Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'International Student Market'

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.

The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was used for the first time to examine Taiwanese consumer behaviour regarding the selection of overseas English-language universities for fkther higher education. Taiwanese students intending to study overseas at universities in Australia, the UK and the USA were interviewed to confirm literature reports of the salient factors influencing the decision making process. The 23 salient factors influencing decision-making were organised into four categories: 'Attitudes towards the behaviour of overseas study'; 'Subjective norms', 'Perceived control over study intentions' and the 'Role of information'. These categories formed the basis of a survey questionnaire administered to Taiwanese students (n=518) intending to study at a university in Australia, the UK or the USA. The questions in the survey were structured and organised so as to form global and specific measures fo~ each factor. The TPB was demonstrated, through factor analysis and multiple regression analyses, to be a reliable model to predict the intention of Taiwanese students to study overseas generally and in the three target countries. Each of the three global measures was significant predictors of the intention to study overseas: 'Attitudes towards the behaviour of overseas study' (Rz0.549, p less than 0.001, P=0.285); 'Subjective norms' (R=0.549, p less than 0.001, fk0.239) and 'Perceived control over study intentions' (R=0.549, p less than 0.001, P=0.185). At the level of specific measures only 'Role of information' (p up to 0.5) was not a significant predictor of intention to study overseas. The specific measure 'Attitudes towards the behaviour of overseas study' was a slightly more important predictor of Taiwanese students' intention to study overseas. Regarding study in individual countries 'ttitudes towards the behaviour of overseas study' was the most important predictor of Taiwanese students' intention to study in Australia (R=0.613, p less than 0.05, P=0.326) and the UK (R = 0.504, p less than 0.05). The most important predictor of intention to study in the USA was 'Subjective norms' (R = 0.538, p less than 0.01). On the basis of this research suggestions are proposed for marketing practitioners. Suggestions include shaping students cognition about the country through the media in Taiwan; the greater use of campus newspapers published by Taiwanese universities or colleges, and the development of multiple language websites by Western universities.
Thesis (Professional Doctorate)
Doctor of Education (EdD)
School of Cognition, Language and Special Education
Faculty of Education
Full Text

It is estimated that by 2025 there will be approximately 8.26 million students enrolled in over 15,000 international schools globally. This increased expansion of international schooling cannot be disconnected from a process of globalisation where neoliberal policies have influenced the growth of education markets. International schooling arrives as a welcomed option to students and families looking for alternatives to national programmes which are perceived to be rigid and unchanging in a new globalised economy. With enrolment rates increasing over twenty percent in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East regions, the International Baccalaureate Organisation is perhaps the fastest growing educational group offering international schooling around the globe.  In this qualitative comparative case study, fourteen students enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) across four schools were asked about their experiences in the process of school choice in the Swedish education market. Semi-structured interviews were employed to explore student’s motivations and strategies in choosing the IBDP over national programmes. Utilising a grounded theory methodology linked with Bourdieu’s theories on symbolic capital, the study attempts to understand student’s choice behaviours. Findings revealed that regardless of social or educational background, students share similar motivations and strategies for choice making. Further analysis demonstrated that a collective perception of the IB alongside similar ideals of self-identity and class influence and legitimise their choice behaviours. The implication of these findings demonstrate that choice behaviours in the Swedish education market work to establish a degree of social reproduction and differentiation.
Det beräknas att år 2025 kommer cirka 8,26 miljoner elever att gå i över 15 000 internationella skolor globalt. Denna ökade expansion av internationell skolgång kan inte separeras från en globaliseringsprocess där neoliberal politik har påverkat tillväxten på skolmarknaden. Internationell skolgång framstår som ett möjlighet för studenter och familjer som söker alternativ till nationella program, som uppfattas vara oföränderliga i en ny globaliserad ekonomi. När antalet inskrivna ökar med över tjugo procent i Amerika, Asien och Stillahavs-området, Afrika, Europa och Mellanöstern, är Internationella Baccalaureatorganisationen kanske den snabbast växande utbildningsgruppen som erbjuder internationell skolgång runt om i världen.  I denna kvalitativa jämförande fallstudie utfrågades fjorton elever i IB-programmet (Internationella Baccalaureat, IBDP) vid fyra skolor om sina erfarenheter av skolvalet på den svenska gymnasieskolmarknaden. Semi-strukturerade intervjuer användes för att undersöka studenternas strategier och motivation för att välja IBDP framför nationella program. Med hjälp av metod byggd på grundad teori (grounded theory), kopplad till Bourdieus begrepp symboliskt kapital försöker studien förstå elevernas strategier vid gymnasievalet. Resultaten visade att oavsett social eller pedagogisk bakgrund delar eleverna likartad motivation och likartade strategier vid skolvalet. Ytterligare analys visade att en kollektiv föreställning om IB tillsammans med liknande ideal beträffande självidentitet och klass påverkar och legitimerar deras val. Implikationen av dessa resultat visar att valbeteenden på den svenska skolmarknaden bidrar till viss del till en social reproduktion.

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics
UniPlaces is a Portuguese start-up in the online reservation business covering the student housing market, which entered the London market in August 2013. After discussing with UniPlaces, it was possible to verify that their main issue in London is their customer acquisition strategy. Hence, the purpose of this Work Project will be to study and explore how UniPlaces can improve its customer’s acquisition strategy in the London market. An analysis of the market was performed in which it was analyzed what are the external factors that can influence customer acquisition such as the attractiveness of the student accommodation market. Moreover, an internal analysis of the firm was conducted in order to understand the company’s strengths and weaknesses as well as its capabilities. These analyses allowed the formulation of hypotheses that led to conclusions and recommendations that will help UniPlaces improve its customer acquisition strategy. With the aim to optimize the business model, strategies and tactics were defined about how to increase brand awareness, how to improve attractiveness of the website as well as the firm and how to improve performance both on the customer side (quality of service) and on the company side (efficacy and efficiency of internal resources). And afterwards an implementation plan was developed for the next three years.

Word-of-mouth communication (WOMC) has been recognized as a powerful marketing communication medium that many consider beyond marketers' control and yet is a reliable, creditable, trustworthy information-gathering tool, especially in credence-based services (CBS). To date, the various types of WOMC messages have not yet been adequately studied in the context of CBS. Using the individual face-toface convergence interview (CI) technique as the primary data collection method of exploratory research, this study attempts to fill this gap by describing the types, the characteristics, and the significance of WOMC messages involved in a CBS information gathering process (e.g. selection of an Australian higher education service). Marketers in the higher education sector feel WOMC advertising is unfamiliar and less manageable, but powerful in practice, especially in recruiting overseas Asian students. This study took the strengths of computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS), N*Vivo 2, to manage qualitative transcriptions and enhance the data analysis process in organizing, linking, coding categorizing, organizing, summarizing behaviour patterns in order to explore the insightful findings and answer research questions. The study summarizes participants' motivation items and the specific information gathering steps as the foundation to discover the three types of WOMC messages (service information gathering, subjective personal experience, and personal advice) the characteristics of WOMC messages and the significance of WOMC messages in the CBS information gathering process. In theoretical terms, the findings on the role of types of WOMC messages have extended Beltramini model in the information gathering stage. In terms of the management implications, this research advances the current understanding of the types of WOMC messages, insightful WOMC characteristics and significances in behaviour patterns in the CBS information gathering process. As a result, university marketers are able to effectively cultivate various types of WOMC messages in promotion campaigns.

Word-of-mouth communication (WOMC) has been recognized as a powerful marketing communication medium that many consider beyond marketers' control and yet is a reliable, creditable, trustworthy information-gathering tool, especially in credence-based services (CBS). To date, the various types of WOMC messages have not yet been adequately studied in the context of CBS. Using the individual face-toface convergence interview (CI) technique as the primary data collection method of exploratory research, this study attempts to fill this gap by describing the types, the characteristics, and the significance of WOMC messages involved in a CBS information gathering process (e.g. selection of an Australian higher education service). Marketers in the higher education sector feel WOMC advertising is unfamiliar and less manageable, but powerful in practice, especially in recruiting overseas Asian students. This study took the strengths of computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS), N*Vivo 2, to manage qualitative transcriptions and enhance the data analysis process in organizing, linking, coding categorizing, organizing, summarizing behaviour patterns in order to explore the insightful findings and answer research questions. The study summarizes participants' motivation items and the specific information gathering steps as the foundation to discover the three types of WOMC messages (service information gathering, subjective personal experience, and personal advice) the characteristics of WOMC messages and the significance of WOMC messages in the CBS information gathering process. In theoretical terms, the findings on the role of types of WOMC messages have extended Beltramini model in the information gathering stage. In terms of the management implications, this research advances the current understanding of the types of WOMC messages, insightful WOMC characteristics and significances in behaviour patterns in the CBS information gathering process. As a result, university marketers are able to effectively cultivate various types of WOMC messages in promotion campaigns.

This exploratory study identifies the importance of Instagram to market universities in Southeast Asia and the strategies to make interesting content to reach more Southeast Asian students. According to the statistics in 2020 by Statista, Southeast Asia is ranked second in the world’s most active social media users, and Instagram is now quickly catching up with the giant platform Facebook and becoming the rising star. In the study, the main Instagram account of KTH Royal Institute of Technology @kthuniversity was analysed. Three main points were the center of attention: the visual power of the posts, the engaging captions, and the best timing to post. The study’s methods are focus group discussion with current KTH students from Southeast Asia and an online survey distributed to Southeast Asian students in general. The results, first, indicate that Instagram influences the choice-making of Southeast Asian students’ study destinations. Second, based on the first finding, several strategies to make interesting content to catch their interest are proposed. Southeast Asian students are more interested in photo-based posts with shorter captions and emojis. Photos showing university buildings, Stockholm/Sweden, and students’ life are more attractive. Regarding the timing, the study shows that the students do not have any specific days or time to check their Instagram, but universities should stick to the previous study mentioning that the best posting time is during breakfast and lunch.
Denna undersökande studie identifierar Instagrams betydelse för universitet i Sydostasien och strategier för att skapa intressant innehåll för att nå fler sydostasiatiska studenter. Enligt statistik för år 2020 av Statista rankas Sydostasien som nummer två bland världens mest aktiva användare av sociala medier, och Instagram kommer nu snabbt ifatt den gigantiska plattformen Facebook och är nu den stigande stjärnan. I studien analyserades det huvudsakliga Instagram-kontot för KTH Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, @kthuniversity. Tre huvudpunkter stod i fokus: inläggens visuella kraft, de engagerande bildtexterna och den bästa tiden att publicera. Studiens metoder är fokusgruppsdiskussion med nuvarande KTH- studenter från Sydostasien och en onlineenkät som distribueras till Sydostasiatiska studenter i allmänhet. Resultaten indikerar först att Instagram påverkar valet för studenter i Sydostasien. Vidare, baserat på den första upptäckten, föreslås flera strategier för att göra intressant innehåll för att fånga deras intresse. Sydostasiatiska studenter är mer intresserade av fotobaserade inlägg med kortare bildtexter och emojis. Bilder som visar universitetsbyggnader, Stockholm / Sverige och studenternas liv är mer attraktiva. När det gäller tidpunkten visar studien att studenterna inte har några specifika dagar eller tid för att kontrollera sin Instagram, men universitet bör hålla sig till den tidigare studien vilket nämner att den bästa publiceringstiden är under frukost och lunch.

Dans un contexte d’internationalisation de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, nous nous intéressons à deux problématiques relatives aux dynamiques récentes des systèmes universitaires nationaux. D’abord, à partir d’une approche microéconomique par l’offre, nous montrons que le degré d’intervention publique et les capacités d’accueil non-rigides des établissements expliquent les divergences de frais d’inscription entre les systèmes universitaires régulés et dérégulés. Ensuite, à partir d’une approche macroéconomique par la demande, nous cherchons à appréhender les facteurs d’inélasticité de la demande à travers des modèles de gravité incluant des déterminants hors-prix de la mobilité internationale des étudiants
In a context of internationalization of higher education and research, we focus on two issues related to the recent dynamics of national university systems. First, from a supply microeconomic approach, we show that the level of public intervention and the non-rigid capacities of institutions explain the divergence of tuition fees between regulated and deregulated university systems. Then, from a macroeconomic demand approach, we try to underline the inelasticity of the demand from gravity models with non-price determinants of international student mobility

This research thesis set out to better understand the professional knowledge bases of Western teachers working in offshore education in Indonesia. This research explored what two groups of Western teachers said about the students they taught, their own role, professional and social identity, the knowledge transmitted, and their pedagogical strategies whilst teaching offshore. Such an investigation is significant on a number of levels. Firstly, these teachers were working within a period of rapid economic, political, cultural and educational change described as ‘New Times’ (Hall, 1996a). Secondly, the experiences of teachers working in offshore education have rarely been reported in the literature (see Johnston, 1999). A review of the literature on teachers’ professional knowledge bases (Shulman, 1986a, 1986b, 1987; Turner-Bisset, 1997, 1999) concluded that, in general terms, teachers draw on three main interrelated and changing knowledge bases: knowledge of content, knowledge of teaching processes and knowledge of their students. This review also explored the notion that teachers had an additional knowledge base that was in a continual state of negotiation and closely related to the aforementioned knowledge bases: teachers’ knowledge of their own and students’ pedagogic identities (Bernstein, 2000). A theoretical framework appropriate to exploring the overarching research problem was developed. This framework drew on models of teachers’ knowledge bases (Elbaz, 1983; Shulman, 1986a, 1986b, 1987; Nias, 1989; Turner-Bisset, 1997, 1999), the sociology of knowledge (Bernstein, 1975, 1990, 1996, 1999, 2000), and notions of pedagogic identity (Bernstein, 2000). This framework theorised the types of knowledges taught, categories of teaching process knowledge, and the range of pedagogic identities made available to teachers and students in new times. More specifically, this research examined two case studies (see Stake, 1988, 2000; Yin, 1994) of Western teachers employed by Australian educational institutions who worked in Central Java, Indonesia, in the mid-to-late 1990s. The teacher participants from both case studies taught a range of subjects and used English as the medium of instruction. Data for both case studies were generated via semi-structured interviews (see Kvale, 1996; Silverman, 1985, 1997). The interviews focused on the teachers’ descriptions of the learner characteristics of Indonesian students, their professional roles whilst teaching offshore, and curriculum and pedagogic design. The analyses produced four major findings. The first major finding of the analyses confirmed that the teacher participants in this study drew on all proposed professional knowledge bases and that these knowledge bases were interrelated. This suggests that teachers must have all knowledge bases present for them to do their work successfully. The second major finding was that teachers’ professional knowledge bases were constantly being negotiated in response to their beliefs about their work and the past, present and future demands of the local context. For example, the content and teaching processes of English lessons may have varied as their own and their students’ pedagogic identities were re-negotiated in different contexts of teaching and learning. Another major finding was that it was only when the teachers entered into dialogue with the Indonesian students and community members and/or reflective dialogue amongst themselves, that they started to question the stereotypical views of Indonesian learners as passive, shy and quiet. The final major finding was that the teachers were positioned in multiple ways by contradictory and conflicting discourses. The analyses suggested that teachers’ pedagogic identities were a site of struggle between dominant market orientations and the criteria that the teachers thought should determine who was a legitimate teacher of offshore Indonesian students. The accounts from one of the case studies suggested that dominant market orientations centred on experience and qualifications in unison with prescribed and proscribed cultural, gender and age relations. Competent teachers who were perceived to be white, Western, male and senior in terms of age relations seemed to be the most easily accepted as offshore teachers of foundation programs for Indonesian students. The analyses suggested that the teachers thought that their legitimacy to be an offshore teacher of Indonesian students should be based on their teaching expertise alone. However, managers of Australian offshore educational institutions conceded that it was very difficult to bring about change in terms of teacher legitimisation. These findings have three implications for the work of offshore teachers and program administrators. Firstly, offshore programs that favour the pre-packaging of curricula content with little emphasis on the professional development and support needs of teachers do not foster work conditions which encourage teachers to re-design or modify curricula in response to the specific needs of learners. Secondly, pre-packaged programs do not support teachers to enter into negotiations concerning students’ or their own pedagogic identities or the past, present and future demands of local contexts. These are important implications because they affect the way that teachers work, and hence how responsive teachers can be to learners’ needs and how active they can be in the negotiation process as it relates to pedagogic identities. Finally, the findings point to the importance of establishing a learning community or learning network to assist Western teachers engaged in offshore educational work in Asian countries such as Indonesia. Such a community or network would enable teachers to engage and modify the complexity of knowledge bases required for effective localised offshore teaching. Given the burgeoning increase in the availability and use of electronic technology in new times, such as internet, emails and web cameras, these learning networks could be set up to have maximum benefit with minimal on-going costs.

This research thesis set out to better understand the professional knowledge bases of Western teachers working in offshore education in Indonesia. This research explored what two groups of Western teachers said about the students they taught, their own role, professional and social identity, the knowledge transmitted, and their pedagogical strategies whilst teaching offshore. Such an investigation is significant on a number of levels. Firstly, these teachers were working within a period of rapid economic, political, cultural and educational change described as 'New Times' (Hall, 1996a). Secondly, the experiences of teachers working in offshore education have rarely been reported in the literature (see Johnston, 1999). A review of the literature on teachers' professional knowledge bases (Shulman, 1986a, 1986b, 1987; Turner-Bisset, 1997, 1999) concluded that, in general terms, teachers draw on three main interrelated and changing knowledge bases: knowledge of content, knowledge of teaching processes and knowledge of their students. This review also explored the notion that teachers had an additional knowledge base that was in a continual state of negotiation and closely related to the aforementioned knowledge bases: teachers' knowledge of their own and students' pedagogic identities (Bernstein, 2000). A theoretical framework appropriate to exploring the overarching research problem was developed. This framework drew on models of teachers' knowledge bases (Elbaz, 1983; Shulman, 1986a, 1986b, 1987; Nias, 1989; Turner-Bisset, 1997, 1999), the sociology of knowledge (Bernstein, 1975, 1990, 1996, 1999, 2000), and notions of pedagogic identity (Bernstein, 2000). This framework theorised the types of knowledges taught, categories of teaching process knowledge, and the range of pedagogic identities made available to teachers and students in new times. More specifically, this research examined two case studies (see Stake, 1988, 2000; Yin, 1994) of Western teachers employed by Australian educational institutions who worked in Central Java, Indonesia, in the mid-to-late 1990s. The teacher participants from both case studies taught a range of subjects and used English as the medium of instruction. Data for both case studies were generated via semistructured interviews (see Kvale, 1996; Silverman, 1985, 1997). The interviews focused on the teachers' descriptions of the learner characteristics of Indonesian students, their professional roles whilst teaching offshore, and curriculum and pedagogic design. The analyses produced four major findings. The first major finding of the analyses confirmed that the teacher participants in this study drew on all proposed professional knowledge bases and that these knowledge bases were interrelated. This suggests that teachers must have all knowledge bases present for them to do their work successfully. The second major finding was that teachers' professional knowledge bases were constantly being negotiated in response to their beliefs about their work and the past, present and future demands of the local context. For example, the content and teaching processes of English lessons may have varied as their own and their students' pedagogic identities were re-negotiated in different contexts of teaching and learning. Another major finding was that it was only when the teachers entered into dialogue with the Indonesian students and community members and/or reflective dialogue amongst themselves, that they started to question the stereotypical views of Indonesian learners as passive, shy and quiet. The final major finding was that the teachers were positioned in multiple ways by contradictory and conflicting discourses. The analyses suggested that teachers' pedagogic identities were a site of struggle between dominant market orientations and the criteria that the teachers thought should determine who was a legitimate teacher of offshore Indonesian students. The accounts from one of the case studies suggested that dominant market orientations centred on experience and qualifications in unison with prescribed and proscribed cultural, gender and age relations. Competent teachers who were perceived to be white, Western, male and senior in terms of age relations seemed to be the most easily accepted as offshore teachers of foundation programs for Indonesian students. The analyses suggested that the teachers thought that their legitimacy to be an offshore teacher of Indonesian students should be based on their teaching expertise alone. However, managers of Australian offshore educational institutions conceded that it was very difficult to bring about change in terms of teacher legitimisation. These findings have three implications for the work of offshore teachers and program administrators. Firstly, offshore programs that favour the pre-packaging of curricula content with little emphasis on the professional development and support needs of teachers do not foster work conditions which encourage teachers to re-design or modify curricula in response to the specific needs of learners. Secondly, pre-packaged programs do not support teachers to enter into negotiations concerning students' or their own pedagogic identities or the past, present and future demands of local contexts. These are important implications because they affect the way that teachers work, and hence how responsive teachers can be to learners' needs and how active they can be in the negotiation process as it relates to pedagogic identities. Finally, the findings point to the importance of establishing a learning community or learning network to assist Western teachers engaged in offshore educational work in Asian countries such as Indonesia. Such a community or network would enable teachers to engage and modify the complexity of knowledge bases required for effective localised offshore teaching. Given the burgeoning increase in the availability and use of electronic technology in new times, such as internet, emails and web cameras, these learning networks could be set up to have maximum benefit with minimal on-going costs.

This research thesis set out to better understand the professional knowledge bases of Western teachers working in offshore education in Indonesia. This research explored what two groups of Western teachers said about the students they taught, their own role, professional and social identity, the knowledge transmitted, and their pedagogical strategies whilst teaching offshore. Such an investigation is significant on a number of levels. Firstly, these teachers were working within a period of rapid economic, political, cultural and educational change described as 'New Times' (Hall, 1996a). Secondly, the experiences of teachers working in offshore education have rarely been reported in the literature (see Johnston, 1999). A review of the literature on teachers' professional knowledge bases (Shulman, 1986a, 1986b, 1987; Turner-Bisset, 1997, 1999) concluded that, in general terms, teachers draw on three main interrelated and changing knowledge bases: knowledge of content, knowledge of teaching processes and knowledge of their students. This review also explored the notion that teachers had an additional knowledge base that was in a continual state of negotiation and closely related to the aforementioned knowledge bases: teachers' knowledge of their own and students' pedagogic identities (Bernstein, 2000). A theoretical framework appropriate to exploring the overarching research problem was developed. This framework drew on models of teachers' knowledge bases (Elbaz, 1983; Shulman, 1986a, 1986b, 1987; Nias, 1989; Turner-Bisset, 1997, 1999), the sociology of knowledge (Bernstein, 1975, 1990, 1996, 1999, 2000), and notions of pedagogic identity (Bernstein, 2000). This framework theorised the types of knowledges taught, categories of teaching process knowledge, and the range of pedagogic identities made available to teachers and students in new times. More specifically, this research examined two case studies (see Stake, 1988, 2000; Yin, 1994) of Western teachers employed by Australian educational institutions who worked in Central Java, Indonesia, in the mid-to-late 1990s. The teacher participants from both case studies taught a range of subjects and used English as the medium of instruction. Data for both case studies were generated via semistructured interviews (see Kvale, 1996; Silverman, 1985, 1997). The interviews focused on the teachers' descriptions of the learner characteristics of Indonesian students, their professional roles whilst teaching offshore, and curriculum and pedagogic design. The analyses produced four major findings. The first major finding of the analyses confirmed that the teacher participants in this study drew on all proposed professional knowledge bases and that these knowledge bases were interrelated. This suggests that teachers must have all knowledge bases present for them to do their work successfully. The second major finding was that teachers' professional knowledge bases were constantly being negotiated in response to their beliefs about their work and the past, present and future demands of the local context. For example, the content and teaching processes of English lessons may have varied as their own and their students' pedagogic identities were re-negotiated in different contexts of teaching and learning. Another major finding was that it was only when the teachers entered into dialogue with the Indonesian students and community members and/or reflective dialogue amongst themselves, that they started to question the stereotypical views of Indonesian learners as passive, shy and quiet. The final major finding was that the teachers were positioned in multiple ways by contradictory and conflicting discourses. The analyses suggested that teachers' pedagogic identities were a site of struggle between dominant market orientations and the criteria that the teachers thought should determine who was a legitimate teacher of offshore Indonesian students. The accounts from one of the case studies suggested that dominant market orientations centred on experience and qualifications in unison with prescribed and proscribed cultural, gender and age relations. Competent teachers who were perceived to be white, Western, male and senior in terms of age relations seemed to be the most easily accepted as offshore teachers of foundation programs for Indonesian students. The analyses suggested that the teachers thought that their legitimacy to be an offshore teacher of Indonesian students should be based on their teaching expertise alone. However, managers of Australian offshore educational institutions conceded that it was very difficult to bring about change in terms of teacher legitimisation. These findings have three implications for the work of offshore teachers and program administrators. Firstly, offshore programs that favour the pre-packaging of curricula content with little emphasis on the professional development and support needs of teachers do not foster work conditions which encourage teachers to re-design or modify curricula in response to the specific needs of learners. Secondly, pre-packaged programs do not support teachers to enter into negotiations concerning students' or their own pedagogic identities or the past, present and future demands of local contexts. These are important implications because they affect the way that teachers work, and hence how responsive teachers can be to learners' needs and how active they can be in the negotiation process as it relates to pedagogic identities. Finally, the findings point to the importance of establishing a learning community or learning network to assist Western teachers engaged in offshore educational work in Asian countries such as Indonesia. Such a community or network would enable teachers to engage and modify the complexity of knowledge bases required for effective localised offshore teaching. Given the burgeoning increase in the availability and use of electronic technology in new times, such as internet, emails and web cameras, these learning networks could be set up to have maximum benefit with minimal on-going costs.

Changes in today’s society led to the evolution of professional migrations and individual searches for more suitable professional opportunities and careers outside one’s countries. International Placement is nowadays one of the world’s biggest trends in higher education for the future ahead and an appealing demand of the Millennium generations. The following work project aims to study the German business market identifying the most attractive German companies and respective graduate programs for a Nova School of Business and Economics graduate student. The study’s conclusion relies on concrete strategic suggestions regarding the implementation of the results and practical use of the outcome provided.

yes
Commentators and academics now refer to Higher Education (HE) as a market and the language of the market frames and describes the sector. Considerable competition for students exists and the marketplace is global as institutions compete for students not just from their own country, but from the lucrative international market. Universities are aware of the importance of their reputations, but to what extent are they utilizing branding activity to deal with such competitive threats? Can institutions with lower reputational capital compete for students by increasing their brand presence? This study provides evidence from research into social media related branding activity from 56 UK universities and considers the impact of this activity, in particular social media interaction and social media validation, on performance in terms of student recruitment. The results demonstrate a positive effect for the use of social media on brand performance, especially when an institution attracts a large number of Likes on Facebook and a high number of Followers on Twitter. A particularly strong and positive effect results when universities use social media interactively.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
The employment paradox among international accounting graduates is characterised by an official shortage of accountancy positions alongside a surplus of qualified accountants, mainly international graduates from Australian higher education institutions. The paradox arises from a policy nexus between skilled migration and higher education created to meet skilled labour shortages through international graduates. Despite evidence that accountants are no longer in short supply, accountancy continues to be listed as a profession in need of labour for skilled migration purposes. Employing Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice as the theoretical framework, the thesis addresses the treatment of accountancy in immigration policy through the question: How does policy problematisation contribute to the employment paradox for international accounting graduates? A post-structuralist ‘policy as discourse’ approach is employed within Bacchi’s What’s the Problem Represented to be? methodology to interrogate the roles of various actors in sustaining the employment paradox. Policy related texts from 1997 to 2018 are analysed to indicate the creation of two profiles for international students and graduates. The ‘consumer of education export’ profile is unproblematic due to its commercial value as an international export industry. However, the profile of ‘domestically trained skilled migrants’ is problematised through the intruder metaphor, based on racial and language discourses reflecting the history of Australian immigration policies. Despite the failure of the first profile to transition into the second as originally intended, the policy nexus continues to be defended by institutions with financial and economic interests in its continuation. The practices of these actors discursively entrench problematisations for the graduates while at the same time silencing problems created by the actors themselves. Poor labour market outcomes are positioned as deficits in the graduates rather than in the nexus, higher educational institutions, or discriminatory labour market practices. To avoid subjectification, graduates seek refuge in secondary and ethnic labour markets. Using the treatment of accountancy in immigration policy, the thesis demonstrates how policy is used to further the interests of institutions at the expense of policy subjects.

碩士
國立臺灣大學
國際企業學研究所
99
Night market is one of the attractive cultural characters in Taiwan. It’s also considered as a gathering place that reflects local culture and provides foreigners the experience of authentic local culture. The purposes of this research are :1) to explore the influence of students’ social-economic characteristics, information sources, and travel characteristics on their induced images and complex images before/after traveling in Tourism Night Market; 2) to explore the relationship among complex image and post-experiencing behavior. The four –paged structural questionnaire with two language versions (Chinese and English) was designed to collect information from Taiwan students and international students during their visiting Tourism Night Market. The questionnaire survey was conducted in the National Taiwan University and through internet, with a valid sample of 233. The results show that the main sources of information from Taiwan students and international students are from friends and family, and the information provided more on product, but less on the environment and surrounding atmosphere. After visiting the night market, Taiwan students had more positive image on the attractiveness than international students. International students had more positive image on product, price and public infrastructure than Taiwan students. Furthermore, the more positive image the students have, the more satisfaction they will have, enhancing the need to build image for various groups of students.

碩士
國立嘉義大學
教育行政與政策發展研究所
101
International market positioning for higher educational institutions: Recruiting school physical education teachers and physical major university students in Taiwan. CHIN-CHIANG HSU Graduate Institute of Educational Administration and Policy Development National Chiayi University Abstract The aim of the study is to explore the factors on Taiwanese teachers and students choosing a destination country for their overseas study, to analyze international market position with regard to destination countries, and bring conclusions and discussions based on the above analysis. The research results can be used by destination countries to build the most effective marketing plan according to their own country’s strengths. Quantitative research approach was adopted in this study, questionnaires were administered to 300 physical education school teachers and physical major undergraduate and graduate students, of which 295 were retrieved, resulting in a 98.3% receiving rate, and they were used for the forthcoming analyses. One-Way ANOVA was adopted to analyze the school selection differences of teachers and students from different backgrounds；Analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the the relative weight of determinants for school selection. The results of the study are as following: 1. Students weighed the Economic Dimension the highest, which indicates that while choosing school for studying abroad, Taiwanese teachers and students put more emphasis on economic aspects than on other aspects. This is followed by Living Dimension, and Academic Dimension. 2. Employ _prosperity was ranked the most important determinant perceived by Taiwanese school physical teachers and college students, followed by convenience, curriculum, culture, tuition, prominence, faculty, easy_travel, and the paid_work. 3. Taiwanese teachers and students from different background show no significant difference on choosing schools for their overseas study. Keywords: Physical Education, Higher Education, Market Positioning, Study Overseas, Destination Country

碩士
中國文化大學
觀光事業學系
101
Night markets are one of the important cultures of Taiwanese daily life. Shilin tourist night market is one of the most famous and largest night markets in Taiwan, which located in Taipei. According to the statistical information of Taiwan Tourism Bureau (2011) annual survey report on R.O.C. inbound travelers, tourist night markets ranked among the top three most popular sight-seening spots and the inbound visitors visiting night markets mostly visited “Shilin Tourist Night Market”. The number of international students in Taiwan has been increasing significantly in recent years, mostly because of a worldwide increase in Mandarin education and efforts by the Ministry of Education to attract students to Taiwan. There is no any research about international students’ image or experience in night markets. Thus, it is imperative to understand image and experience of international students at night markets. The objectives of this study to explore the relationship among international students’ Shilin night market image, experience, satisfaction and revisit intention. Besides, this study profiled international students’ background information and comparing the differences of motivations according to demographic variables. The target group of this study was international students (non-Chinese, Hong Kong and Macau) who have been studying in Taiwan for any degree more than 3 months and have been at Shilin Tourist Night Market before. For this research 414 valid samples were collected. For a better understanding of the relationships between all the variables, multiple regressions analysis was used to analyze the relationships between a single dependent variable and several independent variables. The results showed that both international students’ satisfaction and intention to revisit are partially determined by their experience and image of the Shilin tourist night market. Satisfaction is a strong indicator of their intentions to revisit and recommend the destination to other people.

This thesis is devoted to the language management of Russian-speaking university students and graduates in the socioeconomic context of the Czech Republic. The first, theoretical section, is based on the results of previous studies as well as statistical data. It delimits the concepts of language management and Language Management Theory describes the types of language management, and explains its processual character. The second, empirical section of the thesis, is devoted to a qualitative research study based on semi-structured interviews with 10 speakers of Russian as a first or second language who were studying or who had studies at universities in the Czech Republic. The aim of the research was to gain up-to-date information on respondents' subjective understanding of their position on the Czech labor market. The results reveal connections between language, communicative and socio- cultural (including socio-economic) management thus connect issues of language competence and linguistic repertoires and the socio-economic position of Russian-speaking university students and graduates in the Czech Republic.