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Article published In:
Chinese as a Second Language (漢語教學研究—美國中文教師學會學報)
Vol. 53:2 (2018) ► pp.109–130

Mixed-methods needs analysis of a Chinese language program

Perspectives from stakeholders

| University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
| University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

With the aim of improving a Chinese language program by incorporating defensible curricula, this study surveyed 213 stakeholders to arrive at a panoramic profile of the program’s needs. A mixed-methods research design with multiple types of data triangulation was employed to achieve a balanced quantitative and qualitative exploration of these needs. To redress a lack of comprehensive studies of Chinese learning needs in higher education, this study investigated: (a) program components that were perceived differently by students and teachers; (b) whether, how, and why lower-level learners diverged from upper-level ones with regard to communicative skills and instructional-approach preferences; and (c) any possible insights for program improvement from both micro- and macro- perspectives. In addition to discussing this study’s reliability and validity, the researchers offer recommendations for potential program restructuring and for Chinese language instruction more generally. The paper concludes with implications for future studies, and how its findings might be utilized for program sustainability and improvement.

Keywords: needs analysis, mixed methods, triangulation, participant observation, program improvement, language program evaluation
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Background information
    • 1.2Literature review
    • 1.3Purposes of the study
  • 2.Methods
    • 2.1Participants
    • 2.2Instruments and procedures
    • 2.3The Delphi technique
    • 2.4Data analysis
  • 3.Results
    • 3.1Quantitative data
    • 3.2Qualitative data
  • 4.Discussion
    • 4.1Answers to research questions
    • 4.2Limitations of this study and recommendations for future research
    • 4.3Implications
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • Note
  • References
Published online: 21 January 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/csl.18003.wan
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