Difference Among Similarity - A Study on Macao Students’ Adjustment Experiences in Taiwan’s Higher Education Systems

Oct 15, 2026

This study examines cross-region student mobility by focusing on whether Macao students experience adjustment difficulties while studying and living in Taiwan. A survey of 663 Macao students in Taiwan is analyzed using correlation, t-test, analysis of variance, and hierarchical regression. Results indicate that, even in a Chinese cultural context, Macao students show social and psychological adjustment issues related to social support and self-efficacy. The work offers insight into cross-region students and practical guidance for governmental policy.

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Abstract

Keywords

Introduction

Background and Rationale

Research Gap and Study Aim

Adjustment Factors

Difference Among Similarity: A Study on Macao Students’Adjustment Experiences in Taiwan’s Higher Education Systems Chi Fong Chan (陈志峰) Macao Polytechnic Institute Ying-Jie Jheng (郑英杰) Taiwan Sport University ECNU Review of Education 2021, Vol. 4(4) 764–787 ª The Author(s) 2020 Article reuse guidelines: [sagepub.com/journals-permissions](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[ ](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[DOI: 10.1177/2096531120918771](DOI: 10.1177/2096531120918771)[ ](DOI: 10.1177/2096531120918771)[journals.sagepub.com/home/roe](journals.sagepub.com/home/roe) Abstract Purpose: This study focused on cross-region student mobility to explore whether Macao students have adjustment issues while studying and living in Taiwan. Design/Approach/Methods: A total of 663 Macao students were surveyed in Taiwan, and the statistical methods, including correlation, t-test, analysis of variance, and hierarchical regression analysis were addressed to analyze the data. Findings: Macao students, even while studying in a Chinese context, did have social and psychological adjustment issues (i.e., social support and self-efficacy). Originality/Value: This study could shed some light on understanding cross-region students as well as providing practical guides for relevant governmental departments in their policy regarding outbound students. Corresponding author: Ying-Jie Jheng, Center for Teacher Education, Taiwan Sport University, No. 250, Wenhua 1st Rd., Guishan, Taoyuan 33301, Taiwan, China. Email: [richardfala@yahoo.com.tw](richardfala@yahoo.com.tw) Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License ([https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages ([https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage](https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage)). Keywords Adjustment, cross-region student mobility, Macao, self-efficacy, social support Date received: 29 October 2018; accepted: 24 March 2020 Introduction Asian countries/regions, under the influence of Confucianism, appear to share a common culture in all aspects of life. This is especially true for Chinese societies, such as the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and the Taiwan region. However, in addition to this similarity, dissimilarities could still be seen in subtle ways. Specifically, from the perspective of education, are there any differences in those educational systems, especially when a student, rather than studying in the home region, studies in any of these regions? What would this student experience? This question, unfortunately, is rarely discussed. A possible reason is that researchers seem to regard them more similar than they really do. This limitation can be easily seen in the literature on “international students” because while scrutinizing the relevant studies targeting the group of Chinese students studying abroad (such as Fan & Ashdown, 2014; Huang & Klinger, 2006; Ling & Tran, 2015; Spencer-Oatey & Xiong, 2006; Sun & Chen, 1999), the main focus has been mostly placed on the Chinese students studying in the Western educational systems, usually ignoring adaptation issues in cross-region student mobility. This research was an attempt to focus on the cross-region student mobility—Macao students studying in Taiwan. The main reason for choosing these two regions in China is that Taiwan frequently ranks the top destination for Macao outbound students (Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, 2015) . While the number has been on the rise, it is intriguing to ask: How do Macao students feel and think while participating in Taiwan ’s educational systems? Inspired by the studies on international stu

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study?

To explore whether Macao students have adjustment issues while studying and living in Taiwan.

How was the study conducted?

A total of 663 Macao students were surveyed in Taiwan, and statistical analyses including correlation, t-test, analysis of variance, and hierarchical regression were used.

What did the findings show about Macao students in Taiwan?

Macao students exhibited social and psychological adjustment issues, specifically involving social support and self-efficacy, even within a Chinese context.

Oct 15, 2026

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