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Article published In: Chinese as a Second Language (漢語教學研究—美國中文教師學會學報)
Vol. 53:2 (2018) ► pp.109–130

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Mixed-methods needs analysis of a Chinese language program

Perspectives from stakeholders

 | University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
 | University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Published online: 21 January 2019
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https://doi.org/10.1075/csl.18003.wan
Abstract
With the aim of improving a Chinese language program by incorporating defensible curricula, this study surveyed 213 stakeholders to arrive at a panoramic profile of the program’s needs. A mixed-methods research design with multiple types of data triangulation was employed to achieve a balanced quantitative and qualitative exploration of these needs. To redress a lack of comprehensive studies of Chinese learning needs in higher education, this study investigated: (a) program components that were perceived differently by students and teachers; (b) whether, how, and why lower-level learners diverged from upper-level ones with regard to communicative skills and instructional-approach preferences; and (c) any possible insights for program improvement from both micro- and macro- perspectives. In addition to discussing this study’s reliability and validity, the researchers offer recommendations for potential program restructuring and for Chinese language instruction more generally. The paper concludes with implications for future studies, and how its findings might be utilized for program sustainability and improvement.
提要
增强课程的合理性是提高中文项目质量的有效途径。本研究以混合方法(mixed-methods)通过调查美国一所高校中文项目213名师生及相关人员对课程合理性的认知来获得对中文项目需求的多方位了解。通过对所采集数据进行立体分析(triangulation)，结合量化统计与质性资料，本文揭示出教师、学生以及相关人员对于项目大纲与教学看法的异同，低年级与高年级学习者对于交际技能与教学方法的喜好差异，以及他们在微观与宏观方面提出的项目改进意见与建议。本文也讨论了混合方法对需求分析所带来的信度与效度的提高，以及对美国高校中文教学提升及项目重构的启示作用，并指出未来需求分析研究在提高中文项目的可持续发展方面的研究方向。
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Background information
    • 1.2Literature review
    • 1.3Purposes of the study
  • 2.Methods
    • 2.1Participants
    • 2.2Instruments and procedures
    • 2.3The Delphi technique
    • 2.4Data analysis
  • 3.Results
    • 3.1Quantitative data
    • 3.2Qualitative data
  • 4.Discussion
    • 4.1Answers to research questions
    • 4.2Limitations of this study and recommendations for future research
    • 4.3Implications
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • Note
  • References
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Cited by (1)

Cited by one other publication

Zhu, Junling
2023. Critical Literature Review on Teaching Chinese as a World Language in the Context of Globalization. Language and Sociocultural Theory 9:2 ► pp. 202 ff. DOI logo

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