Comparing Educational Beliefs of Chinese and American Graduate Students

Abstract

In recent years an increasing number of Chinese international students have selected to come to the United States to pursue their academic studies. They have become one of the largest international student bodies at universities in the United States. This study examined the educational beliefs about teaching and learning of Chinese international and American-born graduate students in the disciplines pure and applied sciences and mathematics at Auburn University by comparing their similarities and differences. The study reported (a) participants’ demographic characteristics, (b) the two groups’ educational beliefs about teaching and learning, (c) the differences in beliefs about teaching and learning, (d) the differences in beliefs about teaching and learning between American-born graduate students in their first year in the graduate program and those who studied more than one year, and Chinese international graduate students in their first year in the graduate program and those who studied more than one year, (e) the differences in beliefs about teaching and learning between male and female graduate students, (f) the differences in beliefs about teaching and learning between American-born male graduate students and female graduate students, and (g) the differences in beliefs about teaching and learning between Chinese international male graduate students and female graduate students. One hundred and fifty-three graduate students who were in pure and applied sciences and mathematics participated in the study. There were 54 Chinese international students, and 99 American-born graduate students. Results indicated there were more similarities in beliefs about teaching and learning between Chinese international and American-born graduate students in the disciplines pure and applied sciences and mathematics than differences. No statistically significant differences were found within Chinese international students. However, Chinese female international students showed stronger emancipatory belief about teaching and learning. This study provided a new dimension in cross-cultural comparative investigation.