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Case Studies Of Overseas Kenyan Students At La Trobe University, Australia: Academic And Related ChallengesKole, John Kirwa Tum, jkole2002@yahoo.com January 2007 (has links)
This study involves an exploration of the perceptions of four overseas Kenyan students about their educational experiences at La Trobe University. A related aim of this research is to find out how these four students� previous learning in Kenya affects their learning and living experiences in Australia, for instance, in terms of demands associated with differences in learning and teaching styles, cultural expectations and proficiencies in English.
A non-positivist, qualitative methodology is adopted for this research which employs an interview-based case study approach. Qualitative research demands that the world be approached with the assumption that nothing is trivial and that everything has the potential of being a clue which might unlock more comprehensive understanding of what is being researched.
While the findings of this study confirm current understandings of the issues that international students commonly face, they also provide a more complex and individualized picture of the needs and aspirations of overseas Kenyan students. As the case studies demonstrate, the academic and related challenges four Kenyan students have encountered at La Trobe University are best understood in relation to several contexts. The difficulties these international students have experienced in the context of transition or border crossing � between two countries, cultures and educational systems � were exacerbated by inadequate pre-departure preparation and orientation on arrival. Incongruities between two educational systems � in particular between their prior teacher-centred schooling in Kenya and the unfamiliar student-centred university education in Australia � colour the academic and related challenges such students struggle to address, at least in their initial year at University. The broader, global context of the commodification and marketization of higher education � along with increasing strains of an under-resourced university sector in Australia � also impinge upon the lives of these four La Trobe students, in a variety of ways.
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Making spaces : 'Asian' girls in schoolMatthews, Julie Mariko January 1996 (has links)
This thesis discusses the effects of racialising/sexualising discourses on the sociospatial organisation of school. It is based on an investigation of the views and experiences of Asian girls in one Australian high school and generated data from observations, interviews and conversations with thirty-five Asian girls.
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Case Studies Of Overseas Kenyan Students At La Trobe University, Australia: Academic And Related ChallengesKole, John Kirwa Tum, jkole2002@yahoo.com January 2007 (has links)
This study involves an exploration of the perceptions of four overseas Kenyan students about their educational experiences at La Trobe University. A related aim of this research is to find out how these four students� previous learning in Kenya affects their learning and living experiences in Australia, for instance, in terms of demands associated with differences in learning and teaching styles, cultural expectations and proficiencies in English.
A non-positivist, qualitative methodology is adopted for this research which employs an interview-based case study approach. Qualitative research demands that the world be approached with the assumption that nothing is trivial and that everything has the potential of being a clue which might unlock more comprehensive understanding of what is being researched.
While the findings of this study confirm current understandings of the issues that international students commonly face, they also provide a more complex and individualized picture of the needs and aspirations of overseas Kenyan students. As the case studies demonstrate, the academic and related challenges four Kenyan students have encountered at La Trobe University are best understood in relation to several contexts. The difficulties these international students have experienced in the context of transition or border crossing � between two countries, cultures and educational systems � were exacerbated by inadequate pre-departure preparation and orientation on arrival. Incongruities between two educational systems � in particular between their prior teacher-centred schooling in Kenya and the unfamiliar student-centred university education in Australia � colour the academic and related challenges such students struggle to address, at least in their initial year at University. The broader, global context of the commodification and marketization of higher education � along with increasing strains of an under-resourced university sector in Australia � also impinge upon the lives of these four La Trobe students, in a variety of ways.
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Women in scientific exile : an ethnographyFelix-Corral, Maria Concepcion January 1997 (has links)
No description available.
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Writing in the university : faculty expectations and overseas tudents' performanceBush, Denise, n/a January 1993 (has links)
Two surveys were conducted at the University of Canberra
in 1992 to seek the views of faculty on issues regarding
academic writing. The first survey sought to ascertain what
criteria faculty employ when marking student writing. It
asked faculty to indicate the importance of certain key features
in the writing of university students. These key features were:
Content, Argument, Style, Organisation, Communicative Ability,
Vocabulary, Use of Literature and Punctuation. Faculty were
requested to rank the importance of aspects of each of the nine
key features.
The second survey asked faculty to assess an actual
assignment written by an overseas student, using the structure
of the nine key features of writing as above. Faculty were
invited to indicate the strengths and weaknesses of the
assignment which they were assessing.
The aim of the surveys was to better inform teachers of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classes, who prepare
overseas students for study at university. EAP teachers need
to know the expectations of faculty, in order to give overseas
students a realistic view of what faculty expect from their
assignments and the kinds of. weaknesses which faculty find in
overseas students' writing.
The survey found that content-related features such as
Content, Argument, Organisation and Communicative Ability
were considered more important than form features such as
Punctuation, Grammar, Style and Vocabulary. Use of Literature
was found to be a very important feature in some faculties but
not in all. Surprisingly, Style was the feature which evoked the
greatest variety of responses from faculty; however, in general
faculty agreed that Style had to be appropriate to the topic or
task, rather than there being a set format for academic writing.
From a factor analysis of data, four underlying principles
for academic writing were derived. These principles were:
relevance, appropriacy, accuracy and clarity. Thus, academic
writing, according to the faculty surveyed, should be:
1) relevant to the topic and to the internal argument of the
assigment;
2) appropriate in the style, tone and use of literature;
3) accurate in its vocabulary, grammar and referencing system.
4) clear in its argument and organisation of ideas.
For the most part, faculty responded favourably to the
overseas student assignments, which were assessed in the
second questionnaire. Faculty indicated that the main
weakness in overseas student writing was in their argument.
The surveys also found differences between different
Faculties in the importance they place on these key features.
It was postulated that the Science Faculties (Applied Science,
Environmental Design and Information Science and
Engineering) would be fairly similar in their views on writing,
as would the Humanities Faculties (Communication, Education
and Management). This was found to be only partly true. The
views of Information Science and Engineering faculty were
found to be more similar in many of their attitudes to the
views of the Humanities faculty. However, in some ways, their
views were unique and unlike any other Faculty. In particular.
Information Science and Engineering faculty place little
emphasis on writing as a method of assessment and, perhaps
as a consequence, even less on the use of literature in writing
From the survey, it also appeared that, in general, faculty
make some allowances for the fact that overseas students are
L2 speakers. They tend to overlook mechanical errors so long
as the content is acceptable.
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Overseas students and library use : a study at the Australian National University and the University of Canberra of patterns of use and difficulties encounteredGithiomi, Jane, n/a January 1994 (has links)
The present study attempted to investigate the usage of libraries by overseas
students. The research was carried out in two universities in the ACT, namely,
the Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Canberra (UC).
The study investigated two main aspects: the use of institutional as well as other
libraries in the ACT, and the difficulties encountered in utilising institutional
libraries. These two aspects were also treated as the dependent variables.
Relationships between these two dependent variables and the following
characteristics, which were regarded as the independent variables, were tested: the
institution attended (ANU or UC), having had library orientation in the
institution attended, previous use of libraries, mediums of instructions in
previous educational institutions, level of study, year of study, period of time
spent in Australia, gender, and age.
The research used survey methodology. A questionnaire was sent to a sample of
521 overseas students and a response rate of 72 percent was obtained.
With regard to the use of institutional libraries, it was found that most students
visited their libraries more than once a week. The three most used library
facilities were borrowing books, use of library staff for assistance and the short loan
service, while the three least used facilities were inhouse information sheets,
abstracts and indexes, and CD-ROM databases. The three most used libraries in the
ACT in descending order were the ANU library system, the National library of
Australia, and the University of Canberra library.
Difficulties encountered in utilising institutional libraries included difficulty in
utilising library facilities, difficulty with library rules and regulations, difficulty in
looking for required materials in the libraries, unsuccessful library visits,
difficulties as a result of English being a second language, difficulty following the
layout of the libraries and perception of the libraries' atmosphere.
Relationships were found between some of the independent variables and the
dependent variables. In some cases, the findings were expected while in other
cases they were unexpected. With the unexpected findings, it is possible that one
or more independent variables, other than the ones under consideration,
influenced the findings thus leading to surprising results.
The study concludes with recommendations and suggestions for further research.
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PROTEST FROM THE FRINGE: Overseas Students and their Influence on Australia’s Export of Education Services Policy 1983-1996Sebastian, Eugene Francis January 2010 (has links)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / The thesis investigates the motivations behind, the methods used in, and the results of the overseas students’ collective action contesting the measures, which the Australian government introduced from 1983 to 1996. As a group of temporary residents located outside the boundaries of domestic political systems, yet within the core of Australia’s revenue earnings, overseas students independently mobilised in an attempt to influence the Australian Government policy on education from a position of limited political, social and legal rights. As temporary residents on short-term permits fully regulated under prescribed immigration rules, overseas students employed conventional repertoires of contention— they established formal structures, adopted action tools, framed their claims, internationalised their protest, formed alliances — in an attempt to mobilise resources and access existing avenues to influence government’s export of education services policy. Their mobilisation response and campaign strategy achieved modest success in securing some policy concessions, particularly during the early stages of education aid reform. Their strategy, however had to evolve as the fledgling export of education services expanded and eventually they shifted their position to fully embrace and reinterpret the government’s own ‘language of liberalisation’, which they used to greater effectiveness in making subsequent claims. Overseas students ability to procure concessions is derived not from their political or universal rights to education, but from their ability to influence policy changes based on their importance and strategic location in the Australian economy. In other words, government, universities and industry stakeholders have increasingly become dependent on substantial revenue earnings derived from overseas students and have become susceptible to potential chaos that may be precipitated if current students withdrew from the economy, or potential students choosing alternative education service destinations.
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PROTEST FROM THE FRINGE: Overseas Students and their Influence on Australia’s Export of Education Services Policy 1983-1996Sebastian, Eugene Francis January 2010 (has links)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / The thesis investigates the motivations behind, the methods used in, and the results of the overseas students’ collective action contesting the measures, which the Australian government introduced from 1983 to 1996. As a group of temporary residents located outside the boundaries of domestic political systems, yet within the core of Australia’s revenue earnings, overseas students independently mobilised in an attempt to influence the Australian Government policy on education from a position of limited political, social and legal rights. As temporary residents on short-term permits fully regulated under prescribed immigration rules, overseas students employed conventional repertoires of contention— they established formal structures, adopted action tools, framed their claims, internationalised their protest, formed alliances — in an attempt to mobilise resources and access existing avenues to influence government’s export of education services policy. Their mobilisation response and campaign strategy achieved modest success in securing some policy concessions, particularly during the early stages of education aid reform. Their strategy, however had to evolve as the fledgling export of education services expanded and eventually they shifted their position to fully embrace and reinterpret the government’s own ‘language of liberalisation’, which they used to greater effectiveness in making subsequent claims. Overseas students ability to procure concessions is derived not from their political or universal rights to education, but from their ability to influence policy changes based on their importance and strategic location in the Australian economy. In other words, government, universities and industry stakeholders have increasingly become dependent on substantial revenue earnings derived from overseas students and have become susceptible to potential chaos that may be precipitated if current students withdrew from the economy, or potential students choosing alternative education service destinations.
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International student transitions in Higher Education : Chinese students studying on a professionally accredited undergraduate accounting degree programme at a Scottish universityFindlay, Rachel Sophia Mary January 2017 (has links)
The UK Higher Education (UKHE) sector has expanded overseas student numbers in recent years bringing significant economic and financial benefits to the sector and the economy. Yet, overseas student numbers are now under threat due to international competition, UK immigration law and the recent referendum decision to leave the EU. As a result, two key challenges arise for UKHE: the need to operate effectively in an international market; and, to meet the increasing expectations of international students (Grove 2015).Chinese students form the largest overseas country group studying in the UK with 21% of all overseas students. Business studies, including accounting, is the most popular subject area with nearly 40% of all overseas students (UK Council for International Student Affairs, 2016). This DBA study explores the learning experiences of a cohort of overseas Chinese students who have transferred from two years of study at colleges in China to a professionally accredited accounting undergraduate degree programme at a Scottish university. The overarching aim is to understand the nature of the students' learning experiences in the context of the degree programme in which the study takes place. The research was conducted from a critical realist theoretical perspective and used a qualitative research method to develop an understanding of the nature of the learning experiences as perceived by participants. Research data, gathered from focus group interviews with student participants, was analysed thematically. Findings show that issues with English lead to low levels of integration with other students, resulting in participants turning towards a learning strategy of independent learning among themselves. This further restricts exposure to English, including specialised accounting vocabulary, accounting concepts and theories, and cultural experience. The findings make a contribution to knowledge in terms of how this group of overseas Chinese students perceive and respond to their learning experiences of a Scottish accounting degree programme including aspects of the specific accounting subject discipline. Recommendations offer considerations to enhance LTA practice in the wider HEI context and the accounting discipline.
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Academic adjustment of Chinese students at German universitiesZhu, Jiani 18 December 2012 (has links)
Inspiriert vom kognitiven, affektiven und behavioralen Modell Andersons, untersucht diese Forschungsarbeit die akademische Anpassung von chinesischen Studierenden anhand von vier Phasen, der Vor-Abreisephase, der Initial-, der Entwicklungs- und der Abschlussphase, und umfasst dabei drei Einzelstudien: (1) Eine interdisziplinär orientierte Untersuchung auf der Basis von Interviews mit 18 chinesischen Studierenden aus verschiedenen Fächern und mit unterschiedlichen Studienabschlüssen, (2) eine Fallstudie an einer sozialwissenschaftlichen Fakultät, bei der Beobachtungen deutscher Lehrender und Meinungen chinesischer Studierender erhoben wurden und (3) eine longitudinale Untersuchung zur Verfolgung der Sprachentwicklung und Lernerfahrungen von chinesischen Studierenden an deutschen Universitäten. Diese Untersuchungen ergaben, dass die unzureichende Vorbereitung der chinesischen Studierenden (Sprache und allgemeine Kenntnisse über Deutschland) in der Vor-Ausreisephase zu Problemen in der Anfangsphase ihres Aufenthaltes führen. In der Entwicklungsphase berichteten die chinesischen Studierenden von Fortschritten in der deutschen Sprache und im Wissen über die deutschen Hochschulen, die größte Herausforderung stellte jedoch das individuelle Abgleichen der unterschiedlichen akademischen Erwartungen, wie sie im Heimatland ursprünglich vermittelt und in Deutschland gegensätzlich erwartet werden. In der Abschlussphase zeigen chinesische Studenten Verständnis und Wertschätzung für die Erwartungen an deutschen Hochschulen. Insgesamt verlangt der Prozess der akademischen Anpassung von chinesischen Studenten, die Differenzen (im Wissenschaftssystem) zu identifizieren, zu verstehen und später diese Differenzen auch schätzen zu können. Diese Untersuchung zeigt, dass die deutsche Sprachkompetenz, die wissenschaftliche Begleitung und Unterstützung sowie die persönliche Anstrengung zentrale Faktoren der akademischen Anpassung chinesischer Studierender darstellen. / Inspired by Anderson’s cognitive, affective, and behavioral model, this research explores Chinese students’ academic adjustment in the four phases: pre-departure, initial, developing, and final phase, and is composed of three studies: (1) a cross-sectional study which interviews 18 Chinese students from different subjects and pursuing different academic degree; (2) a case study conducted in a social science faculty, both German lecturers’ observation and Chinese students’ opinions are investigated; and (3) a longitudinal research follows Chinese students’ language development and learning experience at German universities. This research found that Chinese students’ insufficient preparation (language and knowledge about German universities) in the pre-departure phase leads to the difficulty in the initial phase. Chinese students often describe the initial experience as a “catastrophe”, as they were not familiar with the academic-oriented information in Germany at all. In the developing phase, Chinese students reported progress in German language and knowledge about German universities, which facilitate their further development. One big challenge in the developing phase is to negotiate the difference of academic expectation between home and host universities. In the final phase, Chinese students show understanding and appreciation to the expectation at German universities. The whole process of academic adjustment expects Chinese students to identify the difference, understand the difference, and later appreciate the difference. This research further finds that German language competence, academic support, and personal effort together exert influence on the Chinese students’ academic adjustment at German universities. In order to improve the academic adjustment, suggestions are made to the prospective Chinese students and German institutions to better facilitate Chinese students’ academic adjustment in Germany
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