Educational choice and intra-country cross-border student mobility : Hong Kong students' pursuit of undergraduate education in Mainland China

Abstract

With reference to the growing popularity of mainland China as destination for overseas students, this thesis explains the complexity and dynamics of Hong Kong students’ educational choice to pursue undergraduate education in mainland universities. The research problem focuses on how the changing and complex macro contexts, including political/policy, economic, and socio-cultural aspects; the institutional influences of hosting universities and source secondary schools; perceived parental influence; and students’ personal characteristics have shaped their choice. The overarching research question is “why” and “how” Hong Kong students study in bachelor’s programs in mainland universities. Adapting the push-pull model, the process approach, and Perna’s integrated model of college choice (2006), a framework was developed for in-depth investigation of students’ rationales for and processes of making such educational choice. Qualitative research methods were adopted to understand the experiences and perceptions of the students. Data were collected from documents analysis and individual semi-structured interviews conducted in 2016 and 2017, involving 51 students, five university administration staff, four secondary school principals, and three secondary school teachers. There are four major findings in this study. First, the predominant push-pull factors are academic related, including the students’ failure to enter preferred local programs or universities (push), and the attractiveness of specific programs (pull), and the reputation of some mainland universities (pull). Second, different actors exert influence on the students in various phases of the decision-making process. At the first (predisposition) phase, universities, secondary schools and parents play key roles; at the second (search) phase, information provided by secondary schools is essential; and at the final (decision) phase, universities and parents are instrumental. Third, four types of perceived parental influences—engaging, supportive, neutral, and opposing—were identified, based on two dimensions: parents’ attitudes towards the students’ mainland study pathway, and their level of involvement in students’ decision-making. Fourth, according to their decision scenarios, four types of students—Pragmatists, Achievers, Averages and Underachievers—were identified, based on two dimensions: their level of academic performance, and the clarity of their academic/career objectives. To explain these findings, the study proposes a framework for understanding students’ border crossing for higher education as a contextualized negotiated choice amidst a changing and dynamic structure embedded with opportunities for students to fulfil their aspiration of entering university. Such choice is shaped by the roles of mainland China and Hong Kong governments, the institutional influences exerted by hosting mainland universities (pulling) and source Hong Kong secondary schools (pushing), perceived parental influence, and students’ personal characteristics. As a result, after internal negotiation or negotiations with various actors, students grasp different types of opportunities, including the fast-track path to enter elite universities (Achievers), an ideal means to enrol aspired programs (Pragmatists), and a last resort to gain a university degree (Underachievers). This theoretical framework is useful for understanding the complexity and dynamics of students’ educational choice and the resulting intra-country cross-border student mobility, through understanding how different actors exert influence on students, and how the students navigate and seize opportunities to obtain a degree. (494 words)