Letteratura scientifica selezionata sul tema "Tertiary students"

This article describes a study which traced a sample of rural students from Year 10 through to university. A statistical analysis of the data collected provides an understanding of the factors which are important in deciding whether to proceed to university and those which influence success in the first year of tertiary studies. The article concludes with a discussion of the study's implications for particular stakeholders. This article was developed from a paper delivered at the 13th National SPERA Conference, Adelaide, July 1997.

Procrastination has been reported as a prevalent phenomenon in the general population, affecting a number of adults. Procrastination in academia may have particularly serious effects for students in tertiary education, whose academic lives are characterised by frequent deadlines. Indeed, it has been shown that university students who rated high on procrastination received low grades (Tice & Baumeister, 1997). In the present study, the relationship between procrastination and academic performance of tertiary education students enrolled on an ICT program was investigated. Participants were 186 students enrolled full-time on degree or diploma level qualifications within the ICT program at a New Zealand tertiary institution. There was evidence that the submission times of assessments were positively associated with the marks achieved. Also, ICT students who submitted their assessments early appeared to achieve higher marks than those who submitted their assessments closer to or after the deadlines.

Objective: The full academic potential of tertiary students in Jamaica is diminished by their struggles to secure tuition and non-tuition financial resources. Principal among student needs is the ability to consume regular healthy meals. This study among three tertiary institutions in Jamaica explored the dynamics that affect student food security and how this can harm student success. It also examined how frequently tertiary students worry about feeding themselves and the extent to which they restrict their food intake. Methods: The analysis classified students as having low, moderate and severe hunger. Nine hundred and seventy-nine students completed the surveys through a quantitative method approach to collect data from students in different disciplines. To determine the factors related to hunger several demographic, socio-economic, living conditions and academic-related variables were examined. Results: The study found that most of the students (38.3%) suffered from severe hunger followed by moderate hunger (33%) and the lowest proportion (29.3%) with no/mild hunger. More than 70% of students worried each month about not having enough food while 33% of the students sometimes do not eat for an entire day. Their physical and emotional readiness to study was compromised as 40% said hunger affected their academic work via a variety of reasons such as headaches, poor concentration, and missed classes. Importantly, the low-achieving students experienced the most hunger. Conclusion: With data showing a strong link between food insecurity and student disengagement, the issue of hunger on campus represents a priority. The study concludes that administrators, counselors and the students themselves have critical roles to address hunger if tertiary institutions are to fully meet their educational mandate.

Speaking is considered to be difficult thing, moreover English as a foreign language. Students' performance depends on their personalities. Students who have low participation in speaking activity in the classroom lose their opportunity to practice their speaking skill which may cause poor speaking skill and achievement. However, some of students are active in speaking activity in the classroom that leads them to have good skill and achievement in speaking. This study attempts to reveal: (1) speaking strategies used by Indonesian tertiary students in terms of speaking English and strategies to improve their speaking ability, and (2) to identify speaking strategies mostly used by the students when they speak English and improve their speaking ability. This study is a descriptive research since its purpose is to describe the Indonesian tertiary students’ learning strategies in learning speaking English. The data from 15 tertiary students, who have good performance and achievement in speaking, from one of schools of higher education in Cimahi were collected using a 21 items questionnaire of a modified version of Strategy Inventory Language Learning (SILL) and 5 items interview questions. The result of the study revealed that some speaking strategies are used in terms of speaking English and improve speaking ability, namely cognitive, metacognitive and compensation strategy. In the type of speaking strategy that mostly used by the student in terms of speaking English is compensation strategy, while cognitive strategy was indicated as the mostly speaking strategies used by the Indonesian tertiary students in improving their speaking ability. Considering to the study conducted, it is recommended to students that they should know what strategies that appropriate and can help them in learning speaking English. The students should be able to choose strategies they need in learning and analyze which strategies that give better effect on their own learning.Keywords: Speaking, strategy, speaking strategy, tertiary students

Aquesta tesi examina la intenció empresarial (IE) entre estudiants terciaris, que va conduir a la producció de quatre treballs empírics. El primer article investiga la influència del control de comportament percebut (PBC), de la norma subjectiva (SN) i de l’actitud cap a l’emprenedoria (ATE), en la intenció emprenedora mitjançant l’enfocament de Modelització d’equacions estructurals (SEM) - Smart Partial Least Square (PLS). Les troballes suggereixen que la Teoria del Comportament Planificat (TPB) és una eina important per predir les intencions empresarials. Per tant, les troballes donen suport al TPB per a l'IE a Ghana. Dos factors motivacionals (actitud cap a l’emprenedoria i control conductual percebut) relacionats amb l’EI, però SN van mostrar una associació no significativa amb l’EI. Aquest estudi també va trobar que SN afectava positivament l’actitud cap a l’emprenedoria i el control conductual percebut. Tot i això, només una (relació PSE-SN) de les hipòtesis basades en la demografia va ser significativa. El segon article examina l’efecte de l’actitud cap a l’emprenedoria, la norma subjectiva, el lloc de control, l’autoeficàcia empresarial i el suport ambiental sobre la intenció empresarial de 159 estudiants MBA de dues universitats privades de Ghana. L'estudi utilitza el modelatge d'equacions estructurals (SEM) per analitzar les dades obtingudes dels participants. Els resultats mostren que tots els factors, excepte l’autoeficàcia empresarial, afecten significativament les intencions empresarials dels estudiants. El tercer treball examina com els models d’autoocupació parental / models moderen (mitjançant l’anàlisi multigrup) la relació entre els antecedents de la intenció emprenedora i la valoració social (SV), la valoració més propera (CV), les habilitats emprenedores (ES) i el suport ambiental . Les dades de tres-cents dinou enquestats es van analitzar mitjançant modelització d’equacions estructurals (SEM). L'anàlisi multigrup es va utilitzar per provar el paper moderador de l'autoocupació dels pares (PSE) per determinar si hi ha una relació significativa entre els enquestats amb PSE i els enquestats sense PSE. D'acord amb estudis previs, l'actitud cap a l'emprenedoria (ATE) i el control conductual percebut (PBC) tenen un efecte positiu sobre la IE. Els resultats demostren que les habilitats emprenedores influeixen en ATE, PBC i la Norma subjectiva (SN). Pel que fa a la influència del coneixement ambiental percebut (ENSUP) i de l'ATE, la relació va ser insignificant, tot i que l'impacte de l'ENSUP en PBC i SN va ser significatiu. Respecte a les correlacions entre SV i CV i els antecedents de TPB respectivament, es van acceptar totes les hipòtesis excepte les relacions CV → ATE i SV → PBC. Aquest estudi va revelar que els enquestats amb autoocupació dels pares perceben una actitud més elevada respecte a l’emprenedoria, el PBC, les habilitats emprenedores, el suport a l’emprenedoria i la intenció emprenedora que els que no tenen PSE. No obstant això, el MGA va establir que la formació d’intencions empresarials és similar per als enquestats amb autoocupació parental i els enquestats sense PSE. Per tant, no hi va haver una relació significativa entre els enquestats amb PSE i els enquestats sense PSE. Finalment, el quart article investiga la intenció empresarial aplicant la teoria del comportament planificat d’Ajzen (1991). Hem examinat específicament el paper del gènere en l'educació emprenedora i els models a seguir o l'autoocupació dels pares, mitjançant la realització d'una anàlisi multigrup. Hem utilitzat un qüestionari basat en web per recopilar informació de 216 estudiants d’una universitat espanyola. Les dades es van analitzar amb l’ajut de Modelització d’equacions estructurals (SEM) - Parcial mínim quadrat (PLS). Hem realitzat una anàlisi tripartita sobre models complets, masculins i femenins. Pel que fa als models complets i masculins, es van acceptar totes les hipòtesis principals, en comparació amb quatre per al model femení. Tot i que aquest estudi ha confirmat l’aplicabilitat del model TPB a la intenció emprenedora, no hem trobat una relació significativa entre homes i dones sobre les seves intencions emprenedores per a algunes relacions. Però aquest estudi suggereix que la relació entre PSE i PBC és més forta per als homes que per a les dones. En general, la tesi proporciona noves visions sobre el model d’intenció emprenedora, adaptat del TPB. Aquesta tesi ha desenterrat algunes revelacions sobre intencions empresarials entre estudiants espanyols i ghanesos. A més del nou avanç teòric, la tesi ofereix implicacions rellevants per a estudiants, educadors, responsables polítics i grups d'interès en l'àmbit empresarial.
Esta tesis examina la intención emprendedora entre los estudiantes de educación terciaria, lo que llevó a la producción de cuatro artículos empíricos. El primer artículo investiga la influencia del control conductual percibido, la norma subjetiva y la actitud hacia el espíritu empresarial, en la intención empresarial utilizando el modelo de ecuación estructural (SEM) - enfoque de mínimos cuadrados parciales inteligentes (PLS). Los hallazgos sugieren que TPB es una herramienta importante para predecir las intenciones empresariales. Por lo tanto, los hallazgos respaldan el TPB para la IE en Ghana. Dos factores motivacionales (actitud hacia el emprendimiento y control conductual percibido) relacionados con la IE, pero el SN mostró una asociación no significativa con la IE. Este estudio también encontró que la SN afecta positivamente la actitud hacia el espíritu empresarial y el control conductual percibido. Sin embargo, solo una (relación PSE-SN) de las hipótesis demográficas fue significativa. El segundo artículo examina el efecto de la actitud hacia el espíritu empresarial, la norma subjetiva, el locus de control, la autoeficacia empresarial y el apoyo ambiental sobre la intención empresarial de 159 estudiantes de MBA de dos universidades privadas de Ghana. El estudio utiliza modelos de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM) para analizar los datos obtenidos de los participantes. Los resultados muestran que todos los factores, excepto la autoeficacia empresarial, afectan significativamente las intenciones empresariales de los estudiantes. El tercer artículo examina cómo el trabajo por cuenta propia de los padres / modelos a seguir modera (utilizando el análisis multigrupo) la relación entre los antecedentes de la intención empresarial y la valoración social, la valoración más cercana, las habilidades emprendedoras y el apoyo ambiental. Los datos de trescientos diecinueve encuestados se analizaron mediante modelos de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM). Se utilizó el análisis multigrupo para probar el papel moderador del trabajo por cuenta propia de los padres (PSE) para determinar si existe una relación significativa entre los encuestados con PSE y los encuestados sin PSE. De acuerdo con estudios anteriores, ATE y PBC tienen un efecto positivo sobre la IE. Los resultados demuestran que las habilidades emprendedoras influyen en ATE, PBC y SN. En cuanto a la influencia del conocimiento ambiental percibido (ENSUP) y ATE, la relación fue insignificante, aunque el impacto de ENSUP en PBC y SN fue significativo. Con respecto a las correlaciones entre SV y CV y los antecedentes de TPB respectivamente, se aceptaron todas las hipótesis excepto CV → ATE y SV → PBC. Este estudio reveló que los encuestados con autoempleo de los padres perciben una mayor actitud hacia el emprendimiento, PBC, habilidades emprendedoras, apoyo emprendedor e intención emprendedora que aquellos sin PSE. Sin embargo, la MGA estableció que la formación de intenciones empresariales es similar para los encuestados con trabajo por cuenta propia de los padres y los encuestados sin PSE. Por lo tanto, no hubo una relación significativa entre los encuestados con PSE y los encuestados sin PSE. Por último, el cuarto artículo investiga la intención empresarial aplicando la Teoría del Comportamiento Planificado de Ajzen (1991). Examinamos específicamente el papel del género en la educación empresarial y los modelos a seguir o el autoempleo de los padres, mediante la realización de un análisis multigrupo. Utilizamos un cuestionario basado en la web para recopilar información de 216 estudiantes de una universidad española. Los datos se analizaron con la ayuda de Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) - Partial Least Square (PLS). Realizamos un análisis tripartito sobre modelos completos, masculinos y femeninos. En cuanto a los modelos completo y masculino, se aceptaron todas las hipótesis principales, frente a cuatro para el modelo femenino. Aunque este estudio ha confirmado la aplicabilidad del modelo TPB a la intención empresarial, no encontramos una relación significativa entre hombres y mujeres sobre sus intenciones empresariales para algunas relaciones. Pero este estudio sugiere que la relación entre PSE y PBC es más fuerte para los hombres que para las mujeres. En general, la tesis proporciona nuevos conocimientos sobre el modelo de intención empresarial, adaptado del TPB. Esta tesis ha desenterrado algunas revelaciones sobre las intenciones emprendedoras entre los estudiantes españoles y ghaneses. Además del novedoso avance teórico, la tesis ofrece implicaciones relevantes para estudiantes, educadores, responsables políticos y partes interesadas en el campo empresarial.
This thesis examines the entrepreneurial intention (EI) among tertiary students, which led to the production of four empirical papers. The first paper investigates the influence of Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC), Subjective Norm (SN) and Attitude towards Entrepreneurship (ATE), on Entrepreneurial Intention using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) – Smart Partial Least Square (PLS) approach. The findings suggest that Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) is an important tool for predicting entrepreneurial intentions. Thus, the findings support the TPB for EI in Ghana. Two motivational factors (attitude towards entrepreneurship and perceived behavioural control) related to EI, but SN showed a non-significant association with EI. This study also found SN positively affecting attitude toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioural control. However, only one (PSE-SN relationship) of the demographic-based hypotheses was significant. The second paper examines the effect of attitude towards entrepreneurship, subjective norm, locus of control, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and environmental support on entrepreneurial intention of 159 MBA students from two private universities in Ghana. The study uses structural equation modelling (SEM) to analyze the data obtained from the participants. The results show that all the factors but entrepreneurial self-efficacy significantly affects students’ entrepreneurial intentions. The third paper examines how parental self-employment/role models moderates (using Multi-Group Analysis) the relationship between the antecedents of entrepreneurial intention and Social Valuation (SV), Closer Valuation (CV), Entrepreneurial Skills (ES), and Environmental Support. The data of three hundred and nineteen respondents were analysed by structural equation modelling (SEM). Multi-Group Analysis was used to test the moderating role of parental self-employment (PSE) to determine whether there is a significant relationship between respondents with PSE and respondents without PSE. Consistent with prior studies, Attitude towards entrepreneurship (ATE) and Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC) have a positive effect on EI. The results prove that entrepreneurial skills influence ATE, PBC, and Subjective Norm (SN). Regarding the influence of perceived environmental knowledge (ENSUP) and ATE, the relationship was insignificant, though the impact of ENSUP on PBC and SN was significant. With respect to the correlations between SV and CV and the antecedents of TPB respectively, all the hypotheses were accepted except CV→ATE and SV→PBC relationships. This study revealed that respondents with parental self-employment perceive a higher attitude towards entrepreneurship, PBC, entrepreneurial skills, entrepreneurial support, and entrepreneurial intention than those without PSE. However, the MGA established that the formation of entrepreneurial intentions is similar for respondents with parental self-employment and respondents without PSE. Thus, there was no significant relationship between respondents with PSE and respondents without PSE. Lastly, the fourth paper investigates entrepreneurial intention by applying the Theory of Planned Behavior by Ajzen (1991). We specifically examined the role of gender on entrepreneurial education and role models or parental self-employment, by carrying out a Multi-Group Analysis. We used a web-based questionnaire to collect information from 216 students at a Spanish university. Data were analysed with the help of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) – Partial Least Square (PLS). We conducted a tripartite analysis on Complete, Male, and Female Models. Regarding the Complete and Male Models, all the primary hypotheses were accepted, compared with four for the Female Model. Though this study has confirmed the applicability of the TPB model to entrepreneurial intention, we did not find a significant relationship between Males and Females about their entrepreneurial intentions for some relationships. But this study suggests that the relationship between PSE and PBC is stronger for Males than Females. Generally, the thesis provides new insights into the entrepreneurial intention model, adapted from the TPB. This thesis has unearthed some revelations about entrepreneurial intentions among Spanish and Ghanaian students. In addition to the novel theoretical advancement, the thesis offers relevant implications for students, educators, policy-makers and stakeholders in the entrepreneurial field.

Many tertiary institutions are confronted with the challenge of unprepared students. This epidemic is largely due to factors in and out of individuals‟ control. These factors include academic proficiency, course-student match, support and integration, financial stability, preparation, personal circumstances and engagement. The main objective of this study is therefore threefold: Firstly, to describe what student readiness entails; secondly to understand why there is a lack of readiness among first-year Human Resource Management students, and thirdly, to identify and improve upon interventions that prepare students for tertiary education. For this study student readiness refers to the ability of students to meet the basic requirements to successfully enrol for a course without remedial assistance and to successfully complete their studies in the recommended timeframe. The target population of this study focussed on students who registered on a full-time basis for the National Diploma in Human Resource Management for the academic year 2014 (n=117). A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the students and an open-ended questionnaire additionally to the lecturers who teach first-year Human Resource Management students. The study was subjected to various statistical techniques such as Cronbach‟s alpha, t-tests, Pearson moment product correlation and Cohen‟s d. In doing so an improved insight into student readiness and success was developed. The main findings of the study indicated that there is a relationship between the type of schooling and readiness factors as statistical significance was noted. In addition, students who scored high on readiness factors were more likely to succeed in tertiary education. Moreover the number of interventions students is exposed to positively influence student readiness and success. This study has contributed to the body of knowledge which relates to the broader educational environment in South Africa and provides recommendations to address student readiness and success.

At a time when university student diversity is heightened and when national government regulations have shifted their quality focus from support improvements to student achievement, little is known about the mechanism of the latter. University efforts to support quality, caring interactions between students and staff, known as connectedness, are currently favoured, and this thesis examines connectedness, mood, emotional well-being and academic behaviours of commencing students at a regional Australian university. This is done through the lens of a first semester intervention, known as Tertiary Learning Communities (TLC). Drawing on existing connectedness research, across both school and university settings and guided by a whole-school framework, details of the establishment of a suitable working party, the development of survey, pilot and intervention activities, and monitoring the ability of a cross-campus intervention to influence student connectedness and behaviour markers, are highlighted to advance further understanding of the mechanics of connectedness in a university setting. The developed survey, which collected data from undergraduate students early in their first semester, effectively captured perceptions of connectedness across a broad range of sources in addition to their mood, emotional well-being and academic student behaviours. Paired sample-tests assessed connectedness changes, and chi square analysis assessed behaviour changes when comparing the experimental and control groups on two occasions. A single intervention aligned to a first year core unit to support academic and social interactions, was shown to be ineffective in enhancing student connectedness during the semester of the intervention or the semester following the intervention. However, the level of connectedness decreases measured across ‘personal’, ‘other students’ and ‘lecturers’ were indeed significant, as was the finding that connectedness decreases for intervention participants exceeded the decreases of the control group. Furthermore, mood and emotional well-being challenges and the slow emergence of academic behaviours were also revealed. These findings provided support for future inclusive student support initiatives, maintained the involvement of working party members and extended support beyond the first semester to across first year.
Doctor of Philosophy

Seventy four Christian tertiary students were presented with six hypothetical life event descriptions and asked to imagine that these events were happening to them. Subjects then listed any thoughts that went through their minds as they faced the events. Spontaneous attributions to God and the Devil were produced by some of the sample. Spontaneous attributions to God's hand, God's will and God's general control were strongly related to the importance of religion and prayer. These attributions appeared to provide meaning and comfort, especially for those confronted with serious health problems. This study supports the view that God attribution is an important part of people's religious belief and meaning system, but casts doubt on the view that God image plays a significant role in determining the situations where God attributions occur. An attempt was made to test the validity of the forced choice method traditionally used to scale religious attributions. The patterns of spontaneous and forced choice religious attributions were similar across the different situations, yet attribution to religious sources was significantly greater using the forced choice method. It is concluded that the forced choice method tends to elicit reactive measures, and that the richness and spontaneity of the thought listing responses provides a more accurate picture of people's spontaneous religious attributions.

Contemporary research into the health concerns of students is sparse, particularly in New Zealand. Overseas literature indicates that students in tertiary education institutions may be at increased risks for physical health problems, stress-related syndromes and emotional dysfunctions. Of particular concern are anxiety disorders as, in addition to their negative impact on quality of life, they are associated with impaired academic performance and poorer educational outcomes. Skilled, educated individuals are a social asset and it is therefore surprising that so little interest has been paid to the ways in which involvement with the tertiary education impacts on student welfare and anxiety levels. As a first step towards redressing the lack of health data for tertiary populations, this thesis investigates aspects of anxiety among students at a New Zealand university. The primary research aims were to establish an estimate of the levels of anxiety experienced by students and to outline the requirements of tertiary study that students perceive to be the most anxiety-inducing. To achieve the former, students (n = 1,082) were invited by e-mail to participate in an online psychometric survey; to explore the latter, discussion groups were arranged wherein students (n = 18) were asked to talk about their anxiety-related experiences. Anxiety has many forms and can be conceptualised in a number of different ways. In recognition of the diverse nature of tertiary study, it was decided that a broad framework would be needed to thoroughly investigate the ways in which it might manifest in tertiary student populations. Thus, a tripartite conceptualisation was constructed, viewing anxiety in cognitive, physiological and interpersonal terms. Specifically, the study assessed worry, stress and social anxiety among tertiary students and invited participants to comment on personal experiences in each of these areas. Comparing study data to norms for student populations in America revealed that New Zealand tertiary students report greater levels of worry, stress and social anxiety than their American counterparts. Within-group comparisons were made as a function of student gender, age, school of study, ethnicity and birth status. Significant differences on at least one survey measure were noted within each of these categories, with the exception of school of study. The possible implications of and explanations for these findings are discussed.

The English language is now widely used in Vietnam. Consequently, the teaching and learning of English has become more significant , but, on the other hand, teaching methodologies, in Vietnam , still reflect those used in the past to teach other foreign languages. Vietnamese English teachers also experience difficulty coping with the many new problems which they now face. One of these difficulties is the teaching of English vocabulary. In order to develop an understanding of how best English vocabulary might be taught in the Vietnamese setting , this study identifies a particular group of students: Vietnamese tertiary students attending the Hanoi Foreign Languages Teachers' College, and then explores ways how teachers might introduce the teaching of English vocabulary, both to these students, and to the subjects the students will finally teach themselves. In order to prepare for an outline of how to carry out this teaching role, the study investigates the various problems associated with defining : the word; the types of meaning conveyed by the word; the relationship of phonology, syntax and semantics to the word, and other related matters . The study also looks at the problems which Vietnamese students have with learning English vocabulary. In this context a comparison is made of English and Vietnamese lexical and related systems. Subsequently, the study considers the different types of foreign language methods which have and are being used, with particular reference to how they were used to teach vocabulary. Finally, the study considers questions of the need to select appropriate vocabulary for the targetted students and details how teachers might effectively teach vocabulary.

There is growing concern surrounding the detrimental effect of term-time employment on university students’ academic success. The narrow focus of previous studies has resulted in the literature being characterised by mixed results. This study sought to clarify the effects by comprehensively investigating and controlling for a large number of variables across a diverse range of university students (N = 1841). Students completed an online survey during the first semester of study (2010) and their responses were later matched to their academic records for that semester. The results show that the majority of working students reported working out of financial necessity. There was no difference in grades between employed and non-employed students; however, hours worked had a direct negative linear effect on the grades of employed students. Analysis indicated that employed students would have had significantly higher grades than the non-employed subsample, if they had not worked during term. The variable ‘reported negative effects of work on study’ partially mediated the effect of hours worked on grades. Studying engineering moderated the effect; when engineering students worked, the negative effect on grades was greater than for those studying other subjects. In addition, hours spent in employment partially mediated the effects of age, debt and financial pressure on GPA. Students also reported that work affected other areas of their life (time spent socialising/relaxing, in leisure/sport, sleeping and with family). Just over a fifth of the working students reported feeling that the university did not make it possible to combine work and study. These findings have implications for students, student supporters and academic institutions. Students should be aware of the negative effects of work on academic performance and seek to minimise the amount they work. Supporters may be able to relieve financial pressure on students, encourage realistic perceptions about students’ financial needs, and encourage students to limit the number of hours they work. Finally, academic institutions can also assist students in balancing work and study by providing a flexible learning environment.

With the growing number of students from China who study abroad, many initially struggle to engage with native English speakers due to limited opportunities to develop oral English skills within their homeland (Gu and Maley, 2008). The reasons why Chinese students' may exhibit varied levels of motivation to engage with others when they study abroad is not well understood. This thesis has employed MacIntyre's "Willingness to Communicate" pyramid model (MacIntyre et al., 1998) as a theoretical model to underpin this study. An 18 month longitudinal study was carried out upon a group of 24 tertiary students from China who were undertaking an undergraduate degree in Britain. Qualitative data were gathered by means of carrying out 60 interviews employing a multi-lingual platform. The study sought to understand the factors which may influence the reasons for the changes in students' Willingness to Communicate and Communicative self-confidence as they studied in Britain and also to identify any additional variables influencing them. The results of this research showed there to be a wide range of factors influencing Chinese students' L2 communicative behaviour. Some of these factors were linked to their home and education background in China. Others were linked to how they responded to others in English within differing communicative contexts. This study concluded that Willingness to Communicative within a Chinese context to be a complex phenomena as Chinese students may respond to interlocutors in differing ways. Hence, this study has contributed to our understanding of Chinese learners of English in that a wide range of variables have been identified, which may impact upon Chinese students' communicative behaviour. The model which MacIntyre and his associates formed, was found to be a helpful model in comprehending Chinese student's L2 communicative behaviour. However, this study has developed MacIntyre's model by identifying other culturally specific factors which were not covered. This research has also enhanced our comprehension of Chinese students' communicative behaviour within authentic English speaking environments, with both native and non native English speakers. Finally, this study has highlighted that there are significant cognitive factors which also impact upon Chinese students' Willingness to Communicate, suggesting the need to undertake additional future research in order to further investigate this area.

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to determine whether there are any differences between high and low-income group students in their selection of a cellular phone brand or network operator. Design / Methodology / Approach: Four hypotheses are set to determine if there are any significant differences between the two income groups in current decision-making. It is established that there exist no significant difference between high and low-income students in their selection of cellular phones and network operators. The levels of agreement or disagreement on various statements do, however, give an indication of the importance that students place on aspects that they view as important when acquiring a cellular phone or network operator. Findings: In the article, it is established that no significant differences exist between the two income groups. The levels of agreement or disagreement indicate the importance that subscription method, social value, service quality and branding has on student decision-making. Implications: The article provides a better understanding of the influence that income plays in student’s decision-making in acquiring cellular products and services. Possible future research in student cellular usage can be guided through the information obtained in this article. Originality / Value: The article provides information to cellular network operators, service providers and cellular phone manufactures regarding the influence of income on students’ acquisition of cellular products and services. Information from the article can assist in the establishment of marketing plans for the student market by these role players.

Student engagement plays a vital role in their performance in in-class activities. The importance of student engagement in a foreign language class has been proved in many prior studies. Most of them have mainly focused on students' and teachers’ perceptions towards student engagement in learning English. However, the current paper quantitively analyzed factors affecting student engagement and its correlation between variables. There are two research questions: 1) What factors influence non-English major tertiary students in Vietnamese EFL class; and 2) To what extent do those factors correlate with non-English major students’ engagement in English classrooms? The study’s questionnaire was delivered to 83 non-English major tertiary students studying in a public university in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The findings found that motivation made a more significant contribution to student engagement than the three others (e.g., teacher-student interaction, family engagement, and peer support for learning). In this paper, the correlations between student engagement and those factors were found to be significantly positive. Based on the results, the present study’s implication was that teachers and school managers should form a strong relationship with students’ parents to manage their learning process and share education opinions related to boosting student engagement in EFL classrooms. The study also suggested more future research investigating influences of student engagement with different methods to generalize this field.

Video feedback can be an important and key mechanism for supporting online student learning in higher education. In the context of online music teaching, video feedback provides a necessary audio and visual element to support music students’ learning of music performance practice. A predecessor to a larger study in video feedback, this pilot study sought to explore instructor perceptions of the use of video feedback in music performance teaching classes. Using self-study methodology, findings suggest that video feedback can effectively complement individualised online music teaching within an undergraduate performance class and a Master of Music Performance Teaching group music class, provide supportive scaffolding for self-regulated learning, and offer students opportunities to create meaningful student-instructor connections and community. Strategies for effective implementation by way of self-regulation and communication are also addressed.

For any course in a student’s degree program, the assessment should be part of an integrated assessment and learning package, with the components of the package combining to meet the learning objectives in a steady development of skills and operational knowledge that take account of the students’ various prior and future learnings. This paper considers such a package for an introductory course in probability and distributional modelling, including its objectives with reference to the nature of statistical thinking in probabilistic and distributional modelling, and general assessment principles. A new component of assessment to strengthen the problem-solving environment and to better address some of the objectives is described, together with student and tutor feedback and student data.

The following paper arises from the author being invited to be part of a discussion panel of NZ tertiary learning advisors, at a regional hui. The main topic was the numeracy skills required for our current students to be successful with their studies. The paper gives some background and context, then focuses on the actual skills that students bring with them. This moves onto thinking about strategies to deal with any perceived numeracy deficiencies, including online help, tutorials and workshops. It then outlines the learning advisor services and support we can offer students, and finishes with a discussion of the skills necessary for effective learning advising and content advising to take place.

The following paper arises from the author being invited to be part of a discussion panel of NZ tertiary learning advisors, at a regional hui. The main topic was the numeracy skills required for our current students to be successful with their studies. The paper gives some background and context, then focuses on the actual skills that students bring with them. This moves onto thinking about strategies to deal with any perceived numeracy deficiencies, including online help, tutorials and workshops. It then outlines the learning advisor services and support we can offer students, and finishes with a discussion of the skills necessary for effective learning advising and content advising to take place.

Wikis are widely used in blended learning educational settings with varying degrees of success. Scholarly attention increasingly regards student perceptions and experiences of using wikis as part of ongoing development. Students in entry-level education often belong to high-needs target groups who particularly require positive experiences for a successful transition into tertiary education. This paper reports action research exploring the use of a wiki by certificate-level students at a tertiary institution. The results showed most students did not engage with the wiki. Qualitative student feedback revealed valuable insight into two major social challenges when interacting online: trust and difficulties with peer-teaching. Recommendations are made regarding these social challenges that should be considered by educators aiming to use a wiki or other collaborative online learning and teaching spaces for entry-level education.

In the light of the #MeToo movement, this paper explores how the positionality (in terms of caste and class) of female university students in Kolkata, India is employed as an instrument of backlash to pushback their efforts at making progressive change with regard to sexual harassment. The study includes an analysis of six semi-structured interviews based on an amalgamation of conventional and alternate understandings of backlash. It argues that conventional and alternate understandings are not independent of each other, but are interlinked and exist side by side. Backlash silences women and forestalls their demands and pushes crucial gender issues to the backburner.

Deferred feedback on summative assessments can demotivate students and affect their overall learning performance, and it can change their study routines. The aim of this study is to compare and analyse students’ perceptions about summative and formative regular feedback: whether they are better motivated by being given marks, or by regular feedback without any marks. All participants were students from a Bachelor of Computer Science (BCS) degree at a New Zealand tertiary institute. Three courses were selected across three different levels of the BCS, and the sample group included 272 students from five different semesters. Summative (with marks) and formative (with feedback only) weekly quizzes were introduced in 2017, with the aim of providing early, regular feedback to students. Participants in the study were divided into two groups: students who were doing formative, and those who were doing summative quizzes. In each group, the majority of students indicated that they were happy and positive about getting regular feedback in the form of quizzes, and they appreciated the quiz questions and time spent as a way to adjust and enhance their learning. There was no real difference in students’ subjective evaluations and individual perceptions between those who had summative and those who had formative quizzes. The existence of quizzes, and the results, were important for students as weekly feedback and it didn’t matter whether marks were attached to these weekly feedback activities or not. More studies are needed to determine what type of questions could better influence students’ learning outcomes.

In tertiary contexts where adults study writing for future academic purposes, teaching and learning via portfolio provides them with multiple opportunities to create and recreate texts characteristic of their future and imagined discourse communities. This paper discusses the value of portfolios as vehicles for rehearsing membership of what Benedict Anderson (1983) called “imagined communities”, a concept applied by such scholars as Yasuko Kanno and Bonny Norton (2003). Portfolios can achieve this process of apprenticeship to a specialist discourse through reproducing texts similar to the authentic artefacts of those discourse communities (Flowerdew, 2000; Hyland, 2003, 2004). We consider the value of multi-drafting, where learners reflect on the learning of a text type characteristic of the students’ future imagined community. We explore Hamp-Lyons and Condon’s belief (2000) that portfolios “critically engage students and teachers in continual discussion, analysis and evaluation of their processes and progress as writers, as reflected in multiple written products” (p.15). Introduced by a discussion of how theoretical perspectives on learning and assessing writing engage with portfolio production, the study presented here outlines a situated pedagogical approach, where students report on their improvement across three portfolio drafts and assess their learning reflectively. A multicultural group of 41 learners enrolled in the degree-level course Academic Writing [AW] at a tertiary institution in New Zealand took part in a study reflecting on this approach to building awareness of one’s own writing. Focus group interviews with a researcher at the final stage of the programme provided qualitative data, which was transcribed and analysed using textual analysis methods (Ryan and Bernard, 2003). Students identified a range of advantages of teaching and learning AW by portfolio. One of the identified benefits was that the selected text types within the programme were perceived as useful to the students’ immediate futures. This careful choice of target genre was reflected in the overall value of the programme for these learners.

This study examines the economic impacts of COVID-19-related school closures in the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels along with the implications to future labor productivity in Asia and the Pacific. School closures due to COVID-19 created substantial disruptions in education, and this will impact the skills of students and their productivity when they mature as professionals. This study examines medium- and long-term economic impacts of COVID-19-related school closures using the Global Trade Analysis Project or GTAP. It also evaluates the labor productivity effect per year of schooling loss due to the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for tertiary education institutions worldwide. The crisis placed enormous pressure on educational institutions as they were required to pivot suddenly to teaching fully online. In New Zealand, Tertiary Education Organisations (TEOs) were forced to close on Wednesday 25 March 2020 after New Zealand moved to Alert Level 4, necessitating the sudden implementation of online teaching. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of pre-recorded instructional videos in three selected courses taught by a tertiary education institution, a member of the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) New Zealand.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of schools across the Caribbean, including tertiary institutions. Colleges and universities turned to digital solutions and modified their pedagogy in order to sustain continuity of learning. Other adaptations like flexible payment schemes were made to allow students to stay enrolled. The University of West Indies CCEP and CLRI and the IDB co-hosted a conversation titled “Caribbean Tertiary Institutions and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which sought to explore how tertiary institutions were coping with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation focused on the most prominent challenges and what measures the institutions had taken to deal with them, what they felt they had done well in adapting, and how sustainable they deemed those measures in supporting their operations in the medium to long term. A follow-up meeting was held with several students from UWI to further explore how they had been impacted. This publication shares the responses to these questions, offers lessons learned and outlines next steps for the Caribbean Tertiary Institutions and the IDB.

Quality teaching and learning are vital to meet the increasingly complex needs of students as they prepare for further education and work in the 21st century. This publication provides insights on how to create sustainable and high quality teacher capacity development systems in primary and secondary education, technical and vocational education and training, and higher education programs. It showcases 13 case studies from around the world as examples of teacher professional development programs that support, improve, and harness teaching capabilities and expertise. The publication also discusses government initiatives and other factors that can contribute to quality teaching.