Living up to expectations: A survey of international students’ concerns and their perceptions of change on a UK departmental presessional programme Judith Lamie & Stephen Issitt

University of Birmingham

Our universities and colleges are second to none. Their world-class reputation means that they are among the most popular for international to attract rewards.

students.

many more.

I am determined to build on this great strength with a long-term strategy The institutions, their students and our economy will reap considerable (Blair, 1999)

Outline

     

Introduction Background Methodology Data and analysis

    Demographics Reasons for study Expectations and concerns Changes in attitudes and practice

Recommendations Conclusion

Introduction

There has been a dramatic increase in recent years in the numbers of international investigates students the undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate study in the United Kingdom. This has been as a direct result of the huge influx of mainly postgraduates from the Far East, and in particular from China. This presentation introduces the expectations of students on a university presessional course and

multidimensional student experience

It is intended to address a knowledge gap between our during this period.

expectations

as course providers and the students’ both anticipated and actual.

realities

,

Introduction

       Background: Educational context The presessional programme Research focus and methodology Questionnaires 1 and 2  Q1: 250 students [85% 2003 intake]  Q2: 110 matched responses Data and analysis Implications and recommendations Conclusion

Background

Over 300,000 international students at UK colleges and universities  Influx of students from Far East   China is in a phase of industrial, scientific and commercial expansion which will make it the world’s largest economy by the early years of the next century. In order to function efficiently in this role, it needs to bring large numbers of its people to high levels of proficiency in the use of English for a wide variety of functions.

(Maley, 1995: 47) Country Spain Germany % change -25% -17% France Japan China -13% +5% +92% (UKCOSA, 2003) Different cultural backgrounds Different expectations of the teaching and learning process  implications for provision

English for International Students Unit [EISU]   University of Birmingham    1958 40 students 1974 169 [91 Science & Engineering; 39 Commerce & Social Science; 31 Turkey; 11 Greece; 0 China] 2003 4,200 [Business and economics; 1000 China] EISU    1964: included a four-day induction course; two week pressessional; insessional programme 1990: 10 and 6 week presessionals: 81 students – Indonesia (12), Pakistan (10), Turkey (6), China (0) 2003: 20, 15, 10 and 6 week Business and Management presessionals; 20, 15, 10 and 6 week MDP presessionals: 304 students – 84% from the Far East

EISU presessional

      In 2003 the key academic skills taught on these courses included: how to write an academic essay; how to participate in group discussion and debate; oral and written presentation skills; listening to lectures; how to develop and support an academic argument; strategies for reading and summarising texts; and how to critically review data and evidence. The 20 week course concentrated on language improvement for the first 10 weeks. The remaining courses included:   supplementary classes in grammar regular individual tutorials    specialist lectures from different academic disciplines l ibrary and reference skills IT tuition (including word processing skills)  preparation for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination

Methodology

 Questionnaires _____________________________________________________ Sample size 95% confidence range 100 _____________________________________________________ +/- 10% 250 +/- 6% 1000 +/- 3% _____________________________________________________  2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

1.

Procedure Define objectives: Select sample: presessional students 2003 Construct questionnaire(s) Pretest: international students 2002 Amend Administer: lecture hall Analyse results

Questionnaires

     Objectives : Establish the current student Discover the

reasons

come to study in the UK

profile

why the students had   Q1: Determine the

expectations

these had been realistic (Q2) and

concerns

of the students with regard to living and studying at Birmingham (Q1) and ascertain how far Explore the students’ notions of, and attitudes to,

change

A.

B.

C.

General Information Reasons for Study and Expectations Changes in Attitudes and Practice A.

Q2: Expectations and Concerns B.

Changes in Attitudes and Practice

General Information

 

256 Q1

[85%]

110 Q2

    12/5 (under 20) 203/91 ( 20-30 years) 38/14 (31-40 years) 3 (over 40 years)   128/58 female 128/52 male

General Information

160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Ch in es e Ja pa ne Sa se ud i A ra bi an K ore an In do ne si an Ta iw an es e Th ai V ie tn am es e M ex ic an Ira ni an

General Information

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Bu sin es s s ch oo l Ec on om ic s La w Bi os ci en ce s En gi ne eri ng Co m pu te r s ci en ce Ed uc at io n PO LS IS En gl ish

Reasons for Study

 Reasons for coming to Birmingham   Reputation (149) Recommendation (18)    Course (56) English language development (21) Birmingham city (18)   There are a lot of good universities in England, Birmingham is one of them (#48) Birmingham is one of the famous universities in the world and it has a warm welcome for international students (#100)

Reasons for Study

 Reasons for choosing course   Career development (130) Interest (76)    I am interested in this course. It is useful for the future (#30) The course is very good for my career path (#25) I believe MSc in Marketing fits my academic needs in an excellent way. I am very interested in the subject. I expect to be able to learn not only from lectures, but also from my classmates and my experience in the UK generally (#66)

Expectations & concerns

 In 2003 the British Council advised that: Major new developments in course delivery methods and the UK’s marketing approach must take place to cope with the number of students and their changing demands.

(British Council, 2003: 1)  The British Council specifically referred to the need to ‘manage student expectations’ (5).  Two sides of the same coin concerns = negative expectations    What I expect from my course is to get an overall understanding of Business learning methods (#39) How to be familiar with living and studying customs in the UK (#41) I care about my future study (#59)

Expectations & concerns

Presessional Students Expectations (Q1)

Te chnology 4% Future 16% English 28% Profe ssional Knowle dge 23% IELTS 11% Acade mic English 12% Acclimatisation 6%

Expectations & concerns

     I’m a board member so I need to up date my knowledge of business in this rapidly changing world (#67) I will get more information, learn as much as I can take, and I would bring it to my country and use it to have a better life (#76) To be able to speak English as a native speaker (#80) To communicate with people from various countries (#61) How I can have more chances to speak with native speakers (#119)

Expectations & concerns

Living Conditions Accommodation Safety Studying Communicating Cost of living Culture Food Language Presessional Student Concerns (Q1)

44 14 16 17 18 21 25 44 49

Expectations & concerns

     My main concern is that I am unable to get used to the British food (#127) I’m concerned about accommodation (#25) I worry about safety (#101) my There are many Chinese speakers so I’m afraid that I can’t improve my English (#183) Everything is so expensive compared to China (#145)

Expectations & concerns

Did the course satisfy your expectations?

 Yes - 79%        Yes/No – 12%  No – 6% It helped me to enhance my English ability as expected (#41) It’s completely different. I thought the course focused on language but it was for academic skills, which is where I really need to improve myself, so it helped me a lot (#99) You gave me a precious memory (#124) I wanted to learn to write academic essays more (#216) I thought the 10-week course was not interactive (#222) Too many contents were writing (#116)

Expectations & concerns

Were the concerns you had at the start of the course accurate?

 Yes – 63%  Yes/No – 9% homesickness;  No – 19% Accommodation; computer difficulties; banking; communicating with native speakers      I had to go to housing services several times to check my accommodation (#40) Living in the University accommodation was a problem (#232) Computer problems seem to happen quite frequently in the university (#6) Apart from class, many people tended to use their own language, nasty (#165) Sometimes I can’t understand what people say off campus (#246)

Changes in attitudes and practice

Examples can be found from a wide variety of sources, from C18th historians to C21 st independent management consultants, of change being viewed of as a potentially negative force incurring resistance, concern and even fear:  It’s because many of us fear the unknown. We are afraid that the proposed change may involve loss. We may lose power, prestige, or position. We may fear loss of our ability to perform our assigned tasks. We may fear losing our place in the group, as an accepted member of the community of our fellows. When we perceive this potential loss, maybe even loss of our job itself, we feel threatened. It is this

threatening change

that we fear. (Howardell, 2001: 1) Change, however, may also be regarded as a positive force:  Change always comes bearing

gifts

(Pritchett, 1994: 10) More frequently there are those that see change as being both positive and negative:  Change is

painful

, yet ever

needful

(Thomas Carlyle, 1795 - 1881)  The world

hates progress

.

change, yet it is the one thing that has brought (Charles F. Kettering, 1876 - 1958)

What is change?

Something from the original situation being altered:  Change is to be different from the original (#1)  It means that one thing becomes another thing (#52) Positive aspects:   Change is wonderful (#62) Change is a beneficial thing (#87) Negative:  Change is a difficult process Both:  Sometimes is good. Sometimes bad (#61)  Change is both a good thing and a bad thing.

It can improve and destroy (#244)

Principles of change

Principle 1: Change involves the statement of an

aim

Principle 2: Change is

problem-solving

Principle 3: Change is client-

actors system economic user

context focused Principle 4: Change involves a variety of Principle 5: Change is part of a complex Principle 6: Change is part of a social and Principle 7: Change is part of a personal context, evokes a variety of emotions and involves

attitudes

and beliefs Principle 8: Change is a

process

and involves training, practice and time.

What is change?

   A process Complex Involves attitudes    Change is a process of adjusting yourself (#51) To change your attitudes to cope with a new environment (#117) culture or Change is the kind of thing that makes you feel different, maybe the way of life or the attitude to the outside world (#152)

Changes in attitudes and practice In what ways do you think you’ll change living and studying in the UK?

  Personal: acclimatisation, adaptation to a ‘new environment’ (#26), living conditions, food, attitudes to British way of life, more independent, confident, flexible and open minded Professional: attitudes towards types of learning, ELT methodologies and materials   Get used to life in the UK (#14)  Adapt to habits in terms of eating and communication (#50) The way of thinking and learning habits (#11)

Changes in attitudes and practice

   Complex process Problem-solving Changes in attitudes towards the British people and culture, other nationalities and aspects of language teaching and learning    This course changed my mind about English teaching (#4) I have changed the way I think about other foreign students (#226) I think I have become more flexible to change (#232)

Changes in attitudes and practice

 Changes in living conditions practice centred on learning styles, study methods and  I was not used to talking and exchanging my opinions during class, but now I can do that quite freely (#12)   I am more comfortable writing essays and arranging my time (#22) At the beginning I have no confidence about my study. After the course I believe I can do better and better in my future (#17)

Recommendations

     Affirm the status of the UK as a relatively and risks.

safe tolerant

live and study, but also give students a and place for international students to

realistic

and practical assessment of possible difficulties Be sensitive to the importance that students place on housing and

accommodation

, especially in the early weeks of arrival.

Be aware of the need to provide computer access and sound

IT facilities

, particularly in the first few weeks of the programme.

Liaise closely with the range of

services

students.

support

available across the university with an emphasis on the help available to international Develop an effective relationship with banking and other

financial service

providers, especially those on campus, to ensure that students can open accounts as early as possible.

Recommendations

     Inform the students of the availability of East Asian

food

and suggest to campus-based retail outlets that they stock a wider variety of groceries from the Far East Promote contact with local environment.

native speakers

of English, either from the university or from the Encourage student engagement with the host social environment and provide opportunities for

cultural acclimatisation

either within the academic programme, or as an add-on component.

Be aware of the changing nature of the international student content

profile

and undertake regular monitoring and fine tuning of course Be sensitive to changing student and maintain a strong determination to provide a high quality level of service.

expectations

Conclusion

Ballard and Clanchy (1997: viii) state: Many of the difficulties international students experience in their study derive not from ‘poor English’ (though lack of language competence is in many cases a real problem), but from a clash of educational cultures.

In seeking to promote a better understanding of the expectations and concerns of international students embarking upon study at a UK university, this research has tended to emphasise the non academic aspects of the student experience. In drawing attention to the students’ resilience as they embark upon what must seem to be a fairly daunting challenge, the study highlights those areas, which may be in need of attention, by us as course designers and by our parent institutions. From the perspective of international students, who are rational, intelligent and sensitive to the fact they are studying in another academic culture, it might be more accurate to refer to a difference of priorities. The vast majority of international postgraduates and undergraduates, complete their courses and return to their countries of origin with higher qualifications from UK universities. It is not necessary to view the students solely as customers, but if UK higher educational institutions are sensitive to the needs of their students, then they will be in a better position to provide a context for rewarding experiences. This will be of benefit to us all.