Learning Issues and Learning Problems of Confucian Heritage Culture Students Studying Hospitality and Tourism Management in Australia

International education is one of Australia's largest industries and the fees generated by international students are becoming increasingly important to the budgetary health of Australian universities. It has been found that the majority of international students studying at higher-education level in Australia are from Asia and that these students have unique needs and requirements and consequently experience a range of learning issues and problems associated with the move to a western education environment. Concentrating on students who are of Chinese nationality or ethnicity, or who come from countries that share a common Confucian heritage, this paper reports on research that examines students' learning experiences, identifies differences in educational approaches and highlights specific problems and issues regarding students' learning experiences. This research found that these students had to make substantial changes to their educational approach and were required to become involved in a variety of new and unusual classroom situations and had to cope with potentially uncomfortable learning situations. This research suggests that western universities and western academics might take a more proactive approach regarding the learning experience of such students. (C) 2006 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.