The Impact of Cultural Values on Chinese Students in American Higher Education

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-USASCII text omitted.)The expanding enrollment of foreign students in American higher education has not only accelerated cultural fusion and promoted economic development, but also has benefitted international students who would not otherwise have access to a quality education. America, dominating the list of the top research universities in the world (Clotfelter, 2010) provides those students with a richness and diversity of subjects, facility of research resources, and high academic standards. As a result, the number of international students has dramatically increased in recent years, with Chinese students being the most plentiful (Bartlett & Fischer, 2011). This expansion has occurred for a number of reasons, including universities' need for cultural and ethnic diversity and their profit-driven orientation. China's growing economy, enormous population, and traditional concept that education is the key to a family's prosperity and happiness (Kwon, 2009), have all encouraged parents to send their children to study in America. However, the influx of students has challenged the faculty and administration of American universities due to a shortage of teaching staff, instructors' struggle to adapt their teaching models to meet the needs of different students, and increased demands for psychological counseling (Bartlett & Fischer, 2011; Chu, 2002; Furnham & Bochner, 1986). In addition, further psychological and physical problems result from the culture shock that plagues Chinese students and hampers their academic achievement.It is the duty of international student officers to help them adapt to the unfamiliar environment (Arthur, 2004), but if the underlying causes for these problems are not discovered, there will be no lasting solution. As an individual's personality is heavily influenced by social and cultural factors (Hsu et al., 2012), such elements should be considered in any proposed solutions. This study attempts to investigate the factors underlying the difficulties that Chinese students face in order to offer suggestions to leaders of higher education, especially international officers, to predict potential problems and resolve them effectively and efficiently.Review of Relevant LiteratureCulture shock, as coined by Oberg (1954), describes the trauma precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse (p. 142). Hall (1959), on the other hand, interprets culture shock as the replacement of familiar cues and symbols with the unfamiliar ones of a new environment. Adler (1975) defines it as "a set of emotional reactions" (p. 13), while Pedersen (1995) holds that it is "the process of initial adjustment to an unfamiliar environment" (p. 1). Regardless of the emphasis, all definitions of culture shock share the commonalities of cultural confusion and emotional discomfort.Because of the sharp differences of the two cultures, Chinese students inevitably confront culture shock when pursuing higher education in America, which may produce psychological problems (Furnham & Bochner, 1986; Ying, 2012). Many of the preceding studies about Chinese students studying abroad discuss the hardships that they face as a result of the new environment, including language barriers (Liu, 2002; Yan, 2009; Yuan, 2011), lack of effective communicative skills (Shi, 2011), negative stereotypes (Zhao, 2005), ethnic discrimination, and personality differences (Kwon, 2009). These challenges directly or indirectly bring about certain negative effects: hatred of exotic cultures, resistance to studying English, self-isolation, and poor academic performance (Chou et al., 2011). In addition, culture shock challenges the faculty and international student offices that interact with the Chinese students, because they must alter their pedagogies and practices (Bartlett & Fischer, 2011). Much of the previous research suggests that universities should take actions to help Chinese students deal with culture shock by improving counseling services (Arthur, 2004), enhancing social integration (Owens & Loomes, 2010), self-understanding, and self-control (Qin & Lykes, 2006). …