An Ecological Perspective on University Students’ Sustainable Language Learning during the Transition from High School to University in China

Chen Li, Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan and Fei Gao
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Chen Li: School of Foreign Languages, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, Jiangsu, China
Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan: School of Foreign Languages, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, Jiangsu, China
Fei Gao: College of Technology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 18, 1-17

Abstract: Transitioning from high school to university presents a significant challenge for many students on multiple fronts, including language learning. This mixed-method study draws on an ecological perspective to investigate students’ English learning experiences during the transition from high school to university in China, focusing on teaching content, teaching approach, assessment and feedback, and self-regulated learning. Data is collected from six universities at three different academic levels in China, and analyzed using both statistical and thematic analysis. The research finds that there are differences between high school and university English language education in the above-mentioned four areas, and students’ ecopotentials are of critical importance for their adaptation to university English learning. These findings suggest the necessity of the continuity of teaching content, the promotion of individualized curricula, and the cultivation of self-regulated learning capacities to support students’ sustainable English learning during the transition from high school to university.

Keywords: transition; ecological niche; ecostate; ecopotential; self-regulated learning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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