Data collection method

Johnson and Christensen (2012) suggest that in mixed methods research, the researcher should consider all the major methods for collecting data to address the research questions being investigated. In this study as already explained, both qualitative and quantitative

methods were used, to maximise the richness and validity of data and to “provide a better understanding of the research problem than either approach alone” (Creswell & Clark,

2007, p. 5). As mentioned earlier, two data collection methods (questionnaires and interviews) were adopted for this study. Details of these are outlined in the following sections.

3.4.1 The questionnaires

As outlined earlier, three sets of different questionnaires were given to the three groups.

The questionnaires were mainly designed to identify the three groups’ attitudes towards

and opinions of returnees. In addition to the demographic information (age, gender, job title, etc.), the questionnaires for the three groups (see Appendices 4-6) covered the following areas:

• returnees’ views towards the academic environment in Chinese universities • returnees’ views towards the management culture of Chinese universities

• returnees’ attitudes towards their social relationships with colleagues and

university administrators

• returnees’ expectations of work and life, especially university life, back in

China

• returnees’ views towards their job and contribution to the universities

• returnees’ attitudes towards their own overseas education

• non-returnee colleagues’ attitudes and perceptions regarding returnees’ teaching and research performance at the universities

• administrators’ attitudes and perceptions regarding returnees’ reaching and

researching at the universities.

The questionnaires were designed with Likert scale statements. All the questions in the questionnaire were closed, rather than open-ended. As the main data collection method in the study, the interview questions had already covered the questions that the researcher wanted to investigate in the in-depth spoken interviews; thus the open-ended questions in the questionnaire were designed to provide numerical statistics for the study. Each group was asked to indicate how much they agreed or disagreed with the statements, on a scale of 1 to 5. As explained earlier, the questionnaires were given to the participants at the first stage of data collection, before the interviews were conducted. The questionnaires were prepared in English and presented to all three groups in simplified Chinese (see the description in Section 3.2.2.7).

The questionnaire questions were designed in consultation with the researcher’s supervisors Professor Frank Sligo and Dr. Mingsheng Li and other Massey University staff to ensure they covered the research questions and would elicit the required information. Table 3.6 shows the demographic information for the three groups.

Table 3. 6 Demographic information for the three groups

Returnees Non-returnees Administrators

Number 24 11 9 Gender F=15 M=9 F=2 M=9 F=1 M=8 Age Average=37.25 20-30=7 30-40=6 40-50=9 Over 50=2 Average=35.82 20–30=1 30–40=8 40–50=1 Over 50=1 Degree Bachelor=1 Master=13 PhD=8 Post doctorate=2 Master=9 PhD=2 Master=7 PhD=2

Job title TA=5

L=8 AP=4 P=5 RA=1 R=1 TA=1 L=6 AP=3 P=1 D=1 DD=6 VP=1 PS=1

Note: L=Lecturer; AP=Associate Professor; TA=Teaching Assistant; P=Professor RA=Research

Assistant; R=Researcher; D=Dean; DD=Deputy of Dean; VP=Vice-President; PS=Party Secretary

3.4.2 Interviews

Once the survey questionnaire was completed with the participant, the interview began. During the interviews, the semi-structured interview questions were asked, based on the interview guide (see Appendix 7). The participant was encouraged to express their opinions and feelings freely and except for asking some questions to probe further, they were not interrupted and no comments were made, to ensure that the process was as objective as possible.

3.4.2.1 Interviews with foreign-educated returnees

investigate their experiences of re-entry into Chinese universities. The questions focused on:

1. their reasons for and expectations of returning to work in Chinese universities 2. the challenges they faced on their return and the strategies used to meet such

challenges

3. their feelings and opinions regarding the academic environment of the Chinese universities and their academic life in those universities

4. reasons for these feelings and opinions

5. ways of adapting to and reintegrating into the home culture 6. the social networks available to them

7. their contribution to the universities

8. their suggestions for other overseas students who might consider coming back to work in China.

They were also asked to comment on the support of their university and to make

suggestions for management regarding ways to make use of returnees’ social and

positional advantages.

All the interviews were conducted in Chinese and were digitally recorded, and later transcribed by the researcher into Chinese. The average time of the interviews was about 47 minutes, with the shortest one being 18 minutes and the longest one being one hour and 54 minutes.

3.4.2.2 Interviews with non-returnees and administrators

The interview questions for the 11 non-returnees and nine administrators were also semi- structured interview questions, focusing on their:

1. opinions regarding the academic role of returnees at the universities 2. expectations for and evaluations of foreign-educated returnees 3. opinions on the trend for overseas graduates to return to China 4. impressions of and interaction with returnees

The interviews were conducted in Chinese, digitally recorded and then transcribed by the researcher into Chinese. The average interview time for non-returnee group was 27 minutes, with nine minutes being the shortest and one hour 55 minutes being the longest. The average interview time for administrators was 43 minutes, with 25 minutes being the shortest and one hour 47 minutes being the longest.

To create an environment that allowed the participants to talk freely, the interviews always began with greetings and light conversation until they appeared relaxed and comfortable. The first question for returnees was always to ask them why they had come back to China, as it was a direct question which would be straightforward to answer given that that returnees had volunteered to tell their stories. All the interview questions for three groups were a guide only, as some interviewees could answer three or four of the questions in one response and sometimes the order of questions needed to be adjusted accordingly. Some interviewees were very talkative and they were not interrupted unless they deviated from the topic, in which case the interview questions were used to lead them back to the topic. Most of the interviews went smoothly and some interviewees thanked the interviewer for giving them the chance to tell their stories. One of the interviewees was so excited that she even had tears in her eyes when she told the researcher about her reentry experience. She thanked the researcher for giving her the opportunity to tell her story. The researcher sometimes had to stop for a while to let her come down and comfort her. This interview was the longest one and the interviewee provided rich information about her returning experience at the university where she was employed.

3.4.2.3 Interviewing language

As mentioned earlier, all the interviews were conducted in Chinese, as a shared language (between the interviewer and interviewees) is very important for clarity in interviews (Patton, 2002). If the interviewer and interviewees do not speak the same language, the logistics and procedures to generate data can be affected, influencing the validity of the data and ultimately, the conclusions drawn from the research (Williamson et al., 2011). Before each interview, all participants were told that they could choose English or Chinese for the interviews. Even though many returnees could speak English, all of them chose to be interviewed in Chinese (either Mandarin Chinese or Kunming dialect),

as they felt this made it easier and more comfortable for them to express what they wanted to say and to articulate their ideas.

Fontana and Frey (2005) point out that the interviewer and interviewees sharing the same language and having a similar cultural background helps in maintaining the original meaning of responses as much as possible and minimising misunderstandings. As a Chinese native speaker, I could communicate well with the participants in their own language, which helped with gathering clearly expressed information. My background as an overseas PhD student and a university teacher also assisted in my understanding of the participants and helped with the establishment of a warm relationship with them, which encouraged them to share their stories more fully.