High- and low-achieving international medical students' perceptions of the factors influencing their academic performance at Chinese universities.

China has become an attractive destination for international medical students, particularly those from developing countries in Asia and Africa. These students are known to face difficulties in adapting to Chinese medical universities and they tend to score poorly on subsequent examinations to enter the medical profession in their home or in a third country. To date, limited research concerning the factors that affect the academic performance of this group of students in China has been conducted. In particular, there have been very few comparisons between high and low achievers to identify the factors that high- and low-achieving international medical students in all years of study perceive as affecting their academic performance. A qualitative research approach was implemented at two medical universities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 high achievers and 22 low achievers in their second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and post-graduation years. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using a thematic analysis approach.A few key overlapping factors were identified: social support, learning motivation and interest, exam preparation and strategies, time management, and coping. The high achievers manipulated these strategies successfully while the low achievers did not. The high achievers demonstrated efficient learning methods (efficient use of class time, good note-taking habits, preview and review strategies, expanded learning, self-study and group learning, deep learning, choosing an appropriate study location, and focusing on basics and concepts). They also achieved a good balance between studying and leisure. The low achievers mentioned learning challenges, health issues, English language barriers, and problems with online classes. This study allowed us to identify important factors that international medical students at Chinese institutions perceive to influence their performance. The findings contribute to the literature on the topic and provide a solid basis for practice and policy development.

Coping Strategies of Failing International Medical Students in Two Chinese Universities: A Qualitative Study.

Phenomenon: China hosts a large number of international medical students from low-income countries, and some fail examinations in the early stage of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program. Little is known about how failing international medical students cope to recover their academic performance. It would be beneficial to investigate the coping strategies they use to help them recover their academic performance and progress. Approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 international medical students at two universities in China from September 2020 to January 2021. These students had passed make-up exams or re-sits and progressed academically. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify major themes in the interview data. Findings: After failing initial exams or re-sits, students were found to adopt seven coping strategies to help them pass future examinations and recover their academic performance: (i) increased help-seeking behaviors, (ii) improved learning motivation and attitudes, (iii) improved learning strategies, (iv) improved exam preparation, (v) utilization of library resources, (vi) enhanced time management, and (vii) enhanced English language skills. Of the seven strategies, seeking help from friends, peers, seniors, and teachers was the strategy reported most frequently. Insights: The results of this study provide insights into the coping strategies that international undergraduate medical students adopt to recover from poor academic performance in Chinese universities. Host institutions should recognize the resilience and agency of such students to make positive changes. Furthermore, institutional efforts should be made to develop contextualized intervention plans that stimulate students' learning motivation and encourage them to adopt self-help strategies by incorporating useful resources (e.g., help from peers, seniors, and teachers). Enrollment should integrate specific English language proficiency criteria, and interviews and entrance exams should be conducted. For some failing students, it may be necessary to provide academic remediation.

A network analysis of positive developmental assets of Hong Kong school-age children during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ongoing COVID19 pandemic is having detrimental effects on the mental and emotional well-being of many adults and children. It is relevant therefore to explore the combination of personal strengths and attributes that can help an individual develop resilience to such stress. Little is known about how psychological strength assets such as social connectedness, grit, hope, life meaning, and life satisfaction are inter-related, and if certain factors play a central role. This study involved a sample of 1,405 school-aged children in Hong Kong (50% female) from seven schools that participated in an online survey of psychological strengths. Data were analyzed by constructing a psychological network that found strength factors are inter-connected, and that 'school connectedness' and 'agency thinking' are central to the network. The information gained can be of value in any schools that are planning to provide strength-based interventions to help students maintain their psychological well-being during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

International medical students' perspectives on factors affecting their academic success in China: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The number of international students who choose China as their destination for quality medical education is rising, particularly those from developing countries, but little is known about their adaptation and educational experiences at Chinese universities. This study explored the factors that these students perceived to have influenced their academic success. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with international students (N = 40) from developing countries from September 2020 to January 2021. Participants were graduates or in their second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth academic year in two university medical schools. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: The participants chose China to study medicine based on cost, teaching resources, quality of medical education, recommendation, and safety factors. They considered an increase in medical knowledge, clinical skills and communication skills as an indicator of academic success. Positive factors affecting academic success were the support system (family, friends, seniors) and campus resources (library, laboratories, extra-curricular activities, scholarship). Negative factors were (i) issues affecting learning (English language barrier), adjusting to the medical education system in China, learning difficulties, failing exams, internship difficulties, problems with online learning during the pandemic, (ii) sociocultural issues (lacking knowledge of the Chinese language, challenges in daily life, perceived discrimination, interpersonal relationships), (iii) wellbeing issues (physical and mental health issues), and (iv) other challenges (climate, food, finance, scholarship). The influence of teachers, administrators and classmates was perceived as both positive and negative. CONCLUSIONS: Factors affecting the academic success of international medical students at Chinese universities are multi-faceted. It is the collective responsibility of the host society, universities, teachers, administrators, classmates, families, and students themselves to address these factors in order to support and help students achieve academic success. Findings in our study support recommendations to improve teachers' English language skills and pedagogy and to invest in administrators' professional development. They also suggest that greater awareness of students' sociocultural and mental challenges and optimizing the positive influence of classmates could strengthen student support and better address student academic difficulties. The English proficiency and prior academic performance of international students should be considered during recruitment. Given the rapid growth in international MBBS programs in China, further research on the experiences of international students in China's medical programs is needed.

Investigating career-related teacher support for Chinese secondary school students in Hong Kong.

Teachers play a critical role in facilitating the career and life planning of secondary school students. This paper describes the development of the Career-Related Teacher Support Scale (Hong Kong Secondary Students Form). Based on data obtained from 493 students in Hong Kong, five types of career-related teacher support were identified with the most important form of support being teachers' knowledge about the world of work and study path requirements. A correlation model yielded the best fit to the data. No variance in response pattern appeared across genders, and the new scale was found to have good validity and reliability.

Enquête sur le soutien des enseignant·e·s lié à la carrière pour les étudiant·e·s chinois du secondaire à Hong Kong Les enseignant·e·s jouent un rôle essentiel en facilitant la planification de la carrière et de la vie des élèves du secondaire. Cet article décrit le développement de l'échelle Career-Related Teacher Support Scale (Hong Kong Secondary Students Form). Sur la base des données obtenues auprès de 493 étudiantes à Hong Kong, cinq types de soutien des enseignantes liés à la carrière ont été identifiés, la forme de soutien la plus importante étant les connaissances des enseignantes sur le monde du travail et les exigences des filières d'études. Un modèle de corrélation s'est avéré le mieux adapté aux données. Aucune variance dans le modèle de réponse n'est apparue entre les sexes, et la nouvelle échelle s'est avérée avoir une bonne validité et fiabilité.

Investigando el Apoyo Docente al Desarrollo de la Carrera para estudiantes chinos de secundaria en Hong Kong Los profesores desempeñan un papel fundamental a la hora de facilitar la planificación de la carrera y la vida de los estudiantes de secundaria. Este artículo describe el desarrollo de la Escala de Apoyo Docente al Desarrollo de la Carrera (Cuestionario para Estudiantes de Secundaria de Hong Kong). Sobre la base de los datos obtenidos de 493 estudiantes en Hong Kong, se identificaron cinco tipos de apoyo de los docentes relacionados con la carrera, siendo la forma más importante de apoyo el conocimiento de los docentes sobre el mundo del trabajo y los requisitos de las trayectorias educativas. El mejor ajuste para los datos fue aportado por un modelo de correlación. No apareció ninguna variabilidad en el patrón de respuesta relacionada con el género, y se encontró que la nueva escala tiene buena validez y fiabilidad.

A Strengths-Based Longitudinal Career Intervention for Junior Secondary School Students with Special Educational Needs: a Mixed-method Evaluation.

The mixed-method study reported here was designed to evaluate a strengths-based career intervention program for secondary school students with mild special educational needs (SEN). A sample of 32 SEN students (19 boys: 13 girls) from 5 inclusive schools in Hong Kong were recruited to a treatment group. An additional 32 SEN students (19 boys: 13 girls) were selected to form the control group matched for age, gender and parents' education level. The special needs exhibited by both groups were in areas of literacy and numeracy, attention deficits, and social-emotional problems, but did not include severe or complex disabilities. Participants in both groups responded to pre- and post-intervention questionnaires covering career development self-efficacy, personal and social development self-efficacy, and meaning in life. As a follow-up, two teachers and three social workers providing support to SEN students, and the 32 participants were interviewed several months after the intervention. Interviews also took place with teachers, social workers and students to evaluate the perceived effects of the intervention. Findings indicated significant interactions between Time 1 and Time 2, and between groups (control vs. treatment) in personal goal-setting, career goal-setting, and the presence of meaning in life. Additionally, several themes were identified from the interviews suggesting that the intervention did have positive effects on SEN students' career, personal and social development self-efficacy, and acquisition of meaning in life.

Factors related to university teaching that influence academic success of international medical students in China.

Background: Academic success is extremely important for international medical students enrolled in Chinese universities, as it affects their performance in their licence exams and future work opportunities. However, insufficient research has been conducted on university academic staff's awareness of teaching-related factors that affect their students' academic success. Methods: A purposive sampling approach was taken in the study to recruit academics teaching in medical universities in China. The selection of informants was based on the subject they taught and their gender, experience of teaching international medical students, educational background and career stage. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with academics ( N = 36) between November 2020 and January 2021 at two medical universities in China. Each interview lasted between 30 and 70 minutes and was audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Results: The teaching factors that academics perceived to have an important influence on the success of students were (i) pedagogy and content alignment; (ii) language barriers; (iii) resource management and the learning environment; and (iv) educator attributes and guidance. Conclusions: University faculties and departments involved in teaching international medical students should ensure that their academic staff are supported in their ongoing professional development and provided with resources to enhance their teaching quality. The four factors (and their sub-factors) listed above should be prioritised in such staff training.

Factors Influencing Life Satisfaction of International Students in Mainland China.

China is advancing in its bid to internationalize higher education, but little is known to date about the life satisfaction of overseas students in that country. Life satisfaction can be understood as the extent to which individuals' experiences in a host country help them achieve their personal goals and satisfy their expectations regarding acculturation. This paper examines past research, especially international literature, to provide an overview of factors that may influence the life satisfaction of international students in countries other than their own, and looks particularly at those matters that may also affect overseas students in China. Comparisons are made between variables identified in general and those in Asia, and specifically China. The findings have implications for policy-makers and university practitioners seeking to improve educational quality and counseling support services for international students.

The triarchic model of grit is linked to academic success and well-being among Filipino high school students.

Previous investigations mostly relied on the two-factor model of grit (with perseverance of effort and consistency of interests as major dimensions) which received a number criticisms in the extant literature. Recent studies have provided promising lines of evidence regarding the triarchic model of grit (TMG) which posits three dimensions of grit in a collectivist setting: perseverance of effort, consistency of interests, and adaptability to situations. However, little is known about how this model of grit may be linked to various indicators of positive educational and psychological functioning. The present research filled this gap through examining the association of the TMG with academic (Study 1) and well-being outcomes (Study 2) among Filipino high school students. Results demonstrated that grit positively predicted academic agentic, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement. Findings of multiple mediation analyses showed that grit had indirect effects on academic engagement via the intermediate variable autonomous motivation even after controlling for age, gender, and conscientiousness. Study 2 showed grit positively predicted life satisfaction, positive affect, and interdependent happiness even after controlling for demographic covariates and neuroticism. Grit negatively predicted psychological distress. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Work Values of University Students in Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

Leuty and Hansen (Journal of Vocational Behavior 79:379-390, 2011) identified six domains of work values in undergraduate students in the West. The review undertaken in this paper suggests that the factor structure of work values of university students in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong essentially matches these six domains, except for the omission of 'Family Maintenance' and Wang's (Indigenous Psychological Research in Chinese Societies 2:206-250, 1993) 'Instrumental Values.' This suggests some commonality in the work values construct between the East and West, but there are a few subtle differences. It is argued that such differences heighten the need for measurement scales with context-specific and society-specific items when examining work values in different settings.

Career Guidance and Counseling for University Students in China.

In recent years, various forms of career guidance and career counseling have become more prominent and better serviced in most universities throughout the world. Such services are obviously to the benefit of the students themselves and for society. After an initially slow start, researchers and practitioners in China have now begun to focus on the localization of guidance and counselling theory and strategies in order to match more exactly actual employment situations in different regions of the country. This should result in a service that meets students' needs more effectively. Using mainly core literature examining the context of career guidance and counseling in China from 2001 to the present, this paper elaborates on the current situation and summarizes the progress that has been made. The authors detail the content, implementation, problems that exist, and ways of improving projects of this kind in Chinese universities. Conclusions and suggestions for further research on career guidance and counseling are provided.

The study skills self-efficacy scale for use with Chinese students.

Silver, Smith and Greene (2001) examined the dimensionality of responses to the Study Skills Self-Efficacy Scale (SSSES) using exploratory principal factor analysis (PFA) and Rasch measurement techniques based on a sample of social science students from a community college in the United States. They found that responses defined three related dimensions. In the present study, Messick's (1995) conceptualization of validity was used to organize the exploration of the psychometric properties of data from a Chinese version of the SSSES. Evidence related to the content aspect of validity was obtained via item fit evaluation; the substantive aspect of validity was addressed by examining the functioning of the rating scales; the structural aspect of validity was explored with exploratory PFA and Rasch item fit statistics; and support for the generalizability aspect of validity was investigate via differential item functioning and internal consistency reliability estimates for both items and persons. The exploratory PFA and Rasch analysis of responses to the Chinese version of the SSSES were conducted with a sample of 494 Hong Kong high school students. Four factors emerged including Study Routines, Resource Use, Text-Based Critical Thinking, and Self-Modification. The fit of the data to the Rasch rating scale model for each dimension generally supported the unidimensionality of the four constructs. The ordered average measures and thresholds from the four Rasch analyses supported the continued use of the six-point response format. Item and person reliability were found to be adequate. Differential item functioning across gender and language taught in was minimal.

Body image and eating attitudes among adolescent Chinese girls in Hong Kong.

The study investigated the relation between body image and eating attitudes among adolescent girls in Hong Kong. A sample of 358 senior secondary school girls completed the measures assessing body-part satisfaction and behaviors associated with eating. Analysis indicated that even though only 4.8% of the girls were overweight, 85.16% desired to weigh less. These Chinese teenage girls were concerned about their weight, and the desire for slimness was widespread. Correlations indicated that higher Body Mass Index was associated with lower satisfaction with weight. Lower scores on weight satisfaction were associated with higher scores on attitudes of dieting and food preoccupation.

Clothing interest among Chinese adolescent girls in Hong, Kong in relation to socioeconomic status.

A sample of 358 girls in senior secondary school completed the measures assessing importance of clothing and socioeconomic status. A principal component analysis indicated a 3-factor solution that explained 51.3% of the total variance in scores on the Creekmore Importance of Clothing Questionnaire. The factors were named Self-enhancement. Experimentation, and Conformity. A series of one-way analyses of variance showed that higher socioeconomic status might account for greater experimentation with clothing.

Confirmatory factor analysis and reliability of the Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory among guidance teachers in Hong Kong.

In 1995 Chan and Hui examined the responses of a sample of Chinese teachers on the Maslach Burnout Inventory and recommended a possible 2-factor rather than the original 3-factor model for the assessment of burnout among Chinese teachers. In the present study, the factor structure of responses to the Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory in a sample of 1,398 Chinese secondary school guidance teachers was examined using the EQS approach to confirmatory factor analysis. The results showed that a 3-factor model (Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment) provided the best fit, with the first two factors highly correlated (r = .80). Internal consistencies for the subscales ranged from .80 to .88.