Intercultural Teacher-Student Relationships: A Qualitative Study of Students on 2+2 Tertiary Joint Programs

Teacher-student relationship (TSR) is, despite its importance, an under-researched area in higher education, and this is particularly the case with TSR between international students and their teachers at the host institutions. Past research has found that social integration plays an important role in university students' academic performance and in international students' satisfaction with their overseas experience. By using rich interview data, this study examined the TSRs Chinese international students experienced on 2+2 tertiary joint programs between Chinese institutions and an Australian university. Three major themes emerged from this study: Students' experiences of TSR at their Chinese home institutions, their experiences of TSR at the Australian university, and the student-initiated reasons for cross-cultural differences. This study contributes to the literature by calling the attention of policy makers and program managers of 2+2 joint programs (and other joint tertiary programs) to the important issues of intercultural communication and intercultural awareness.