Epistemological beliefs, approaches to learning, and student performance in a UK Master’s programme with high Chinese enrolment

Given that a large proportion of Master’s students in UK universities are from mainland China, we sought to quantify the extent to which their approaches to learning (AtL) and epistemological beliefs (EBs) differ from those of non-Chinese students, and how these differences affected first-semester grades. To this end, we surveyed a large cohort of Master’s students (n = 564, 65.3% Chinese) at a UK Business School at the beginning of an academic year to minimise influences that might change attitudes towards AtL and EBs. Primary data on AtL and EBs were collected using two standard survey instruments, along with data on social class, prior attainment, and nationality. This unique combination of measures, controls and large sample size allowed for an analysis that was more comprehensive than previous studies. Our findings showed that achievement among Chinese students was unrelated to AtL but was associated with EBs and social background. For example, when controlling for other factors, Chinese students who had confidence in their learning ability achieved higher grades, while non-Chinese students who perceived knowledge as certain underperformed. Moreover, Chinese students whose fathers held lower status jobs achieved significantly higher grades when controlling for other characteristics.