Yu-Tang Huang, University of Edinburgh
This study investigates students' transitions and learning experiences in four prestigious Asian universities. Thirty-two first- and second-year students from various social backgrounds participated in interviews, focusing on their higher education trajectories within institutions in Singapore and Shanghai. Each participant was invited to take part in two interviews spaced six months apart.
Given the rapid expansion of higher education in Asia, there is a growing emphasis on extending opportunities for non-traditional students to access elite institutions, with a focus on promoting social justice and diversity. However, existing research suggests that such students often encounter challenges when transitioning to elite institutions. This study seeks to explore whether similar patterns emerge in the Asian context.
The learning and transition experiences of university students from different social backgrounds are crucial for fostering social justice and assessing class mobility and educational adequacy within specific social contexts.
Employing a qualitative research approach, this study utilises learner identity as the primary theoretical framework to examine students' experiences in elite universities. The thematic analysis explores four critical areas: students' transition and learning experiences, their learner identities, the evolution of these identities, and the influential factors shaping them.
The findings reveal heterogeneity in the learner identities of students within elite universities in Singapore and Shanghai. However, a notable trend also indicates that students commonly regard fitting in and learning the ‘proper university way’ as their own responsibility, including fulfilling the expectations as a smart university student, having the ability to solve problems independently, or being able to handle all the stress from university life. The power relations between institutions and students still appear to be quite strong. Even though they encounter transitional or learning challenges, students usually show a tendency to comply. They usually see the opportunity to study in elite institutions as a positional good and a personal choice, which encourages them to persevere even though they may lose interest in their major of study or experience an unhappy or unbalanced life.
Conference theme: Inclusive education