MAPPING THE DEMAND FOR SOUTHEAST ASIAN STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS AMONG CHINESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: PERCEIVED BENEFITS, CONCERNS, AND LANGUAGE-RELATED FACTORS

Abstract

This study investigated the attitudes and demand patterns of Chinese university students and their parents toward study abroad programs in Southeast Asia. It used a mixed-methods design, collecting survey data from 850 respondents (501 students and 349 parents) across six cities in Sichuan Province, China. These data were supplemented by semi-structured interviews with 24 families. The results show that parental acceptance of Southeast Asian study abroad was higher than expected, with 60.1% of parents indicating willingness to consider Southeast Asian destinations. Destination preferences were highly concentrated, with Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand accounting for 89.5% of first-choice selections. A logistic regression analysis identified prior knowledge of Southeast Asian higher education (OR = 3.52, p < .001), awareness of credential recognition policies (OR = 1.88, p = .001), and prior participation in study tours (OR = 2.44, p < .001) as the strongest predictors of positive attitudes. Language-related factors played a prominent role: 39.7% of parents cited language programs as a preferred field of study, significantly higher than comparable urban samples in eastern China. The study also found that participation in Southeast Asian study tours was positively associated with subsequent study abroad intentions, primarily through an information-bridging mechanism that improved parental awareness of educational opportunities. These findings contribute to the understanding of outbound education decision-making in non-coastal Chinese provinces and offer practical implications for institutions and policymakers seeking to support educational exchange with Southeast Asia.