Miss LI Tong, University of Cambridge
Chair: Dr Ivy HAN Xiao
Abstract
The shift to a student-centered classroom model, a hallmark of progressive cross-border education, presents cultural challenges in East Asia, where traditional teacher-centered models dominate. Many branch campuses promote this model to distinguish themselves from local universities, yet the cultural tensions it creates, particularly in teacher-student dynamics, remain underexplored.
This research critically examines the student-centered approach in cross-border higher education, focusing on the cultural interplay between traditional East Asian educational values and imported pedagogical models. Using thematic analysis of interviews with 21 first-year students at branch campuses in mainland China, the study explores their adaptation to student-centered learning. Key themes include students’ perceptions of teacher-student relationships, learning experiences, and self-assessments of program quality, offering insights into the cultural dimensions of this educational transition.
