Preface
Acknowledgement
Abstract
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Background to the study
1.2 Research objectives
1.3 The necessity and significance of the study
1.3.1 Enhancing students' classroom learning experience in internationalised contexts
1.3.2 Improving Business English language teaching in China
1.3.3 Improving the efficiency of learning within groups
1.4 The structure of the thesis
Chapter 2 Group discussion in British and Chinese dassrooms
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Group discussion in British classrooms
2.2.1 Types of group discussion in British classrooms
2.2.2 The 'exploratory' group discussion expected by British lecturers
2.2.3 Group discussion behaviour of Western students
2.2.4 Case-study group discussion and British business lecturers' attitudes
2.3 Group discussion and Chinese learners
2.3.1 Types of group discussion and the expected discussion behaviour in Chinese classrooms
2 3.2 The expected discussion behaviour in Chinese classrooms
2.3 3 Chinese students' discussion behaviour and perception of ' good' discussion
2.3.4 Chinese students' attitudes towards group discussion in Western learning contexts
2.4 Conclusion
2.4.1 Summary
2.4.2 A theoretical framework of cultural influence of students' classroom interactional practices in Claim and Britain
Chapter 3 Cultural factors affecting Chinese students' behaviour in case-study group discussion
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Contextual factors in higher education
3.2.1 The British higher education system
3.2.2 The Chinese higher education system
3.3 The disciplinary culture of business education
3.3.1 British business education
3.3.2 Chinese business education
3.4 The application of the case method in Britain and China
3.4.1 The application of- the case method in British business education
3.4.2 The application of the case method in Chinese business education
3.5 Learner autonomy
3.5.1 Learner autonomy and critical thinking in Britain
3.5.2 Learner autonomy in China
3.6 Leadership and group discussion
3.7 Conclusion
3.7.1 A cultural model of factors affecting students' case- study group discussion methods
3.72 Research questions
Chapter 4 Research methods
4.1 Methodological issues
4.1.1 Research paradigm and triangulation
4.1.2 An ethnographic research perspective
4.1.3 The researcher's roles
4.1.4 Issues with generalisation
4.1.5 Ethics
4.2 Research sample background
4.3 Data collection methods
4.3.1 Classroom observation and recording
4.3.2 Interviews
4.3.3 Questionnaire
4.4 Research design
4.4.1 Research management
4.4.2 Step A
4.4.3 Step B
4.4.4 Step C
4.4.5 Step D
4.5 Data collection and analysis
4.5.1 Step A: classroom observation and follow-up interviews
4.5.2 Step A: exploratory interviews
4.5.3 Step A: questionnaire
4.5.4 Step 13: classroom observation
4.5.5 Step B.. exploratory interviews
4.5.6 Step C: classroom observation, recording and follow up interviews
4.5.7 Step D: a ranking task and the follow-up interviews
4.5.8 A summary of the research participants
4.6 Audio-recording data analysis: IRF analysis
4.6.1 Nature of the recorded discussion
4.6 2 The choice of the analytical tool
4.6.3 Initial coding of IRF structure
4.6.4 Secondary coding of interactive functions
Chapter 5 Cultural influence on students' attitudes towards group discussion
5.1 Chinese students' learning experiences in the Chinese university
5 1.1 Lecturers' perceptions about students' group discussion skills needs in Britain
5.1.2 Students' learning priorities
5.1 3 Students' learning strategies
5.1.4 Students' evaluation of Part I
5.1.5 Summary
5.2 Perceptions about group discussion of students a
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