Chelsey completed her Master’s degree in MA Education, Policy & Society here at the School of Education, Communication and Society (ECS), King’s College London, in 2021-2022.

Before coming to London, Chelsey worked in the Chinese education industry associated with private tutoring system and educational consulting field supporting overseas Higher Education applications in Shanghai for nine years. During those years, she undertook various roles including language proficiency support; extracurricular activities; parental educational support and a partnership role amongst international high schools counsellors, teachers, parents, and students.

Research interests

• Education policy.
• Social justice.
• Educational inequality.
• Social mobility.
• Academic mobility.
• International education.

Research Project Title: The Transitions of Chinese Students as they progress through Post-Graduate Taught (PGT) degrees in UK Higher Education

Abstract: 

This project explores the transitions of students from China on a one-year postgraduate taught (PGT) programme in a UK university. The majority of higher education transition studies explore experiences of undergraduate or doctoral routes and thus PGT students are often the ‘forgotten ones’ (Peterson & Macleod, 2014). Where they do occur, transition studies often focus on induction rather than charting experiences over time.

A series of interviews with approximately 20 PGT Chinese students will be undertaken (3 times with each student) as they progress through the degree programme. A small set of university staff who support international students will also be interviewed. Textual analysis of any policy and practice documentation about PGT student support produced by the university will also be completed.

This study will employ Bourdieusian theory and will also draw on theories of Transition. Bourdieusian theory (capital, field, and habitus) will be deployed to ensure that diversity and complexity within this group of students is fully explored in terms of how it relates to their resources for action and their capacity to manage in higher education. Transitioning is a process that continues over the length of the programme and not a one-off experience.

The significance of this research lies in its value to academics, PGT tutors, university leaders and those charged with student support. International students from the PRC (and elsewhere) are a high net contributor to higher education and the wider economy in the UK. Thus, any

research that contributes towards policy and practice in this arena is therefore to be welcomed more widely. Overall, it is hoped that this research will enhance PGT Chinese students’ academic transitions and progression by listening to what they say.

Principal supervisor: Professor Meg Maguire.

Secondary supervisor: Dr Emma Towers and Dr Mili Mili.