Universities In Mainland China Research Articles

Independence and Interdependence: A Comparative Case Study of Individuals From Two Institutions in Mainland China and Hong Kong

<p style="text-align: justify;">There has been a clear shift in higher education to prepare and empower the current students for a future quite different and more complex than that faced by previous generations. In particular, it is expected that they will possess comprehensive abilities to deal with challenges arising from new employment demands and beyond. While liberal arts education has a long history in the West, it has been increasingly implemented more recently in East Asia as one response to the need for educational reform. The research reported here is an empirical study of how liberal arts education has affected individuals from two institutions with distinctive interpretations of “liberal arts education” - University N, the first Sino-foreign joint university in mainland China, and University L, the only public liberal arts university in Hong Kong. Drawing on Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice, this study illustrates the interplay and balance among students’ practical concerns, their sense of social obligation fostered through liberal arts education elements and the wider social structure. Semi-structured interviews with senior students, fresh graduates, and educators were conducted to gather in-depth primary data. These reveal that, by providing interdisciplinary knowledge and transferable skill sets, a liberal arts education experience does enhance individuals’ personal agency and intellectual competencies in a professional context - they are trained to become independent thinkers and learners. Moreover, the “humanistic” aspect of liberal arts is also relevant: having engaged in various activities and programs, students in both universities are encouraged to care, cooperate, and make positive differences in their increasingly interconnected communities.</p>

Who matters and why? The contributions of different sources of social support to doctoral students' academic engagement

AbstractSocial support is a crucial factor in the academic engagement of doctoral students, which is vital to their overall success. While past studies have mostly focused on the support from doctoral supervisors, support from other significant groups, including institutions, peers and families, has been largely neglected, and even no study has investigated their contributions to doctoral students' development. Drawing from the job demands‐resources model, this study investigated the contributions of different sources (institutions, supervisors, peers and families) of social support to doctoral students' academic engagement. It further examined the mediating role of grit within these relationships. A sample of 472 doctoral students across various disciplines from 10 universities in mainland China responded to an online survey. Results showed that institutional support and supervisory support positively predicted doctoral students' academic engagement, while peer support and family support did not significantly predict academic engagement. Furthermore, grit was found to mediate the relationship between support from institutions and supervisors and academic engagement. Practical implications for higher education institutions, doctoral supervisors and programs are discussed.

Examining student translators’ writing and translation products: quality, errors and self-perceived mental workload

ABSTRACT Although writing and translation are closely related text productions, their interface has rarely been studied in translator training. This study examined student translators’ writing and translation products in terms of their quality, errors and self-perceived mental workload. Data were collected from 11 intermediate-level translation students at a university in mainland China. They were asked to complete four tasks: L1 (Chinese) writing (L1W), L1 (English-Chinese) translation (L1T), L2 (English) writing (L2W), and L2 (Chinese-English) translation (L2T). The results of quantitative analyses revealed no significant linear correlation between self-perceived mental workload and quality/errors, but a significant effect of task type on mental workload. Errors most frequently occurred in translation and L2 text production. The L2W error rate predicted L2T scores and L2T error rates. A discrepancy was noted between the students’ self-evaluation and their actual performance. The findings of this study may help researchers and teachers gain a fine-grained understanding of students’ performance in writing and translation and shed light on the development of pedagogical measures in translator training.

The impact of geopolitics on international student mobility: The Chinese students' perspective

AbstractIn the last few years, international student mobility has been disrupted not only by the global health crisis resulting from the outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic but also adversely affected by the rise of geopolitics. The worsening relationship between China and its western counterparts led by the United States and its allies has significantly influenced students' motivation and plan for overseas education. Based upon interviews with 75 students from leading universities in mainland China, this article examines how Chinese elite students evaluate the impact of the new geopolitics on their overseas study plans and opportunities. The study found that, due to the influence of scientific internationalism ideas and institutional habitus, interviewees underestimated the impact of geopolitical factors. Furthermore, unpleasant environmental factors (such as racial discrimination) caused by geopolitical changes are tolerable because most of the interviewees plan to return China after studying abroad. On the other hand, deterioration of Sino‐US relations has substantially affected Chinese students' international mobility. Many interviewees, especially those majoring in science and engineering, were unable to obtain visas. Some of them gave up their study abroad plans, while others transferred to other study abroad destination countries such as the United Kingdom and Singapore. We also find that the perception of the power shift in the field of higher education shapes the students' decision making. This article critically reflects upon the international student mobility from the broader political economy perspective, discussing policy implications for future international education.

Generative Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Architecture Education to Develop Digital Literacy and Holistic Competency

This research investigates the impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) on digital literacy development and holistic competencies in Architecture education. The research design focuses on applying GenAI tools such as ChatGPT, Midjourney, BricsCAD BIM, and VR/AR software and their influence on architectural students' overall competencies. This paper uses a mixed research approach combining a case study of Architecture students' progress in a residential revisitation project, using Midjourney, BricsCAD BIM, and VR/AR software, with an online questionnaire survey administered to 350 undergraduate students at two leading universities in Mainland China and Hong Kong in the 2023-2024 school year. This approach aims to deepen understanding of GenAI's influence on conceptual creativity, initiative, self-management, and stress tolerance within a holistic competency framework. The research results indicate that architecture students frequently use GenAI tools during the design concept stage, suggesting their relevance to specific pedagogy in-studio learning and conceptual creativity. Additionally, the findings reveal a potential correlation between frequent GenAI tool usage, improved time management, and reduced anxiety among Architecture students. The results enhance understanding of digital technology in Architecture education while providing valuable insights for future GenAI implementations. The study highlights the potential benefits of incorporating GenAI, emphasizing their role in fostering creativity, effective time management, and stress tolerance among Architecture students.

The duality of the influence of basic research and applied research on technology transfer performance: evidence from Chinese universities

ABSTRACT This paper addresses the question of how basic research and applied research independently and interdependently affect technology transfer performance. Using the data of 673 universities in mainland China over 2008-2017, we verify that basic and applied research are critical antecedents of university technology transfer. This study further explores whether the interdependent effect of these two types of research on technology transfer performance is synergistic or antagonistic, and finds empirical support for the antagonistic view. Additionally, university-industry connections and the diversity of disciplines are considered as heterogeneity factors that influence the effectiveness of reconciling the two types of research to enhance technology transfer performance. Our empirical results indicate that science parks can alleviate the antagonistic joint influence of basic and applied research on technology transfer performance. Inconsistent with our prediction, no significant disparities exist between comprehensive universities and non-comprehensive ones in this joint influence. This paper contributes to the literature on university technology transfer within the Triple Helix framework by sheding light on the pressures behind reconciling the excellence in basic research and the pursuit of practical application of research outputs during the process of advancing university technology transfer in the context of China.

Ageism and age anxiety experienced by Chinese doctoral students in enacting a “successful” career script in academia

AbstractThis paper employs the notion of a “career script” as a conceptual basis to examine how age-based academic career norms are internalized, strategized, and reproduced among PhD students aspiring to become academics. It draws on interviews with 70 PhD students at leading universities in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau that were organized and explored using narrative inquiry. The findings suggest that the tournament-like, age-based career scripts are primarily shaped by institutional policies on recruitment and funding applications and reinforced through social interactions. Doctoral students internalize the established criteria for success defined by the career scripts and stigmatize those who lag behind in the attainment of institutionally predetermined milestones, thus discouraging any attempt to rescript career norms. While enacting successful career scripts, students experience age and temporal anxiety at a fairly young age, exacerbating ageism in the academic labor market.

Academics’ perceived space in negotiating university-industry collaboration: a case study in two universities in Mainland China

ABSTRACT The Chinese government promulgated several policies to encourage academics to participate in applied projects. As collaboration with industry on applied projects consequently increased, previous research found that the external funders placed constraints on the applied projects in which the academics were involved. Academics have tried to find a negotiated space to balance the demands of external funding and academic concerns. Using a qualitative research method, this study interviewed 32 academic informants at one first-tier university and one second-tier university in Mainland China. Our study found that, first, funders had strong determination to control the applied research topic, agenda and outputs. Second, academics found it hard to incorporate academic considerations into the research agenda as the process of applied projects was under funders’ tight control. They needed to spend time to persuade funders to lower their expectations and lessen the gap between their existing practices to ensure affordable risk. Third, the negotiated space involved individual agency, disciplinary characteristics, university reputation and exploitation of graduate students. The funder's practical needs compressed the negotiated space to a very limited size. Only academics who worked at reputed universities or those eager to try protecting limited research boundaries could earn more negotiated space.

A structural model of job satisfaction among EMI teachers: the role of self-efficacy, burnout, and classroom language proficiency

ABSTRACT As English gains prominence globally, the rise of English-medium instruction (EMI) education is particularly notable in Asian regions, especially mainland China. While policy decisions drive the adoption of EMI, its practical effectiveness hinges on various on-the-ground factors, with teacher satisfaction being of utmost importance. A teacher’s level of satisfaction can profoundly impact instructional quality, thereby affecting the successful implementation and reception of EMI in classrooms. Recognising this crucial link, this study investigates the job satisfaction of Chinese EMI teachers, focusing on its interplay with self-efficacy, burnout, and self-perceived classroom language proficiency. The latter, often overlooked, is essential as it has a direct impact on teachers’ ability to deliver content effectively and confidently, which in turn influences their job satisfaction. Drawing from 107 EMI teachers from multiple universities in mainland China, a conceptual model, detailing the dynamics of job satisfaction, was formulated and tested using a Structural Equation Modelling approach. The findings reveal a positive correlation between self-efficacy and job satisfaction, and a negative correlation with burnout. Intriguingly, classroom language proficiency shows a partial correlation with job satisfaction, significantly mediating the relationship between self-efficacy and job satisfaction but not between burnout and job satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Application of virtual reality and haptics system Simodont in Chinese dental education: A scoping review.

Virtual reality (VR) and haptic simulation technology have been increasingly implemented in dental training. Since the first haptic VR dental simulator (Simodont) was introduced 10 years ago, it has been applied in more than 40 universities in mainland China. This scoping review aimed to review literature, showcasing the teaching reform of dental virtual simulation in mainland China to global dental education peers. This scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA extension for scoping review guidelines. Seven electronic databases were searched, and two reviewers independently performed the selection and characterization of the studies. The final scoping review included 12 studies. Four studies focused on the G. V. Black class II cavity, three on manual dexterity skills training, two on full metal crown preparation, one on pulpal access and coronal cavity preparation, one on flipped classroom teaching, and one on 'doctor-patient communication' skills. The most critical scenarios, self-assessment, working posture, curriculum setting, training and cost are analysed and discussed. Haptic simulation technology is a valuable complementary tool to the phantom head in dental education. The combined utilization of these two training devices has been superior to either in isolation. However, there is a lack of research on the sequencing of the two systems, as well as the appropriate distribution of curriculum between them. It is necessary for educators to organize or engage in experience sharing, collaboration and knowledge dissemination. These actions are essential for promoting effective teaching within dental educational institutions.

Investigating Chinese Tertiary EFL Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices in the Application of Learning Management Systems Using Q Methodology

The purpose of this study is to explore Chinese tertiary EFL teachers’ beliefs and practices as well as the relationships between them in the application of Learning Management Systems (LMS in short). By reviewing relevant literature, previous studies either carried out research on teachers’ beliefs and practices in the training of basic English learning skills or compared them between novice and experienced teachers. This study fills the gap of research on teachers’ beliefs and practices from the perspective of technology integration, specifically LMS application. By using the Q methodology, 38 EFL teachers teaching the same EFL course to undergraduate students at F University in mainland China were selected as research participants. After collecting research data through open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, four different types of teachers’ LMS beliefs and three different levels of teachers’ LMS practices were identified by employing Q Methodology software-PQMethod and a web application Ken-Q analysis. Through comparing each participant’s corresponding beliefs and practices, both consistent and inconsistent relationships are found. The research findings not only prove the definite connection between teachers’ LMS beliefs and practices but also reveal the discrepancies between what teachers believe and do while using LMS. In general, The research can not only offer a new methodological solution for further research on cognitive factors like teachers’ beliefs but also provide pedagogical implications to EFL teachers to promote their career development.

The Analysis of EMI Policy in Undergraduate Universities in Mainland China

In this paper, the researcher analyses the extent to which the goals of the English as a medium of instruction (EMI) policy have been achieved in mainland China. At the national level, the implementation of the EMI policy responds to the international trend of English language education and helps to improve China’s core competitiveness in science and technology; however, the EMI policy faces some challenges, such as the obstacles to its implementation due to the educational conditions and environment, the ambiguity of whether ‘E’ in ‘EMI’ refers to ‘standard English’ or ‘English as the lingua franca’, the increase in the inequality of educational resources, and the threat posed to the traditional culture of China. From the students’ point of view, the implementation of the EMI policy improves their academic performance, but this depends to a certain extent on the students’ own English proficiency; whether or not they are able to engage in in-depth cognitive thinking in the EMI classroom varies in different teaching and learning environments; and the teacher’s level of spoken English has a non-negligible impact on the students’ academic learning. In some EMI classrooms, there is an improvement in students’ English proficiency; however, in other EMI classrooms, due to the lack of teacher-student interaction and the explanation of easier points in English, students’ English proficiency does not improve significantly. From the teachers’ perspective, teaching in English is a challenge for some, and the motivation to drive them to teach English needs to be strengthened. The researcher concludes that some practical problems in the implementation of EMI policy have hindered the realisation of its desired goals, and that the strengthening of students’ English proficiency and the assurance of teachers’ qualifications in oral English teaching may be the driving force for the effective implementation of EMI.

Liberal Arts Education and Influence on Employability: A Case Study of a Sino-Foreign University

This paper reports on a study of the influence of Liberal Arts Education (LAE) on the self-perceived employability of Chinese students from a Sino-foreign university (University A). Although STEM education occupies a central focus in many universities in mainland China, interest in LAE has emerged as an educational philosophy and model of practice that carries the breadth and depth of a global foresight. Few studies, however, have examined the actual impact of LAE experience on graduate outcomes and their employability. Micro-level data on individual perspectives and experiences with LAE are largely absent in the current literature, particularly in relation to their employability. The research herein presented is a qualitative, in-depth study of a sample of students who pursued a first degree in University A. It uncovers the influence and role of the LAE ethos in individuals’ school-to-work transition processes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior students, fresh graduates and faculty members, together with feedback from career counselors and employers. Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice is used to interpret and analyze the collected responses. Four themes of how LAE affected these individuals’ employability were identified: (1) Achieving initial employment; (2) Improving workplace performance; (3) Enhancing employment opportunities; (4) Making social contributions. Based on the empirical findings of this case study, the author concludes that the experimentation of LAE at University A has laid a solid foundation for individuals’ employability and their transition to the workforce. In an age of change, “suzhi” and “comprehensive qualities” promoted by the LAE philosophy can be vital for a person’s lifelong development as well as the betterment of Chinese society.

A study on factors influencing Chinese undergraduate EFL learners' self-directed use of mobile English learning resources.

This study aimed to examine the factors that potentially impact the self-directed use of mobile English learning resources (MELR). The participants were 206 Chinese undergraduate EFL learners at Yangzhou University in Mainland China. Applying and modifying the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study involved six constructs, including students' performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, perceived playfulness, and behavioral intention to use MELR. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was adopted to analyze the data collected from the questionnaire. The findings showed that facilitating conditions acted as the most significant predictor of behavioral intention to adopt MELR, followed by effort expectancy, perceived playfulness, and performance expectancy. However, social influence did not have significant effects on students' use of MELR. Pedagogical implications for teachers and students were also presented in the end.

Has excess epidemic prevention changed Chinese students’ willingness to study abroad: three rounds of the same volume survey based on the new “push–pull” theory

After the outbreak of COVID-19, unlike other countries in the world, China has always taken strict prevention and control measures, and even formed a trend of excessive epidemic prevention. Influenced by traditional culture, Chinese students’ willingness to study abroad has been greatly reduced, but long-term strict prevention will also lead to the public weariness of the epidemic. Therefore, our research group has formed a new “push–pull” theoretical analysis framework, carried out three rounds of the same volume investigation in the early (2020), middle (2021), and late (2022) stages of the epidemic, and 12,248 students from more than 270 universities in mainland China were investigated. Through tracking and investigating the changes in the willingness of Chinese students to study abroad at different stages of the epidemic, this study fills the gap in existing research that has not yet conducted a dynamic survey on the willingness of Chinese students to study abroad because of the epidemic. The results show that COVID-19 profoundly reversed the four influencing factors: study abroad pull, study abroad push, domestic pull, and domestic push. The epidemic and related factors have become new components of push–pull factors influencing Chinese students studying abroad. Under the government’s guidance of strict epidemic prevention measures, COVID-19 has dramatically reduced the willingness of Chinese students to study abroad, and effectively changed the preference for their studying destinations, which is related to national political ideology. However, under the excessive epidemic prevention, Chinese college students’ willingness to study abroad rebounded as the public’s acceptance of the epidemic increased in the latest period. This study has added new factors to the push–pull theory, providing inspiration for the advancement of the push–pull theory with the times. It also provides deeper thinking on the new pattern of talent mobility faced by different countries.

A study on the influencing factors and response strategies for young teachers from Taiwan to teach in universities in China: a push-pull-mooring model perspective.

A growing number of Taiwanese teachers are choosing to teach at universities in mainland China, but their jobs are not always stable. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the factors infuencing young teachers from Taiwan to teach in universities in China. Twenty-seven young teachers from Taiwan with master's or doctoral degrees who were willing to apply to work at universities in China and who were already teaching in China were invited to conduct in-depth interviews to collect research data.The interview data were coded and analyzed according to the Push-Pull-Mooring (PPM) Model. The results showed that the understanding of mainland Chinese universities among young Taiwanese teachers is not entirely consistent. Taiwanese teachers who previously studied in mainland China have a more comprehensive understanding of mainland Chinese universities, and some teachers have gained a superfcial understanding through academic exchanges between the two sides and information shared by friends.However,still,7% of the teachers have no understanding at all. Most young Taiwanese teachers indicate that they do not understand the talent recruitment policies of mainland Chinese universities. The push factors that infuence young teachers from Taiwan to teach at mainland universities are: Oversupply of teachers in Taiwan, poor environment for higher education in Taiwan, poor articulation of the cross-strait academic system, and four aspects of teacher retirement and re-employment in Taiwan. The pull factors are: Benefcial policies, salary, living environment, educational advantages and cultural dissemination in 5 areas. Mooring factors are divided into 3 aspects: personal factors, environmental factors and social factors.

How is the development of library and information science in China?

PurposeThe research in this paper aims to investigate the development of Library and Information Science in Chinese universities. Specifically, it focuses on understanding the spatial and temporal aspects of subject knowledge output and providing a more comprehensive explanation of the imbalance in subject research.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies the bibliometric method to analyze 131,112 papers published by 51 universities in mainland China from 1977 to 2021, as recorded in the Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index (CSSCI). The study classifies the evolution trends of the discipline and quantifies the published article data of the universities using the index of published articles. Additionally, it examines the development status, structural situation, influencing factors and prospects of universities in different categories and regions.FindingsThe field of Library and Information Science is gaining momentum in Chinese universities, but there are significant differences in its development. While the relative gap among universities in a regional context is diminishing, the absolute gap in the category perspective is increasing. The development of Library and Information Science is influenced by various factors, including the academic environment, geographical position, scientific research projects and academic traditions. The uneven development of the discipline is maintained in the short term.Originality/valueThis paper proposes a new quantitative index of discipline development, the university publication index. This index allows for an examination of the temporal and spatial trends of discipline development using domestic universities as the subject of research. The paper presents an overview of discipline development through four aspects: academic participation practice, discipline governance mechanisms, education and teaching systems and discourse construction within the discipline. The theoretical support provided by this study can help facilitate innovative development in the discipline.

How academics interpret and deal with performance measures: a case study of two universities in Mainland China

ABSTRACT In recent years, the Chinese government has launched several policies to facilitate universities to develop performance measures closely related to national university rankings and resources allocation. Directed by these performance measures, academics employ various strategies to deal with the increasing requirements and pressure. Using a qualitative research method, we interviewed 32 informants in one top-tier and one second-tier university in Mainland China. Our study observed that first, academics mainly comply or adjust/adapt to the situation but obtain very limited space to contest. Second, academics decode that high-stakes rewards and punishment, frequently changing indicators, and governing tools that strongly stress visibility constitute the complicated pressure on them. Third, to try to obtain more opportunities, academics are eager to join research teams. However, the social context is such that social connections (guanxi) and inbreeding constrain academics’ space to recode or translate their situation.

Impact of Supportive Supervisor on Doctoral Students’ Research Productivity: The Mediating Roles of Academic Engagement and Academic Psychological Capital

This research investigates the impact of supportive supervisors on doctoral students’ research productivity, with parallel mediation effects of academic engagement and academic psychological capital as two mediators. Data has been collected through an online survey from international doctoral students ( N = 415) studying in six research-oriented universities in mainland China. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural modeling were used in the analysis and mediation analysis conducted by adopting the 04 Model in PROCESS. The results indicated that a supportive supervisor is positively related to research productivity. Student psychological factors—academic engagement and academic psychological capital—partially mediate the relationship between supportive supervisors and research productivity. The findings suggest that the supervisor’s supportive behavior is essential for encouraging students’ academic engagement and academic psychological capital. Furthermore, students are more productive, and their engagement and psychological resources are increased under supportive supervision, which ultimately significantly increases their research productivity.

IMPORTING AWARENESS AND EXPORTING CULTURE? CHINESE EFL LEARNERS’ BELIEFS ABOUT GLOBAL ENGLISHES AND ENGLISH LEARNING

There is an intensified interest among researchers and practitioners toward English as lingua franca (ELF), World Englishes (WE) and Global Englishes (GE) (Jenkins, 2012; Rose et al., 2021). However, beliefs about Standard English and the ideology of traditional English teaching are rarely studied in a GE context. The current study explores issues related to the student's language beliefs about Global Englishes, China English, Standard English, and English language education in mainland China. Both questionnaire and interview data are collected from students studying at a public university in mainland China. The results give prominence to the prevalence of the belief that English is a global language and that learners should be exposed to different varieties of the English language. Though Standard English grasps a dominant status in the learners’ beliefs, high awareness of and astrong preference for China English are still indicated. The findings also reveal that the current exam-oriented English language teaching in China might impede the students from being competent English users.