Power Distance in Online Learning: Experience of Chinese Learners in U.S. Higher Education

• In Event: Poster Session 6
  In Poster Session: E-Learning Research

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to explore the influence of Confucian-heritage culture on Chinese learners’ learning and engagement in online discussion in U.S. higher education. This research studied Chinese learners’ perceptions of power distance and its impact on their interactions with instructors and peers in an online setting. Twelve undergraduate students from the Confucian-heritage culture, including mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong participated in the study. Findings of this study suggested that the online setting benefited Chinese learners’ engagement in class discussion, but it may increase the level of anxiety in their participation. Learning, perceived by the Chinese learners, was more instructor-centered. Instructors were viewed as authorities, major sources of knowledge, and possessed high power to students.

Author

• Yi (Leaf) Zhang, University of Texas at Arlington