Cultural diversity in learning: developing effective learning for South Asian hospitality management students

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractThis article is set in the context of the experience of South East Asian (SEA) students of undergraduate hospitality at Glasgow Caledonian University. Focusing on issues of pedagogy, it discusses learning adjustment in terms of students' educational experiences, expectations and inclinations and the corresponding academic staff interpretation and facilitation of effective learning. The insights of both SEA students and academic staff are discussed in relation to cultural referents and within a pedagogical framework, as part of an action research project which draws from student questionnaires, participant observation and a series of student and staff focus group sessions.

Introducing blended learning: An experience of uncertainty for students in the United Arab Emirates

“…Various researchers have cited differences in learner expectations as being a culturally bound phenomenon, see, for instance, passivity in the learning of Asian students (Maxwell et al 2000), and differences between European and Asian students' motivation to study (Selvarajah 2006). A study on Arab education (World Bank 2008) found that learners are passive recipients of knowledge and lack applied learning in ''the higher-order cognitive skills such as flexibility, problem solving and judgment'' (p. 89).…”

Relations Between Acculturation And Alcohol Use Among International Students

“…In addition, few studies that have examined coping mechanisms employed by international student samples have attempted to identify resources available to international students and their ability and propensity to make use of available social resources. However, the availability of counseling facilities at host universities, informal sources of social support, and financial resources all have been identified as significant resources for international students to facilitate their ability to cope with stressors during the process of adjusting to new educational settings (Constantine, Okazaki, & Utsey 2004;Maxwell et al, 2000;Misra et al, 2003;Mori, 2000;Randall, Naka, Yamamoto, Nakamoto, Arakaki, & Ogura, 1988). Utilization of these resources to develop problem-oriented coping mechanisms was found to be related to better adjustment outcomes.…”

“…Comparable transitions between educational institutions are made more challenging for international students since the transitions they experience often involve additional environmental demands including: changes in the location of the educational institution, increases in demands for language proficiency, changes in availability of specific family and social support systems, and added financial burdens. Specific features of the educational system of the United States have also been reported by researchers to influence significantly international students' adjustment (Maxwell, Adam, Pooran, & Scott, 2000). In contrast to the commonly passive content-based teaching styles of several foreign pedagogical systems (e.g., the Southeast Asian system), the more active teaching styles of Western education systems demand more student participation in the classroom.…”

“…Maxwell et al (2000) also examined others' expectations and perceptions of international students transitioning into host country educational systems, including mentors and other staff, and they reported significant differences between educators' expectations of international students and their perceived ability and performance.…”

“…Several previous studies that examined adjustment issues in samples of international students have used the stress-coping conceptual framework proposed by Lazarus (1985) or others to describe the influence of a range of stressors on adjustment, as well as relevant negative health risk behavior outcomes. The range of stressors studied included, but was not limited to, contextual demands for English language proficiency (Yeh & Inose, 2003), pedagogical issues involving the host educational institution (Maxwell, Adam, Pooran, & Scott, 2000), financial stress factors (Yang & Clum, 1994), and perceptions of racial discrimination (Klonoff, Landrine, & Ullman,1999;Sandhu, 1994). These studies examined negative mental health adjustment outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and health risk behaviors (Krammer, Prüfer-Kramer, Stock, & Tshiananga, 2004), academic failure (Michailidis, 1996), suicidal ideation (Cho, 2003), in addition to stressors related to the weather and climate of the host country.…”