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Chinese high school students' lack of non-academic skills preparation to succeed in their studies abroad

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Chinese high school students' lack of non-academic skills preparation to succeed in their studies abroad

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CHINESE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ LACK OF NON-ACADEMIC SKILLS
PREPARATION TO SUCCEED IN THEIR STUDIES ABROAD

by
Yi Li

A Dissertation Proposal Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

December 2022

Copyright 2022 Yi Li
ii
Acknowledgment
The past 4 years have been fulfilling and life-changing. As I reflect on this journey, I
would like to thank the people who have made it possible. My Dissertation Committee Chair Dr.
Cathy Krop gave me crucial guidance and support along the way. You are an excellent mentor,
instructor, and role model for me. The fascinating nature of education is that it offers equal
opportunity when one is willing and eager to fight for the future. Indeed, your faith and
encouragement navigated me into this new chapter of my life, when I had, at times, moments of
confusion and lack of purpose. Inspired by this experience, I will strive to continue academic
research and turn my findings into practice, thereby supporting more students in pursuit of their
dreams.
I would like to thank my dissertation committee members: Dr. Helena Seli and Dr.
Robert A. Filback. I would also like to thank my professors: Dr. Ruth H. Chung, Dr. Anthony B.
Maddox, Dr. Lawrence O. Picus, Dr. Mark Power Robison, Dr. Helena Seli, Dr. Tracy Poon
Tambascia, Dr. ArtinehSamkian, Dr. Heidi Harju-Luukkainen, Dr. Sabrina Chong, and Dr.
Guadalupe Garcia. It was my honor to learn from and work with the brightest minds in the field.
My classmates and friends also gave me tremendous support. Dr. Sabba Quidwai, Dr.
Diego Mazo, Dr. Stephen Luk and Dr. Alek Voninski, Ms. Mangmang Wang, Mr. Felix Gao,
Mr. Ziping Feng, Mr. Linlin Zhao, thank you for your care and love, and for always believing in
me.
I would like to extend my gratitude to my mentors: Mr. Benzhong Wang, Mr. Vincent
Pang, Ms. Yanqiu Sun , Mr. Bingjie Zheng, Dr. Allan Cahoon, Ms. Cyndi McLeod, Dr. Pedro
Márquez, Dr. Robert Schroter, and Ms. Huiqiao Bao. You have had a strong and lasting impact
iii
on me that goes beyond academic pursuit and professional growth. I look up to you for life
inspiration.
I would especially like to thank Dr. Francis Pang, Mrs. Angel Pang, and Ms. Joyce Pang
for always being there for me over the past decades. Your constant support and encouragement
gave me the confidence to explore a myriad of possibilities.
I would like to thank my grandmother and my mother. Believe or not, I did it. The most
important thing in the world is family and love.
Finally, I would like to thank and dedicate this dissertation to Mr. Xiping Tao. It was you
who guided me out of darkness and opened up a totally different world to me. Today, as I
completed my dissertation and defense, I'm proud to say that your optimism and wisdom affected
me in so many aspects, both when you were with us and after you passed away.
“When you start feeling good about yourself, when you can self-assess that you put in
your best in whatever you do, self-confidence will build up as you practice today, tomorrow, for
a week, for a month, and gradually it will transform into your habit. Growth is often
uncomfortable and messy, full of emotions, but self-confidence will drive you to a growth
trajectory; do whatever it takes to achieve; success comes from rising above your circumstance.”
– Anonymous

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. vi
List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... vii
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ viii
Chapter One: Introduction ...............................................................................................................1
Background of the Problem .........................................................................................................1
Importance of Addressing the Problem .......................................................................................4
Organizational Context and Mission ...........................................................................................5
Stakeholder Group for the Study ...............................................................................................12
Purpose of the Project and Questions ........................................................................................13
Conceptual and Methodological Framework .............................................................................13
Organization of the Study ..........................................................................................................14
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature .........................................................................................15
Trends for Chinese Students Studying in North American Universities ...................................15
Motivation for Chinese Students Studying in North American Universities ............................17
Challenges for Chinese Students Studying in North American Universities ............................20
Policies and Practices to Help Prepare Chinese Students for Their Studies Abroad .................23
Students’ Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences ............................................29
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................38
Chapter Three: Methods ................................................................................................................39
Participating Stakeholders .........................................................................................................40
Survey Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale ...........................................................40
Interview Sampling Strategy and Rationale ..............................................................................41
Data Collection and Instrumentation .........................................................................................41
Data Analysis .............................................................................................................................43
v
Credibility and Trustworthiness .................................................................................................44
Validity and Reliability ..............................................................................................................45
Ethics..........................................................................................................................................45
Chapter Four: Results and Findings ...............................................................................................47
Participating Stakeholders .........................................................................................................48
Knowledge Results and Findings...............................................................................................50
Motivation Results and Findings ...............................................................................................65
Organizational Results and Findings .........................................................................................73
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................80
Chapter Five: Recommendations ...................................................................................................81
Students’ Continuing Needs Related to Help Seeking and Time Management ........................82
Proposed Recommendations for Practice ..................................................................................84
Limitations and Delimitation .....................................................................................................91
Areas for Future Research .........................................................................................................92
Conclusions ................................................................................................................................93
References ......................................................................................................................................96
Appendix A: Survey Protocol ......................................................................................................101
Appendix B: Interview Protocol ..................................................................................................103

vi
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Where Chinese Students Study Abroad 7
Table 2: Students’ Favorite Cities 8
Table 3: Students’ Favorite Universities 8
Table 4: Organizational and Stakeholder Goals 12
Table 5: Assumed Knowledge Influences 32
Table 6: Assumed Motivation Influences 35
Table 7: Assumed Organizational Influences 37
Table 8: Survey Participants’ Demographic Information (N = 52) 48
Table 9: Demographic Information of Interview Participants (N = 11) 50
Table 10: Assumed Knowledge Influences and Themes From the Findings 51
Table 11: Assumed Motivation Influences and Themes from the Findings 66
Table 12: Assumed Organizational Influences and Themes from the Findings 74
Table 13: Continuing Needs 82
Table 14: Recommendations for Practice 85
Table 15: Types of Professional Development Opportunities for Guidance Counselors 90

vii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Organizational structure and functions of CIHS. 6
Figure 2: 2011/2016/2018 Chinese Students Studying Abroad Numbers 17
Figure 3: Knowledge of Academic Support Resources Available on Campus When Needed 53
Figure 4: Whom Students Have Asked for Help 54
Figure 5: Student Knowledge of What Resources Are Available at Their University if They
Have Non-Academic Challenges 56
Figure 6: Student Knowledge of How to Ask for Academic Help at Their University if
Needed 57
Figure 7: Student Knowledge of How to Ask for Non-Academic Help at Their University if
Needed 60
Figure 8: In Their First Year Studying Abroad, How Many Times Did Students Need Help
With Non-Academic Issues 61
Figure 9: Students’ Knowledge of How to Reflect on Strategies to Better Manage Their
Time 63
Figure 10: I See the Value in Seeking Help at My University if I am Struggling 67
Figure 11: I See the Value in Managing My Time Well to Achieve Academic Success 68
Figure 12: In the First Year of Studying Abroad, I Was Confident in My Abilities to
Succeed 70
Figure 13: After Graduating From High School, the Staff Were Still Available to Provide
Support if I Needed It As I Began My Higher Education Studies 75

viii
ABSTRACT
This study is focused on Chinese international students in North America with a certain
level of confidence and academic preparation may still struggle to live and study in an unfamiliar
culture and education system. The program of practice addressed in this dissertation is Chinese
students’ continued lack of preparation for success when they study abroad, particularly
regarding issues of self-regulation, in terms of time management and help-seeking skills need to
succeed academically. The methodological framework is a qualitative case study with descriptive
statistics. Assumed knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that affect
organizational goal achievement will be generated based on personal knowledge and relate
literature. Their influences will be assessed through survey, interviews, literature reviews, and
document analysis. Research-based solutions will be recommended and comprehensively
evaluated. This research was conducted both prior to and at the very beginning of the COVID19
pandemic. At the later stage of the interviews due to the pandemic, travel restrictions were
imposed, and interviews had to be conducted online instead of the universities and cities where
the students were located.
The pandemic rapidly expanded on a global scale and higher education changed
dramatically. The sudden closure of in-person learning, the shift to working from home, and
remote digital learning instantly became part of our world and irrevocably accelerated the
mixture of learning, AI, and education. The self-management and time management of online
study became more important. The pandemic called for the ability to quickly change the mode of
study; home quarantining and social distancing affected everyone’s physical status and mental
status. However, this provides opportunities to develop profound thinking on how to build more
resilient and comprehensively capable international students in the future. More systematic and
ix
long-term research is needed to better prepare Chinese students to receive overseas higher
education. There is also a need to create new visions of study abroad so that more students can
smoothly receive and complete global higher education. As the post-pandemic era arrives, there
is a need for more profound exploration of students’ comprehensive development as global
citizens.

1
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Chinese international students studying in North America with a certain level of
confidence and academic preparation may still struggle to live and study in an unfamiliar culture
and education system. At the same time, the number of Chinese international students in North
American postsecondary institutions is increasing along with the number of these students who
are dismissed from their campuses, largely due to social, emotional, and academic performance
issues (WholeRen Group Research Center, 2018). According to Yan and Berliner (2009), the
American educational system devalues blind discipline and encourages self-directedness. It is
often difficult for Chinese students to adjust to the highly decentralized and autonomous nature
of this system (Donovan, 1981). Research shows between 2014 and 2018, 76% of international
students who were dismissed were undergraduates, and, in 2018, 43% of these students were
freshmen and sophomores. Their dismissals were due to issues of poor academic performance or
academic dishonesty, behavioral misconduct, attendances issues, incomplete understanding of
academic policies, and health issues (WholeRen Group Research Center, 2018). The problem of
practice addressed in this dissertation is Chinese students’ continued lack of preparation for
success when they study abroad, particularly regarding issues of self-regulation, in terms of time
management and help-seeking skills needed to succeed academically.
Background of the Problem
According to Chao (2016), Chinese students have varied reasons for studying in North
America. Among them is the lack of prestigious campuses and research facilities in China,
interest in foreign cultures and disciplines not available at home, and a desire for intercultural
friendships or career prospects. In addition, wealthy families, influenced by the one-child policy
and by centuries of Chinese culture, invest heavily in their children’s education as an investment
2
for the future (Austin & Shen, 2016; International Business Times, 2012). Once abroad, students
face a number of challenges. According to Berry’s (1997) acculturation framework, group-level
acculturation means migrant groups usually change substantially as a result of living with two
sets of cultural influences. The macro-level changes include economic changes, social changes,
culture changes, language shifts, religious conversions, and changes in value systems (Yan &
Berliner, 2011). A challenging change is movement away from a highly regimented system of
education to a decentralized and autonomous system. Key skills needed to succeed in that new
environment are self-regulation, including time management and the ability to seek help. These
are not skills typically taught in the Chinese system of education (Yan & Berliner, 2011).
Self-regulated learners are generally characterized as efficiently managing their own
learning experiences (Schunk & Zimmerman, 1994). After entering the university, students need
to learn to self-regulate to manage their class schedule, assignments, presentations, finances,
social activities, clubs, and health issues. In addition, in this new environment, without support
from those who have traditionally provided it back home, students will need help-seeking skills.
This includes knowing where to go for help, knowing how to ask for help, and seeing the value
in help from others, skills often not emphasized or gained in prior educational experiences (Yan
& Berliner, 2011).
In Chinese high schools, the daily schedule is fixed. Students arrive at 7:30 in the
morning and take 45-minute classes until lunch time at noon. They then take afternoon classes
from 14:00 to 17:30. If the student attends boarding school, 18:00 is dinner, and additional
classes meet from 19:00 to 21:30. The school arranges the full day’s schedule, and students
cannot make any adjustments. Students focus largely on the university entrance examination
because this one test determines their future (Davey, 2010). Taking the test is the most important
3
task. In high school, students complete high school courses in their second year, and, when
entering the third year (Grade 12), they take the entire year to practice test-taking every day to
prepare for the university entrance examination.
Once students enter higher education intuitions abroad, academic difficulties may go
beyond language proficiency. For example, a comparison of North American and Chinese
classroom experiences showed that North American classrooms utilize a more engaging teaching
style that encourages students’ participation (Valdez, 2015). In addition, North American
classrooms tend to emphasize group work skills while, in Chinese classrooms, most of the
learning environment is individual (Mulryan-Kyne, 2010). In addition, many North American
universities emphasize autonomy and choice, which are not commonly emphasized in Chinese
high schools (Mulryan-Kyne, 2010).
Given these differences, research suggests the need for policies and practices to help
prepare students before they embark on overseas studies as well as once they reach their
destination (Chao et al., 2017). Increasingly, China’s international high schools’ university
guidance offices help prepare students with non-academic skills, such as time management and
help-seeking, for studying overseas (Ching et al., 2017). During high school, exchange programs
with overseas high schools, overseas university visits, and overseas university admissions
workshops can help students build the necessary non-academic skills (Chao et al., 2017). These
policies and practices need to be explored in greater detail to ensure Chinese high school
students are fully prepared and can succeed when they study abroad.

4
Importance of Addressing the Problem
The problem of Chinese international students’ lack of preparation to succeed,
particularly in areas of time management and help-seeking, when studying in North America is
important to solve for a variety of reasons. Chinese student enrollment in U.S. higher education
institutions continues to grow, from about 329,000 in 2015–2016 to about 363,000 in 2017–2018
(Heng, 2018). Similarly, the number of Chinese students enrolling in higher education
institutions in Canada grew from 37,500 in 2015–2016 to 38,900 in 2017–2018. These numbers
dropped by fall 2020 due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (O’Malley, 2021).
Regardless, there is a great need to prepare the large number of students who still study abroad
and will again in the future with academic and language skills as well as with the ability to
succeed emotionally and socially. This includes managing their time and seeking help. They
need to balance studies and other aspects of life. Effectively adapting in these ways to the new
environment is essential to international students’ success (Smit & Khawaja, 2011). Prior to
enrolling in North American institutions, international students need to be prepared
academically, linguistically, and culturally (Heng, 2018).
If students are not prepared with time management and help-seeking skills, they are likely
to experience limited success. Classroom difficulties are common for Chinese international
students in North American higher education (Bartlett & Fischer 2011; Tweed & Lehman 2002;
Wang, 2013). While significant research has examined academic challenges faced by Chinese
students studying abroad, less research has been conducted on issues of time management and
help-seeking skills. If students do not have these skills, they are likely to face challenges in their
courses, in their confidence and motivation, in their mental health, and in family relationships
5
due to their perceived failure. This situation calls for increased attention to the education and
preparation of Chinese high school students in these areas before they study in North America.
Organizational Context and Mission
This study will examine Constellation International High School (CIHS, a pseudonym) in
Guangdong Province, P.R. China. The school is one of 29 schools throughout China under the
private AKD International Corporation. The school’s mission is to be an inspirational force for
young people to reach their full potential as successful, empowered citizens of the world and to
develop globally responsible and compassionate young people by encouraging them to become
active and inquiring lifelong learners within an intercultural community. Students are expected to
make a clear distinction between right and wrong, acquire knowledge, and make clear their
obligation and responsibility to society, the nation, and its people, striving for the prosperity and
success of the nation with unceasing perseverance and courage.
On March 26, 1997, the establishment of CIHS – Beijing was announced in the Great
Hall of the People with the approval of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission. The
school is a joint co-operative school, offering a dual Chinese and Canadian high school diploma.
The experimental high school is affiliated with Beijing Normal University in China and the New
Brunswick Education Department in Canada and a result of cooperation between China and
Canada. Combining eastern and western education, the school’s unique curriculum integrates
Canadian courses with Chinese courses. Students receive double diplomas at graduation. Third-
year students obtain a Chinese diploma upon completion of the national high school graduation
exam. Students first register as Canadian high school students and, upon finishing courses and
exams, they receive a Canadian high school diploma issued by the New Brunswick Department
of Education.
6
CIHS is also one of the first eight schools certified by the Ministry of Education of
People’s Republic of China and Foreign Cooperation School Organization. The teachers and
staff are from China and Canada. Chinese teachers and staff members are selected from across
China, and the Canadian principal and instructors are selected and certified by the New
Brunswick Department of Education. The Canadian principal is responsible for managing the
Canadian curriculum and diplomas. Besides the dual curriculum, CIHS established AP programs
for outstanding students to complete college-level studies. The organizational structure and
functions of the school are presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1
Organizational structure and functions of CIHS.

Principal
University
Guidance Office
International
Programs
Alumni
association
International
Public Relations
Personal
Development
Centre
Mental Health
Canadian
Vice‐Principal
Canadian
teacehrs
Canadian
Courses
Executive
Principal
Teacher affairs
students affairs
Admissions
Administrative
Vice‐Principal
Administrative
office
Human Resources
VISA office
IT office
7
Within this organizational structure is the university guidance office. Staff members
within this office are tasked with helping prepare students for their university studies abroad.
This study will, in particular, examine this office’s provision of programs and supports for
students to apply to and succeed at overseas universities.
While some CIHS graduates’ study in the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland,
Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, most study in Canada and the United States. Table 1
provides an overview of the number of students who studied at Canadian and U.S. higher
education institutions by year of graduation. Table 2 presents the cities where the 2019 graduates
studied. Table 3 provides information on the colleges they attended.

Table 1
Where Chinese Students Study Abroad
Year Overall students Study in Canada Study in U.S. Study elsewhere
2018–2019 314 224 44 46
2017–2018 294 239 40 15
2016–2017 232 197 26 9
2015–2016 225 186 24 15
2014–2015 223 191 20 12
2013–2014 272 248 18 6
2012–2013 282 248 22 12
2011–2012 228 193 20 15
2010–2011 191 178 9 4
2009–2010 195 175 13 7
10 year total 2,456 2,079 236 141

8
Table 2
Students’ Favorite Cities
Canada United States United Kingdom Australia New Zealand
Toronto Los Angeles London Melbourne Auckland
Vancouver New York Edinburgh Sydney
Montreal Boston Manchester
Ottawa San Francisco
Edmonton Irvine

Table 3
Students’ Favorite Universities
Country Campus
Canada University of Toronto
Western University
McGill University
University of Alberta
Simon Fraser University
University of British Columbia
Queen’s University
York University
University of Waterloo
McMaster University
United States Boston University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Purdue University
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
University of California – Santa Barbara
University of California – San Diego
University of Wisconsin – Madison
9
Wake Forest University
The George Washington University
University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign
United Kingdom Imperial College London
King’s College London
University College London
University of Edinburgh
University of the Arts London
University of St Andrews
London School of Economics and Political Science
University of Leeds
University of Sheffield
University of Bristol
Australia University of Melbourne
University of Sydney
University of Queensland Australia
Monash University
University pf New South Wales
University of Adelaide
Australian National University
University of Technology Sydney
University of Newcastle
RMIT University

To support students’ success overseas, the CIHS University Guidance Office provides a
number of programs. For example, every year, the office staff provides an overseas studying
workshop for students in grades 11 and 12 and their parents, introducing the universities, the
cities, local culture, and life experiences. In July, students are able to join a summer program at
the University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, University of California-Irvine, and
10
Imperial College London. At these institutions, students take university courses with local and
international students. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, students would join these programs in
person. Since 2020, this summer program at these universities has taken place online. When
students are in Grade 12 Term 1, the office provides university application workshops for
institutions in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. These includes teaching
students how to fill out and submit the university application as well as guidance on universities
and programs. When students are in Grade 12 Term 2, after receiving university offers, the
guidance office counselors provide a pre-departure presentation and workshop for students and
parents on issues related to safety, travel, VISA application, and challenges students may face.
Organizational Performance Goal
The goal at CIHS is that, by July 2024, all graduates who study abroad will pass all their
courses during their first year and remain enrolled into their second year. This goal was set by
senior administrators to ensure the success of all students in alignment with the mission of the
school. Currently, about 75% of graduates from CIHS who study overseas pass all of their first-
year courses and continue their studies into their second year.
Description of Stakeholder Groups
Many stakeholders are important for CIHS to meet its organizational goal. These
stakeholders include school administrators, university guidance counselors, and graduating
students who will study overseas.
School Administrators. CIHS has six school administrators, including the principal, the
vice principal and the Canadian vice principal. School administrators are key stakeholders in
establishing a school-wide plan for students, and their families, to be academically and culturally
11
ready to study abroad. They need to provide direction in terms of a school development plan and
support the university guidance counselors to reach their goals related to student success.
University Guidance Counselors. CIHS has five university guidance counselors. The
role of these counselors is to guide students through university applications, support students in
career assessments, and provide programming to help prepare students and their families for their
future studies abroad. For students studying overseas to be successful, the counselors will need to
provide programs and learning opportunities to strengthen students’ self-regulation, time
management, and help-seeking skills. While teachers provide academic skills, the guidance
counselors need to ensure students have other skills to succeed overseas.
Graduating Students. Students graduating from CIHS who study overseas are a key
stakeholder group as they are the ones who need to have the skills and competencies to succeed,
including academic and non-academic skills. Students first need to have passed all academic
courses to earn a high school diploma and be ready for further academic studies. They are
ultimately the stakeholder group who allow for the school’s mission to be met.

12
Table 4
Organizational and Stakeholder Goals
Stakeholder groups’ performance goals
Organizational mission
Constellation International High School’s mission is to be an inspirational force for young people
to reach their full potential as successful, empowered citizens of the world, and develop
globally responsible and compassionate young people by encouraging them to become active
and inquiring lifelong learner within an intercultural community.
Organizational performance goal
By July 2024, all the Constellation International High School graduates who study abroad at
higher education institutions should demonstrate success through passing all their courses in
year one and choosing to continue their studies into year two.
School administrators Guidance counselors CIHS graduates studying
abroad
By September 2022, school
administrators will establish
a plan for students and their
families to be academically
and culturally ready to study
abroad.
By January 2023, University
Guidance Counselors will
establish new programs to
help students gain self-
regulation and help-seeking
skills prior to their
university studies.
By May 2023, all CIHS
students choosing to study
abroad will have developed
self-regulation and help-
seeking skills to successfully
complete their first year in
their chosen higher
education institution.

Stakeholder Group for the Study
The joint efforts of all stakeholders contribute to the achievement of the overall
organizational goal that graduates will successfully complete their first year of higher education
abroad and continue their studies into the second year. While a complete performance evaluation
would focus on all stakeholders, for practical purposes, the stakeholder group of focus in this
analysis consists of CIHS recent graduates. In particular, this study will seek to understand these
students’ time management and help-seeking skills and continuing needs in these areas. The
13
results will help inform administrators and counselors in how best to support students and
parents to reach the organizational goal and accomplish the school’s mission.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this study is to understand students’ needs to help accomplish the goal of
having, by July 2024, all graduates who study abroad demonstrate success by passing all of their
courses in Year 1 and continuing their studies into Year 2. The analysis will focus on recent
graduates’ knowledge, motivation and organizational influences related to achieving the
organizational goal. As such, three questions guide this study:
1. What is the students’ knowledge and motivation related to time management and
help-seeking skills to complete their first year at their higher education institution
abroad and choose to continue their studies into year two?
2. How does CIHS support the students in acquiring these skills?
3. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational resources?
Conceptual and Methodological Framework
Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis framework, a systematic analytical method that
helps to clarify organizational goals and identify the knowledge, motivation and organizational
influences affecting goal achievement will be used to understand the influences on CIHS
progress toward the organizational goal. The methodological framework is a qualitative case
study with descriptive statistics. Assumed knowledge, motivation and organizational influences
that affect organizational goal achievement will be generated based on personal knowledge and
related literature. The influences will be assessed through survey, interviews, literature review,
14
and document analysis. Research-based solutions will be recommended and comprehensively
evaluated.
Organization of the Study
This study is organized in five chapters. This chapter provided key concepts and
discussions about Chinese students’ lack of preparation to succeed in their studies abroad,
particularly regarding self-regulation and help-seeking skills. The organization’s mission, goals
and stakeholders as well as the initial concepts of gap analysis adapted to needs analysis were
introduced. Chapter Two provides a review of current literature on Chinese students’ experiences
studying abroad and the assumed knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences on CIHS
goal achievement. Chapter Three details the methodology employed to select participants and to
collect and analyze data. In Chapter Four, the data and results are assessed and analyzed. Chapter
Five provides solutions, based on data and literature, for addressing the needs and closing the
performance gap as well as recommendations for a plan to implement and evaluate the solutions.

15
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Chinese international students value the quality and experience of studying in higher
education institutions in North America. However, upon arrival, even when they have confidence
and are prepared academically, Chinese international students often struggle to live and study
within a culture and education system that is unfamiliar to them (Ching et al., 2017). In
particular, they may struggle with issues of self-regulation and help-seeking. Self-regulated
learners are generally characterized as active learners who efficiently manage their own learning
experiences (Schunk & Zimmerman, 1994). Help-seeking involves well-ordered and purposeful
cognitive and behavioral steps, including willingness towards help-seeking, intention to seek
help, and actual help-seeking behavior (Gulliver et al., 2012), which together, lead to solutions.
This chapter presents an overview of the literature examining Chinese international students’
self-regulation, time management and ability to seek help when entering higher education in
North America. Following the general literature review, the Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis
conceptual framework is used to examine the knowledge, motivation and organizational
influences of Chinese international students to enhance and develop their time management and
ability to seek help when entering higher education in North America.
Trends for Chinese Students Studying in North American Universities
Since China’s reform and opening up in 1978, the number of Chinese international
students studying abroad has steadily increased. It can be seen from the past 10 years, since
2009, that the number of Chinese international students studying in the United States has
increased by almost four times, from 98,920 in 2009 to 363,300 in 2018 (Heng, 2018). Other
countries have also seen substantial growth in the number of Chinese students studying in their
institutions of higher education. For example, over a similar period of time, in 2001, there were
16
21,800 Chinese students studying in Canada, 44,900 Chinese students studying in the United
Kingdom and 44,000 Chinese students studying in Australia. By 2018, data show that there were
85,500 Chinese students studying in Canada, 106,400 students studying in the United Kingdom
and 172,700 students studying in Australia (Heng, 2018). As suggested in Figure 2, the data for
the past 10 years indicate that there are a large number of Chinese students studying in North
America (Canada and the United States). In this context, it is necessary to further study the
development trends and challenges of Chinese international students studying in North America.
There are numerous opportunities for Chinese international students studying abroad, and in
North America specifically, as suggested by the significant number who choose to do so and the
growth in that number over time. This growth can be explained, in part, by a variety of
motivating factors, as will be discussed next.

17
Figure 2
2011/2016/2018 Chinese Students Studying Abroad Numbers

Motivation for Chinese Students Studying in North American Universities
There are several motivating factors that encourage Chinese international students to
study in North America. First, 45 of the top 100 universities in the world are located in the
United States (U.S. News and World Report, 2019), which indicates that American universities
play an important role among the global research universities that lead to the development and
innovation of their respective professional fields. Many Chinese students have chosen the top 50
universities in the United States as their goal for studying in the United States, and top students
often target Ivy League universities or the top 20 universities (Chao et al., 2017). For Chinese
students in the 2013/2014 year, the top fields of study in U.S. universities were business /
management. Among all the majors, about 27% of Chinese students chose business and
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
US Canada UK Australia
2011/2016/2018 Chinese Students Studying Abroad Number
2011 2016 2018
18
management as their major, with the knowledge that this type of degree from a U.S. institution
can help them more easily find employment in China (Ortiz et al., 2015). In general, there are
additional work opportunities in China after study abroad due to prestige and development of
English skills, international communication skills, global perspective and other skills gained in a
North American University (Rafi, 2018). Students are particularly motivated to gain admittance
into those universities that are competitive in the application and acceptance of students from all
over the world (Chao et al., 2017). This is, in part, due to a strong element of prestige to parents
and families of those who study abroad and at selective institutions (WholeRen Group Research
Center, 2018).
A second motivating factor is that higher education in the United States provides multiple
learning opportunities for students interested in different types of learning experiences and
degrees. Besides economic well-being, many Chinese students decide to study abroad because
they believe there are better-quality, and more diverse, educational offerings in foreign countries
(Chao et al., 2017). For example, there are public universities, private universities, liberal arts
colleges, community colleges, professional colleges, and training centers in American higher
education. There are opportunities for full-time students and part-time students, and there is also
a variety of online education opportunities. Such comprehensive learning construction provides
educational support for students at different stages, in different regions, with different economic
support, in different fields, and at different times and spaces (U.S. News and World Report,
2019). With that said, universities in China have undergone dramatic changes in recent years,
including rapid expansion of enrollments, structural forms, and quality improvement. The current
Chinese higher education system is one of the largest in the world, with more than 3,000
universities and colleges, including 1,225 regular full-time universities and colleges, 686 adult
19
higher education institutions and 1,202 new private universities and colleges (Ministry of
Education of the P.R. China, 2019). The system encompasses 13 million students and over 1.45
million staff members, 554,000 of whom are faculty members (Ministry of Education of the P.R.
China, 2019). The predominant public sector enrolls about 12 million students and the recently
developed private sector about 1 million students. The public sector consists of two major
components: regular higher education, which includes 7.19 million students, and adult higher
education, which includes 4.55 million students (Ministry of Education of the P.R. China, 2019).
Regular higher education institutions comprise universities with both undergraduate and graduate
degree programs and short-cycle (2- or 3-year) colleges without degree program. Adult higher
education institutions include television-based education, which consists of using television
broadcast to support universities offering a variety of programs, and workers’ universities for
training and upgrading employees (Altbach & Umakoshi, 2004). While the diversity of higher
education institutions and offerings in North America remains a large motivating factor for
Chinese students, there is a recent growth in the diversity and offerings in Chinese higher
education institutions as well.
A third motivating factor is the opportunity for interdisciplinary learning (Ozturgut,
2012). The first year of undergraduate study in the United States is often general education.
Students of different majors and different disciplines have time to explore a variety of interests
and learn a broad and foundational body of knowledge. As they enter the second or third year,
they enter into a disciplinary program. In addition, students can choose to study in different
disciplines under their major. This is seen as laying a good foundation for future professional
development and learning that is often not available at Chinese institutions (Altbach &
20
Umakoshi, 2004), and can provide sound support for the well-rounded development of students
(Bess & Dee, 2012).
Challenges for Chinese Students Studying in North American Universities
While there are many motivating factors for Chinese students to study in North American
higher education institutions, Chinese students studying abroad also encounter many challenges,
such as language barriers, cultural shock and classroom transition (Ching et al., 2017). These
challenges have an important impact on students’ academic learning and social interaction.
Students’ language problems result in students not fully understanding the content of the courses
as presented by the professor, thus they cannot carry out effective learning (Wan, 1996). If they
cannot understand the content of the courses, they often lose confidence in communicating with
the professor and other students during the classroom discussions (Wan, 1996). This can make
students lose their confidence in learning and affect their learning progress (Wan, 1996). After
class, due to the language communications barriers, they often do not join other students or
communities, because of which they may feel lonely or isolated (Chao et al., 2017). Further,
Chinese international students studying abroad are often funded by their parents, and they face a
lot of pressure from this investment in their education. (Yan & Berliner, 2011). Under such
circumstances, students’ study and communication problems often have a deeper impact on their
psychological health in the long run (Yan & Berliner, 2011). Chinese international students tend
to communicate with other Chinese international students who face similar challenges, which
makes it more difficult for them to improve their language skills. These language and social
circumstances often result in Chinese international students limiting their interactions to one
another, particularly in the first year (Yan & Berliner, 2011). This can further limit their
21
integration into the learning environment of the countries where they choose to study (WholeRen
Group Research Center, 2018).
Challenges Related to Self-Regulation and Time Management
While a significant body of literature has documented Chinese students’ challenges when
they study abroad related to language and social barriers (Ching et al., 2017), less research has
examined challenges related to self-regulation and time management. Self-regulation is the
ability to regulate oneself without intervention from external bodies (Valdez, 2015). As part of
self-regulation, time management is the ability to use one’s time effectively or productively,
especially at work and study (Wan, 1996).
Challenges related to self-regulation and time management can be viewed in the context
of the Chinese education system. In Chinese education, from primary school to high school,
there is a precise timetable arranged by the school for study. The daily class time, quitting time,
meal time and exercise time are fully arranged and scheduled (Valdez, 2015). The curriculum
study of students is also fully planned. Their course of study is carried out step by step, and
students cannot choose their class subjects (Huijun & Prevatt, 2008).
Chinese parents give priority to their children’s education. In addition to education in the
school, extracurricular time after school is also often fully arranged and managed by parents
(Huijun & Prevatt, 2008). As a result, Chinese students do not have space to think about their
own time management. When they move to studying abroad in a relatively free learning
environment, they may lack the skills to manage their own time. The ability to self-regulate and
manage one’s time is an important factor for study and life in North American universities
(Valdez, 2015). Only when students learn self-regulation and time management skills can they
succeed in higher education institutions where this is a key facet of university life.
22
Challenges Related to Help Seeking
Help-seeking theory suggests that people follow a series of well-documented and
purposeful cognitive and behavioral steps in seeking help (Karabenick & Knapp, 1991). These
steps lead to finding solutions. In general, help seeking is dependent upon three cognitive and
behavioral attributes: attitudes (beliefs and willingness) towards help seeking, intention to seek
help, and actual help-seeking behavior (Karabenick & Knapp, 1991).
When Chinese international students study in North American universities, they need
help-seeking ability. Successful learning requires individual effort and the help of others (Wan,
1996). Help-seeking ability is an essential contributor to personal and academic achievement and
success in higher education (Karabenick & Knapp, 1991). Students knowing how to seek help is
an important social skill that enables them to know when outside help is needed, the type of
assistance required, how to assess the help by effectively engaging others, and how to apply what
they learn to solve their problems and complete tasks (Karabenick & Knapp, 1991). Also, help-
seeking behavior is part of self-directed and self-regulated learning as students need to self-
initiate the process of seeking help from others (Ryan, 1997). Successfully seeking and using the
help of others establishes a lifelong learning skill that improves with subsequent requests for
assistance (Ryan, 1997). In a university setting, there are many different types of help which
students can seek. Seeking help in an educational context generally suggests seeking academic
help as a student would to get assistance with a writing assignment or math assignment with
which they are having difficulty, or another subject. Seeking help also can be for personal,
emotional and social problems they are trying to resolve. Often times, students are afraid to ask
for help for a variety of reasons, causing them to not speak to anyone about their problems (Yan
& Berliner, 2011). Help seeking is especially critical when students have problems that are
23
inhibiting their ability to learn or to effectively cope with their surroundings and barriers to their
learning.
While Chinese students often have a number of possibilities to get help, including
university student centers, professors, student communities and professional counseling, they
often face barriers to asking for help. Chinese students often do not have a culture of help
seeking in their education system prior to arriving at North American Universities (Yan &
Berliner, 2011). In China, students are afraid of seeking help when they experience anxiety or
frustration. In addition, when Chinese youth need help, it is often the parents who step in to
provide that help (Huijun & Prevatt, 2008). This lack of personal help-seeking skills acts as a
barrier when studying in North American universities. Chinese students need to understand the
barrier to the help-seeking ability, understand the help-seeking process, and discover effective
facilitators of the help-seeking ability (Yuan, 2011). Baker (2014) suggested ways to get better at
asking for help: (a) earn responses to your requests by generously helping others in the first
place; (b) know what you want to ask, (c) ask smartly, (d) do not assume you know who and
what people know, and (e) create a culture where asking for help is encouraged. While seeking
help is challenging to university students in general, Chinese international students face
particular challenges due to cultural, language and communication barriers.
Policies and Practices to Help Prepare Chinese Students for Their Studies Abroad
Chinese Public High School Policies and Practices
In public high schools, the school curriculum is a national curriculum intended to prepare
students for the National Higher Education Admission Examination and admission to Chinese
universities. The Chinese public high school curriculum includes Chinese, English, Mathematics,
Politics, Geography, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Information Technology, Music, Sports, Fine
24
Arts, Research-based learning, Community Service, Social Time and Basic Labor skills. China’s
high school students must take the National Higher Education Admission Examination if they
want to enter Chinese universities, as most students in public schools do.
The National Higher Education Admission Examination is a unified national
examination for the enrollment of ordinary higher education institutions in China. It is one of the
most important national examinations in China and is also an entrance examination for ordinary
higher education institutions in mainland China. The National Higher Education Admission
Examination is organized by the Ministry of Education of China. The Examination Center of the
Ministry of Education will draft out the examination according to its published examination
syllabus. In 1952, China’s unified National Higher Education Admission Examination system
was formally established; in 1988, 2.72 million people took part in the National Higher
Education Admission Examination, and 670,000 of them were admitted to universities, with an
admission rate of about 25%. In 1998, 3.2 million people took part in the National Higher
Education Admission Examination, and about 1.1 million of them were admitted, with an
admission rate of about 34%; in 2008, 10.5 million people took part in the National Higher
Education Admission Examination and about 6.1 million of them were admitted, with an
admission rate of about 58%; in 2018, about 9.8 million people took part in the National Higher
Education Admission Examination and about 8 millions of them were admitted, with an
admission rate of about 81% (Ministry of Education of the P. R. China, 2019). The admission
rate has increased largely due the expansion of higher education institutions across China, of
varying quality and prestige (Heng, 2018).
Although the admission rate of the National Higher Education Admission Examination
has increased year by year in the past 40 years, the pressure to get into the top universities in
25
China has also increased. As a result, the free time of many students has been greatly reduced,
and even the mealtime of some students has been strictly controlled due to the high expectations
and requirements of parents and schools (Ministry of Education of the P. R. China, 2019). The
only standard for measuring students for Chinese university admissions is the score on the
Chinese National Higher Education Admission Examination system. All of the tasks students are
to complete during their course of study in the first and second grades of senior high school are
tied to the exam, and the third year of high school is used entirely for practice for the exam
(Ministry of Education of P.R. China, 2019).
Almost all students in China attend public high schools. According to a 2017 census,
there were 136,000 public high schools for 23,745,000 students in China; in the same year, there
were 734 international schools, representing only 0.05% of the total number of schools. The
focus of Chinese public high schools is not on overseas study preparation related activities since
the curriculum in public high schools is focused on preparing students for the Chinese Higher
Education Entrance Exam (Ministry of Education of P.R. China, 2019). In public high schools,
the students are evaluated by their score on the examination. Scores are the criteria for measuring
students' performance. In addition to academic courses, extracurricular activities are also carried
out in preparation for the National Higher Education Admission Examination.
For those in public high schools, or private high schools, who are considering study
abroad, a large private after-school industry sector has emerged to provide services (Chinese
Service Center for Scholarly Exchange, 2019) Traditional public high schools in China do not
offer internationalized courses and corresponding guidance for applying to overseas universities.
As a result, a large number of intermediary companies of overseas study have emerged to help
students apply to overseas universities (Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange, 2019).
26
These intermediary companies are profit-making institutions often requiring high fees. In
general, their focus is on assisting students in the application process (Chinese Service Center for
Scholarly Exchange, 2019). They do not tend to focus on academic, language, or other non-
academic preparations, where problems can emerge after students leave to study abroad.
While in most high schools in China the focus is on the National Higher Education
Admission Examination, in private international schools, a key focus is on student preparation
for study abroad.
Policies and Practices in Private International Schools
Private international schools have general freedom in their curriculum (Ministry of
Education of the P. R. China, 2019). Because students in these schools are not preparing for the
National Higher Education Admission Examination, the curriculum is designed around
supporting students with a view toward studying abroad. Students have choice among courses
and extracurricular activities. The high school education stage is an important three-year link
between study in China and study abroad. In international schools, there are National Courses,
International Courses, School-based Courses and Bilingual Courses for various academic
requirements. On this basis, these courses are divided into Compulsory Courses including
Sciences and Technology, Arts and Innovation, Sports and Fitness, Humanity and Society, and
Language and Culture; elective courses focused on traditional Chinese culture, social life,
physical health and personal development; and Extended Courses that include standardized
English tests, like TOEFL or IELTS, international competition courses, AP courses, and
international exchange programs. A diversified teaching integrating Chinese and foreign
curriculum is established through an integration of domestic and foreign curriculum resources
and teaching methods. Accordingly, academically, schools often provide AP courses. Further,
27
the school may offer AP research to build on what students learn in an AP seminar to deeply
explore an academic topic, problem or issue of individual interest. Through this exploration,
students design, plan and conduct a one-year research-based investigation to address a research
question. The courses are meant to develop students’ thinking ability by asking questions and
exploring, understanding and analyzing, evaluating multiple perspectives, synthesizing ideas,
and, in teams, transforming and transmitting the information and knowledge. This is intended to
support the development of the student’s study ability to prepare for college study, as well as the
development of English skills and academic professional writing (College Board, 2019).
Beside the academic preparation, private international schools also prepare students non-
academically to study abroad (Council of International School, 2019). Non-academic preparation
often includes overseas summer study or exchange programs for Grade 10 and Grade 11
students. By participating in summer exchange programs, students can become better prepared to
handle study and life in diverse environments and take high school courses provided by the
foreign universities. In addition, a variety of programs are often offered to parents in which the
teaching system, campus distribution, curriculum, budget and other information about overseas
universities are introduced. Since the tuition and living costs of students ready to study abroad
are generally covered by parents, they dominate the university-choosing process (Chinese
Service Center for Scholarly Exchange, 2019). By learning about overseas universities, parents
can help their children prepare for studying abroad. During the university application season
every year, private schools often assemble application instructors targeted at various universities
who guide students to fill in application forms according to countries and the corresponding
application system, such as the Common Application frequently used in the US, UCAS in the
UK and Ontario University Application Centre in Canada.
28
While private school helps prepare students academically and non-academically in
particular ways, some key skills and competencies, such as time management and help seeking,
have not been a core focus. This limits the success of students in their higher education studies
and experiences.
Limitation to the Current Policies and Practices
While a variety of policies and practices exist at private international schools and in
private after-school programs to help prepare students for study abroad, according to recent
statistics, approximately 25% of Chinese students studying abroad will encounter difficulties,
especially in the first year or the second year (WholeRen Group Research Center, 2018). These
difficulties include poor academic performance, failure to complete their studies, and other
underlying social and emotional challenges (WholeRen Group Research Center, 2018). Some of
the main obstacles include academic barriers often stemming from a lack of English skills,
resulting in poor understanding of the academic content and a lack of the ability to communicate
well in study and life, triggering more problems. Further, students are often unprepared to take
care of themselves abroad as, in China, many students are taken care of by their parents and
schools and have not learned the self-regulation and time management skills to be able to take
care of themselves (Wholter, 1998). Homesickness, health problems and psychological pressures
also hold them back from learning (Yan & Berliner, 2011). Often, it is in the first year of college
that these issues surface.
While a variety of policies and practices have been established both inside and outside of
school settings to help high school students prepare for overseas study, there are shortcomings in
these policies and practices as illustrated by the students who struggle in their early years of
29
study abroad. Students need to know themselves, unleash their potential and improve themselves
to succeed in their studies abroad.
Students’ Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences
When diagnosing performance gaps, Clark and Estes (2008) listed three important factors
that must be examined, including people’s knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences
on performance. Clark and Estes (2008) defined knowledge gaps as determining whether people
know how, what, when, why, where and who when accomplishing tasks; motivation gaps
involve the internal process of choosing, persisting and investing mental efforts to accomplishing
a goal; and organizational barriers are the organizational processes or resources that act against
accomplishing your goals. As a result of the one-child policy, Chinese parents invest heavily in
their child’s education. However, the cultural differences between China and foreign countries
often leave students unprepared to be successful in their first year abroad despite having high
academic measures of success. The following section discusses the assumed knowledge,
motivation and organizational influences related to students’ success in their first year of
university abroad and their self-regulation, time management and help-seeking skills.
Knowledge and Skills
In order to explore students’ ability to be successful in their first year of university
studies abroad, it is important to identify the knowledge and skills that the students possess, and
those that are needed, so that issues of learning and knowledge gaps related to what students
need to know can be identified early on (Rueda, 2011). Furthermore, Rueda (2011) identifies a
successful learner as self-regulated, engaged and having expertise. This dissertation derives
knowledge influences of the student’s ability to utilize time management, self-regulation and
help-seeking skills to be successful in their first year of university abroad. For Rueda (2011), if
30
the learning objectives are not clearly identified for the learner, it will be challenging for them to
achieve their goals.
In order to explore key stakeholder group’s knowledge in a comprehensive manner in this
study, Krathwohl’s (2002) framework will be utilized. Krathwohl categorized knowledge into
four different categories: factual, conceptual, procedural and metacognitive. Factual knowledge
refers to fact-based knowledge, for example, understanding terms and details to solve a problem.
Conceptual knowledge is understanding the different categories or classifications within a certain
discipline. Procedural knowledge refers to the knowledge and skills to carry out a specific task.
The fourth type of knowledge is metacognition, an awareness of one’s own learning and
thinking. These four types of knowledge have been further categorized into cognitive processes
and how they would be applied when remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing,
evaluating and creating (Rueda, 2011). The different categories and processes are important to
consider because a student may have knowledge of the facts but may not necessarily understand
how to apply them. It is also important that students know how to have a metacognitive practice
that allows them to understand how they are applying their knowledge and where there are gaps
that need to be worked on. This is essential for CIHS graduates because they will have to be self-
regulated learners who are able to adapt to increasingly challenging academic, social and cultural
environments where they will need to have time management and self-regulation skills and to
know when to seek out help.
By July 2024, the organizational goal is for all CIHS graduates who study abroad in
higher education institutions to demonstrate success through passing all their courses in year one
and choosing to continue their studies into year two. By examining the students’ time
31
management, self-regulation and help-seeking skills, we will be able to determine how this has
influenced their success in their first year so that they can continue to their second year.
Knowledge of the Resources Available
According to the knowledge types, factual knowledge involves the students’ knowing
what resources are available to support them, including support related to time management,
self-regulation and help seeking. Once abroad, students face a number of challenges such as
social changes, cultural changes, language shifts, religious conversions and changes in value
systems that they need support with in making a successful transition (Yan & Berliner, 2009).
Being able to identify resources that can support the students in their first year can decrease the
number of challenges they will face in their courses, in their confidence and motivation, and in
their mental health.
Knowledge of How to Ask for and Leverage Help
Students need to not only know what resources are available to them, but to know how to
leverage those resources, as needed. Knowing how to ask for and leverage help provides students
with a deeper level of self-awareness, allowing them to manage their behavior in pursuit of long-
term goals. In China, students’ time and activities are often regulated by parents and their
teachers and a system that is highly structured. Work is often individual in nature, and help
seeking from peers or instructors is not cultivated (Wholter, 1998). It can even suggest weakness.
However, as they move abroad, the environments require that students are more collaborative
and can leverage the help that they need, whether related to their coursework or to their social
and academic lives. This skill, having not been developed previously, can lead to hesitation in
leveraging help when studying abroad, affecting students’ academic success.
32
Students need to development skills and abilities to seeking help. They need to know not
only where to seek help, but also how to ask for and receive it. On college campuses, there are a
variety of places to seek help, including counseling departments such as student counseling
centers in colleges and from professors or academic counseling centers. But, to use these
resources requires knowing how to effectively ask for and leverage help.
Knowledge of How to Reflect on Their Progress During Their First Year
To ensure their successful completion of year one of university, students will benefit
from engaging in metacognitive practices that will allow them to reflect on their growth as
learners in three areas: time management, self-regulation and seeking help when needed.
Engaging in reflective practice can help the students manage their time and understand what
strategies work well for them in being successful and what practices they should eliminate that
did not allow them to be successful. Krathwohl (2002) highlights the importance of skills such as
self-reflection and self-regulation as a means of being able to control and think about how
learning is taking place for oneself. Not practicing daily self-reflection may influence how a
student performs in their first year, as it may be too late by the time they realize they have a
problem that needs to be addressed. Table 5 presents the assumed knowledge influences and the
knowledge types.

Table 5
Assumed Knowledge Influences
Assumed knowledge influence Knowledge type
Knowledge of resources available Declarative
Knowledge of how to ask for and leverage help
Procedural
Knowledge of how to reflect on progress and strategies for success in
time management and help seeking.
Metacognitive
33
Motivation
Knowledge does not operate in isolation. In addition to knowledge influences, there are
motivation influences that play a role in student success. Motivation is defined as “a process
where goal directed activity is instigated and sustained” (Rueda, 2011, p. 38). Motivation can be
observed through identified motivated behaviors that serve as the underlying causes for active
choice, persistence, and mental effort.
Mayer (2011) noted that in order for motivation to be sustained it must have four
different elements: personal, activating, energizing, and directed. How students will respond to
choices presented, and how they will persist in a task or whether they will give up depend on
these factors. To examine behavior causes more closely, the motivational influences explored in
this study are utility value and self-efficacy, as defined by Pintrich (2008). Often students are
labeled as not having the knowledge to complete a task; however, as Rueda (2011) points out, it
is important to consider the motivational factors that may be influencing their behavior.
Students’ Utility Value for Time Management and Help Seeking
The degree to which there is value in carrying out a task in accordance with the identified
goals is known as utility value (Eccles, 2010). The more value that is given to an activity, the
more the chances that students will choose to carry out the necessary behaviors, and this will also
ensure that they will keep going consistently so that they are able to succeed. For the purpose of
this study, students need to see the value of time management and help seeking to be successful
in their first year of university abroad. The value of these are not solely for university success,
but they are lifelong skills that the students need for success. Valuing these skills and having
experience developing them can help them self-regulate when they graduate from the university
and transition to the workplace.
34
Students’ Self-Efficacy About Having Help Seeking and Time Management Skills to be
Successful in Their First Year
How effective a student believes they will be in their first year at university depends on
their self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is an internal judgement of one’s ability to complete a task or
goal. According to Rueda (2011), self-efficacy is important to look at when assessing motivation
because “Individuals with higher self-efficacy, greater belief in their own competence, and
higher expectancies for positive outcomes will be more motivated to engage in, persist at, and
work hard at a task or activity” (p. 41)
In this case, students need to believe that they have the abilities to manage their time
effectively and seek help when needed. For example, if a student does not pass their first exam,
they should understand the causes of why they did not do well and feel confident in their ability
to seek out and leverage help to put together a plan for how they can improve. It is here that their
self-efficacy, their perception of the degree to which they can be successful in managing their
time and seeking help, will make a difference in ensuring that they ask for and receive help.
When they study overseas, not only are students confronted with a different culture and
different perspective, they need to have the confidence to adapt and be themselves. For example,
the student may be very confident from an academic perspective; however, when they are abroad
they may find themselves with students who are very outgoing and social. Many Chinese
students do not have experience participating in a lot of clubs and sports so often times they feel
that they are weak in these areas. Whether students feel confident in their ability to manage their
own time and seek help as needed determines whether they can achieve their goals related to
learning overseas. Table 6 presents the motivation constructs and the assumed motivation
influences.
35
Table 6
Assumed Motivation Influences
Motivation construct Assumed motivation influence
Utility value Students see the value in time management and help
seeking.
Self-efficacy Students believe they are capable of being successful in
their first year in a university abroad.

Organizational Influences
Organizational influences, in addition to knowledge and motivation, determine whether
students can be successful in performing their roles and achieving their goals. Organizational
influences can be categorized into two different types: models and settings (Gallimore &
Goldenberg, 2001). The first organizational influence being examined is a cultural model – a
culture of support. Cultural models are a shared set of organizational beliefs and values that are
learned over time. The second organizational influence being examined can be categorized as
cultural settings: programs available and the time and resources allocated to prepare students in
non-academic areas for post-graduation success. Cultural settings are more visible organizational
influences such as policies and procedures and the degree to which resources are available.
Culture of Support
Students who attend private schools in China do so with the intention of graduating and
attending a 4-year university program abroad. As a result, private schools must offer a culture of
support that is well-rounded where they focus not only on academic but also on non-academic
areas that will allow students to have a successful transition. This is a significant part of the
student’s experience because, according to recent statistics, approximately 25% of Chinese
students studying abroad will encounter difficulties especially in their first and second year.
36
While schools may have a culture of support to students while they are in high school, this
support may end once they leave, opening a gap in this culture of support. This study will
explore how CIHS graduates experienced the culture of support from CIHS, both while in high
school and as they transitioned into college and university settings, and strengths and limitations
to that culture of support as they entered their first year of studies abroad.
Time and Resources to Offer a Broader Range of Non-Academic Skills Development
Programming During High School
The causes for many individuals not being able to apply their knowledge, despite having
the motivation, can often be a lack of time and resources. Because private schools in China have
the goal of sending their students to 4-year universities abroad, they invest in guidance
counselors and work to provide them with the time and resources they need to effectively
prepare students for their studies abroad. Each student often has an individual case and requires
time and guidance to make sure their needs are met. The guidance counselors need to be up to
date with the latest trends and requirements when it comes to students applying to and
succeeding in universities abroad. This requires a breadth of skills on the part of guidance
counselors and an ever-evolving set of programming to help prepare students.
As part of this programming, college counselors need to provide students with the ability
to manage their time, develop their leadership, engage in team collaboration, and seek help,
among other skills. This research will explore the extent to which students feel the programming
provided built needed skills, particularly around time management and help seeking, and where
there are additional needs. With 43% of Chinese students being dismissed in 2018 from their
freshman or sophomore year, preparing students with the skills to manage their time, self-
regulate and know how and when to seek help is critical to their ability to complete their
37
postsecondary degree (WholeRen Group Research Center, 2018). With the changes in
expectations of universities and workplaces, guidance counselors have to have the evolving
expertise and a wide range of knowledge to be able to provide students with relevant and timely
non-academic skills that will allow them to achieve their objectives in their studies abroad.
Furthermore, because of cultural differences and expectations, they have to have the professional
development to prepare students not only academically but also socially with the global
perspective that will allow them to thrive. Table 7 presents the above organizational influences.

Table 7
Assumed Organizational Influences
Organizational influence category Assumed organizational influences
Cultural Model Influence 1 CIHS needs to have a culture of supporting students after
they graduate and begin higher education studies
abroad.
Cultural Setting Influence 1 CIHS needs to provide a broader range of non-academic
skills development programming for students during
high school in preparation for their studies abroad,
with guidance counselor’s having relevant and timely
expertise.

38
Conclusion
The literature presented in this chapter examined opportunities and challenges faced by
students studying abroad, and analyzed the development trends of overseas education,
motivation for studying abroad, challenges during studying abroad, and students’ capability of
time management and help seeking to succeed in their studies abroad. This research also
analyzed current relevant policies and their implementation in public and private schools in
China related to student preparation for studies abroad. The chapter then turned to Clark and
Estes (2008) conceptual framework to examine CIHS graduates’ studying abroad assumed
knowledge, motivation and organizational influences affecting their ability to pass all their
courses in Year 1 of their studies abroad and choosing to continue their studies into Year 2.
Chapter three will discuss the methodological approach that will be employed in this study to
understand these CIHS graduates’ assumed knowledge, motivation and organizational influences
affecting their success.
39
CHAPTER THREE: METHODS
This research focuses on specific challenges faced by Chinese high school students
entering North American universities after graduation, including students’ time management and
help-seeking skills. These are key areas in which Chinese international students entering
overseas higher education can struggle. Thus, it is key to study how to improve students’ abilities
in these areas during high school so that they can successfully integrate themselves into the new
environment, manage their academic and personal life, and complete their studies in higher
education when they study abroad.
The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to understand students’ needs to help
accomplish the organizational goal of having, by July 2024, all graduates who study abroad
demonstrate success by passing all of their courses in Year 1 and continuing their studies into
Year 2. The analysis focused on CIHS graduates’ knowledge, motivation and organizational
influences related to achieving the organizational goal. The purpose of a mixed-methods study
was to collect, analyze, and integrate quantitative and qualitative data. To that end, a survey
explored students’ attitudes and concerns. However, a survey alone would not provide
information regarding the how and why behind what they were sharing. For a deeper analysis,
this mixed-methods study also included interviews (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The purpose of
this study was to utilize the Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analysis framework to examine CIHS
graduates’ knowledge, motivation and organizational influences related to time management and
help seeking that affected their ability to pass all their courses in Year 1 and choose to continue
their studies abroad into Year 2. The following three research questions guided this study:
40
1. What is the students’ knowledge and motivation related to time management and
help-seeking skills to complete their first year at their higher education institution
abroad and choose to continue their studies into year two?
2. How does CIHS support the students in acquiring these skills?
3. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational resources?
Participating Stakeholders
The stakeholder group of study for this research were CIHS high school graduates; as per
sample data selection, the study sample were students who graduated from CIHS in 2018 and
who directly entered North American undergraduate studies after graduation. Students who meet
the sampling strategy below were surveyed, and from those surveyed, a group of students were
also interviewed.
Survey Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale
The survey was sent by email to the 2018 high school graduates who meet the criteria
below.
Survey Sampling Criteria
Criterion 1. Must be a student who graduated from CISH in 2018.
Criterion 2. Must be studying in a Canadian or U.S. University.
Criterion 3. Must be a student who directly entered undergraduate studies.
Among the 2018 class of graduates, the main target were those who were studying in
North American universities and who directly entered undergraduate study following graduation,
221 students. The survey was sent to the 221 students in October, 2019 and was kept open for 10
days, with a reminder sent after week one. The research focused on the class of 2018 graduates
41
as these were the most recent group of CISH graduates who had a year of university studies and
could reflect on their knowledge, motivation and organizational resources related to time
management and help seeking that influenced their success. The research also focused on those
who were directly admitted by universities in Canada or the United States as Canada and the
United States were where 90% of the graduates chose as their destinations for overseas study.
This research focused on students’ time management and help seeking skills in their freshman
year of university study, and as such, students who attended university preparatory schools, such
as academic bridge programs and language training schools, were not included in the research
sampling in this research.
Interview Sampling Strategy and Rationale
Students identified in the survey if they were willing to participate in the interview. Of
the 52 graduates who responded to the survey, 21 students volunteered to be interviewed and
provided their contact information. Of those, 11 ultimately agreed to be interviewed; eight
attending colleges in Canada and three attending colleges in the United States. The interviews
were conducted either in person or via Zoom, dependent on interviewer and interviewee
availability to conduct the interview in person. Ultimately, eight interviews were conducted in a
meeting room on the students’ campuses and three were conducted via the Zoom online
platform.
Data Collection and Instrumentation
The mixed-methods approach used in this study was an explanatory sequential design
where the research begins with quantitative data collection and then proceeds with qualitative
data collection (Creswell, 2014). The quantitative data yielded results about beliefs and the
qualitative data provided the why behind these beliefs.
42
Surveys
Of the 307 graduates from the CIHS class of 2018, 221 students went to study in North
America in universities in Canada and the United States. The survey was administered to the 221
graduates of the class of 2018 studying in Canada and the United States. The survey was created
in Qualtrics and sent out by email with all of the students’ emails on file at CIHS. The purpose
behind using Qualtrics was so that the results could be confidential and the participants could
choose to restart if they liked (Pazzaglia et al., 2016). The survey was sent out in October 2019.
Students were given a 10-day window to respond to the survey, with a reminder sent at the end
of the first week. The survey used multiple choice questions because the interview offered the
opportunity to engage in more open-ended questions (Fink, 2017). The survey included 16
questions to explore students’ knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences related to
time management and help seeking that affected their ability to pass all their courses in Year 1
and chose to continue their studies abroad into Year 2. The survey took approximately 5 to 10
minutes to complete. The survey can be found in Appendix A.
Interviews
Interviews were semi-structured and lasted approximately 45 minutes. All of the students
who, through the survey, stated interest in participating in the interview were contacted. Of the
21 who indicated interest, 11 participated in an interview. I sent an email and then made personal
phone calls to schedule the interviews and tell them relevant background information. The
interviews were scheduled for 45 minutes at a time and place of convenience for the student.
Before conducing the interview, the students were told about the voluntary nature of the
interview, their ability to end it at any time, the confidentiality of the information they would
provide, and asked them for their approval to use a recorder during the interview. After the
43
interview, the interviewees had an opportunity to see the results for confirmation that their views
were properly represented. In the interview process, Chinese and English were used as mediums
for communication. While all interviewees speak English, if the interview was in interviewees’
mother tongue, this may have allowed them to be more relaxed and speak more freely and
truthfully without a language barrier. During the interview, I took notes and also, upon approval,
voice recorded the interview for further analysis. The interview questions explored the
knowledge, motivation and organizational resources that related to the student’s time
management and help seeking in their first year at a university abroad.
I used semi-structured interview questions to learn more deeply about responses that the
students gave in the survey. The set of interview questions is included in Appendix B and probes
used to follow up as needed (Corbin & Strauss, 2008). For example, one of the questions was, “If
it is my first month on campus and I need academic support, what suggestions would you give
me as to where I can go?” A follow-up probe was, “How did you learn about this resource?” and
“How often did you use it?”
Data Analysis
The data were analyzed throughout the data collection process. The quantitative data
were examined prior to the interviews to determine if there were additional questions that needed
to be asked. For survey responses, descriptive statistics were generated with frequencies and
means calculated. For interviews, data analysis began during data collection. I wrote analytic
memos after each interview to document thoughts, concerns, and initial conclusions about the
data in relation to the conceptual framework and research questions. Once I left the field,
interviews were transcribed and coded. In the first phase of analysis, open coding was used,
looking for empirical codes and applying a priori codes from the conceptual framework. A
44
second phase of analysis was conducted where empirical and a priori codes were aggregated into
analytic/axial codes. In the third phase of data analysis, I identified pattern codes and themes that
emerged in relation to the conceptual framework and study questions (Creswell, 2014). To the
extent needed, documents and artifacts, such as information on CIHS programs offered to
students to build skills needed to support overseas studies, were collected for additional
information relevant to the interview responses
Credibility and Trustworthiness
To maintain the integrity of the study, credibility and trustworthiness are important
because the results can impact decisions that affect others (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). There are
a significant number of Chinese students who are impacted by the transition from private schools
in China to going abroad; consequently, the results of this study must give others confidence to
know that the results came about in a credible way so that they can be trusted (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016). Strategies were used to help ensure that the interviewees felt confident that their
voice was heard and that this was a safe space for them to share their successes and challenges in
the transition from CIHS to a university abroad. It was important to establish trust with each
other during the interview as many private issues or issues that the interviewee might finds hard
to face may be involved in the interview. To ensure this, the purpose of the research and how it
would be used was explained as well as how I would protect the identity of and information
offered by the interviewee. Only in this way would the interviewee feel safe to share this
information and I be able to learn more about the life and study of students studying overseas.
Further, Maxwell (2013) provides a list of strategies that can be used for the purpose of
credibility, including intensive, long-term involvement; rich data; respondent validation;
reaching for discrepant evidence and negative cases; triangulation; and comparison. As Maxwell
45
proposes, rich data, respondent validation, triangulation, and comparison, in particular, were
used in a systematic way in this study. Soliciting feedback on the data and conclusions from the
people being studied was included in this project to contribute to the interpretability of the results
(Maxwell, 2013).
Validity and Reliability
Reliability is the consistency of results when using a measurement tool (Salkind, 2017).
Validity is knowing the measurement tool is going to measure what we have identified to be
measurable (Salkind, 2017). The survey and interview questions were following the guidance on
developing questions from coursework and from Designing Quality Survey Questions by
Robinson and Firth Leonard (2018). All of the items were reviewed by the dissertation chair and
committee members as well. Also, the survey items were pilot tested with classmates in the
doctoral programs to seek their feedback and suggestions. For reliability, for each assumed
knowledge, motivation and organizational influence, there were multiple items in the survey and
interview to measure them. In addition, the questions were worded carefully and reviewed by
professors to ensure they could be understood and interpreted consistently. The survey questions
were designed and reviewed by a dissertation committee at USC in alignment with the
knowledge, motivation, and organizational (KMO) framework. As a current employee of CIHS, I
needed to actively reflect on my own biases and be honest and report the findings as they were
uncovered in the survey and interviews.
Ethics
As a qualitative researcher, one tries to focus on meaning and understanding in order to
answer the research questions (Merriam, 2009). To do this, I as the researcher must make ethical
choices when conducting this study because so much of the data collection entailed conversation.
46
In particular, informed consent forms were given to all participants at the commencement of the
study. According to Glesne (2011), informed consent is necessary to ensure the participants are
aware that their participation is voluntary, all the discussions will be kept confidential and they
can withdraw at any point without penalty. To ensure the safety of the participants, I submitted
the study to the University of Southern California Institutional Review Board and followed their
rules and guidelines regarding the protection of the rights and welfare of the participants in this
study. I reminded the participants that this study was voluntary, and their identity would be kept
confidential. I told them that if they wished to withdraw from the study, they may do so at any
time. Prior to the interviews, I received their permission to audio record the interviews, and I
provided the participants with transcripts of the interviews to allow them the opportunity to
ensure I had not changed their words. I provided no incentives at the onset so as not to coerce
them to participate; however, at the conclusion of the study, I sent them a thank you card with a
small monetary gift card as a token of my appreciation for participating in the study.

47
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND FINDINGS
By July 2023, CIHS (a pseudonym) aims to have all graduates who study abroad
demonstrate success by passing all of their courses in Year 1 and continuing their studies into
Year 2. The purpose of this study was to understand the self-regulation students need to
accomplish this goal, particularly in terms of time management and help-seeking skills. The
analysis focused on recent CIHS graduates’ KMO influences related to achieving the
organizational goal. Specifically, to understand the influences on CIHS’s progress toward this
goal, this study used Clark and Estes’s (2008) gap analysis framework, a systematic analytical
method that helps to clarify organizational goals and identify the KMO influences affecting goal
achievement. The methodological framework was a mixed-methods case study with descriptive
statistics.
Chapter Two discussed the identification of assumed KMO influences on performance
through a literature review. Chapter Three presented the study’s methodology to gather and
analyze data related to the assumed KMO influences on performance. The results and findings
from data analysis are presented in this chapter and organized in the categories of KMO needs
for goal achievement. The following three questions guided this study:
1. What are the students’ knowledge and motivation related to time management and
help-seeking skills to complete their first year at their higher education institution
abroad and choose to continue their studies into Year 2?
2. How does CIHS support the students in acquiring these skills?
3. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational resources?

48
Participating Stakeholders
The stakeholder group of focus in this study consisted of CIHS graduates. In terms of
sample selection, the study’s sample consisted of students who graduated from CIHS in 2018
and who directly entered North American undergraduate institutions after graduation. Students
who met the sampling criteria were surveyed. Among the survey respondents, 11 were
interviewed. There were 307 graduates in the class of 2018, of whom 221 directly entered North
American undergraduate institutions.
Survey Participants
Fifty-two graduates responded to an online survey distributed to 221 students enrolled in
their first year at a university in Canada or the United States (response rate = 23%). Students who
met the following three criteria received the survey: (a) graduated from CIHS in 2012, (b)
studied at a Canadian or United States university, and (c) entered undergraduate studies directly
after graduating from CIHS. Survey data collection occurred over 10 days in the fall of 2019. As
shown in Table 8, there were 52 respondents: 43 from Canadian universities and nine from U.S.
universities. Twenty-four respondents were female, and 28 were male. Therefore, the sample was
balanced in terms of gender.

Table 8
Survey Participants’ Demographic Information (N = 52)
Variable Number Percentage
Gender
Male 28 53%
Female 24 46%
Country of Study
Canada 43 82%
U.S. 9 17%

49
The following sections present the survey data through charts to illustrate the results. The
survey items used different scales, as shown in Appendix A. In general, response items were
understand very well, understand, and do not understand; and strongly agree, agree, disagree,
and strongly disagree.
Interview Participants
Out of the 52 survey participants, 21 indicated their willingness to participate in an in-
person or online interview regarding the research topic and provided their contact information.
Following multiple attempts to contact those who indicated willingness to participate, 11
interviews were scheduled and conducted. Interviewees studied at Canadian and U.S. universities
and were geographically dispersed. As shown in Table 9, the interview participants were from
Canada (Toronto, Montreal, Waterloo) and the United States (Los Angeles, Boston, and
Washington, DC). Eight interviews were conducted in a meeting room on the students’
campuses, and three via the Zoom online platform. Pseudonyms were assigned to the
interviewees for confidentiality and easy reference. Since all interview participants were Year 2
students, their ages were between 18 and 20.

50
Table 9
Demographic Information of Interview Participants (N = 11)
Variable Pseudonym Gender
Canada Canada-1 Male
Canada-2 Male
Canada-3 Female
Canada-4 Female
Canada-5 Female
Canada-6 Female
Canada-7 Female
Canada-8 Male
United States U.S.-1 Online Female
U.S.-2 Online Female
U.S.-3 Online Female

In the following sections, findings and themes from survey and interview data analysis
are presented in subsections of KMO influences on performance. Under each subsection, the
assumed influences discussed in Chapter Two are the basis for the research findings. The end of
each section provides a synthesis as a summary.
Knowledge Results and Findings
One of the research questions sought to analyze the students’ knowledge related to self-
regulation, including help-seeking and time management skills. According to Krathwohl (2002),
there are four types of knowledge constructs: factual/declarative, conceptual, procedural, and
metacognitive. For this study, declarative, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge were
explored to evaluate knowledge gaps related to the student performance goal.
51
Table 10 provides a summary of each assumed knowledge influence on performance and
the key themes that emerged from the data analysis related to the knowledge influence. The
sections that follow discuss the themes in detail.

Table 10
Assumed Knowledge Influences and Themes From the Findings
Assumed influence Themes
Knowledge of resources available for
academic and non-academic help
(Declarative)
Students know what resources are available at their
university if they need academic help
Students know what resources are available at their
university if they need non-academic help
Knowledge of how to ask for and
leverage help (Procedural)
Students generally know how to ask for help at their
university if need it academically, with some gaps.

Students need additional guidance on how to ask for
help at their university with non-academic
challenges that may arise when studying abroad
Knowledge of how to reflect on
progress and strategies for success in
time management (Metacognitive)
Students know how to reflect on strategies they
could use to better manage time

52
Knowledge of the Resources Available
It was important to identify students’ knowledge and skills, as well as those they lacked,
to explore their abilities to be successful in their first year of university studies abroad. Issues of
learning and knowledge gaps related to what students need to know can be identified early on
(Rueda, 2011). Furthermore, Rueda (2011) identified a successful learner as one who is self-
regulated, engaged, and has expertise. This study derived knowledge influences pertaining to the
students’ ability to utilize time management and help-seeking to succeed in their first year of
university abroad. Specific survey and interview questions were developed to understand
students’ factual knowledge, and themes related to this influence are discussed below.
Theme 1: Students Know What Resources Are Available at Their University if They Need Help
Academically
In the survey, 86% of participants answered they know what resources are available to
them if they need academic help when prompted with the question, “I know what resources are
available to me at my university if I need help academically.” Fourteen percent selected Don’t
know. Figure 3 presents the results.

53
Figure 3
Knowledge of Academic Support Resources Available on Campus When Needed

Interestingly, students were also asked in the survey whom they have asked for help
(academic center, classmate, professor, parents, teaching assistant) and told to check all that
apply. As shown in Figure 4, students had asked for help in a wide variety of places, with the
most common being their professors. About 27% asked for help from their professor. About 24%
asked for help from a teaching assistant.

0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Don't Know Know
54
Figure 4
Whom Students Have Asked for Help

The interviews allowed a deeper understanding of the survey data. Interviewees were
asked about the kinds of academic support available to them on campus and where they could
seek it. All demonstrated knowledge of where to find resources and the types available. For
example, U.S.-3 online stated,
For academic support, first part is my academic advisor, who supports me in all the
course assignments. The second part, I think, is quite important: the professor’s office
hours. I can go discuss with all my study questions. The last one is a tutor and online
library systems support that can be used for more details questions and citations when I
write academic papers.
This participant shared their factual knowledge regarding academic support during their
first-year experience, and other participants expressed similar knowledge. For example, Canada-
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Academic Centre Classmates Professor Parents TA / Tutor
55
4 stated, “Tutorial and TA. There is more support I know for supporting liberal arts students
revise papers. Also, the student center will provide ESL support, academic writing, and
conversation peer to support Year 1 students.”
In summary, both the survey participants and interviewees suggested factual knowledge
of the kinds of academic supports available on their campus of where to find it.
Theme 2: Students Know What Resources Are Available at Their University if They Have
Non-Academic Challenges
Survey participants were asked if they know what university resources are available to
them if they have non-academic challenges, such as time management or social-emotional needs.
To these questions, they chose among three answer options: understand very well, understand,
and do not understand. As shown in Figure 5, 65% of the respondents stated they understood
where to find non-academic resources, 30% understood very well, and 3% did not understand.

56
Figure 5
Student Knowledge of What Resources Are Available at Their University if They Have Non-
Academic Challenges

Interviewees were also asked about the kinds of support available to them if they needed
non-academic support. Most interview participants identified where to find non-academic
support, with many stating places like the international students’ service center and
psychological counseling offices. For example, U.S.-3 online stated, “There is a student success
center, which is a center dominated by part-time students. You can talk to them about some of
your life worries, academic trouble, or anything in any aspect, and these seniors are very
helpful.” Similarly, Canada-5 stated, “In our university, the students career center will support
students find internships and jobs. Another one is the students’ counseling center, where you can
go any time when you have a difficult time in school.”
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Understand Understand Very Well Don't Understand
57
In sum, both the survey and interview data support that students know where to get non-
academic support and the types of support their campuses provide.
Knowledge of How to Ask for and Leverage Help
It was important to identify knowledge of how to ask for and leverage help to explore
students’ ability to be successful in their first year of university studies abroad. Themes related to
this influence are discussed below.
Theme 3: Students Know How to Ask for Help at Their University if They Need It
Academically, With Some Gaps in Knowledge
Survey participants suggested they know how to ask for the academic help they need. As
shown in Figure 6, 33% responded they understood very well, 65% responded they understood,
and 2% responded they did not understand.

Figure 6
Student Knowledge of How to Ask for Academic Help at Their University if Needed

0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Understand Very Well Understand Not Understand
58
Interview participants were asked a series of questions about knowing how to ask for help
at their universities. They were asked what suggestions they would offer a person who was in
their first month on campus, wanted to succeed, and wanted to ask for academic help. Interview
participants were also asked what kind of help they asked for in their year on campus and what
other help would have been beneficial if they had known how or where to get it. Most had
experience asking for academic help during their first year and offered advice to other students in
their first month on campus. For example, Canada-5 stated,
You need to attend the university orientation. You can make new friends with seniors and
freshmen faster, and they can share a lot of good experiences and help you if you
encounter problems. The most common problems encountered in the university are
academic problems, including course selection, credits, etcetera. If seniors encountered
these problems before, they would also ask the advisor. So, it is better to go to the advisor
by yourself, and then you can get the answer you need more accurately. When you are
new here, you’ve not lived here before, and there are a lot of things to be figured out,
including where to buy, where to eat, what kind of food, and the things you need to be
prepared for winter. For these questions, I would ask seniors at the same university for
help. For course selection, such as which courses are more suitable for the first year,
which courses cannot be selected in the first year, and which courses cannot be
combined, for these questions, I would get the information half from seniors and half
from the academic advisor.
Other interviewees provided additional insight into their knowledge of how to ask for
help. For example, Canada-2 discussed how the university’s English as a second language
courses and writing lab provided them with academic support. Canada-8 further stated asking for
59
academic help from teaching assistants, professors, and student organizations. They also
mentioned academic seminars and weekly workshops as places to ask for help and that each
course has its own study group where students can support each other.
Students also discussed other academic help that would have been beneficial in their first
year if had known how or where to get it. For example, several campuses had a college success
center to help Year 1 students in areas such as how to sign up for classes, how to read courses
syllabi, select a major, plan global study during the summer holiday, do test preparation, meet
with a professor, plan for emergencies, find a job, and prepare for a job interview. In general,
students suggested that the college success center provided different types of help that would
benefit Year 1 students, but they did not always know about them early on or how to ask them
for help.
Theme 4: Students Need Additional Guidance on How to Ask for Help at Their University
with Non-academic Challenges That May Arise When Studying Abroad
The survey results suggest that students have gaps in knowledge regarding how to ask for
help at their university with non-academic challenges. Thirty-seven percent of students
responded they understand or understand very well how to ask for non-academic help, as shown
in Figure 7.

60
Figure 7
Student Knowledge of How to Ask for Non-academic Help at Their University if Needed

The survey also asked students how many times they needed help for non-academic
challenges during their first year. Results were that 9% needed help 10 times or more, 26%
needed help between 5 and 10 times, 46% needed help between one and five times, and 11%
never asked for help (Figure 8).

0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Understand Very Well Understand Don't Understand
61
Figure 8
In Their First Year Studying Abroad, How Many Times Did Students Need Help With Non-
Academic Issues

Interestingly, during interviews, students gave differing answers around asking for help
with non-academic challenges during their first year. US1-online shared her thoughts on
knowing how to ask for help:
Generally, I am the kind of person that, if something unexpected happens to me, I will
solve it in the shortest possible time, except doing homework. But if there is a kind of
thing that I must solve, I will not leave it for 6 hours because I will always remember this
matter, and I will be very uncomfortable. So, if I cannot find a solution right now, I will
keep looking for it. For example, when I encountered a problem and the people around
me could not help, I would ask my seniors for help. And if they still could not help, I
would go directly to the department dedicated to answering all the students’ questions
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Need Help Need Help 5-10 Times Need Help more than
10 times
Never Ask for Help
62
and ask them for help. Then, if they could not solve it, they would at least give me a
general direction, telling me where I could go and ask for help. In that way, I can always
get my answers.
Similarly, other participants shared examples of how they felt successful in asking for
non-academic help from their university’s international center. Each university had a special
office to provide support and guidance for international students’ academic and non-academic
needs, and students knew how to ask for help here. In general, while interviewees knew how to
ask for help for non-academic challenges, this was more complicated for some participants. For
example, Canada-8 shared,
In the case that things were not done well and the time when you felt frustrated, you
need to ask for help. But at the time, I did not go because of my vanity, and I felt
regretful about it. If you need help, you should seek help as soon as possible, no matter.
Ask to go to the college students center or ask classmates. Just open your heart and seek
some support.
Other students similarly expressed that it is easy to feel a lack of preparation and confidence at a
university, especially when arriving from overseas into a new environment. Even smaller
problems can seem hard to solve. As students built their communication skills, their confidence
increased, and they realized they were not alone and could ask for support.
Knowledge of How to Reflect on Progress and Strategies for Success in Time Management
To explore students’ abilities to be successful in their first year of university studies
abroad, it was also important for students to know how to reflect on progress and strategies for
success in time management. University life is like juggling. Students have different balls in the
air, and they try to handle them all at once. Between studying, assignments, exams, a social life,
63
looking for a part-time job or internship, studying abroad, and taking care of family, students
need to be able to reflect on their time management, figuring out where each commitment fits in
and how to balance demands.
Theme 5: Students Know How to Reflect on Strategies for Time Management
The survey asked students if they knew how to reflect on strategies they could use to
better manage their time. The results were that 80% of participants chose strongly agree, and 5%
chose strongly disagree to the question, “I know how to reflect on strategies I could use to better
manage my time,” as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9
Students’ Knowledge of How to Reflect on Strategies to Better Manage Their Time

0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Strongly Agree Agree Strongly Disagree
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Most interviewees stated that time management is very important during university life
and enables them to be high achievers. An interviewee stated,
Most of us, even those of students with modest endowments, will have to learn managing
themselves. Students must learn to develop their skills. For first-year students, the class
schedule should block. Planning is good for students to start figuring out how they should
do all the studying, work, and social life mixed. Write down all the classes, weekly
assignments, quizzes, exercises, group work, and presentation into the electronic or point
calendar. Then develop an overall checklist. Enter it all in or write it all out. Then you
can see your tasks and will not juggle in your head.
While some students said to use a calendar to manage time, others suggested list planning
for how they reflect on their ability to manage their time. On student stated,
Prioritizing your study time and doing your homework on time is the key for success
during the school year. All students have different focus on their to-do list. Learn to
triage your courses, that is, to spend a different amount of time on each class depending
on how important or difficult. Working with assignments, doing the reading in advance,
studying for each quiz as it comes. [These] are all learning strategies that will increase
your efficiency and cut down on your overall study time. You might face different tasks,
and time management will support you to be very time-efficient to do things. Especially
at the beginning with university life and the first semester, students should track how
long it takes to do each assignment in each of your classes, and preparing for quizzes and
takes, and to write down making record. After, you learning from your experience and
adjust your studying plan dynamically as the semester progresses. Time management will
also develop students’ skills in independent routine procedures.
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In sum, students in both the survey and interviews suggested they engaged in reflection
around time management and provided specific examples of how they do that.
Summary of Knowledge Findings
In general, students discussing Year 1 of their undergraduate studies abroad reported
having knowledge and experience in time management and help seeking. They knew resources
available to them for academic and non-academic challenges, how to ask for help, and how to
reflect on strategies for successful time management. Some students noted continuing needs in
identifying and asking for non-academic help. According to the survey and interview data, the
three assumed knowledge influences, in general, serve as assets to the students in their first year
of study abroad.
Motivation Results and Findings
As introduced in Chapter Two, this study examined assumed motivation influences that
could play a role in students’ success related to time management and help seeking. Motivation
is defined as “a process where goal directed activity is instigated and sustained” (Rueda, 2011, p.
38). Two critical motivational factors examined through this research were self-efficacy and
utility value. The following sections examine the extent to which CIHS students studying in
North American universities expressed value in time management and seeking help and believed
they were capable of being successful in their first year. Table 11 provides a summary of each
assumed motivation influence on performance and the key themes that emerged from the data
related to the motivation influence.

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Table 11
Assumed Motivation Influences and Themes from the Findings
Assumed influences Themes
Value for time management and seeking help
(utility value)
Students see the value in seeking help and
time management at their university, but
some struggled at different points with time
management.
Belief they are capable of being successful in
their first year at a university abroad (self-
efficacy)
Students were mixed in feeling confident in
their time management and help seeking
skills to be successful in their first year of
study abroad.

Students’ Value for Time Management and Help-Seeking
The degree to which there is value in carrying out a task in accordance with the identified
goal is known as utility value (Eccles, 2010). The more value that students see in an activity, the
greater the chance that they will choose to carry out the behaviors necessary and persist to
succeed in that task. For the purpose of this study, students need to see the value of time
management and help seeking to succeed in their first year of university abroad.
Theme 6: Students See the Value in Seeking Help and Time Management, but Some Struggled
at Different Points With Time Management
The survey included a statement asking participants to strongly agree, agree, disagree or
strongly disagree that they see the value in seeking help at their university if they are struggling.
In response, 69% stated they agree, and 30% stated they strongly agree that they see the value of
asking for help at their university, as shown in Figure 10.

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Figure 10
I See the Value in Seeking Help at My University if I am Struggling

Further, students were asked about the value they placed on managing time carefully to
succeed in their studies. The survey showed that 51% of survey participants agreed, and 48%
strongly agreed regarding the importance of time management in achieving academic success
(Figure 11).

0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Agree Strongly Agree
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Figure 11
I See the Value in Managing My Time Well to Achieve Academic Success

Similarly, interview respondents expressed the value they placed on managing their time
well related to their ability to succeed in their university studies abroad. For example, Canada-5
stated,
This must be very important because I think it may not only be a matter of academic
success but also about our good health. For example, many international students will
stay up late to do something. If you manage your time well, you cannot only achieve
academic success, but you can also make yourself healthier.
Similarly, US1-online stated, “I think it is very important to arrange time reasonably. Self-
discipline is the best habit.”
At the same time, some participants shared struggles regarding their time-management
experience during their first year of university. These struggles included taking a long time to get
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree
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work finished and feeling scattered. For some, like Canada-10, their grades remained good, and
they finished their homework on time, but they felt they wasted much time. Canada-4 discussed
some time management challenges they faced early, stating,
For the first year, it was not very good because sometimes, although not very often, I
would keep doing homework until the last minutes before it was due, and I felt nervous.
So, it’s better for us to finish the work in advance.
Canada-4 expressed value in time management, stating it was “better” to finish work in advance
but lacked some motivation to do so. Similarly, Canada-8 stated,
Sometimes, I didn’t get up until noon, and I wasted the time the whole day. In the first
year, I felt that I did not do a good job of time management at the beginning, and I didn’t
have those kinds of perseverance.
In summary, while the participants generally expressed the value they place on help
seeking and time management in their academic success, several expressed struggles with time
management.
Students’ Self-Efficacy About Their Time Management and Help Seeking Skills to be
Successful in Their First Year
Students’ beliefs about how successful they would be in their first year at a university
depend on their self-efficacy. This study examined participants’ beliefs about their abilities to
self-regulate, specifically their ability to manage their time effectively and to seek help when
they needed it.
Most of the interviewees addressed how important asking for help is in their ability to
succeed in university studies, but several expressed a lack of confidence, at least initially, in
doing so.
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Theme 7: Student Were Mixed in Feeling Confident in Their Time Management and Help
Seeking Skills Needed to Succeed During Their First Year of Study Aboard
A survey item stated, “I was confident in my ability to succeed during my first year of
study abroad.” As shown in Figure 12, 67% of participants agreed, 27% strongly agreed, and 6%
strongly disagreed.

Figure 12
In the First Year of Studying Abroad, I Was Confident in My Abilities to Succeed

0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Strongly Agree Agree Strongly Disagree
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It is important to note that about 20% of students responded that they strongly disagreed
that they were confident in their ability to succeed in their first year of study abroad. This is
supported by the interview findings, as some interviewees expressed confidence, and some did
not. For example, in discussing their lack of confidence, Canada-9 stated,
I think it is important to ask questions, no matter academically or non-academically.
Academically, I found that there were many situations like this at the very beginning, no
matter [whether] it was the studio class or liberal arts class. I would never ask questions
at the beginning if I did not understand, and I just let it go even though I did not
understand.
In particular, a number of interviewees expressed a lack of confidence in their freshman
year but greater confidence during their sophomore year. Canada-8 shared this sentiment:
The experience of frustration in the first year made me more confident in my second year.
In fact, I experienced everything in the first year, and even failure, and I think the second
year should not be too bad. Then, I used my experience to handle this kind of time-
management problem.
Canada-4 also expressed greater confidence in Year 2, largely tied to help seeking. When
choosing courses for Year 2, Canada-4 asked seniors or other people about the classes and chose
the courses that were suitable for their major. Canada-5 tied this greater confidence to time
management and help-seeking skills:
My mental situation is better than in the first year because I have already known a lot
about how to study in university and what methods to use for what kind of courses. For
example, I studied Japanese in the first year, and I also studied Japanese in the second
year. In the first year of learning Japanese, I did not know what the format and content of
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the exam is and didn’t know the method to learn this language. Then in the second year, I
know how Japanese teachers like to set questions and how they guide the students to
study, so it is much better than in the first year. In the second year, I also know that I can
directly email the professor if I encounter a question I do not know. I must not worry
about it. When I was freshman, I worried that my questions were too simple, and if I
asked him, he thought I was not studying well so that he would not have a good
impression of me. However, in fact, it would never happen. So, after knowing this in the
second year, the things got easier than last year including academic aspects.
Interestingly, a couple of interview participants expressed a growing lack of confidence
moving into their second year. This was expressed as a lack of confidence as the courses became
more difficult. As Canada-1 stated, “After the first year at university, my increasing
understanding of university gradually made me more confident. But, on the contrary, because of
the increasing difficulty of the courses, I also lost a little confidence.”
In sum, while some students believed they were capable of being successful in their first
year of undergraduate studies, a few did not have that same confidence, particularly around
issues of time management and help seeking. For some, their lack of confidence continued into
the second year of study.
Summary of Motivation Findings
The majority of survey participants agreed that they see the value in time management
and seeking help, and the students believed they were capable of being successful in their first
year studying abroad. The interviewees emphasized that planning is key to success, including
developing an overall academic and non-academic plan and writing the plan down because
juggling it in one’s mind will make planning more difficult.
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According to the findings, students have clear motivational assets in recognizing the
value of time management and seeking help. Some interviewees discussed struggling with time
management in practice and lacked confidence in their ability to manage their time and seek
help, particularly during their first year at their universities.
Organizational Results and Findings
It is important to understand how CIHS’s cultural models and cultural settings, both the
more visible and less visible aspects of the organization’s culture, influenced the students’
abilities to seek help and manage their time to succeed in their first year of study abroad. Two
assumed organization influences were identified and examined through analysis of data from
surveys and interviews.
From the students’ perspective, KMO influences determine whether students can succeed
in performing their roles and achieving their goals. Organizational influences can be categorized
into two different types: models and settings (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). In terms of
cultural models, CIHS needs to have a culture of supporting students after they graduate and
begin higher education studies abroad. Cultural settings are visible organizational influences
such as policies and procedures and the degree to which resources are available. The cultural
setting influence examined in this study related to CIHS needing to provide a broad range of
non-academic skills development programming to ensure graduates who study abroad at higher
education institutions will demonstrate success through passing their courses in Year 1 and
continuing their studies into Year 2.
Table 12 provides a summary of each assumed organizational influence on performance
and the key themes that emerged from the data related to the organizational influence.
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Table 12
Assumed Organizational Influences and Themes from the Findings
Assumed influences Themes
CIHS needs to have a culture of
supporting students after they
graduate and begin higher
education studies abroad.
The CIHS staff created a culture of continual support if
students needed it as they began higher education studies
abroad. Students suggested additional areas it would be
helpful to have additional support.
CIHS needs to provide a broad
range of non-academic skills
and develop programming for
students during high school in
relevant and timely expertise.
Students received a broad range of non-academic skills’
development programming to help them gain non-
academic skills, such as time management and help-
seeking skills, to succeed in studies abroad.

CISH Needs to Have a Culture of Supporting Students After They Graduate and Begin
Higher Education Studies Abroad
Students who attend private school in China do so with the intention of graduating and
attending a 4-year university abroad. As a result, private schools must offer a culture of support
that is well-rounded and focused not only on academics but also non-academic areas that will
allow students a successful transition. This is a significant part of the students’ experience
because, according to recent statistics, approximately 25% of Chinese students studying abroad
will encounter difficulties, especially in their first and second year (Schunk & Zimmerman,
1994). While high schools may have a culture of support, this support may end once students
graduate, opening a gap in this culture of support.

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Theme 8: Staff at CIHS Created a Culture of Support to Provide Students Support if Needed
as They Began Higher Education Studies Abroad
As shown in Figure 13, 69% of survey participants agreed and 26% strongly agreed that
CIHS school staff were available if they needed help when starting their higher education studies
abroad.

Figure 13
After Graduating from High School, the Staff Were Still Available to Provide Support if I Needed
It As I Began My Higher Education Studies

0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Agreed Strongly Agrred
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Following the survey, the interview participants were asked questions on the kinds of
supports they received from CIHS after they graduated and began their studies abroad and
whether other kinds of support would have been helpful. When students from high school move
to higher education, their university education is about preparing them for the rest of their lives,
not only for a job. Higher education involves learning, meeting new professors and friends,
making decisions, building new relationships, managing skills, leaving home, travelling, dealing
with financial problems, working part-time jobs, and more. Students need to be prepared by
having excellent communication skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening), the ability to
learn and do group work, solve problems, think critically, and demonstrate social skills, ethics, a
positive attitude, and responsibility. They must be willing to adapt to changing circumstances
and transform knowledge to new situations and solve real world problem (Wan, 2006). While
CIHS needs to prepare students during high school, additional supports may be needed as they
transition to their university studies.
Interview participant Canada-5 discussed the support received from CIHS following
graduation, stating:
I think of the help and support that the school has provided by a great study abroad
network and connection. For example, the school network has the information about the
graduate who came to this university before. When I come to this university by myself, I
met many graduates from my high school and met more new friends, but the relationship
with them is different from the relationship with the other schoolmates. I think this is
very important because they help me solve a lot of problems and give me lots of support.
This student also discussed going to one of their former teachers at CIHS when they needed to
provide proof of academic performance to their university and was unsure what that meant. The
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teacher provided the information they needed, which provided them with confidence and a
feeling of support.
Other students also expressed appreciation for the contact they had with their high school
teachers and counselor during Year 1. Students shared examples of asking teachers for guidance
on what level courses to take and being in close contact with the CIHS University Guidance
Office to share their progress and information about university life. The students mentioned the
school also surveys all students yearly.
Students were also asked about additional supports that would have been helpful after
graduation as they began higher education studies abroad. They offered a number of suggestions,
including an overseas alumnus center, pre-college courses, and global studying programs.
In summary, the students reported that CIHS continued to provide valuable support
following graduation and into their first year of study abroad, including support in transferring
from high school to university, strengthening critical skills and research abilities, and problem
solving for schoolwork and personal life. The interviewees also discussed additional support that
would be valuable.
CIHS Needs to Offer a Broad Range of Non-Academic Skills Development Programming
During High School
The CIHS school guidance counselor has the role of ensuring students have the
programming they need to apply to and succeed at universities abroad. This requires them to be
up to date on trends in higher education institutions and the non-academic skills, mindsets and
attributes their high school students will needs to succeed there. The programming they develop
and provide to students is essential to building knowledge and motivation for future studies
abroad.
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Theme 9: While at CIHS, Students Received a Broad Range of Non-Academic Skills
Development Programming to Help Them Gain Non-Academic Skills, such as Time
Management and Help-Seeking Skills, to Succeed in Their Studies Abroad
CIHS provides different programs to prepare students for studying abroad, including the
global studying program that most students join during each year’s summer holiday. The
program guides students to study at different universities overseas through academic and
university experience courses. These are face-to-face summer courses where they engage in
intensive learning at the university. Students usually spend a month studying at different
universities, with university summer courses being small interactive groups led by university
professors, teaching assistants, and distinguished speakers. When students attend the global
studying program, they can choose a specific area to study, and it allows students to experience
university life with a range of students from around the world. They can develop communication
skills, self-management, overseas learning, and life experience before going abroad for higher
education.
Interviewees addressed their experiences with non-academic skills development
programming at CIHS. Interview participant Canada-6, for example, stated,
I think the high school’s student development committee was very helpful because in
high school, I was basically concerned about academic research but not about the non-
academic research aspects, such as how to deal with the friends’ relationships between
people and how to manage time and tasks. As a member of the student development
committee, it made me stronger. It strengthened my leadership and communication skills.
Other interviewees spoke specifically about their participation in the global studying
program. For example, US-1online stated,
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I joined summer school during G10 summer. That summer, I chose the course about
international human rights law. I was very interested in this course but not sure what it
really meant. During summer school, I met lots of friends like my age but from different
countries and thought, after the 1-month’s study, I know the fundamental of international
human rights law and human rights with marketplace. War, peace, and human rights. I
thought the summer course made myself more knowledgeable, have me communication
skills, and opened my eyes on different things.
In terms of additional high school programming that might have helped the students
prepare for their studies abroad, some participants mentioned the importance of group work.
They suggested that as high school students they should engage in at least some group work
under a teacher’s direction. Once at their university, many students realized that group work was
more important than they thought. They also noted that collaboration is important in studying
and at workplaces. They suggested that more group work would give them stronger skills when
preparing for university studies.
Summary of Organizational Findings
In general, students recognized that CIHS has established and provided a school culture
that supports and prepares students for study abroad. The school community prepares students
academically and non-academically, and that culture of support continues after they graduate.
Students were also generally satisfied with the school’s different activities and programs to
prepare them for their studies abroad. However, students expressed a few areas for additional
support, particularly the need to focus on more group work programming.

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Conclusion
The purpose of the study was to understand CIHS graduates’ KMO influences related to
the non-academic skills of time management and help-seeking for their success in their Year 1
studies abroad. The key findings as presented in this chapter were that participants know what
resources are available at their universities if they need academic or non-academic help and see
the value in seeking help and time management. They know that university staff members are
available to them to provide support. At the same time, students expressed additional needs
related to knowing how to ask for help, confidence in their time management, and engagement in
group and collaborative work.
Based on these findings, Chapter Five will offer recommendations for further supporting
CIHS students to develop the non-academic skills of time management and help seeking to
succeed in their studies abroad.
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CHAPTER FIVE: RECOMMENDATIONS
This purpose of study was to understand the knowledge, motivation and organization
needs related to time management and help seeking of CIHS (a pseudonym) graduates in their
first year of postsecondary study in North America. Chinese high school students’ lack of non-
academic skills preparation affects the organization’s goal for all graduates to succeed in their
studies abroad by passing all their courses in Year 1 and continuing their studies into Year 2. The
following three questions guided this study:
1. What is the students’ knowledge and motivation related to time management and help-
seeking skills to complete their first year at their higher education intuition abroad and
choose to continue their studies into year two?
2. How does CIHS support the students in acquiring these skills?
3. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational resources?
This chapter will focus on the third question, using the findings from Chapter Four to
offer evidence-based recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of KMO resources
to reach the organization’s goal. The survey and interview data demonstrated areas of current
KMO assets and continuing needs organized around themes. The areas of continuing needs will
be the focus of recommendations.
This chapter will begin with a presentation of the findings from the preceding chapter.
Next, recommendations for practice stemming from the KMO findings will be discussed. Then,
this chapter will turn to the study’s limitations and delimitations, areas for future research, and a
conclusion.

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Students’ Continuing Needs Related to Help Seeking and Time Management
The study revealed some challenges that participants faced related to help seeking and
time management that will need to be mitigated if CIHS is to effectively meet their
organizational goal. These included that they have some gaps in knowledge on how to ask for
academic and non-academic help, expressed mixed levels of confidence in their time
management and help-seeking skills, and suggested additional ways CIHS could support students
prior to and after they began their studies abroad. Table 13 provides the assumed KMO
influences on performance and related continuing need.

Table 13
Continuing Needs
Knowledge Assumed knowledge influence Result
Procedural Knowledge of how to ask for and leverage help Continuing need

Self-efficacy Belief they are capable of being successful in their
first year at a university abroad.
Continuing need
Organization Assumed organizational influences Result
Cultural setting
influence
CIHS needs to provide a broad range of non-
academic skills and development programming
for students during high school with relevant
and timely expertise.

Continuing need

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Under the knowledge needs, some CIHS students need additional guidance on how to ask
for help. This finding is supported by literature that found that Chinese high school students who
study abroad may have language communication barriers or lack confidence in communicating
with faculty and other students that can affect their help seeking and, ultimately, their learning
progress (Wan, 1996). Also, due to language, communication, and other barriers, they may not
join other students or communities and thus may feel lonely or isolated (Chao et al.2017). This
lack of joining communities may also prevent them from establishing a network to ask for help.
In terms of motivation needs, students need additional confidence in their time
management and help-seeking skills to be successful in their first year of study abroad. This
connects back to Chao et al.’s (2017) findings that Chinese high school students are particularly
motivated to gain admittance to competitive universities around the world. To help them gain
said admission, their daily class time, quitting time, mealtime and exercise time are fully
arranged and scheduled (Valdez, 2015). They do not build their self-confidence in managing their
time, which then becomes an important factor for study and life in North American universities
(Valdez, 2015).
Under the organization needs, CIHS needs to ensure that students receive the supports
they need to be successful in their studies abroad and that CIHS counselors have the expertise to
support students in a rapidly changing higher education context. Besides the academic
preparation, private international schools also need to ensure their students have the non-
academic skills required when studying abroad (Council of International Schools, 2019). For
example, through summer exchange programs, students can become better prepared to handle
study and life in diverse environments (Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange, 2019).
These supports have an important impact on students’ academic learning and social interactions
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(Wan, 1996). In addition, with a changing study abroad landscape during and following the
COVID-19 pandemic, students and their families may need additional non-academic supports,
with high schools and school counselors playing an essential role in providing these. Below are
recommendations for how these continuing needs may be addressed.
Proposed Recommendations for Practice
Based on the research findings of continuing KMO needs for CIHS students to have the
help-seeking and time management skills to succeed in their first year of university studies
abroad, three recommendations for practice are offered for CIHS to best support students in
gaining these skills. Table 14 shows each proposed recommendation and the continuing need or
needs that are addressed through the recommendation. As shown, each continuing need is
addressed at multiple levels through more than one recommendation for practice. Combined, the
three proposed recommendations would support relevant stakeholders across the school in
working together toward development of students’ help seeking and time management. Each
recommendation will be discussed in the context of supporting literature.

85
Table 14
Recommendations for Practice
Recommendation for practice Continuing need addressed
Enhance the high school global
study program
Students need additional guidance on how to ask for help
at their university if they face academic and non-
academic challenges.
Students see the value in help seeking and time
management at their university, but some struggled at
different points with time management.
Students were mixed in feeling confident in their time
management and help-seeking skills to be successful in
their first year of study abroad.
While students received a broad range of non-academic
skills development programming, additional
opportunities to participate in group work and engage in
collaboration would be beneficial prior to studying
abroad.
Develop project-based learning
studies in high school
While students received a broad range of non-academic
skills development programming, additional
opportunities to participate in group work and engage in
collaboration would be beneficial prior to studying
abroad.
Provide professional development
training for guidance counselors
Students need additional guidance on how to ask for help
at their university if they face academic and non-
academic challenges.
Students were mixed in feeling confident in their time
management and help-seeking skills to be successful in
their first year of study abroad.
While students received a broad range of non-academic
skills development programming, additional
opportunities to participate in group work and engage in
collaboration would be beneficial prior to studying
abroad.

Recommendation 1: Build Enhanced High School Global Study Program
Historically, CIHS has provided students opportunities to participate in a 4-week summer
school programs at higher education institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, and
86
Canada. These summer programs enrich their regular and extra curriculars. Their teachers also
attend the summer school with students in the foreign country, and while there, teachers engage
in professional development. This recommendation suggests a more formal and expanded global
study and exchange program be established. Students could choose to study abroad during winter
or summer vacation, which would enrich their multicultural learning, improve their learning
skills, foster time management, and allow them to build confidence in their help-seeking and
other skills. At traditional Chinese public schools, it is common for parents and teachers to
prepare students’ daily schedules and initiate the focus for students’ learning. However, CIHS
expects students to develop the skills to manage their daily lives inside and outside of school.
The school seeks to support students in developing their own independence during their high
school years. These skills are crucial to their later success at overseas universities. These skills
include time management, help seeking, critical thinking, open communication, teamwork,
problem solving, social skills, and professional development.
A global study program would allow students to take part in a summer international
course for youth in different universities, partnered with CIHS, that could include leadership,
language, history, music, arts, creative writing, social work, or environmental studies.
Universities in the United States, Canada, and Australia, where many CIHS alumni study
following graduation, offer summer courses that enrich the integrated university learning
experience. Given the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on travel, new opportunities have
opened up to participate in these programs online as needed. This provides CIHS an opportunity
to expand offerings and allow all students to participate in global studies through a formal and
enhanced program. Many universities offer real-time classes and pre-recorded sessions to
students. CIHS and students should be adaptable and flexible to these models of content delivery.
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It is a learning opportunity for students to develop new skills, including help seeking and time
management.
The global study program’s purpose would be to let students experience overseas study
life and culture, whether in person or virtually, and possibly explore university majors in which
they may be interested. The courses would be taught by university professors, and during the
process of learning, the students could study and communicate with peers from different
countries, engaging in collaborative and group work and activities. There could also be different
travel and extracurricular activities organized around the courses.
The global study program could be conducted during winter and summer breaks each
year, usually in February and July, with each session scheduled to last 4 to 6 weeks. The students
from Senior One and Senior Two could choose the courses they take. Students with strong
academic ability could choose credit courses during the summer sessions in Senior Two and
Senior Grade Three so that the credits can be carried into their university application. Students
would be introduced to the content of the global study program when entering high school so that
they can better plan their study, life, and activities during the 3 years of high school.
Before applying to an overseas study program, students would be made aware of and
receive relevant guidance on the basic requirements for application. Through studying and
learning in the different countries, courses, and cultural experiences, students would gain
additional confidence and skills, including in time management and help seeking, to prepare
them for future college life abroad early. At the same time, the high school teacher or counselor,
acting more like an observer, could be the team’s leader of the during the course of study. That
person would provide ancillary support to the students, when required, to guide their growth.

88
Recommendation 2: Develop Project-Based Learning Opportunities in High School
Participants expressed a need for additional group and collaborative work prior to their
studies abroad. Incorporating greater project-based learning into the curriculum would help build
this capacity. Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered, student-led learning process,
which combines students’ knowledge, skills, goals-setting, research ability, implementation, and
evaluation (Scarbrough et al., 2004). Research has shown that, among other benefits, PBL can
support help seeking and time management skills. For example, Mergendoller and Thomas
(2005) interviewed 12 expert teachers in PBL in the United States to elicit the teachers’ strategies
for implementing, managing, and maximizing its success. This analysis revealed a number of
successful techniques employed by expert teachers in PBL and were grouped around seven
overarching themes and 18 sub-themes. Each sub-theme comprised principles or guidelines
aimed to provide practical advice to teachers. These principles and guidelines included areas of
time management, getting started, and working with others outside the classroom. In addition,
starting from the premise that project-based teaching assumes significant changes in classroom
practices, Krakcik et al. (1994) described how teachers can address problems students encounter
as they begin to engage in inquiry and ameliorate them at specific phases of development. By
helping to improve students’ capacity in help seeking and time management, PBL could further
lay a solid foundation for future studying abroad.
Project-based learning could serve an important foundation for students to improve their
personal capacity and prepare for future studying abroad. Through real, situational inquiry
learning and exploring driving problems, students can improve their capacity to achieve expected
learning. Students can learn and apply a variety of concepts while they engage in cooperative
activity involving peers, teachers, and community members to jointly find solutions to driving
89
problems. Proper learning techniques would be used to build a learning platform for students so
that they can participate in activities beyond their own capacity (Yazici, 2020).
Project-based learning can be combined with students’ further university guidance
counseling. A high school student who is about to apply to study at an overseas university
requires the ability to prepare for exams, self-management, time management, and help-seeking
abilities. During high school, theses abilities shall be cultivated through study and practices in a
planned manner. In traditional education, students mainly focus on their academic performance
and pay less attention to activities other than preparing for exams. Therefore, advancing PBL is
of great significance under the goal that schools, teachers, and parents jointly cultivate the
comprehensive qualities of future international students.
Through PBL, high school guidance counseling can be transformed. Especially when
entering the second semester of Grade 11 and the first semester of Grade 12, the application
season for overseas universities begins. When applying, GPA, language scores, and cost are
important considerations, but students also need to communicate with multiple parties like
admissions officers, guidance counselors, professors, and their parents about their goals, hopes,
and challenges. Increasingly, admissions officers are looking for students to have additional soft
skills, like strong communication skills, outside of strong academic achievements (Kokotsaki et
al., 2016). Student-centered, student-oriented PBL is conducive to advancing multiple parties’
collaboration, communication, and coordination as well as improving students’ comprehensive
capacity. Also, PBL it can be applied to a variety of subjects. More time and space available for
PBL would allow students to play the leading role in improving their abilities in help seeking,
time management, and problem solving.

90
Recommendation 3: Professional Development Training for Guidance Counselors
Guidance counselors operate in a rapidly changing higher education landscape and need
continual professional development. This includes rapidly changing application and acceptance
processes for overseas study and preparing students with the skills, attributes, and mindsets to
succeed in their studies. Graduates in this study spoke of additional needs related to time
management and help-seeking skills as well as group work and collaboration. Thus, CIHS
guidance counselors are at the center of the recommendation for additional professional
development and additional workshops for students and parents in preparation for studying
abroad. These practices relate to the recommendation of a high school global studies program.
Table 15 presents recommendations for the professional development.

Table 15
Types of Professional Development Opportunities for Guidance Counselors
College Board Annual college counselor online or on-site
session in June and July for international
guidance counselor training
Study UK Periodic sessions on applying UK-stream
higher education, annual college counselor
online or on-site session training or
conferences
UK Universities Annual Counselor Campus
Tour
International guidance counselor on-site
campus tours and annual conference
NACAC and IACAC(China) Annual on-site and online conference,
training program. Annual professional
development focused on new trends.
Guidance counselor will take part in regular
professional development training annually.
Admissions information sessions provided by
each university
Hosted by each university’s admissions office

91
Further, counselors could be trained to build opportunities for students to engage in help-
seeking. For example, during each term, counselors may discuss with students in class or in
groups how their school activities helped them achieve their goals, and students can share their
experiences. Counselors can also guide them to establish the following years’ study plan to build
in help-seeking and time management activities. In this way, students can practice active
communication when they are confused in order to improve their problem solving, help seeking,
and time management.
Limitations and Delimitation
As with all research, this research has limitations and delimitations. Limitations are those
matters or issues occurring in the process of the study that are beyond the researcher’s control.
Delimitations refer to characteristics that result from specific choices made by the researcher
(Simon & Goes, 2013). This research included the perceptions of CIHS 2018 graduates who
entered overseas universities in the United States and Canada in the fall of 2018. The study was
conducted through a survey and interviews. Several limitations to the study need noting. One
limitation is who chose to respond to the survey and participate in the interview and whether they
were representative of the larger population. Another limitation was that the participants may
have been hesitant to provide honest or thorough responses to questions posed.
This research was conducted both prior to and at the very beginning of the COVID-19
pandemic. At the later stage of the interviews, due to the pandemic, travel restrictions were
imposed, and interviews had to be conducted online instead of at the universities and cities where
the students were located. Further, many students around the world were studying online, and
digital learning had a large impact on their self-learning. Students needed to find learning
resources and support online, which intensified requirements for their abilities in help-seeking
92
and time management. Student responses could have differed based on those who were
interviewed prior to the pandemic and those who were interviewed during its early stages.
Further, results may have differed if students were surveyed and interviewed at a later point in
the pandemic. The pandemic curtailed study abroad and as students from China resume studying
in North America and elsewhere, their experiences will likely look different than it did at the
time of this study.
The study was further delimited in that it only included students in their first year of
study in Canada and the United States. The perspectives of students in other countries were not
captured. In addition, only CIHS 2018 graduates were included in the study. Graduates of other
schools may have offered different perspectives. Finally, students were surveyed and interviewed
during their first year of college, limiting their perspectives of their help seeking and time
management to their skills and abilities during that period.
Areas for Future Research
The research was conducted with CIHS alumni who completed high school in China and
were in their first year of study in North American universities. Given that this study was
conducted both prior to and at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, future research should
include additional cohorts of students to understand their help-seeking and time management
skills during and after pandemic-related changes implemented across higher education
institutions. In addition, as Chinese high school students are increasingly seeking higher
education in a wide variety of international settings, further research should include more
countries and different school types. For instance, data from those studying abroad in the United
Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong
93
and Macau in Asia would also be important for future research to capture student perspectives of
their help seeking and time management.
Research might also investigate students’ experiences at different stages of their studies
abroad, such as upon enrollment, following their freshman year, or immediately after graduation
for more in-depth follow-up investigation and analysis. Future research could also divide
students according to the type of high school they attended, such as traditional Chinese high
schools and international high schools to compare and analyze their advantages and challenges.
Finally, while this study focused specifically on students’ help seeking and time-management
skills, increasingly, a wide variety of soft skills are valued for success in higher education and the
workplace. Future studies could include analysis of Chinese students’ knowledge, motivation,
and supports to develop these additional skills prior to and during their university studies abroad.
Conclusion
This research began in 2019 through an online survey and then face-to-face interviews
with recent CIHS graduates studying at universities in Canada and the United States. Prior to the
final phase of interviews in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic directly affected the ability to
conduct in-person interviews. The last several interviews were conducted online. The main
findings of the study suggested continuing student needs in the areas of asking for and leveraging
help, their belief that they are capable of being successful in their first year at college, and the
need for a broad range of non-academic skills and programming for students during high school.
There findings led to three recommendations for practice:
1. Enhance the high school global studies program with early exposure to global
experiences and different cultural contents.
94
2. Employ PBL methodology in high school teaching to develop students’ learning
abilities, especially the skills of research, help seeking, time management, and
collaboration.
3. Provide solid professional development programs for the high school counselors to
best support students in their studies abroad, including acquiring the competencies of
help-seeking and time management.
The pandemic rapidly expanded on a global scale and higher education changed
dramatically. The sudden closure of in-person learning, the shift to working from home, and
remote digital learning instantly became part of our world and irrevocably accelerated the
mixture of learning, AI, and education. The self-management and time management of online
study became more important. The pandemic called for the ability to quickly change the mode of
study; home quarantining and social distancing affected everyone’s physical status and mental
status. However, this provides opportunities to develop profound thinking on how to build more
resilient and comprehensively capable international students in the future.
During and after the pandemic, as universities needed to adopt and innovate online
learning, there is the potential to expand thinking about studying abroad and provide new ways
to expand global learning resources more broadly and equitably. In the past, students had to
study on campus, with time and cost serving as barriers for many of them. However, with online
or mixed learning modes, students can define the intensity and length of their study based on
their schedules, abilities, and resources. More systematic and long-term research is needed to
better prepare Chinese students to receive overseas higher education. There is also a need to
create new visions of study abroad so that more students can smoothly receive and complete
95
global higher education. As the post-pandemic era arrives, there is a need for more profound
exploration of students’ comprehensive development as global citizens.

96
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101
APPENDIX A: SURVEY PROTOCOL
Background questions I successfully completed my first year of
study abroad and will be returning to my
university for the 2
nd
year (yes, no)

In my first year of study, my university was in
(check from short list of geographic areas
and “other”)

I attended a public/private university (check
which one)

My intended major is (check from a list of a
few of the most common majors and
“other”)
Assumed influences on performance Survey questions
Knowledge of resources available I know what resources are available to me at
my university if I need help academically.

I know what resources are available to me at
my university if I have non-academic
challenges (e.g., time management, social,
emotional) (strongly agree to strongly
disagree).
Knowledge of how to ask for and leverage
help
I know how to ask for help at my university if
I need it academically (strongly agree to
strongly disagree).

I know how to ask for help at my university
with non-academic challenges that may
arise in studying abroad (strongly agree to
strongly disagree).

In my first year of study abroad, I sought help
for non-academic challenges how many
times? (Never; 1–5 times; 5–10 times; more
than 10 times).

I sought help from (check all that apply:
academic advisor; faculty; student support
services; other students).
Knowledge of how to reflect on progress and
strategies for success in time management
and help seeking
I know how to reflect on strategies I could use
to better manage my time (strongly agree to
strongly disagree).

102
I know how to reflect on help I may need to
perform better in my studies (strongly agree
to strongly disagree).

Value for self-regulation, time management,
and help seeking
I see the value in seeking help at my
university if I’m struggling (strongly agree
to strongly disagree).
I see the value in managing my time carefully
to succeed in my studies (strongly agree to
strongly disagree).

Self-efficacy: Students believe they are
capable of being successful in their first
year in a university abroad

I have successfully completed my first year at
my chosen university (Yes or No).

I was confident in my ability to succeed
during my first year of study abroad
(strongly agree to strongly disagree).

Goal orientation: Students have a goal
orientation toward university success

I have set a clear goal for wanting to succeed
in my studies abroad (strongly agree to
strongly disagree).
Cultural model influence: CIHS need to have
a culture of supporting students after they
graduate and begin higher education studies
abroad
After graduating from CIHS, the staff there
were still available to provide support if I
needed it as I began my higher education
studies abroad. (strongly agree to strongly
disagree).

It would be helpful to have more support from
CIHS after graduation and as we begin
higher education studies abroad (strongly
agree to strongly disagree).

Cultural setting influence: CIHS needs to
provide a broader range of non-academic
skills development programming for
students during high school in relevant and
timely expertise.
While at CIHS, I received a broad range of
non-academic skills development
programming to help me gain non-
academic skills, such as time management
and help seeking skills, to succeed in my
studies abroad (strongly agree to strongly
disagree).

103
APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW PROTOCOL
Assumed influences on performance Interview questions
Background Tell me about your first year of university
study abroad. What went well and what
didn’t?

Knowledge of resources available As an international student, do you know
where to get support on your campus?
What kinds of academic supports are
available to you on campus?

What kinds of support are available to you on
campus if you need non-academic support
(time management, social, emotional)

Knowledge of how to ask for and leverage
help
If it is my first month on campus, and I need
help to succeed (academically or non-
academically), what suggestions would you
give me and where should I go?

What kind of help, if any, did you ask for in
your first year on campus? Would other
help have been beneficial if you knew how
or where to get it?

Knowledge of how to reflect on progress and
strategies for success in time management
and help seeking
How was your time management in your first
year of study? What strategies did you use
to manage your time well, if any? Did you
have any struggles?

How successful do you feel you were in
getting help when you needed it? How did
you know if you needed help?

Value: Students see the value in time
management, self-regulation and seeking
help
How important do you see managing your
time well to your academic success?

How important do you think asking for help is
for your ability to succeed in your
university studies abroad?

Self-Efficacy – Students believe they are
capable of being successful in their first
year in a university abroad

How successful do you think you were in
completing your studies in the first year in
your university abroad?

104
Assumed influences on performance Interview questions
What makes you more or less confident that
you will be able to succeed in your second
year?

Goal orientation: Students have a goal
orientation toward university success
What is your goals related to your university
studies?

Cultural Model Influence 1: CIHS needs to
have a culture of supporting students after
they graduate and begin higher education
studies abroad.

What kinds of support did you receive from
CIHS, if any, after you graduated and as
you began your higher education studies
abroad?

Were there other kinds of supports that would
have been helpful to receive?

Cultural setting influence: CIHS needs to
provide a broader range of non-academic
skills development programming for
students during high school in preparation
for their studies abroad, with guidance
counselor’s having relevant and timely
expertise.

What non-academic skills development
programs were offered to you at CIHS?

Now looking back, did these programs help
prepare you for your first year?

What other types of programming might have
help you in high school to succeed in your
studies abroad?

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This study is focused on Chinese international students in North America with a certain level of confidence and academic preparation may still struggle to live and study in an unfamiliar culture and education system. The program of practice addressed in this dissertation is Chinese students’ continued lack of preparation for success when they study abroad, particularly regarding issues of self-regulation, in terms of time management and help-seeking skills need to succeed academically. The methodological framework is a qualitative case study with descriptive statistics. Assumed knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that affect organizational goal achievement will be generated based on personal knowledge and relate literature. Their influences will be assessed through survey, interviews, literature reviews, and document analysis. Research-based solutions will be recommended and comprehensively evaluated. This research was conducted both prior to and at the very beginning of the COVID19 pandemic. At the later stage of the interviews due to the pandemic, travel restrictions were imposed, and interviews had to be conducted online instead of the universities and cities where the students were located.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Li, Yi (author)

Core Title Chinese high school students' lack of non-academic skills preparation to succeed in their studies abroad

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Global Executive

Degree Conferral Date 2022-12

Publication Date 09/06/2022

Defense Date 08/02/2022

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag international student,non-academic skills,OAI-PMH Harvest,study abroad

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Krop, Cathy (committee chair), Filback, Robert (committee member), Seli , Helena (committee member)

Creator Email ccsc.lindaliyi@gmail.com,linda.li@ccsc.com.cn

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC111637624

Unique identifier UC111637624

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