Student satisfaction in transnational higher education in China: A mixed-methods study across Australian, German, and US cooperative programmes

Mingzheng Hu

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 4, 1-14

Abstract: This study examines student satisfaction in Sino-foreign cooperative programmes at a Chinese university with partner institutions from Australia, Germany, and the United States. Using a mixed-methods design that combines survey data from 121 undergraduates with 10 semi-structured interviews, it explores whether satisfaction varies across student backgrounds and programme characteristics, and identifies the factors most closely associated with these evaluations. Most participants (87.6%) were enrolled in the 4 + 0 non-mobile pathway, indicating that non-mobile participation constituted the dominant form of transnational higher education (TNE) engagement in this institutional context. Quantitative analysis shows no significant variation by gender, year, or place of origin, but significant differences by major, parental education, family income, and foreign partner institution. Correlation and interview findings suggest that satisfaction was most strongly associated with the teaching system, learning attitudes, and the quality of teacher-student and peer relationships, while motivation showed a more moderate association. The study contributes theoretically by showing that student satisfaction in Chinese TNE is best understood as a multidimensional and socially situated evaluation, shaped by programme design, family resources, and everyday educational experience rather than by international branding alone.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0347655

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0347655

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