以視覺敘說探究取向探討臺灣赴日留學生的日常生活資訊世界圖

Abstract

日本是臺灣學生主要前往留學的國家之一。過去的研究發現，學生前往他國留學可能因文化差異、溝通障礙等問題而對其學業與生活帶來負面影響；亦有研究指出，處於陌生環境之留學生在獲取當地資訊常面臨挑戰。然而，留學生相關資訊行為研究大多以課業情境為主，少論及其日常生活資訊行為，臺灣赴日留學生之日常生活資訊行為之相關研究更為罕見。有鑑於此，本研究以臺灣赴日留學生為研究對象，藉由瞭解其日常生活資訊世界，探討其留學日常生活資訊行為之樣貌。具體之研究問題為：一、 臺灣赴日留學生在日常生活中的主要資訊需求包括哪些面向？二、 臺灣赴日留學生因各種日常生活資訊需求而獲取資訊的來源與管道為何？三、 臺灣赴日留學生的日常生活資訊世界包括哪些人、事、物？其關係為何？ 本研究以視覺敘說探究取向，透過半結構深度訪談及資訊世界圖蒐集資料。訪談對象來自16位已於日本就讀碩士班一學期以上之臺灣留學生。其中， 9位男性多就讀東京的學校，7位女性多就讀京都的學校，受訪者又以留學其長介於半年至一年者為多。 本研究歸納出臺灣赴日留學生之四大日常生活資訊需求層面：基本生活需求、休閒娛樂需求、人際關係與文化需求，以及職涯需求，各層面又涵蓋多元的資訊需求類型。為滿足此四大資訊需求，留學生的資訊尋求之來源管道以網際網路資源與人脈為主，尤其偏好透過搜尋引擎搜尋個人經驗分享之資源，而母國的資訊來源更是留學生主要仰賴的資訊來源管道；人脈管道方面，留學生活中接觸之日本同學、臺灣留學生與親友三個族群為主要人脈資訊來源。對留學生而言，日常生活資訊世界為一資源密集的空間，且多以主動尋求為主。在面對基本生活資訊需求及休閒娛樂資訊需求時，其資訊世界中的資源尤為密集。 本研究發現，留學生為滿足其資訊需求而搜尋資訊時，雖依其不同需求而選擇留學國或母國的資訊來源管道，但整體而言，多偏好母國的資訊來源，以獲取留學生活相關的經驗分享；資訊尋求策略上，則多偏好透過搜尋引擎自行尋求解答，再詢問他人，此資訊尋求方式可能受日本文化中不喜麻煩他人的精神影響。此外，留學生赴日前的資訊尋求習慣及其過去曾旅居日本經驗，對其當前的留學日常生活資訊行為亦帶來影響。 根據研究發現，本研究提出以下建議：留學生除了保持與日本同學、臺灣留學生與親友三個族群之聯繫，並使用母國社群媒體之外，可進一步拓展自己在日本當地的生活圈，善用當地社群媒體，以廣泛接觸日本的資訊，滿足日常生活方面的所有資訊需求。學校行政單位則可落實接待志工制度，透過具備經驗的志工，協助留學生解決初來乍到的生活問題，並根據本研究發現之四大資訊需求，綜整過去留學生常見之日常生活問題與資訊來源，積極協助留學生處理日常生活問題，提供諮詢，同時，開設社群媒體等多元、便利的窗口，以利留學生使用。

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.