Taken-for-granted understandings in access to international higher education: a study of Chinese agent-user students' university application experiences.
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| Title: | Taken-for-granted understandings in access to international higher education: a study of Chinese agent-user students' university application experiences. |
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| Authors: | Yang, Ying |
| Source: | Educational Review. Feb2026, Vol. 78 Issue 2, p203-222. 20p. |
| Subjects: | History education, Student recruitment, Knowledge gap theory, Right to education, Global studies |
| Abstract: | In the marketised international higher education sector, education agents appear to become important intermediaries in international student recruitment campaigns. However, there remains a significant gap in our knowledge of how the widespread use of education agents today impacts (in)equalities in access to international higher education. To respond to this gap, this paper focuses on Chinese students who use education agents to apply for master's programmes overseas (Chinese agent-user students) and investigates their university application experiences. This empirical part of the paper is based on longitudinal semi-structured interviews, conducted with 10 Chinese agent-user students from November 2020 to July 2022, and uses Bourdieu's concept of doxa for data analysis. The findings suggest that using education agents, (re)taking Shui courses "水课" in Chinese universities, and applying for overseas Shui programmes "水专业" have become norms in Chinese agent-user students' university applications overseas. Shui "水" represents "water-down" and inflation. Shui courses represent courses having little to do with interests or expertise but more with obtaining satisfying grades without much effort. Shui programmes refer to not strong programmes at top universities overseas. Furthermore, the results illustrate that education agents play a symbolic dominance in overseas university application competitions, as they ostensibly work for Chinese agent-user students to facilitate their applications and advance their position in the competition. However, they fundamentally consolidate UK universities' hierarchies by stimulating application numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Educational Review is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Header | DbId: pbh DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection An: 191985356 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Taken-for-granted understandings in access to international higher education: a study of Chinese agent-user students' university application experiences. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yang%2C+Ying%22">Yang, Ying</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Educational+Review%22">Educational Review</searchLink>. Feb2026, Vol. 78 Issue 2, p203-222. 20p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22History+education%22">History education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+recruitment%22">Student recruitment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Knowledge+gap+theory%22">Knowledge gap theory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Right+to+education%22">Right to education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Global+studies%22">Global studies</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: In the marketised international higher education sector, education agents appear to become important intermediaries in international student recruitment campaigns. However, there remains a significant gap in our knowledge of how the widespread use of education agents today impacts (in)equalities in access to international higher education. To respond to this gap, this paper focuses on Chinese students who use education agents to apply for master's programmes overseas (Chinese agent-user students) and investigates their university application experiences. This empirical part of the paper is based on longitudinal semi-structured interviews, conducted with 10 Chinese agent-user students from November 2020 to July 2022, and uses Bourdieu's concept of doxa for data analysis. The findings suggest that using education agents, (re)taking Shui courses "水课" in Chinese universities, and applying for overseas Shui programmes "水专业" have become norms in Chinese agent-user students' university applications overseas. Shui "水" represents "water-down" and inflation. Shui courses represent courses having little to do with interests or expertise but more with obtaining satisfying grades without much effort. Shui programmes refer to not strong programmes at top universities overseas. Furthermore, the results illustrate that education agents play a symbolic dominance in overseas university application competitions, as they ostensibly work for Chinese agent-user students to facilitate their applications and advance their position in the competition. However, they fundamentally consolidate UK universities' hierarchies by stimulating application numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Educational Review is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=191985356 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/00131911.2025.2462636 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 20 StartPage: 203 Subjects: – SubjectFull: History education Type: general – SubjectFull: Student recruitment Type: general – SubjectFull: Knowledge gap theory Type: general – SubjectFull: Right to education Type: general – SubjectFull: Global studies Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Taken-for-granted understandings in access to international higher education: a study of Chinese agent-user students' university application experiences. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Yang, Ying IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 02 Text: Feb2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00131911 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 78 – Type: issue Value: 2 Titles: – TitleFull: Educational Review Type: main |
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