“Disillusioned expectations”

2026/02/27 by Peijun Luo, Xiaoqiao Zhang · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Higher Education Governance and Development #International Student and Expatriate Challenges #Higher Education Research Studies

paper · pdf · doi:10.32674/pjv4qm97

openalex created_date 2026/02/27 · openalex publication_date 2026/02/27 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

Students’ enrollment expectations significantly shape their university belonging (Yao, 2016). This study investigates the impact of such expectations through qualitative interviews with 13 undergraduate students at a Sino-foreign cooperative education institution in Shanghai. Findings reveal that students’ high expectations centered on: institutional prestige, access to global resources, and the continuation of personal strengths. However, these expectations frequently conflict with academic pressure, institutional fragmentation, and limited resource accessibility. These mismatches can lower students’ overall sense of university belonging. To address this, institutions should clarify potential academic and social challenges during admissions to manage expectations. Closer collaboration in curriculum, activities, and faculty-student engagement is also needed to create an inclusive environment, enhancing university belonging and promoting high-quality international education.

Citations

• Using thematic analysis in psychology
• Sense of Belonging in College Freshmen at the Classroom and Campus Levels
• Four domains of students’ sense of belonging to university
• College Students’ Sense of Belonging: A National Perspective
• From expectancy-value theory to situated expectancy-value theory: A developmental, social cognitive, and sociocultural perspective on motivation
• A Cognitive Model of the Antecedents and Consequences of Satisfaction Decisions

Discussions

• Congratulations to Peijun Luo and Xiaoqiao Zhang on their publication in the Journal of International Students exploring how students’ expectations influence their sense of university belonging in Sin [bsky, 0 points, 0 comments]