Date of Award
2-7-2023
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Doctor of Policy Studies (DPS)
First Advisor
Prof. AMOAH Padmore Adusei
Abstract
Background: In 2020, the Degree Committee of the State Council collaborated with the Ministry of Education in advocating the policy of ‘Postgraduate education of professional degree development plan (2020–2025), to continuously increase postgraduate education (professional degree) enrolment. Policy implementations by the Chinese government on the development of postgraduate educations how that many efforts and inputs have been made previously on the professional degree of the Chinese government (e.g., reducing the corresponding quota number of 5%–10% of academic degree and providing near 1.2 trillion RMB for the development of professional degrees).However, the results of expansion on professional postgraduate degrees have not been as ideal as expected. Typically, policy initiatives in 2010 advocated for a 50% increase in the proportion of professional degrees in total postgraduate education in 2015, whereas data from 2015 revealed that the proportion of professional degrees was only near to 44%.
Aims and objectives of the study: The present study focuses on students’ intention. Most of the literature have suggested studying students’ intention based on the theory of planned behaviour, and few have adopted students’ perceived quality of service, perceived value and their own social network on studying Chinese students’ intention. The present study aims to fill this research gap by examining Chinese students’ intention to seek postgraduate education (professional degree) via the lens of consumer behaviour and social network theory. Theoretical examinations provide practical implications for the Chinese government in formulating policies for Chinese postgraduate education (professional degree).
Methods: This study considers students as consumers, and institutions/universities as higher education service providers. It adopts a quantitative method to examine whether Chinese students’ intention to seek postgraduate education (professional degree) can be measured based on their perceived quality of service, perceived value and social network. A total of 459 valid samples were collected from junior and senior students studying and living in Guangzhou University Town (Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre) in early 2021 using convenience sampling. Confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression and hierarchical linear regression were also used.
Findings: Empirical results revealed a significantly direct role of students’ perceived quality of service(B = 0.679, p< 0.01) on students’ perceived value; a significantly indirect role of students’ perceived quality of service(insignificantly direct role: B = 0.017,p>0.05) on students’ intention via the mediation of students’ perceived value (B = 0.175, p< 0.01);a significantly direct role of students’ perceived value (B = 0.258, p< 0.05) on students’ intention; and a significantly moderating role of the social network on the association between students’ perceived value with students’ intention (B =0.153, p< 0.05).
Discussion and conclusion: Results of the study address the research gaps concerning the indirect role of students’ perceived quality of service, the direct role of students’ perceived value and the moderating role of social network on students’ intention to seek professional postgraduate education in China. In practice, this study suggests that the Chinese government should improve the perceived value of professional postgraduate degrees in the society by regularly releasing the industrial surveys to the public by cooperating with industries, providing collaborative training with enterprises, deigning and effectively utilizing funding incentives and implementing a series of effective policy initiatives.
Language
English
Copyright
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Recommended Citation
Liang, A. (2022). Examining the intentions to seek postgraduate education (professional degree) amongst university students in China: The moderating role of Chinese social network (Doctoral thesis, Lingnan University, Hong Kong). Retrieved from https://commons.ln.edu.hk/otd_tpg/2/