The art of teaching in teaching art

This research explores the main factors influencing students’ choice of postgraduate education at a case university, the G University in the Southeast China. The research was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, 616 questionnaires were distributed among the targeted students with 381 returned in order to get a general picture of the students’ reasons for PG education at the case university. In the second phase, 30 students who indicated their willingness in the questionnaires for the follow-up interviews were interviewed to gain an in-depth understanding of their decision-making. It is found that employment prospects, personal interest, the reputation and location of the institution are the main factors influencing their choice of postgraduate education. By enquiring into the students’ decision-making process for undertaking postgraduate education in the specific Chinese social and cultural context, it contributes to the literature on students’ decision-making process about higher education. In addition, the findings will also provide some informed knowledge for Chinese further and higher education for better understanding its students and thus providing better service for them. This knowledge could also provide informative information to those international universities who are competing for recruiting more Chinese students.