Amid Global-National-Local Dynamics: Students' Rational Choices and Transitions in Transnational Higher Education in China

• In Event: Transnational Student Experiences within Higher Education: Developments and Possibilities

Abstract

This study examines how global influences, national policies, and university environments shape educational decisions and transition experiences of students in transnational higher education (TNHE) in China. Drawing on rational choice theory, our mixed-methods study traced three students over 1.5 years, analyzing their decisions at two critical junctures: entering TNHE and planning for post-graduation futures. Findings revealed that prior decisions shape current experiences, which in turn frame future choices. We then validated this pattern quantitatively among 683 Chinese TNHE students. Results showed academic and sociocultural transitions were influenced by considering costs, benefits, and the utility of education (risk aversion, time-discounting) for decision-making. Furthermore, both academic and sociocultural transitions are positively associated with decisions to pursue postgraduate education.

Authors

• Yang Hang, Soochow University

• Rong Wang, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University