A qualitative investigation into the contributing factors of student consumerism. With a specific focus on international students in the University of Oxford
Increasing competition among higher education institutions (HEIs) in the global market continues to shape the functions of higher education (HE) and influence students' HE experiences. This study, which focuses on students at a selective research-intensive university in the UK, seeks to identif...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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2022
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| _version_ | 1797109740713541632 |
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| author | Luo, Q |
| author2 | Marginson, S |
| author_facet | Marginson, S Luo, Q |
| author_sort | Luo, Q |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Increasing competition among higher education institutions (HEIs) in the global market continues to shape the functions of higher education (HE) and influence students' HE experiences. This study, which focuses on students at a selective research-intensive university in the UK, seeks to identify contributing factors that drive students to adopt consumer attitudes. Previous studies on the student-as-consumer (SAC) approach indicated students' complicated and ambivalent attitudes toward the consumerism of HE. Therefore, this study also aims to explore the interconnections among these influencing factors and better explain students' inconsistent attitudes toward student consumerism.
The first part of the study focuses on the concept of student consumerism and reviews literature on this topic, leading to the research questions, and the research focuses. The study then draws data from 20 semi-structured interviews to explore the processes of identity change and formation that occur during students' higher education experiences. Of the sample 70% of students identified themselves as consumers of higher education and 30% of students held mixed and conflicting attitudes. A thematic analysis was conducted on their narratives. The findings suggest individual differences (students’ previous life experiences; age; motivation for participating in HE and various university activities; social and cultural backgrounds), group differences (fee differences between international students and local students; adaptation of international students), and perceived differences (students' expectations that underpin their (dis)satisfaction) that are associated with consumer identity adaptation. The discussion of the interactions between these driving factors, as well as the influence of the neoliberal knowledge economy and globalisation of HE, which underpins the marketisation of HE, suggests that all actors in HE should be aware of the cognitive and behavioural changes caused by the inculcation of a neoliberal and capitalist mindset, which has negative implications such as reduced attention to knowledge and the learning process, and the adoption of patriarchal values. To avoid the adaptation of the consumer identity, with all the limitations on the student experiences that this imposes, governments and HEIs should stop positioning students as consumers driven only by an assumed need to maximise their financial self-efficacy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:45:43Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oxford-uuid:99216f99-d881-458d-bb85-ee08a5af6416 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:45:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:99216f99-d881-458d-bb85-ee08a5af64162023-06-08T12:22:25ZA qualitative investigation into the contributing factors of student consumerism. With a specific focus on international students in the University of OxfordThesishttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_bdccuuid:99216f99-d881-458d-bb85-ee08a5af6416EducationStudents, ForeignStudents as consumersInterviewsEducation, HigherEnglishHyrax Deposit2022Luo, QMarginson, SIncreasing competition among higher education institutions (HEIs) in the global market continues to shape the functions of higher education (HE) and influence students' HE experiences. This study, which focuses on students at a selective research-intensive university in the UK, seeks to identify contributing factors that drive students to adopt consumer attitudes. Previous studies on the student-as-consumer (SAC) approach indicated students' complicated and ambivalent attitudes toward the consumerism of HE. Therefore, this study also aims to explore the interconnections among these influencing factors and better explain students' inconsistent attitudes toward student consumerism. The first part of the study focuses on the concept of student consumerism and reviews literature on this topic, leading to the research questions, and the research focuses. The study then draws data from 20 semi-structured interviews to explore the processes of identity change and formation that occur during students' higher education experiences. Of the sample 70% of students identified themselves as consumers of higher education and 30% of students held mixed and conflicting attitudes. A thematic analysis was conducted on their narratives. The findings suggest individual differences (students’ previous life experiences; age; motivation for participating in HE and various university activities; social and cultural backgrounds), group differences (fee differences between international students and local students; adaptation of international students), and perceived differences (students' expectations that underpin their (dis)satisfaction) that are associated with consumer identity adaptation. The discussion of the interactions between these driving factors, as well as the influence of the neoliberal knowledge economy and globalisation of HE, which underpins the marketisation of HE, suggests that all actors in HE should be aware of the cognitive and behavioural changes caused by the inculcation of a neoliberal and capitalist mindset, which has negative implications such as reduced attention to knowledge and the learning process, and the adoption of patriarchal values. To avoid the adaptation of the consumer identity, with all the limitations on the student experiences that this imposes, governments and HEIs should stop positioning students as consumers driven only by an assumed need to maximise their financial self-efficacy. |
| spellingShingle | Education Students, Foreign Students as consumers Interviews Education, Higher Luo, Q A qualitative investigation into the contributing factors of student consumerism. With a specific focus on international students in the University of Oxford |
| title | A qualitative investigation into the contributing factors of student consumerism. With a specific focus on international students in the University of Oxford |
| title_full | A qualitative investigation into the contributing factors of student consumerism. With a specific focus on international students in the University of Oxford |
| title_fullStr | A qualitative investigation into the contributing factors of student consumerism. With a specific focus on international students in the University of Oxford |
| title_full_unstemmed | A qualitative investigation into the contributing factors of student consumerism. With a specific focus on international students in the University of Oxford |
| title_short | A qualitative investigation into the contributing factors of student consumerism. With a specific focus on international students in the University of Oxford |
| title_sort | qualitative investigation into the contributing factors of student consumerism with a specific focus on international students in the university of oxford |
| topic | Education Students, Foreign Students as consumers Interviews Education, Higher |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT luoq aqualitativeinvestigationintothecontributingfactorsofstudentconsumerismwithaspecificfocusoninternationalstudentsintheuniversityofoxford AT luoq qualitativeinvestigationintothecontributingfactorsofstudentconsumerismwithaspecificfocusoninternationalstudentsintheuniversityofoxford |