Pub Date : 2024-04-12DOI: 10.1108/aeds-11-2023-0161
Yaqiao Liu, Yifei Liang, Yilan Guo
PurposeThe marketisation of higher education fosters the notion of students as consumers, highlighting the shifting dynamics of student–teacher relationships. This paper aims to contribute to ongoing discussions about students as consumers and their involvement in pedagogical practices. We explore students’ experiences in short-term study abroad (SA) programmes that involve collaborative learning, examining how a consumerism-oriented approach affects students’ perceptions of their pedagogical identities and student–teacher pedagogical relationships.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative exploratory study was conducted to capture students’ rich and subjective perceptions and experiences. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 15 Chinese undergraduate students who participated in a short-term SA programme at a UK university. Following data translation and transcription, a thematic analysis approach facilitated our exploration.FindingsChinese students engage in SA programmes as a strategic investment in personal growth and transformation, with their consumer-oriented identity fostering a mutually beneficial relationship with educators and group members. This consumer mindset appears to enhance active student engagement and, to some extent, create reciprocal student–teacher interactions through power sharing and collaborative involvement.Originality/valueThis study presents empirical data exploring the impact of consumer identity on the dynamics of student–teacher relationships in the SA context. It provides recommendations for implementing pedagogical approaches designed to mediate the influence of consumerism on student engagement, particularly in shaping collaborative student–teacher relationships. This study offers insights for future research on the effects of consumerism in higher education within cross-cultural contexts.
目的高等教育的市场化促进了学生作为消费者的概念,凸显了师生关系的动态变化。本文旨在为正在进行的关于学生作为消费者及其参与教学实践的讨论做出贡献。我们探讨了学生在涉及协作学习的短期出国留学(SA)项目中的经历,研究了以消费主义为导向的方法如何影响学生对其教学身份和师生教学关系的看法。数据是通过半结构式访谈收集的,访谈对象是 15 名在英国大学参加短期 SA 课程的中国本科生。在对数据进行翻译和转录后,我们采用了主题分析方法进行了探讨。研究结果中国学生参与 SA 课程是对个人成长和转变的战略性投资,他们以消费者为导向的身份促进了与教育者和小组成员之间的互利关系。这种消费者心态似乎提高了学生的参与积极性,并在一定程度上通过权力分享和协作参与建立了互惠的师生互动关系。它为实施旨在调解消费主义对学生参与的影响的教学方法提供了建议,特别是在塑造师生协作关系方面。本研究为今后研究消费主义在跨文化背景下对高等教育的影响提供了启示。
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