Toward Academia: Understanding the Structural and Developmental Features of Academic Orientation among Chinese Master’s Students

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 2:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Mentoring in International and Graduate Education

Abstract

The early stages of an academic career are critical for cultivating research potential, shaping professional identity, and sustaining long-term scholarly engagement. This study focuses on the academic orientation of Chinese academic-track master's students, examining its structural characteristics and developmental characteristics. Based on a survey of 495 research master's students, it analyzes the effects of environmental support and supervisor support on academic orientation, as well as their dynamic changes across different stages of study. The findings highlight the need for targeted support strategies tailored to students’ academic stages to foster sustained academic engagement and development, offering both theoretical and practical implications for early-stage academic talent cultivation.

Author

• Yang Yang, Xiamen University