Experiences of Chinese international students within higher education: a narrative study

ABSTRACT

Research has shown that international students experience challenges in the United States. This study explored how ten Chinese students drew upon their funds of knowledge to deal with challenges within higher education and analyzed how these students studying abroad positioned themselves within their experiences in the United States. Theoretical perspectives included funds of knowledge and positioning theory. Data sources included twenty interviews with ten participants. Findings showed how participants drew upon their funds of knowledge such as first language and social networks to deal with challenges. Findings also showed (a) how these participants positioned themselves within the storyline of challenges in their early years in college, and (b) how these participants repositioned themselves within the storyline of future plans.

KEYWORDS:

• Chinese international students
• challenges
• funds of knowledge
• narrative study
• positioning theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Aijuan Cun

Aijuan Cun is an Assistant Professor of Literacy in the Department of Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies at the University of New Mexico. She holds a PhD from the State University of New York at Buffalo.Her research interests focus on immigrant and refugee family literacy, digital literacies, multimodality, international education, and Makerspaces. Her research can be found in journals such as Early Childhood Education Journal, Literacy Research: Theory, Method, and Practice, and Pedagogies: An International Journal.

Mary McVee

Mary McVee is Professor of Literacy Education and Director of the Center for Literacy and Reading Instruction at the University of Buffalo, SUNY. Her research traverses positioning theory, social and embodied learning; digital literacies and multimodality; narrative, disciplinary literacies in engineering for children, and diversities of language, literacy, and culture. Her most recent book is The Gradual Release of Responsibility in Literacy Research and Practice (McVee, Ortlieb, Reichenberg, & Pearson, 2019).