Assessing the Difficulty Level of the Curriculum: Chinese Students' Perspectives on the New Zealand Diploma in Business (Level 6)

The objective of this study is to explore the initial expectations of Chinese students and to enquire into their perspectives on the difficulty level of the New Zealand business curriculum (Level 6). The study also reveals the factors underlying their academic achievement. On the basis of the findings, this study summarises the internal reflections of the Chinese students regarding international education. The methodology consists of a qualitative study applying an explorative approach. Students from one Private Training Establishment (PTE) studying the New Zealand Diploma in Business (level 6) and academic staff are from the same institute were sampled for this research. Two different questionnaires were used to collect information from participants. To analyse and interpret the data, the ‘thematic analysis method’ has been used in this study. The findings reveal that the students’ initial perceptions are mostly influenced by their own culture and familiar educational settings, whereas perceptions on the difficulty level of the course reveal an additional understanding of a foreign culture.  The results of the research can help educators to understand learners in greater depth and may assise curriculum designers and policy makers to consider the cultures and values of target groups containing a large numbers of international students.