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1 – 10 of over 31000Kenneth M Holland and Ben L Kedia
Recruiting students to study abroad is a difficult challenge for American colleges and universities. Study abroad advisors and directors of international programs are searching…
Abstract
Recruiting students to study abroad is a difficult challenge for American colleges and universities. Study abroad advisors and directors of international programs are searching for better ways of marketing the overseas academic experience. Approximately 3% of U.S. students who pursue a bachelor’s degree study abroad at some point in their college career. In any given year, less than 1% (0.8%) of U.S. students take part in study abroad (Hayward, 2000, p. 9). American higher education falls far short of the Presidential Commission’s target of 10% by 2000 set in 1979 (Strength Through Wisdom, 1979). The typical college student who participates in study abroad is an undergraduate liberal arts major who spends one semester in a country in Western Europe. In 1999–2000, 63% of American students studying abroad were in Europe (Snapshot of Report on Study Abroad Programs, 2000, p. 1). Almost one fourth go to one country – Great Britain. Fifteen percent of study abroad students travel to Latin America, 6% to Asia and 3% to Africa (Hayward, 2000, p. 10). The small number of U.S. students (129,770) who experienced foreign study in 1998–1999 compares unfavorably with the much larger number of foreign students (490,933) who enrolled in U.S. institutions (Hesel & Green, 2000, p. 5). Even more disheartening is the fact that nearly 50% of students entering 4-year colleges say that they want to study abroad and that three out of four adults agree that students should study abroad (Hesel & Green, 2000, p. 1). When asked to choose which activity in college is most important to them, entering freshmen rank study abroad second only to internships (Hesel & Green, 2000, p. 3). There are obviously a number of barriers to student participation in foreign study.
Shabir Mohsin Hashmi, Yongzhong Deng and Zainab Alhayki
The main objective of this research is to analyze the living and learning experience of foreign students at Jinan University (JNU). The study aims to elicit two basic purposes;…
Abstract
Purpose
The main objective of this research is to analyze the living and learning experience of foreign students at Jinan University (JNU). The study aims to elicit two basic purposes; first, to help JNU administrators to measure the level of satisfaction of students and response to their needs. Second, to assess the existing facilities in the context of quality of education, the syllabus, credit system, choices of available courses, foreign faculty, teaching resources, effective dissemination of knowledge, behavior of administration and teachers, quality of food versus price, dormitory conditions, library resources, and other necessary facilities for productive learning.
Design/methodology/approach
To recognize the issues of foreign students and obtain their responses, this research has relied on several techniques. We have created a questionnaire and applied a systematic sampling technique. The questionnaire has been divided into several categories and sub-categories.
Findings
Findings of this study have confirmed that majority of the foreign students at JNU are satisfied with the learning and living conditions.
Research limitations/implications
Though our study is subject to limitations, yet it provides some valuable insights. Due to lack of resources and time, we have limited our sample size to 27. However despite having few respondents, the overall feedback represents the entire population. Additionally, this study is mainly focused on foreign student’s living and learning experiences satisfaction. Hence, no dependent and independent variable relationship is being determined or argued.
Practical implications
However, as indicated by the respondents, JNU needs to improve its learning facilities, as well as induction of additional foreign faculty, availability of English text books, security of student dormitories, expansion of sports facilities, renovation of university roads, and installation of new equipment in the laborites. Such conclusion provides the administration and other stakeholders with valuable indicators of how well the JNU is meeting with the expectations of international students and how resources might best be directed to improve further services.
Originality/value
Our approach is unique and inventive, as so far there has been very little research that has been carried out on this topic on Chinese Universities. This study serves as a benchmark in measuring the living and learning experience of foreign students at JNU. The results of the research would be useful for planning and improving the quality of services and help the administration in formulating better policies for international students.
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Zahir A. Quraeshi and Mushtaq Luqmani
The growing professionalization of Malaysian industry over the past three decades, and the need for skilled business talent, have led to an increased demand for business…
Abstract
Purpose
The growing professionalization of Malaysian industry over the past three decades, and the need for skilled business talent, have led to an increased demand for business education. This paper aims to examine how institutions in Malaysia have responded to this need.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a case study that synthesizes and organizes institutional experiences in delivering business education in Malaysia.
Findings
Malaysian academic institutions have responded to the demand for business education through a process modeled by the authors as a “cycle of business education” (CBE). The authors discuss institutional developments and competitive marketing strategies directed toward target markets during the five stages of the CBE.
Practical implications
The Malaysian experience in meeting business education needs can provide valuable guidance to educators and policy makers, among others, in developing countries engaged in similar initiatives. These countries can benefit from understanding more about institutional practices as well as from the problems that surfaced during the Malaysian CBE.
Originality/value
The paper makes an original contribution first by delineating and discussing the five stages of the cycle of business education (CBE), including institutional developments. Next it systematically articulates various components of the marketing strategies institutions use to deliver business education. Finally, recommendations are offered to improve the institutional provision and marketing of business education.
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Branch campuses and other types of partnerships are becoming increasingly common where a degree provider starts offering a programme in another nation. The aim of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Branch campuses and other types of partnerships are becoming increasingly common where a degree provider starts offering a programme in another nation. The aim of this paper is to focus specifically on the student and staff experience of learning in UK degree programmes operating in India.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology followed for this study was qualitative. Open‐ended responses were invited from students and members of faculty about their experiences from two UK degree programmes in India. The data were analysed by using open coding which led to the identification of major categories.
Findings
Students expressed high level of satisfaction related to the internal environment particularly the quality of education provided by a foreign degree. But they also worry about the regulatory environment, branding and industry linkages of such programmes.
Research limitations/implications
One of the most obvious limitations of this research is that the results cannot be generalized. The satisfaction with the academic engagement expressed by the students and the faculty could be due the strong systems put in place by these specific partnerships and not a generic feature of transnational partnerships.
Practical implications
This paper highlights that the educational issues important in the host nation may be different to the home nation. So equivalence of degrees or even rankings in the home country may not automatically get transferred in the host nation.
Originality/value
Student and faculty experience of learning in a foreign degree programme without leaving their country is underreported in the literature. To the best of the author's knowledge no work exists on the foreign degree programmes existing in India and this paper is the first attempt to research the issues related to transnational education in India.
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The object of this brief paper is to discuss the balance between business content and language proficiency in study abroad programs related to business. When blending these three…
Abstract
The object of this brief paper is to discuss the balance between business content and language proficiency in study abroad programs related to business. When blending these three activities, the challenge is to balance each appropriately. If the study abroad experience contains little or no business content, students lose out on the opportunity to learn elements of international business. If the study abroad experience contains little or no language content, students miss out on the cultural integration that is essential for international interactions. And if “study abroad” becomes too loose (i.e. party on the beach) or too rigid (i.e. no different than taking classes back home), students miss the essence of studying in a foreign location. Of course, there are excellent business study abroad programs that are conducted in English (e.g. see Keillor & Emore for the roundtable discussion regarding English language programs). The focus of this paper is the role of foreign language instruction and student proficiency in foreign language, as it relates to business study abroad programs.
Irina Shcherbakova and Marina Ilina
The purpose of this paper is to reveal the essence of project education in the classroom in the foreign (English) language of students of nonlinguistic specialties of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reveal the essence of project education in the classroom in the foreign (English) language of students of nonlinguistic specialties of the university.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of the study consisted of 20 first-year students of profile “Lawyer.” The study took place in three stages. The implementation of the training project was carried out based on the university in a group of students studying for the specialty “Lawyer.” At the organizational stage, primary diagnostics of the level of development of communicative competence through testing and communicative cases were carried out. In the second stage, the project was carried out for one semester under four topics by the thematic plan of the English language program. In the third stage, rediagnostics was carried out using testing and communicative cases following the completion of projects.
Findings
Based on the results of repeated diagnostics, a positive dynamic was revealed in the level of development of communicative skills, the development of the independent communicative activity of students at both a productive and a creative level.
Originality/value
The research shows that the inclusion of project activities in the educational process of students of the university contributes to the formation and development of information skills. These skills quite effectively fit into the educational process, carried out in the form of a workshop. And the workshop is effective at all the stages of the project activities.
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Inga Lapina, Renāte Roga and Peeter Müürsepp
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are becoming more aware of the effects of globalization and of the fact that the need for international work experience, as well as partially…
Abstract
Purpose
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are becoming more aware of the effects of globalization and of the fact that the need for international work experience, as well as partially or fully acquired education abroad, is increasing. The aim of the research is to analyze factors influencing international students’ decision regarding the country and HEIs and to evaluate students’ learning experience and satisfaction with their choice to develop suggestions for the improvement of different dimensions related to the quality and export of higher education.
Design/methodology/approach
Several research methods, such as literature review, logical and comparative analysis, as well as the empirical method to obtain information by conducting a survey, and the induction method to interpret and generalize the survey results are applied in this research. To discover learning experiences and determinants of students’ choice of the host country and HEI, research was carried out, under which two questionnaires were developed. The survey involved foreign students from seven HEIs in Latvia and one Estonian university.
Findings
The environment in which HEIs operate is becoming more open to the increasing international influence and competition and leads to increasing opportunities for international studies and choice available to students. The quality of the academic staff and study programmes are the most important factors in creating value for the student. As a result of the research, suggestions for higher education quality improvement and export development have been structured within economics, culture and quality dimensions into three levels – individual, institutional and state.
Research limitations/implications
The study does not analyze the foreign students’ countries of origin in terms of political, economic situations or other factors. Upon researching the proportion of foreign students in Latvian HEIs, it was found that most students acquire education in Riga; therefore, regional HEIs have not been included in the survey.
Originality/value
The results obtained can be used to improve the quality of higher education and encourage the export of higher education by introducing the necessary changes in the areas identified during the research at the state as well as HEI level. The authors also provide an insight into the areas where implementation of changes is necessary to improve the international students’ level of satisfaction and their learning experience.
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Jonathan Rees and John Klapper
This chapter highlights the growing body of international research into the benefits of residence abroad for foreign language students, surveying studies from the past 35 years…
Abstract
This chapter highlights the growing body of international research into the benefits of residence abroad for foreign language students, surveying studies from the past 35 years originating in both the U.S.A. and the U.K. It examines some of the problematic issues confronting researchers in this area and shows how these issues have contributed to a paucity of studies in the area and led to a diversity in research design. It reports on longitudinal study, the first of its kind in the U.K., which examined the linguistic benefits of residence abroad for a cohort of modern language students from a leading university. This 4-year study used repeated measures proficiency testing, involving a C-test, a grammar test and a range of qualitative measures, to chart the progress made by students on 6- and 12-month study placements in Germany. Findings confirm substantial proficiency gains on both of the main measures but fail to confirm gender and length of residence abroad as predictors of progress. Results also reveal strong differential individual performance during residence abroad. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research aimed at exploring this key finding further.
Universiti Brunei Darussalam has been fostering the study of foreign languages in Brunei to expand their undergraduates’ accessibility in the job market and overall give them…
Abstract
Universiti Brunei Darussalam has been fostering the study of foreign languages in Brunei to expand their undergraduates’ accessibility in the job market and overall give them equal opportunities to have a quality foreign language learning experience. This paper is a critical analysis of past studies by Ainol and Isarji’s (2009) on foreign language learners at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), and Farhana’s (2019) study on Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s (UBD) foreign language learners’ motivation. A focused investigation at how different motivation types, namely intrinsic, extrinsic, instrumental, and integrative, affect foreign language learners at the university level in Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia. A pattern observed in Brunei and Malaysian universities is that intrinsic motivation is the foundation of foreign language learning. Bruneian undergraduates are learning out of interest, and their Malaysian counterparts are learning because they enjoy the experience. While the university's language policy determines the number of students learning a foreign language each semester, the outcome is still highly dependent on the student's motivation to learn the foreign language.
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Andres Ramirez and Joan Lofgren
Finance is a male-dominated field of work. This study aims to understand if learning in finance follows the same pattern. Furthermore, the authors want to understand if foreign…
Abstract
Purpose
Finance is a male-dominated field of work. This study aims to understand if learning in finance follows the same pattern. Furthermore, the authors want to understand if foreign female students are subject to the same cultural norms and sorting mechanisms as their counterparts from the USA or Finland.
Design/methodology/approach
In the context of a capstone course, students of two well-known international business programs (one in the USA, the other in Finland) participate in a business simulation. The authors surveyed the students on their learning experience across different business functions. The authors collected 440 responses over five years.
Findings
A gender gap exists in learning finance. Females surveyed reported learning less (9%–15%) than males. However, foreign females reported learning more (11%–17%). Additionally, the authors find no gender gap in learning of other business functions (i.e. marketing and strategy). Foreign females seem to bypass traditional roles and sorting mechanisms.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to document the moderating effect of foreignness on the gender gap in learning.
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