1. Academic Shock Dr Julie Crumbley
Associate Dean Undergraduate Portfolio
Newcastle Business School
Northumbria University

2. Advertised title!
Understanding the experience of Academic Shock for Chinese educational sojourners and the enablers that support academic transition and adaptation processes
Focus on definition of and the experience of academic shock
Key topics:
Brief introduction to the research study
What is academic shock
What are the components of academic shock
What are the enablers that support transition and adaptation

3. Brief introduction to the research study
Few studies have investigated the dimensions and nature of the academic adaptive process
This study investigated the lived experience of academic shock and the transition and adaptive strategies adopted by educational sojourners to shock experienced within the learning environment
24 qualitative interviews were conducted with Chinese UG students within one HE institution

4. What is academic shock?
Culture shock for educational sojourners is a multi part concept: culture*, language and academic (Ryan 2005)
Academic shock can occur when different approaches in the practice of teaching and learning become evident to sojourners (Gu, 2009)
*Culture shock was defined 50 years ago by Oberg as distress and anxiety experienced as a result of losing familiar signs and symbols of social interaction (Oberg 1960)

5. What is academic shock?
“Nearly everyone has heard of culture shock but few talk about the equally difficult ‘academic shock’ students experience when their confidence plummets, they question their precious self-evaluation as competent learners, and they may even lose their knowledge about how to learn and succeed” (Ryan and Carroll, 2005, pp. 6-7)

6. Components of academic shock
Based on Ryan (2005)
Based on Gu (2009)
Plummeting confidence
Unpleasant feelings
Questioning academic competency
Difficult experiences
Losing knowledge about how to learn
Psychological and emotional strain
Losing knowledge about how to be successful in an academic environment
Unfamiliarity with different teaching and learning conditions
Part of culture shock, along with language, for educational sojourners
Lack of confidence in using English language to communicate in the new learning environment
Question: what does it feel like to experience Academic Shock?

7. Components of academic shock
Experiencing Academic Shock means:
(Crumbley, 2010)
Feeling uncertain about academic practice and how to adapt to hidden academic practices
Being bound by language, academic practice and culture
Losing confidence
Coping with unmet expectations
i.e. feeling academically disabled:
loss of academic competence
lack of language skills
difficulties in forming interpersonal
relationships outside of conationals

8. Feeling uncertain
This is about difference and distance between Chinese and UK education practices
Academic practice is different to expectations
The ‘rules’ governing the hidden academic system only become clear when mistakes are made
This is a hard way to learn how to learn
Sojourners feel worried, scared, depressed, confused, afraid, stupid, frustrated, nervous and frightened
This is not a neutral concept or experience

9. Feeling uncertain Examples of experience of feeling uncertain:
Delivery
Teaching style; seminars; structure of teaching
e.g. student-tutor interaction and need for active participation
Using teaching and learning materials
Language barriers; academic competency
e.g. time it takes to read and understand academic sources
Assessment practice
Type of assessment; understanding criteria; choices and freedom
e.g. understanding what is required, exam machines, not being told what to do
Academic writing
Use of sources and referencing; constructing and argument; plagiarism
e.g. scared of plagiarising but unsure of how to construct arguments
Independent learning
Time; motivation
e.g. prefer to be given ‘fixed knowledge’ rather than have to research it
Guidance and feedback
Homework and formative assessment
e.g. not enough homework/feedback

10. Being bound
The response to encountering unfamiliar academic practice is bound by the sojourners’ previous academic experiences and competences
They can be resistant or feel unable to adapt
Resistance can be an act of bravado
For some, they lack the skills or academic competence to change
Recognition that transition needed to make the most of the sojourn

11. Being bound Constituents of being bound Being resistant to change
Tutors don’t know how to teach Chinese students; classes lack structure; not enough support provided for assessment; interactive classes; difficulties connecting with local students
e.g. questioning need to change, what we are used to is better; bravado (or regression as Oberg termed it)
Being unable to change
Communication skills; relationship with tutors; assessment
e.g. lacking the required skills to make the transition
Recognising the need to change
Becoming independent; becoming confident
e.g. gaining additional skills and competences

12. Losing confidence
Psychological aspect of academic shock: embarrassment, shame, fear of failure, fear of being thought stupid or disrespectful to the tutor
Academic shock is experienced as a lack of competency and loss of confidence
Cause of distress and anxiety that impacts on academic performance

13. Losing confidence Constituents of losing confidence i.e. Loss of voice
Communication skills; fear of failure; psychological reaction that leads to loss of confidence i.e. more than poor communication skills, it is the withdrawal from situations where interactions are needed
e.g. isolating, a barrier to participation, very emotional language used (nervous, frightened, miserable, scared, ashamed); form of self protection
Loss of skills
Academic practice; feeling disadvantaged i.e. experiencing crisis or dissonance as poor marks/feedback received
Not prepared for T & L, redundant skills, disadvantaged compared to locals
Loss of self worth
Results from the two above: Appearing stupid; under pressure; wanting to be challenged
Don’t deserve to ask for or receive help, feeling invisible, need to find courage to try

14. Coping with unmet expectations
Psycho-social reactions to the experience and core to understanding academic shock
Pre-sojourn academic expectations exist:
Know how to learn and perform well academically
Tutors would be supportive in helping them to learn
They would make friends with local students and improve their English
Expectations largely unmet; feel disappointed by experience

15. Coping with unmet expectations
Constituents of unmet expectations
Academic practice
Assessment; delivery approach; learning processes; academic performance
Approaches very different to what they were used to
Academic support and guidance
Relationship with tutor; access to tutor; other guidance; induction
Expectations of tutor support high, but tutors seen as unavailable
Friendship and communication
Integration
Wanted to make friends and speak more English but social connections did not develop outside of conationals

16. Summary of lived experience of academic shock
Unavoidable due to differences in academic practice
Painful to experience
Having to cope with unmet expectations
Feeling let down
Loss of confidence
Withdrawal from host nationals
Communication a barrier

18. Enablers supporting academic transition and adaptation
Tutors and local students had relatively minor roles compared to conational students
Conationals were the most important interpersonal network in reducing the impact of academic shock and in enabling academic transition – collectively making sense of new academic practices
Collaborative working needs to be encouraged if academic shock is to be coped with

19. Thank you for listening
Any questions?
Julie Crumbley

20. References
Crumbley, J. (2010) Academic shock and the role of interpersonal relationships on academic transition and adaptation processes for Chinese educational sojourners. Unpublished DBA thesis. University of Northumbria.
Gu, Q. (2009) ‘Maturity and Interculturality: Chinese students’ experiences in UK higher education’, European Journal of Education, 44 (1), pp
Oberg, K. (1960) ‘Cultural Shock: Adjustment to New Cultural Environments’, Practical Anthropology, 7, pp
Ryan, J. (2005) ‘The student experience: challenges and rewards,’ in Carroll, J. and Ryan, J. (eds) (2005) Teaching International Students. Improving Learning for All. London: Routledge, pp
Ryan, J. and Carroll, J. (2005) ‘‘Canaries in the coalmine’ International students in Western universities’, in Carroll, J. and Ryan, J. (eds) (2005) Teaching International Students. Improving Learning for All. London: Routledge, pp