible impact of teacher–student age/gender matching on young or mature Japanese female English learners’ perceptions about lessons provided by predominantly young Filipino women or western men. It concludes with suggestions for future research that examines the significance of learning English from Filipino and other Outer Circle English teachers amid the pervasive native English norms tied to Inner Circle English teachers.

Sense of School Belonging Among Asian American and Pacific Islander Students in U.S. High Schools: A Critical Quantitative Intersectionality Analysis

Background/Context: The sense of belonging to a school is important for students, in terms of various short- and long-term developmental and academic outcomes. The inequities in the sense of school belonging among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students may reveal a severe lack of opportunities or serious process gaps for these students. Purpose/Objective: This study investigated the nuances and complexities involved in the sense of school belonging among AAPI students in U.S. high schools, and particularly how such perceptions relate to various demographic characteristics (i.e., ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and immigration status) and their intersectionalities. The study disaggregated this group into subgroups based on their ethnicities, with the aim of challenging the model minority stereotype that generalizes the experiences of AAPI students. Research Design: This study used base-year data of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) provided by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Linear mixed-effects modeling was used to analyze a nationally representative sample. Multiple statistical interaction terms were used to identify the specific contributions (intersectionality) of AAPI students’ converging demographic characteristics. Findings/Results: This study found that the sense of school belonging was stronger for South Asian students and weaker for East Asian students when compared to the overall level, with other demographic characteristics held constant. The intersectionality model using disaggregated data revealed that the convergence of AAPI students’ ethnicity and gender creates additional nuances in their sense of school belonging, particularly for Southeast Asian and East Asian students. Conclusions/Recommendations: The findings support the call for more accurate narratives and a deeper understanding of intersectionality among AAPI students. The study suggests to policymakers and school leaders that a universal strategy for encouraging students’ sense of school belonging may not effectively address the nuanced intersectional disparities that AAPI students experience. Instead, the intersection of students’ ethnicity and gender indicates that responsive strategies that address their unique needs can better promote their perceptions of belonging to their schools.

An Empirical Study of the Effect of Using Music on EFL Students’ Motivation, Willingness to Communicate, and Shyness

This study measured the effect of using music in the classroom on 42 Japanese EFL students’ motivation, willingness to communicate (WTC), and shyness, and attempted to examine how these three factors are related. The study also looked at ways of creating a more relaxing and enjoyable, as well as a more effective, classroom environment through the use of music in EFL lessons. For these purposes, a mixed-method research was conducted using webbased Google Forms questionnaires on the first and last days of the fall semester in 2018. Quantitative results showed significant effects on WTC and intrinsic motivation, but not on shyness. The content analysis of qualitative data also revealed that while most of the students were motivated by class activities such as pair work, presentations, and music, some students were not able to overcome their shyness. Both analyses indicate that some L2 learners, if not all, still have difficulty in overcoming the shyness that is associated with Japanese traditional culture. The findings of this study suggest that the cultural background of East Asian students needs to be carefully considered in order to further facilitate a classroom environment where Japanese and Korean students can relax and enjoy themselves.

Claiming Voice and Visibility for International East-Asian Kinesiology Students

ABSTRACT Confronting the distinctive challenges of international East Asian students is vital for the increasingly diverse United States higher education system. This study examines the experiences of six participants of East Asian descent during kinesiology doctoral programs at U.S. higher education institutions. The research design is qualitative inquiry rooted in Asian Critical Race Theory (AsianCrit). There were several subthemes emerged; (a) language barriers and/or proficiency, (b) cross-cultural dissonance, (c) multi-faceted challenges, (d) limited social relationships, and (e) extension of Asian identity as faculty. Findings are discussed in light of AsianCrit with a particular focus on marginalization—invisible presence and silenced voices, intersectionality—perpetual foreigners and unwelcome outsiders, lack of social and cultural capital, and counter stories. Frequently positioned as outsiders with minimal voice and visibility, their learning and success can be supported by increased institutional diversity training, culturally responsive asset -based instruction, and culturally contextual orientation.

The effects of cultural and educational background on students’ use of language learning strategies in CFL learning

Abstract This study investigated the use of language learning strategies (LLS) by Australian students and East Asian students in Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) learning, and then interpreted the findings from cultural and educational perspectives. Using a questionnaire and semi-structure interview, the researchers found that there were significant differences in strategy use between Australian students and East Asian students. The East Asian students employed more learning strategies associated with working hard and perseverance, whereas the Australian students used more learning strategies related to self-realization. Meanwhile, the strategies used more frequently by the East Asian students were relevant to high acceptance of power and authority, but the strategies used more often by the Australian students were associated with low acceptance of power and authority. Finally, the traditional teaching methods used in East Asian countries resulted in the students’ use of learning strategies concerning analysis of grammatical rules and linguistic details, but the communicative approach employed in Australia helped the students use the strategies leading to improvement of communicative competence and understanding of overall meaning in a text. A deep analysis of these findings shows that the disparities in students’ strategy use could be linked to some cultural and educational factors.

Learning motivations and effort beliefs in Confucian cultural context: A dual-mode theoretical framework of achievement goal.

For decades, results of international academic assessments have shown that students in the Confucian cultural circle performed outstandingly well. However, many studies also showed that East Asian students often experienced high pressure and had low interest in academic learning. The "high achievement but low interest" phenomenon has aroused great interest in psychologists and educators. From the emic perspective of cultural psychology, this theoretical article aims to propose (1) a dual-mode framework of achievement goals to conceptualize the motivation for academic learning and (2) two kinds of effort beliefs (obligation-oriented and improvement-oriented belief about effort) students may develop when pursuing academic achievement in societies influenced by Confucian heritage culture. Moreover, a series of empirical studies based on the framework are presented in this article to show that (1) Chinese students' academic striving is motivated not only by their interest but also by role obligation or virtue of effort, (2) students' effort beliefs could predict their learning emotion and behavioral tendency, and (3) students' effort beliefs could be influenced by their parents' and teachers' effort beliefs. The theoretical and practical implications of the framework are discussed.

Gamification to Improve Participation in an Environmental Science Course: An Educator’s Reflection

Reticence prevalent among East Asian students has prompted educators to attempt different methods to engage them. Gamification of courses has gained popularity as an avenue to encourage students’ participation, and it is facilitated by the roll-out of diverse online gamification platforms. This study aims to reflect on an educator’s experience of incorporating elements of gamification in an environmental science course delivered in a micro-campus established through a Sino-American educational collaboration. Gibb’s Reflective Cycle was adopted to guide the reflection practice. Gamification was implemented with three online interactive platforms, namely Poll Everywhere, Kahoot, and Quizizz. Poll Everywhere was mainly used for short polls and activities during lessons, while Kahoot and Quizizz were used for quiz-like competitions whose scores did not contribute to students’ grades. Kahoot created a lively atmosphere in class but was constrained by limits on players’ numbers, internet control, and the lag between sending and receiving responses. Quizizz had more game elements, which thrilled individual players but was less able to create the lively classroom the educator desired. It was more stable, perhaps because it was less subjected to internet control. Poll Everywhere had a less attractive scoreboard and was more appropriate for short classroom activities. Students' interest in the platforms tended to wane with each repeated use of the platforms. To improve the gamification experience, a mix of platforms could be used, and locally developed platforms could be sourced for stability and diversification.

Themed section introduction: Emerging research on racial/ethnic inequality in Canada.

Themed section introduction: Emerging research on racial/ethnic inequality in Canada.