Everyday Life Information World Mapping of Taiwanese International Students in Japan: A Visual Narrative Inquiry Approach

• Main Authors: Chih-Chi Wu, 吳智琪
• Other Authors: 蔡天怡
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2019
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/976pmw

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 圖書資訊學研究所 === 107 === Japan is one of the major countries where Taiwanese international students choose to study abroad. According to previous literature, cultural differences and communication barriers may bring negative effects on international students’ academic performance and daily lives. Some studies pointed out that it is difficult for international students to obtain local information. However, most studies focused on the academic information behavior of international students; few focused on their everyday life information behavior, let alone the everyday life information behavior of Taiwanese students in Japan. This study aims to explore the everyday life information worlds of Taiwanese international students in Japan. The research questions include: 1. What are the major everyday life information needs of Taiwanese students studying in Japan? 2. What sources do students consult in their everyday lives? 3. What items, things, and people are involved in students’ everyday life information worlds? And what are the relationships among items, things, and people? This study conducted semi-structured interviews and information world mappings (IWMs) through a visual narrative inquiry approach. Sixteen Taiwanese international students pursuing their master’s degrees at universities in Japan participated in the current study. All of them studied abroad in Japan for at least one semester. Nine of them were male, and most of them settled in Tokyo or Kyoto. Based on the interviews and IWMs, four major types of information needs were identified: basic needs of everyday life; leisure needs; interpersonal and cultural needs, and career needs. Diverse information needs have also been identified under each major needs. Online sources and interpersonal sources played important roles in Taiwanese international students’ everyday life information worlds. Students relied on search engines for information contains others’ experience sharing, and valued sources from their home country. The interpersonal sources consulted by students can be categorized into three major categories: Japanese students, Taiwanese students, family and friends. Similar to individuals’ information horizons, the everyday life information worlds of students can be conceptualized as densely-populated solution spaces. Students’ everyday life information worlds were especially dense when seeking information for basic needs and leisure needs. They often seek information actively in different situations. Additionally, although students consulted sources form Japan or from Taiwan based on their information needs, they prefer obtaining information regarding everyday life experience from their home-country sources. As to students’information seeking strategies, they prefer using search engines before consulting others. Such information seeking strategies may be influenced by the Japanese culture—not to bother others. Finally, students tended to retain their information seeking habits before studying in Japan, and the previous short-term living or studying experiences in Japan also greatly affected their current information behavior. Based on the findings, some suggestions are provided for both international students and higher education institutions. It is suggested that Taiwanese international students in Japan should maintain the relationships with Japanese students, Taiwanese students, family and friends as their everyday life interpersonal sources, and continue using social media from their home country. In order to meet all types of major information needs, students should also expand their personal networks and utilize local social media to gain extensive exposure to Japanese everyday life information. Higher education institutions should enhance orientation programs and international student services that help students deal with everyday life issues, especially when they first arrived. Office of international student services can gather and consolidate resources based on the four major types of everyday life information needs identified by the current study. Experience sharing from previous international students should also be collected and organized as important resources. Through social media, these resources can be effectively promoted and easily used by international students.