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2 Research Approach and MethodologyThis project applied both quantitative and qualitative study methodologies. It applieda questionnaire-based structured survey and semi-structured interviews to obtaindata. It then applied numerical/linguistic data analysis approaches to find results.The questions used in the surveys were designed based on hypotheses proposedwithin an overarching action research framework. The interviews were conductedafter an initial phase of data collection via the questionnaire survey.Data was drawn from staff, undergraduate/postgraduate international/local studentsand graduates mainly within the Information Technology and Businessdepartments/faculties of the University of Technology, Sydney, Curtin University ofTechnology, The University of Sydney, Edith Cowan University, and Southern CrossUniversity.The total number of participants in the survey is 1026, including 640 internationalstudents of Asian background and 386 students from Australia or other westerncountries. The interview participants include 10 lecturing staff, 25 students of Asianbackground, 7 Australian local students and 8 graduates of Asian background. Thesurvey and interview participants combined total 1076.This project was completed in two years (10/2007-10/2009) in the following steps.Step 1 Continued literature review and developed ethics applicationsBased on our pre-literature review results, we continued the literature review byfurther focusing on cross-cultural issues in higher education within theteaching/learning process. Asian cultural background is the main focus of thereview. A more detailed literature review is presented in Section 4 of this report.As the surveys and interviews conducted in this project involve personal information,an ethics application was first submitted to the UTS Human Research EthicsCommittee and then to Curtin University of Technology, The University of Sydney,Edith Cowan University and Southern Cross University for approval.Step 2 Establishment of a framework for factor analysis in cross-cultureteaching and learningBased on the literature review and our previous research, we summarised the mainimpact factors, and the possible assumptions and expectations of both students andlecturing staff, and developed a research framework. This framework identified fiveaspects of cross-cultural teaching and learning in universities. Under the framework,we designed and proposed 59 hypotheses. The aim was to find out how differingexpectations/assumptions affect the progress of learning over its various phases,and how they impact on the quality of experience and outcomes in our universitiesand how to assist cross-culture students becoming successful learners.Step 3 Development of preliminary questionnaireBased on the 59 hypotheses, the questionnaire consists of an identificationinformation section and over 50 questions within other six sections as follows:(1) Teaching Contents and Textbooks;(2) Teaching and Learning Methods;(3) Education Management Systems;(4) Language;(5) Culture-based Teaching & Learning Concepts; and(6) Others (open questions).8