ESP-2587

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2025-03-30

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Vol. 10 No. 3 (2025): Published

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Research Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Junjian Gao, Midya Yousefi

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How to Cite

Gao, J., & Yousefi, M. (2025). Changing Chinese parental and student responses to higher education for study abroad during the Covid crisis. Environment and Social Psychology, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i3.2587

Changing Chinese parental and student responses to higher education for study abroad during the Covid crisis

Junjian Gao

College of Education, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou, 325060, People’s Republic of China

Midya Yousefi

College of Education, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou, 325060, People’s Republic of China


DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i3.2587


Keywords: Higher Education; International Education; Study Abroad; COVID-19 Pandemic; Parental Involvement

Abstract

Since 2020, Chinese students studying in the United States have suffered a precipitous decline in enrollment. The restrictive nature of Chinese and American student visa policies during COVID-19 impacted Chinese international students' travel and admissions patterns. The result was an increased number of Chinese students studying in the U.K. and the European Union. Meanwhile, Chinese parents have a reputation for their significant involvement and influence in the educational decision-making domain concerning their children's academic trajectories and developmental pathways. This study employed approximately 60-minute ethnographic interviews with 15 participants to investigate Chinese parental decision-making regarding their children’s study abroad during the COVID crisis. The semi-structured audio-recorded interviews were conducted both remotely and physically. Interview data identified six major factor themes directed toward these fifteen parent participants: 1. Physical Safety, 2. Gender of Applicant, 3. Familial Financial Concerns, 4. Likelihood of Return, 5. Elite Education, and 6. “Conor-Overtaking”. These were strong indications that factors impacted the decision-making process regarding study abroad among Chinese families during the COVID crisis, and the “one child” has been a common factor involved in the decision-making process across these themes. Implications are discussed.

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