Chinese students’ perception of out-of-class groupwork in Australia |
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| Authors: | Dongmei Li David Clarke Louisa Remedios |
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| Institution: | (1) University of Connecticut, 249 Glenbrook Rd, Unit 2033, Storrs, CT 06269-2033, USA |
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| Abstract: | Despite increasing number of mainland Chinese students studying in western tertiary settings, there is limited information
available on their learning experiences and responses to popular educational practices in these contexts. There is an assumption
in the literature that Chinese students respond well to the collaborative demands of groupwork due to the collectivist nature
of their culture, however there are few reports to substantiate this claim. This paper reports on mainland Chinese students’
perception of groupwork in two Australian tertiary settings. Thirteen students from mainland China were interviewed on their
groupwork experiences. All interviews were completed in either Mandarin or Cantonese. Two types of groupwork were identified:
assignment groupwork (AGW) and student generated groupwork (SGGW). Three criteria for collaboration: level of interaction,
construction of knowledge and a shared goal were used to search for signs of collaborative elements in the Chinese students’
recall of their groupwork experience. Indicators of collaboration were identified in the reports of AGWs but were less consistent
in SGGWs. The findings of this study suggest that Chinese students perceive out-of-class groupwork in an Australian context
as a positive learning experience, reporting enhanced understanding of academic contents, application of knowledge and socializing
with other Chinese students. |
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