Journal Screenshot

International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2226-6348

A Review of Motivations and Determinants in Student Choice of Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education

Zhu Yanxi, Mahani Bte Mokhtar

http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v15-i1/27795

Open access

The purpose of this review is to search through the influencing mechanism of the choice of Sino-foreign cooperative education programs by students systematically. As this model is growing fast in the process of internationalizing education in China, it is important to determine the determinants of student attraction to the model to maximize the quality of education and policy making. The proposed study will take a systematic literature review methodology and will be carried out by utilizing strategic searches and rigorous screenings in Scopus databases and synthesizing the literature in accordance to a multi-level system of analytical framework. The study also shows the weakness of the current literature on the subject in long-term tracking and richness of qualitative knowledge. The conclusions of this paper not only integrate scattered empirical evidence, providing a foundation for constructing a localized theory of educational choice, but also offer empirical support for educational institutions to precisely enhance the competitiveness of their programs and for government departments to optimize institutional design, and point out future research directions such as dynamic decision-making processes and cross-cultural comparisons.

Almanwari, H. S. A., Saad, N. H. M., & Zainal, S. R. M. (2024). The influence of environment & location, personal motivation, and fee & price on satisfaction, attituding and behavioural loyalty among international students in Oman. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 10(2), 100285.
AlShamsi, M., Al-Emran, M., & Shaalan, K. (2022). A systematic review on blockchain adoption. Applied Sciences, 12(9), 4245.
Chiocca, E. S., & Zhang, X. (2023). Distinguishing Oneself: First-Year International Students’ Pre-College Motivations and Expectations in a Sino-Foreign Joint-Venture University in China. Chinese Education & Society, 56(5-6), 331-349.
Fan, D., Breslin, D., Callahan, J. L., & Iszatt?White, M. (2022). Advancing literature review methodology through rigour, generativity, scope and transparency. International journal of management reviews, 24(2), 171-180.
Gunnell, K. E., Belcourt, V. J., Tomasone, J. R., & Weeks, L. C. (2022). Systematic review methods. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 15(1), 5-29.
Gamaliia, K., Turchak-Lazurenko, L., Lavrenyuk, O., Penchuk, O., & Lytvynenko, N. (2023). Synergy of design, culture, and innovation in pedagogy: New horizons for education. Research Journal in Advanced Humanities, 4(4), 175-190.
Hang, Y., & Zhang, X. (2025). How Chinese students manage their transition to higher education effectively: student initiative at Sino-Foreign cooperative universities. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 45(1), 69-83.
Han, X. (2023). Subjectivity as the site of struggle: Students’ perspectives toward sino-foreign cooperation universities in the era of discursive conflicts. Higher Education, 85(2), 399-413.
Hang, Y., & Zhang, X. (2025). How Chinese students manage their transition to higher education effectively: student initiative at Sino-Foreign cooperative universities. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 45(1), 69-83.
Jinhui, L., & Mengjin, L. (2019). A discussion on improving the quality of Sino-foreign cooperative education. In Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools (pp. 3-14). Routledge.
Junyi, Z., & Zainudin, Z. (2024). Meta Analysis of Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education Policy on Higher Education Institution in China. CMU Academy Journal of Management and Business Education, 3(1), 1-13.
Liu, H., & Jin, B. (2025). Analysis of Talent Training Model for Local Application-Oriented Undergraduate Sino Foreign Cooperative Education Based on Data Mining. In Machine Intelligence and Digital Applications (pp. 98-107). IOS Press.
Lai, M., & Jung, J. (2025). Internationalisation with Chinese characteristics: exploring the paradox in students' experiences at Sino-foreign cooperative universities. Studies in Higher Education, 50(7), 1514-1527.
Miani, M., & Picucci-Huang, S. C. (2023). Learning and teaching in transnational education in China: Voices from Sino-foreign cooperative universities. Chinese Education & Society, 56(5-6), 303-308.
Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. (2019). Statistical bulletin on national education development in 2019. Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China.
Ochoa-Cueva, C., Castillo-Cuesta, L., & Cabrera-Solano, P. (2023). Engaging English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Students through the Game-Based Learning Approach in Higher Education. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(7), 517-534.
Qiana, R. (2024). Strategies for Internationalizing Student Development at Regional Undergraduate Institutions in China: A Study. Journal of Advanced Academic Research and Studies, 1(4), 19-73
Si, H. (2024). Governance of transnational higher education: A study of Sino-Foreign joint institutes (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Manchester (United Kingdom)).
Srivastava, K., & Dhamija, S. (2022). Determinants Driving the Student's Decision Making to Opt Institution for Higher Education in India: An Exploratory Factor Analysis. Journal of Higher Education Theory & Practice, 12(13).
Shaheen, N., Shaheen, A., Ramadan, A., Hefnawy, M. T., Ramadan, A., Ibrahim, I. A., ... & Flouty, O. (2023). Appraising systematic reviews: a comprehensive guide to ensuring validity and reliability. Frontiers in research metrics and analytics, 8, 1268045.
Si, H., & Rayner, S. (2025). Exploring institutional governance dynamics in China’s transnational higher education (TNHE): a study of Sino-foreign joint institutes. Cogent Education, 12(1), 2450124.
Tse, S. W. T., & Zhou, Y. (2025). How Do Students Evaluate Their Learning Experience in Cooperative Education Setting? A Case Study of Chinese-Foreign Joint Institute. International Journal of Educational Reform, 10567879251325185.
Xiao, M. (2024). Exploration and Practice of Value Cultivation for Students in Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education Programs. Sch J Econ Bus Manag, 4, 107-116.
Yan, Y., Mahdi, M., & He, Y. (2025). Bridging cultural divides: family support and psychological resilience as catalysts for student adaptability in Sino-foreign cooperative education. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1717876.
Zou, B., Wang, X., & Yu, C. (2022). The impact of Sino-foreign cooperative universities in China on Chinese postgraduate students’ learning performances in the United Kingdom and United States. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1012614.
Zhang, Y. (2023). Student evaluation of sino-foreign cooperative universities: from the perspective of internationalization of higher education. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 43(4), 1107-1124.
Zhao, H. (2022). Internationalization at home: English-medium instruction practices at Sino-Foreign Cooperative Universities.

Yanxi, Z., & Mokhtar, M. B. (2026). A Review of Motivations and Determinants in Student Choice of Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 15(1), 1616–1627.