This thesis investigates why Mainland Chinese university students choose to study in Singapore, and how they manage the experience. The study was guided by two research questions: (1) Why do university students from Mainland China choose to study in Singapore? (as opposed to elsewhere) and (2) How do Mainland Chinese university students manage the experience of studying in Singapore, a different cultural environment?\ud\udThe aim of the study and the research questions made an interpretivist paradigm with qualitative research methods most appropriate. The study also adopted a symbolic interactionist perspective, realising that people make sense of their lives and experiences through interaction with others around them. Grounded theory methods of data collection and analysis were used.\ud\udParticipants were 20 Mainland Chinese university students studying in the two main universities in Singapore, namely, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), including its affiliate, the National Institute of Education (NIE). Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and documents (diary entries) lasting 16 months.\ud\udThe grounded theory that emerged, called the theory of ‘selective pragmatism’, comprises a threefold typology of students and four categories, with the second category presented in two parts. The typology of participants conceptualises and labels the three groups as “the intellectuals”, “the opportunists” and “the loyalists”.\udThe four categories are respectively: (1) Push Factors; (2a) Pull Factors (Other countries outside Mainland China, but excluding Singapore); (2b) Pull Factors\ud(Singapore only); (3) Individual Resilience and (4) Future Intentions. The study shows how participants exercise choices and decisions in a pragmatic but selectively different way in responding to the two research questions. Three distinctively different patterns of responses emerge to form the basis of the threefold typology.
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机译：本文研究了为什么中国大陆大学生选择在新加坡学习，以及他们如何管理这种经历。该研究受到两个研究问题的指导：（1）为什么来自中国大陆的大学生选择在新加坡学习？ （而不是其他地方）和（2）中国大陆大学生如何管理在不同文化环境下在新加坡学习的经历？\ ud \ ud研究目的和研究问题构成了一种使用定性研究方法的解释主义范式适当。该研究还采用了象征性的互动主义观点，意识到人们通过与周围其他人的互动来理解自己的生活和经验。使用了扎实的数据收集和分析理论方法。\ ud \ ud参与者是在新加坡两所主要大学即新加坡国立大学（NUS）和南洋理工大学（NTU）（包括新加坡国立大学）就读的20名中国大陆大学生。美国国家教育学院（NIE）的附属机构。数据收集使用了持续16个月的半结构化访谈和文档（日记条目）。\ ud \ ud出现的扎根理论被称为“选择性实用主义”理论，包括三种类型的学生类型和四个类别，第二个类别分为两个部分。参与者的类型学将这三个群体概念化并标记为“知识分子”，“机会主义者”和“忠诚主义者”。\ ud这四个类别分别是：（1）推动因素； （2a）拉动因素（中国大陆以外的其他国家，但不包括新加坡）； （2b）Pull Factors \ ud（仅适用于新加坡）； （3）个人适应力和（4）未来意图。该研究表明，参与者在回答这两个研究问题时如何以务实但有选择性的不同方式行使选择和决定。出现了三种截然不同的响应模式，形成了三重类型学的基础。
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