Abstract:

Abstract Within Chinese societies, as in western ones, interpersonal relationships, which can also be called social relations, are one of the most important needs for human beings. Within universities, Interpersonal Communication Efficacy (ICE) has been regarded as having a direct influence on the psychological health of undergraduate students. Based upon the theory of Bandura’s self-efficacy and Xie Jing’s ICE, this article compares the extent of ICE between domestic and international students in a Chinese university. The aim is to identify the similarities and differences between the two research groups, and the implications for the stakeholders (students, teachers, policy-makers, and researchers). A case study was conducted using a questionnaire survey. By employing the methods of quantitative analysis, the questionnaires of 390 respondents were analysed by using variance analysis of SPSS software. The findings of the study reveal that Chinese students are more likely to pay attention to interpersonal communication, and are more interdependent than other international students. This implies the importance of teaching communication skills, improving interpersonal communication efficacy, and understanding teaching and learning across cultures within the ongoing internationalisation of education.

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