TY - JOUR
T1 - Social formation for interaction in international mobility programmes
T2 - A case of Danish students in China
AU - Lyngdorf, Niels Erik Ruan
AU - Du, Xiangyun
AU - Zhao, Ke
PY - 2022/4/26
Y1 - 2022/4/26
N2 - From a social cultural learning perspective, the study explored the social formations for interactions of Danish students during a short-term international mobility study programme in China, using multiple qualitative data sources. Although a variety of patterns of strategies, practices and discourses were identified, the findings suggest that the students socialised most with co-nationals and little with local Chinese. Although their internal socialisations created some opportunities to learn from each other and learn about Chinese culture, they were mainly found to be constraints to learning due to limited interaction with locals and stereotyping the local ‘others’, risking misunderstandings. The outcomes of the study identify a gap between the ideal of the mobility study programme’s formal objectives and the practice of its implementation, which challenges prevailing political initiatives to increase internationalisation through student mobility. Also questioned is the effectiveness of sociocultural learning design in the short-term mobility context.
AB - From a social cultural learning perspective, the study explored the social formations for interactions of Danish students during a short-term international mobility study programme in China, using multiple qualitative data sources. Although a variety of patterns of strategies, practices and discourses were identified, the findings suggest that the students socialised most with co-nationals and little with local Chinese. Although their internal socialisations created some opportunities to learn from each other and learn about Chinese culture, they were mainly found to be constraints to learning due to limited interaction with locals and stereotyping the local ‘others’, risking misunderstandings. The outcomes of the study identify a gap between the ideal of the mobility study programme’s formal objectives and the practice of its implementation, which challenges prevailing political initiatives to increase internationalisation through student mobility. Also questioned is the effectiveness of sociocultural learning design in the short-term mobility context.
KW - international mobility
KW - study abroad
KW - social interaction
KW - Denmark
KW - China
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85128904443&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13596748.2022.2042905
DO - 10.1080/13596748.2022.2042905
M3 - Journal article
SN - 1359-6748
VL - 27
SP - 198
EP - 218
JO - Research in Post-Compulsory Education
JF - Research in Post-Compulsory Education
IS - 2
ER -