Academic Enrollment Research Articles

Test review: High-stakes English language proficiency tests—Enquiry, resit, and retake policies

Many candidates undertaking high-stakes English language proficiency tests for academic enrolment do not achieve the results they need for reasons including linguistic unreadiness, test unpreparedness, illness, an unfavourable configuration of tasks, or administrative and marking errors. Owing to the importance of meeting goals or out of a belief that original test performance was satisfactory, some individuals query their results, while others go on to retake the test, perhaps on multiple occasions. This article critically reviews the policies of eight well-known, on-demand gatekeeping English language tests, describing the systems adopted by language assessment organisations to regulate results enquiries, candidates resitting (components of) a test where performance fell short of requirements, and repeat test-taking. It was found that all providers institute clear mechanisms through which candidates can query their results, with notable variations exhibited in procedures, costs, restrictions, outcomes, and how policies are communicated to test-takers. Test resit options are scarce, while organisations enact few restrictions on test retakes in the form of mandatory waiting times and cautionary advice. The implications for language assessment organisations are discussed.

Influence of entry pathway and equity group status on retention and the student experience in higher education

AbstractExpansionary policies to widen participation in higher education have led to a growth in alternative entry pathways into university. This study considers the experiences and retention outcomes of those entering Australian universities through different pathways, and how these vary across diverse student groups. Data were drawn from linked student administrative records for 81,874 students from sixteen Australian universities who commenced a Bachelor degree in 2015, with academic enrolment status tracked over five years, as well as data from a national survey of student experience conducted in 2019. Students from alternative pathways were associated with lower retention outcomes in the first year of study and poorer course completion outcomes, except those entering via pathway provider and enabling programs who reported more favourable retention compared to secondary school entrants. Students from equity group backgrounds were also associated with poorer retention outcomes, particularly Indigenous students, mature-age students, and those with disability. Associations between entry pathways, equity group status, and student experience were mixed. For example, equity group students generally had positive assessments of student experience, apart from those with disability, yet were associated with increased probabilities of intention to dropout from study. Social and personal reasons were found to be main drivers of dropout intention across different student groups. Findings highlight the need to address the varying factors that affect students entering through different pathways and from diverse backgrounds, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. The study’s recommendations inform stakeholders seeking to improve the experience and outcomes of diverse student groups entering higher education.

Student Gross Enrolment Ratio Forecasting: A Comparative Study Using Statistical Method and Machine Learning

Educational data mining has advanced substantially within the past decade. These mining strategies lay out a plan for increasing overall academic enrollment. An increase in student enrolment, in general, would enhance academic performance. Therefore, the student enrollment pattern demands great attention, as it is a vital performance indicator of academic sustainability. In this paper, student enrolment data is pre-processed to obtain the gross enrolment ratio (GER). GER analysis and forecasting were performed using the state of art models Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). The purpose of this study is to analyze and compare student GER (time series data) using ARIMA (statistical methods) and LSTM (machine learning approach), forecast GER using a better method, and propose corrective measures for increasing student enrolment. The comparison results confirmed that LSTM out-performs ARIMA by an average of 0.1322% and 5.6% in both Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Accuracy. The predicted GER using LSTM for the academic year 2035 is 34.23% which is far lower than 50% which is targeted by Govt. of India. An in-depth analysis of student enrolment and GER in higher education in Mizoram was done, and corrective measures were proposed for enhancing GER.

That ‘That Degree has to Wait’: A Case Study of Distance Education Adult Students in Malaysia

Abstract: Obtaining a bachelor’s degree is often conceived as the ultimate goal for post-secondary and diploma students. However, this goal is not always immediately available or accessible for students. Delays in higher education enrolment have considerable disadvantages for students as they are often associated with lower graduation rates and lower socio-economic status. This paper seeks to identify the reasons why students delay their bachelor’s degree enrolment. Adult students currently pursuing higher education or recently graduated from higher education and who have had a gap between their post-secondary/diploma and higher education were recruited as the respondents for this study. The research adopted a qualitative approach using the in-depth interview as a research instrument. Twelve adult learners were identified and interviewed for this study. Data collected were analysed using Nvivo version 12. The analysis revealed three main rationales as causes of delayed enrolment in higher education. The rationales were financial, family and work reasons. Of these three, financial reasons were the main rationale behind the delay of academic enrolment and subsequent attainment. It was further found that these reasons were not a stand-alone cause as they were linked with other rationales in contributing to the students’ decision to delay their higher education enrolment.
 
 Keywords: Adult students, Delayed academic enrolment, Distance education, Higher education, Qualitative

An evaluation of WIL training for Durban University OF Technology Civil Engineering ‒ employer and student experience: Lessons for the new programme

The Durban University of Technology (DUT) previously offered the now phased-out National Diploma in Civil Engineering, incorporating a two-year academic enrolment and a year-long work-integrated learning programme (WIL). The support offered by the University lecturers was essential in the WIL, to ensure that the engineering tasks assigned to students aligned with the DUT curriculum; any concerns or comments expressed were investigated further and addressed appropriately. In 2017 and 2018 interviews were conducted, generating 918 structured comments by employers. These included 304 general comments (with no academic value) and 593 comments specific to disciplines by students, of which 346 were general comments. This exploratory study aims to determine critical feedback that should be considered when enrolling for the new qualification: Bachelor of Engineering Technology Degree in Civil Engineering (B Eng Tech degree). The data received helped to discover and understand the experiences, perspectives and thoughts of the participants who responded to open-ended questions (i.e., comments about their experiences, without any limitations). The data collected were presented and evaluated using the thematic analysis method to discover patterns and to develop subjects for discussion. Findings show that employers were generally happy with the quality of the students from DUT, however, they found professionalism among the DUT students to be a major concern. They also requested that the institution communicates with employers regarding the curriculum so that employers might properly align the WIL with it. Most students were challenged by the new work environment they had entered. The most common factor that made the experience more challenging was the exposure to the state-of-the-art equipment used in the workplace.

Still Open During the Covid-19 Lockdown: An Analysis of Online Students’ Engagement with the Virtual Campus

The global pandemic caused by the Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent mandatory lockdown made university students spend more time at home, changing their daily habits including studying, as a consequence of the forced self-confinement. In this article we describe the changes observed in the connection patterns to the institutional learning management system of the students enrolled in a Spanish online university during the lockdown. Our results show that the students were more likely to connect to the virtual campus, they did so more evenly over the days of the week, and more concentrated in a few hours in the central part of the days. Interestingly, the changes in students’ connection patterns were not associated with their socio-demographic characteristics, although they were affected by their academic trajectory and their academic enrolment.

Socioeconomic status (SES) and the benefits of the “continuous assessment and progression system (CAPS)” in lower secondary education in Myanmar

PurposeThis study investigated the trends of repetition and dropout rates in Myanmar's lower secondary education before and after the introduction of the “Continuous Assessment and Progression System (CAPS)” and probed the dependence of these tendencies on high-, middle- and low- socioeconomic status (SES). The obtained results were then examined to extract effective policy implications for the achievement of universal secondary education as specified in the Sustainable Development Goals.Design/methodology/approachBefore and after the CAPS introduction at four government secondary schools, grade repetition and dropout rate trends were examined with respect to differences in students' SES. The analysis utilised a sample of 7,272 students from target secondary schools in urban Yangon Region, Myanmar.FindingsIt was found that since the introduction of CAPS, the grade repetition rates had fallen significantly in all SES groups, so was effective regardless of students' SES. The results also demonstrated the influence of unequal CAPS on dropout rates: in the middle-SES group, significant falls to nearly zero post-CAPS implementation. The high-SES group was at ceiling pre- and post-CAPS, so was unaffected. However, in the low-SES group, high dropout rates persisted, indicating that the poor socioeconomic backgrounds of these students significantly reduced the benefits of CAPS.Originality/valueRather than using cross-sectional data such as education statistics, this study used longitudinal data based on academic enrollment registries that included information on individual enrollment statuses, which allowed for the relationships between grade repetition, school dropout, education policies and socioeconomic circumstances to be elucidated.

Injuries across a pre-professional ballet and contemporary dance tertiary training program: A retrospective cohort study

ObjectivesThe study aims to analyse the incidence of medical attention injuries, subsequent injuries, and the median time to injury, across tertiary ballet and contemporary dance training programs. DesignRetrospective cohort. MethodsConsenting ballet and contemporary dance students completing the third/final year of two tertiary programs were included. The three-year programs consisted of six semesters. Access was granted to onsite physiotherapy notes, timetables, and academic enrolment. Injury was defined as requiring medical attention. Injury and exposure data were extracted, injuries coded for location and tissue, and subsequent injuries, occurring after an initial index injury, categorised. Mean, standard deviation, range, injury incidence, risk and rate ratios, proportions and Kaplan–Meier curves were calculated to report participant characteristics, and injury patterns across three years of the dance program. ResultsAll 17 students (mean age=20.7 years; standard deviation=1.32) from one program consented to participate, of which all were injured across the three-year program, with 2.71 (95% confidence interval: 2.22, 3.20) injury incidence rate per 1000h, and increasing injury incidences seen across the program. The most injured site and tissue were the ankle (17.65%) and muscle (23.53%) respectively. 74.86% of subsequent injuries were different (affecting a different location and tissue), and 4.88% reinjuries (affecting the same location, tissue, and structure after recovery). The median time to the first injury was seven weeks in the first semester, and later in subsequent year levels. ConclusionsIncreasing injury incidences were seen across the program. Most subsequent injuries were different from previous injuries in this cohort. Future research should use exposure measures beyond hours (i.e. intensity) and consider subsequent injuries.

Out of the Box: Positive Development & Social Change Through the Arts

As a part of its collaboration with the Born This Way Foundation, the Berkman Center is publishing on this website a series of papers that synthesize existing peer-reviewed research or equivalent scholarship and provide research-grounded insight to the variety of stakeholders working on issues related to youth empowerment and action towards creating a kinder, braver world. This series, called the The Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series (danah boyd, John Palfrey, and Dena Sacco, editors), is presented by the Born This Way Foundation & the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, and supported by the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. This set of papers involves topics related to the Role of Youth Organizations and Youth Movements for Social Change.From early childhood to adolescence, the arts can foster youth movements for social change through positive development. Students who experience high levels of arts enrichment show greater academic performance, enrollment in and graduation from high school and college, civic and community service, news consumption, and engagement in local politics. Moreover, participation in the arts — even as a spectator — predicts increases in civic engagement, tolerance and altruism, regardless of age, race, or education. One of the ways in which the arts promote positive development is through opportunities for social-emotional learning. The social-emotional value of the arts is important because these needs are central to behavior, and social-emotional skill building contributes to a healthier social and learning environment.The arts are a powerful vehicle for social-emotional learning because they have universal appeal and allow for group participation by persons of all abilities and cultures. Shared creative experiences can facilitate insight and empathy, which enable changing perceptions of self and others, social connection, and individual and collective empowerment. Furthermore, group-based arts activities can be implemented in school and recreational settings where most youth can be found.

The Story after Immigrants’ Ambitious Educational Choices: Real Improvement or Back to Square One?

Abstract It is a well-established finding in the literature that immigrants make ambitious educational choices. Once controlling for prior achievement and socioeconomic status, children of immigrants are more likely than natives to switch to the more demanding educational tracks. However, less is known about whether immigrants can actually benefit from these optimistic choices in terms of educational attainment or whether they have a higher risk of dropping out from the more demanding tracks. By focusing on a representative sample of adolescents with and without immigrant background in Germany, this contribution investigates how enrolment and completion rates change over time—from the end of lower secondary education until the end of upper secondary education—and how this affects ethnic inequalities in educational outcomes. When comparing academic completion rates and academic enrolment rates in grade 9, we observe long-term improvements within the immigrant group as a result of immigrants’ ambitious choices. When comparing both outcomes between natives and immigrants, however, ethnic differences in academic completion rates remain comparable to the disparities in enrolment rates as observed in grade 9.

Unfulfilled Promise of Educational Meritocracy? Academic Ability and China’s Urban-Rural Gap in Access to Higher Education

: With the rapid expansion of higher education, educational meritocracy has received both applause and skepticism among scholars, citizens, and policy-makers. Focusing on China’s urban-rural gap in college enrollment during the expansion, this study examines the differential effects of academic ability on urban and rural adolescents’ college enrollment. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies, the results show that the urban-rural gap in attending academic colleges is largest for adolescents who are at the middle ground of the distribution for academic ability, while the gap in vocational college enrollment is greatest for low-achieving adolescents. Compared to their urban counterparts, the positive effects of academic ability on academic college enrollment are stronger for high-achieving rural adolescents. It has little impact on the likelihood of college enrollment for low-achieving rural adolescents. The results suggest that the major source of China’s urban-rural gap in higher education is unequal access to vocational colleges. The findings provide important insights for understanding how structural, cultural, and policy factors perpetuate higher education inequality in China.

African American Males Learning Online: Promoting Academic Achievement in Higher Education

Online education is expanding within higher education. However, attrition rates for African American males enrolled in higher education in general, and in online courses specifically, is on the rise. Because the future of our nation depends on how well our educational institutions develop, nurture, and deploy talent, an investigation was conducted to identify factors that promoted online course completion among African American male undergraduate students. Ten males who successfully completed online courses were interviewed, and significant themes were identified. Factors that contributed to online course completion were financial assistance, prior academic achievement, previous information technology (IT) training, continuous academic enrollment, student selection of topics perceived as uncomplicated and less demanding or familiar due to sufficient prior knowledge, use of handheld digital devices, and a non-prejudicial learning environment. Based on these findings, recommendations are made that include strategies policymakers and educationists can implement to promote academic achievement and degree attainment among African American males in higher education.

TVET Contributions Toward Education Policy, Economic Sustainability, Development, and Poverty Abatement in a Globalized Economy

Divergent discourses in education affecting social investment policies are driven by disparate perceptions of education as value, whether societal, individual, or by restructuring definitions of human capital beyond truncated utility measurements. In that context, powerful policy actors are making decisions based on their class cohort experience of what education should be, resulting in distinguishing evaluative properties that design education policy typologies to fit. Tightly framed within Rittel and Webber’s (1973) Wicked Problems and extrapolated across international education policy, are competitive academic performance outcomes, reflected by GDP increases that act as dimensions of national positioning within the global market. Panel regression findings from 14 years of world economic, vocational, and academic enrollment data reveal that academic education alone has no impact on GDP, but academics accompanying Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) does impact powerfully. Findings also reveal that every TVET enrollment proportionately increases overall academic enrollment, but not the inverse; while adoption of academic only investment increases poverty, negatively affecting GDP growth.

Wisdom among University Students in Oman in the Light of Some Variables

The aim of this research was to examine wisdom among Sultan Qaboos University students based on specific variables. Wisdom was measured using a questionnaire that was designed for the study. The questionnaire consisted of 28 items that included three dimensions (life experience, openness, & emotional management). The sample included 490 male and female students from all the university colleges (2016-2017; academic year enrollments). The survey validity was assessed using face validity. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the reliability of the questionnaire was .87. The findings showed that the majority of students expressed a medium level of wisdom (69%). The results also indicated that gender, college, age, place of living (on campus, off campus), and region were not significant factors that influenced the students' levels of wisdom.

New Evidence on Interregional Mobility of Students in Tertiary Education: The Case of Italy

A relatively low geographical mobility of students in the Centre and North of the country and a large incidence of movers from southern regions to universities located in the Centre and North are well-established features of the Italian academic system. Exploiting a novel administrative dataset on academic enrollments, this paper shows that the interregional mobility of Italian students has increased in recent years. We highlight that the increase in mobility, which has occurred in a period of declining entry rates, is not attributable to a change in the composition of the enrolling students. We investigate some of the main drivers of student mobility by relating regional flows to the attractiveness of universities and show that mobility is positively associated with the quality of research and teaching and with the job prospects offered by the hosting university. Student flows are instead negatively correlated with the distance between the university and the region of origin and with drop-out rates. The empirical evidence also suggests that in recent years the distance from the university of destination has become less relevant in explaining mobility, whereas the role played by university quality has increased.

Philippine Enhanced Basic Education (K to12) Dropout Simulation Model

This study aims to produce a simulation model to predict the number of dropouts when a child completes the K-12 curriculum. This simulation model is to ascertain the impact of the implementation of K-12 on the dropout rate and its prevalent and predictive determinants. Reducing the number of school leavers is, therefore, as important as uplifting the standards and quality of learning for any basic education system. The stimulated randomized datasets were the academic enrollment of a certain grade level. Experimental criterion measures the dropout rate of students per year. The determinants identified which will contribute to the probability of students to drop were: (1) Apas (Parents’ Ability to Support); (2) Blc (Learning Capacity), and (3) Cgs (Government Subsidy). With thorough computation of random datasets, the first simulation run for 100 enrollees were utilized for simulation. In the analysis of dropout probability in a six-year simulation for the completion of students, the findings revealed that the frequency of students’ promotion per year decreases. Upon completion of the curriculum, promotion rate of the population is only 11%. Dropout probability increases per academic year and percentage of dropouts in K-12 implementation will reach to 89%.

Immatricolazioni, Percorsi Accademici E Mobilitt Degli Studenti Italiani (Academic Enrolment, Careers and Student Mobility in Italy)

Italian Abstract: L’Italia ha pochi laureati nel confronto internazionale, perche piu bassa e la probabilita di avviare gli studi universitari e piu bassa e anche quella di completarli. Nell’ultimo decennio le immatricolazioni sono calate, nonostante la ripresa degli ultimi due anni. Vi ha pesato il venir meno di alcuni effetti della riforma del 3 2, che aveva alimentato un temporaneo aumento degli studenti con pregresse esperienze di lavoro, in Italia strutturalmente molto pochi. Il calo ha pero coinvolto anche i piu giovani, per i quali ha pesato soprattutto la debole dinamica demografica e l’aumento dell’incidenza dei giovani immigrati, i cui tassi di immatricolazione sono molto piu bassi della media. Si e tuttavia ridotta anche la propensione a proseguire gli studi dei giovani di nazionalita italiana: vi ha influito una serie di fattori collegati alla crisi economica, come il forte calo del reddito familiare, in concomitanza con una crescita del rapporto tra tasse universitarie e redditi medi e una riduzione del sostegno al diritto allo studio. Le immatricolazioni sono diminuite soprattutto negli atenei del Mezzogiorno, anche per un’accresciuta propensione tra gli immatricolati a spostarsi verso gli atenei del Nord, soprattutto tra gli studenti con una migliore preparazione di base e un piu solido supporto economico da parte della famiglia. Su tutto il territorio e pero aumentata la regolarita degli studi, con un miglioramento dei tempi di conseguimento del titolo. English Abstract: Italy has fewer graduates than most OECD countries, because of both a lower university enrollment rate and a modest completion rate. During the last decade, enrollment in tertiary education in Italy has fallen, despite a slight recovery over the last two years. The decline is partly due to the fading of the effects of the Bologna Process, which had led to a temporary increase in the number of students with prior work experience. The reduction in enrollment has also involved younger students, mainly as a consequence of weak demographic dynamics, only partly offset by an increase in immigrants, whose enrollment rates are however very low. Regardless of demographic trends, many students have decided not to enroll in tertiary education for reasons also related to the economic recession, including the sharp drop in household income, the increase in the tuition fees-to-income ratio and the reduction in grants. Enrollment has fallen more noticeably in Southern universities, also reflecting a greater propensity to migrate to the North. Nevertheless, on-time graduations have increased throughout the country and time-to-degree has decreased.

First-Year Seminars

Research has revealed a gender gap where male students have higher rates of academic difficulties and lower college enrollment and graduation rates compared with females. This study measured the relationship of male student (including first-generation and minority students) participation in a first-year seminar and their first-term grade point average and first-year persistence for two cohorts ( N = 828; 683) and third-year persistence for one cohort. There were significant differences in first-term grade point average (as high as 0.7 grade points greater) and first- and third-year persistence for all participants (including subgroups) in both cohorts as compared with nonparticipants. There were strong statistical findings where the range of differences in persistence between all male participants and nonparticipants was as large as almost 25% (third-year persistence). For male minority students, this difference increased to 34%. The study presents compelling evidence for a three-credit, academic-based first-year seminar to promote male student success over the short and long term.

Academic Challenges for the Preterm Infant: Parent and Educator Perspectives

Abstract BACKGROUND: Preterm birth (PTB) is linked with academic challenges, attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and behavioural problems. Emerging data suggest that educators lack awareness of the pre-term child's educational needs while no data exists regarding par-ents' understanding of these issues. OBJECTIVES: To explore educators' and parents' level of knowledge of the impact of PTB on academic achievement, ADHD, and behavioural problems adn identify facilitators/barriers to the use of available educational resources. DESIGN/METHODS: A combination of focus groups and survey were used to examine educators' and parents' knowledge, attitudes, and barriers to the impact of PTB on academic performance. Focus groups were conducted at the kindergarten to grade 3 levels at 4 schools by a trained facilitator using a guide. Parents of preterm infants who were seen in Neonatal Follow Up Clinic with children being 4 to 8 years of age participated. The survey included questions on parental perception of knowledge among their child’s educator of outcomes of PTB, current educational placement for their child and perception of barriers and facilitators. Data were analyzed using thematic analyses or descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Educators with knowledge about PTB stated that it was largely experiential and none received formal training. Current training is focused on ADHD, Autism, or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. In regard to facilitators/ barriers, there was no consensus on what resources would be useful (e.g. enrolling child based on the expected rather than actual date of birth if they fall in separate academic enrollment years or having knowledge that the child was preterm). Survey showed that most parents informed educators about their child’s history of PTB. This disclosure increased with decreasing gestational age (GA) (92.9% for <26 weeks, 85.5% for 27-32 weeks, and 54% for >33 weeks). 54% of parents believed that their child had learning challenges and attributed this to the child’s PTB. 40% believed that the school met their child’s needs. One-third of parents stated that their child’s eduators knew nothing of prematurity. Factors that enhanced educators’ performance on assessment of knowledge were: having taught a preterm child or a child with an individualized education plan in their class, and additional qualifications of the educator. CONCLUSION: Educators and parents are unprepared to address the academic needs of preterm infants. Educators need to be trained on the outcomes of PTB and parents should be prepared to advocate for their child in the school system.

Pemikiran Moral dan Faktor-Faktor Pribadi Mahasiwa terhadap Perilaku Moral

This study is aimed to examine the effect of moral reasoning and the student’s personal factors towards moral behaviour of accounting students in the four basic components to behave underlying of any moral actions or moral behaviour of an individual. In addition to that, it is also to examine the effect of accounting student demographic variables such as sex, Grade Point Average (GPA), and age towards their moral behaviour. The sample selected is done by using a purposive sampling method. Research data was collected from Accounting students of Pancasila University, Jakarta within academic enrollment year 2011/2012. The number of samples used are Accounting students of the 5th to 8th semester totaling 150 students. The analysis technique used is a multiple regression in SPPS ver.19. The results of the study shows moral reasoning and student’s personal factors influence positively and significantly towards the moral behaviour of accounting students simultaneously. Meanwhile, student’s personal factors which measured in the level of idealism, level of relativism in partial has positive and significant impact on student’s moral behaviour. And, others student’s personal factors are measured with locus of control, sex, GPA, and age has no significant influence towards moral behaviour partially.