The perception of online education: A cross-cultural analysis of Japanese and Chinese students
J. Du
Mayumi Nakamura
Abstract
The last decade has seen online degree programs playing an increasingly important role in the field of education, and in this regard, this study examines people perceive online education. According to the results, the respondents generally were indifferent toward online education. Chinese students had more favorable attitudes toward online education than Japanese students, and there was a significant difference in their perception of online education. The respondents emphasized quality as the most important motivator of online education. Chinese students were most likely to indicate quality, followed by the learning environment, trustworthiness, and costs, in that order, whereas Japanese students indicated quality as the most important motivator, followed by trustworthiness and the learning environment. In terms of barriers, the respondents emphasized poor academic quality as the most important barrier to online education, followed by a lack of teacher/peer support, low awareness, and newness, in that order. Chinese students were most likely to indicate poor academic quality, followed by a lack of teacher/peer support, low awareness, and newness, in that order. Japanese students indicated poor academic quality, followed by a lack of teacher/peer support. Low awareness and newness were least likely to be reported. These results have important practical implications for policymakers and practitioners.
Keywords: Cross-Cultural Analysis, Students, Perception, Online Education, China, Japan