Chinese International Students in Australia:  An Insight into Their Help and Information Seeking Manners

Cao Ling; Ly Thi Tran

Authors

Cao Ling Gansu Lianhe University, China
Ly Thi Tran Deakin University

Keywords:

Chinese international students, vocational education, diploma, help seeking, information seeking

Abstract

Understanding the manners in which international students seek information and help in the country of education is an essential step to improve academic, social, cultural and welfare support for this student cohort. However there is a dearth of the literature that documents the ways international students in the vocational education sector adopt to seek help and information. This paper aims to fill out this gap in the existing scholarly research. Based on in-depth interviews with 30 Chinese international students in Diploma and Associate Degree programs in Australia, this research shows that the ways in which Chinese international students seek help, prior to their departure and after their arrival at the host country, largely depend on the nature of the issues with which they are concerned. Empirical data also reveals that students’ use of education agents’ consultancy and service is not only limited to the pre-departure stage as indicated by the existing literature, but also throughout their journey in the host country. Notably, the role of agents has become increasingly important in Chinese international students’ decision-making process during their transition from Diploma to Associate Degree and higher education programs.

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