Improving the attainment gap of Direct Entry Chinese students - lessons learnt and recommendations

The expansion of Chinese articulations, which offer Chinese students the opportunity to study in the United Kingdom (UK) by permitting direct entrance into the final year of an undergraduate study programme, has provided a financially-attractive market. However, it has also raised concerns that these students do not have the same student experience as their peers and so may find it more difficult to attain a good degree classification. The culture shock, in terms of the impact of day-to-day life contrasts between the UK and China and the different pedagogical approaches of these two nations, creates additional barriers unique to these students. This case study therefore outlines experiences from two departments within a post-1992 Business School that has been recruiting students via articulations for thirteen years. The study highlights the journey towards adopting new approaches to teaching these students and thereby reducing the attainment gap. It thus offers an insight into which initiatives have proved successful and which ineffective and outlines plans to reduce the attainment gap further. The purpose of this study is to share our experience of creating conditions that support student success.