Silent issues for international postgraduate research students: Emotion and agency in academic success

This study explores the emotional and social factors contributing to international students’ success in an Australian research university. We were particularly interested in these students’ sense of agency-what enables them to act with confidence as learners. We used memory work to focus on the social interactions and emotions involved in building successful self-identities as students, both at home and abroad. Seven international postgraduate research students participated in the study and raised issues that have affected their confidence and success in different academic contexts. Some of these have received little attention in the literature or in their induction programs. The issues include the high personal cost of competition; the weight of responsibility towards family, colleagues and workplaces at home; the need to maintain a successful self-image despite their self-doubt and lack of confidence; and the need for early academic validation in a foreign research culture. What the students had believed were individual and private issues, held in silence, came to be recognised by the group as common experiences. As a result of their participation in the study, the students set about changing private and public awareness of some of the socialisation processes that have inhibited their success.     

Predicting academic success for disabled students in higher education

Research has indicated that disabled and nondisabled persons experience communication strained by high levels of uncertainty for both communicators. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of being disabled on the academic progress of disabled college students. It was felt that academic success will be contingent upon positive communication with faculty, fellow students, and university personnel. A questionnaire assessing the campus' social climate, the quality of its programs and instruction, and the students' academic and career expectations was administered to 100 disabled students. Analyses of the data revealed that the disabled students' motivation was significantly related to their level of social alienation, while the students' perceived competence was most related to their level of social adjustment. The theoretical implications of these findings and avenues for future research are discussed.     

The impact of English-language proficiency on international graduate students' perceived academic difficulty

This study presents an empirical test of the impact of English proficiency as indicated by student self-ratings and TOEFL scores, and selected nonlinguistic variables on the level of academic difficulties perceived by international graduate students. A simple random sample of 450 international graduate students from three large universities in upstate New York were contacted by mail in the fall of 1988. With two mailings, 245 completed the Survey of International Students' Academic Language Needs. It was found that Self-rated English Proficiency was the most significant predictor of the perceived level of academic difficulty. In addition, Length of Prior English Training and Age were also significant predictors. TOEFL score was found to be a nonsignificant predictor of students' academic difficulty. Implications of the research for English-language educators, ESL program and curriculum design, and U.S. university recruitment policy on international students were discussed.     

Evidence of English language proficiency and academic achievement of non-English-speaking background students

The increasing number of international students enrolled in Australian universities over the last decade has met with a corresponding concern that many non-English-speaking background (NESB) students experience considerable difficulty in their courses. Consequently, concerns about admission procedures have been raised regarding how English language proficiency (ELP) is determined for NESB students (both domestic and international). In addition to standardised ELP tests, some universities accept other forms of evidence, such as the completion of English-medium courses. This large-scale quantitative study analysed data on 5675 undergraduate and postgraduate students available from one university's database over a three-year period to ascertain if its ELP requirements were sufficient to ensure the academic progress of adequate numbers of these students. The best evidence for potential academic success was found to be standardised tests while students submitting other forms of ELP evidence tended to have more difficulties.     

Beyond English language proficiency scores: understanding the academic performance of international undergraduate students during the first year of study

ABSTRACT

Past research into the relationship between English proficiency test (EPT) scores and score profiles, such as the IELTS and the TOEFL, has shown that there is not always a clear relationship between those scores and students’ subsequent academic achievement. Information about students’ academic self-concept (ASC) may provide additional information that helps predict future academic success. Research has consistently shown a positive relationship between students’ ASC and subsequent academic achievement and educational attainment in both school and higher education settings. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between the academic performance of international students and their language proficiency and academic self-concept as well as other characteristics related to academic success. The study focused on first year international students in undergraduate business programs at an English-medium university in Canada. The following information was collected about the student participants: grades in degree program courses, annual GPA, and EPT scores (including subscores). In addition, students completed an academic self-concept scale. To obtain additional information about success in first-year business courses, instructors in two required courses were interviewed about the academic and language requirements in their courses and the profile of successful students. Correlations between the students’ course grades, GPA, EPT scores, and ASC score were calculated. The instructor interviews were analyzed using a content analysis procedure. The findings from all data sources were triangulated and show that language ability, ASC, and other factors impact academic success during the first year in a business program. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

English proficiency,course patterns,and academic achievements of limited-English-proficient community college students

Over the past decade minority students' access to and achievements in higher education have been of substantial interest to educators and researchers. Students who are of limited English proficiency (LEP) may also be considered disadvantaged, although few studies focus on them as a minority group. This research was conducted at a community college to examine the independent and interactive effects of several key demographic and academic variables on academic achievements (persistence, credits earned, and GPA). The primary independent variable, labeled GROUP, combined students' placement test results (English as a second language, regular remedial English, or no test results) and course-taking patterns (registered or did not register for ESL courses). Logit and other multivariate statistical techniques were employed. Results indicate some differences in achievement by GROUP category in concert with age, sex, or ethnicity, but no consistent pattern was found. LEP students did not differ significantly in academic achievement from the total student population. It is suggested that LEP students comprise an eclectic population with diverse educational goals and competencies, who use the community college for a variety of reasons. As institutions struggle to balance access and open enrollment, placement testing and registration requirements, and available resources, the efficacy of treating all LEP students alike must be examined.     

Reflections on teaching research ethics in education for international postgraduate students in the UK

Research ethics in education is a challenging topic to teach and to learn. As the staff and student body in UK higher education and elsewhere diversifies, the challenges increase as shared reference points diminish. My teaching reflections focus on a key tension explored in this article: how the imperative of internationalising the curriculum conflicts with hegemonic codes of conduct regarding research ethics that seem resistant to change. The framework of threshold concepts is applied to the teaching and learning of research ethics in education not, as is usual, to identify such concepts, but to draw attention to the critical role of the intersection between learner and curriculum and how institutional expectations need to be re-appraised.     

Exploring socioeconomic inequalities and access to elite postgraduate education among English graduates

Higher Education - A worldwide trend towards high levels of participation in higher education, paired with concerns about the post-university destinations of an increasing pool of graduates, have...     

Modelling success: enhancing international postgraduate research students' self‐efficacy for research seminar presentations

Most postgraduate research students face the task of presenting an oral seminar on their proposed research early in their candidature. Those of us who work with international postgraduate research students know that they can find this task daunting, and the literature both in Australia and abroad confirms that these students often lack confidence in this task. This paper presents findings of a small case study which compared the influence of observing a seminar performance of a peer to that of a senior academic on the confidence, or self‐efficacy, for seminar presentations of participants in a bridging program for international postgraduate research students at an Australian university. Participants responded to a 19‐item questionnaire which measured self‐efficacy for four areas of seminar presentation: speech, display, content, and presenter presence. The results indicated that the use of a peer model performance was the more effective pedagogical method for enhancing student confidence in this context.     

Some prerequisites for access programmes that contribute to academic success in higher education

Abstract

The balance between the cost and value of access programmes is a concern in higher education. The function of access programmes is to provide support and additional time for under-prepared students to cope with the academic workload during the first year. This article aims to indicate the value students place on participation in an access programme. In this qualitative study, group interviews were conducted and the findings indicate that Engineering students attribute their success in the mainstream to the way in which participation in an access programme had integrated them academically into the university and exposed them to discipline related experiences in a non-threatening environment. The findings of this study indicate what aspects of the access programme students considered helpful for perseverance in mainstream studies. It is recommended that institutions that offer access programmes should not only be aware of the reciprocal influence of the cognitive and non-cognitive factors that affect students' success, but also purposefully combine these factors in the design of their access programmes.     

A comparison of career success between graduates of vocational and academic tertiary education

This paper analyses whether tertiary education of different types, i.e., academic or vocational tertiary education, leads to more or less favourable labour market outcomes. We study the problem for Switzerland, where more than two thirds of the workforce gain vocational secondary degrees and a substantial number go on to a vocational tertiary degree but only a small share gain an academic tertiary degree. As outcome variables, we examine the risk of being unemployed, monthly earnings, and variation in earnings (reflecting financial risk). We study these outcomes at career entry and later stages. Our empirical results reveal that the type of tertiary education has various effects on these outcomes. At career entry, we observe equal unemployment risk but higher average wages and lower financial risk for vocational graduates. At later career stages, we find that these higher average wages disappear and risk of unemployment becomes lower for vocational graduates. Thus, by differentiating the tertiary system into vocational and academic institutions graduates face a variety of valuable options allowing them to self-select into an educational type that best matches their individual preferences.     

Predicting academic success in electronics

This study was motivated by the desire to help potential electronics students answer the questions, 1) which program of study should I consider?; 2) how do I know if I'll be successful in that program? This study focused on: 1) identifying the best variables for predicting academic success in electronics, 2) determining if abstract learning preference is an effective discriminator between the three main types of electronics programs, and 3) finding a model for predicting success in each electronic program. The results give validity to the commonly held opinion that a student's success in math and science in high school is a good predictor of their success in the three programs of electronics. The results also show that abstract learning preference is a valid discriminator between students in each of the three programs of electronics. Implications are provided.     

Reading habits of university ESL students at different levels of English proficiency and education

This paper describes a research study which examined the degree to which the levels of English proficiency (high vs. low) and education (graduate vs. undergraduate) of students for whom English is a second language (ESL) were associated with differences in their reading behavior patterns. Subjects completed a survey which elicited information about several aspects of their reading behavior patterns including the type of materials read, the amount of time devoted to each type of reading, perceptions of their own reading ability, weaknesses, and needed improvements in reading. The results revealed that many of the mean scores obtained differed significantly, a fact indicating that the subjects’ levels of education and English proficiency were indeed associated with their reading behavior patterns. The paper concludes with a discussion of the instructional implications of the findings.     

英语语境与写作能力的培养

在分析成果教学法、过程教学法和体裁教学法等写作教学法优缺点的基础上,指出过程体裁教学法是一种集三者优点于一体的综合教学模式,能有效地培养和提高学生的写作能力。     

Outsourcing academic development in higher education: staff perceptions of an international program

Increasingly, higher education support services are being outsourced. Our case study was of a program from a global, USA-based, non-profit organisation. From in-depth interviews, we investigated staff perceptions of academic development workshops and the efficacy of outsourcing to a transnational tertiary-support program. We found that interviewees valued the academic development. They believed greater consideration should be given to cultural differences between exporting and importing countries; to evidence-based assessment of, and institutional leadership support for, the program; and to discipline-based and tertiary-level skills. Our preliminary findings may inform university management about improved approaches to outsourcing academic development to international commercial providers.     

创新教育与高职英语教学改革国际化思路

在高职英语教学中进行创新教育,可通过创造民主和谐的课堂气氛、鼓励学生大胆探索、激发学生学习的主动性等方式创新课堂教学,同时进行评价模式的改革。     

Internationalisation of higher education: integrating international students into Canadian academic environment

Fuelled by globalisation, the internationalisation of higher education in Canada is happening at a rapid pace. One manifestation of internationalisation is the increasing enrolment of international graduate students in Canadian institutions. Many of these students face challenges and barriers in integrating into Canadian academic environments including isolation, alienation, marginalisation and low self-esteem. This case study investigates a programme at a large Canadian university intended to help international graduate students with their adaptation to an unfamiliar academic environment. The research shows that the programme was successful in creating a transnational learning space where international students developed a sense of belonging, increased cross-cultural understanding and raised awareness about global issues. More importantly, it helped international students with their integration into a Canadian learning community. The findings have important implications for the development of programmes to provide appropriate levels of support for international students and for building internationally inclusive campuses.     

Subjects of Western education: Discursive practices in Western postgraduate studies and the construction of international student subjectivities

This paper focuses on discursive practices of postgraduate research as a crucial element in constructs of international student subjectivities when they undertake postgraduate studies in Australian universities. As such, it focuses on a discursive field emerging within domains of internationalisation, globalisation, and resistance. It examines processes and protocols in a number of Australian universities’ postgraduate divisions’ practices in the conduct of postgraduate supervision, in the context of increasing pressures towards internationalisation within frameworks of globalising influences. It takes issue with Western custom and tradition as privileged within the field of supervision of postgraduate research studies and suggests a model of postgraduate research supervision as intentional and systematic intervention, based on literature deriving from research in postgraduate supervision which acknowledges the problematic natures of cultural relationships as to teaching and learning and knowledge production, and student resistances within these fields. In doing so, it examines issues of discursive practices and the problematic natures of power relationships in supervisor-supervisee protocols and possibilities suggested by alternative models of postgraduate supervision of international students.