Rajabhat and traditional universities: institutional differences in Thai students’ perceptions of English

This research explores the perceptions students at three traditional university campuses and four Rajabhat university campuses in Central-Western Thailand have of English. The students were surveyed on (1) their backgrounds, (2) their thoughts about English in general, (3) their thoughts about their own ability in English, and (4) their thoughts about their current English teachers. The researchers found that traditional university students had better backgrounds in English. Additionally, most students at both types of institutions thought positively about English and their teachers, but didn’t think so positively about their own English ability. However, the differences in students’ responses were small and therefore any implications from the institutional differences in students’ perceptions are limited.

[1]  P. Raymond,et al.  The Link Between Academic Success and L2 Proficiency in the Context of Two Professional Programs , 2004 .

[2]  Erik C. Ness.  The Determinants of Satisfaction with Educational Experience: Why Community College Students Are More Satisfied. , 2003 .

[3]  Nitaya Masavisut,et al.  The power of the English language in Thai media , 1986 .

[4]  R. Zwick,et al.  New Perspectives on the Correlation of SAT Scores, High School Grades, and Socioeconomic Factors , 2007 .

[5]  Thomas J. Kane,et al.  The Community College: Educating Students at the Margin Between College and Work , 1999 .

[6]  John C. Smart,et al.  Educational expenditures and student engagement: When does money matter? , 2006 .

[7]  Ernest T. Pascarella,et al.  How College Affects Students: A Third Decade of Research. Volume 2. , 2005 .

[8]  Some Factors in Learning English in Thailand , 1982 .

[9]  Kenneth A. Feldman,et al.  Effective college teaching from the students' and faculty's view: Matched or mismatched priorities? , 1988 .

[10]  Janet G. Graham.  English Language Proficiency and the Prediction of Academic Success , 1987 .

[11]  Malcolm J. Benson,et al.  Attitudes and Motivation Towards English: A Survey of Japanese Freshmen , 1991 .

[12]  R. Schmeck,et al.  Learning Styles of Community College versus University Students , 1993 .

[13]  Patricia Johnson,et al.  English Language Proficiency and Academic Performance of Undergraduate International Students , 1988 .

[14]  D. Lasagabaster.  Attitudes Towards English in the Basque Autonomous Community , 2003 .

[15]  Robert Bozick,et al.  Better Late Than Never? Delayed Enrollment in the High School to College Transition , 2005 .

[16]  J. Mathews.  Predicting international students’ academic success... may not always be enough: Assessing Turkey’s Foreign Study Scholarship Program , 2007 .

[17]  C. Adelman.  Executive Summary: The Toolbox Revisited--Paths to Degree Completion from High School through College. , 2006 .

[18]  Alfred Joseph Lizzio,et al.  University Students' Perceptions of the Learning Environment and Academic Outcomes: Implications for theory and practice , 2002 .

[19]  Ingo Liefner,et al.  Higher education funding reform and university–industry links in developing countries: The case of Thailand , 2007 .

[20]  Gregory C. Wolniak,et al.  Impacts of Two-Year and Four-Year College Attendance on Learning Orientations , 2003 .

[21]  A. Chickering,et al.  Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education , 1987, CORE.

[22]  R. C. Gardner,et al.  Attitudes, Motivation, and Second Language Learning: A Meta‐Analysis of Studies Conducted by Gardner and Associates , 2003 .

[23]  Patricia Friedrich.  English in Argentina: attitudes of MBA students , 2003 .

[24]  Paul D. Umbach,et al.  Faculty do Matter: The Role of College Faculty in Student Learning and Engagement , 2005 .

[25]  A. A. Vinke,et al.  English proficiency and academic success in international postgraduate education , 1993 .

[26]  K. Watson.  Educational development in Thailand. , 1980 .

[27]  P. Terenzini,et al.  Developing Social and Personal Competence in the First Year of College , 2007 .

[28]  Stephen R. Porter.  INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT , 2006 .

[29]  N. Carolina..  Commission on Higher Education , 1984 .

[30]  P. Abrami,et al.  Students' Evaluations of University Teaching: Research Findings, Methodological Issues, and Directions for Future Research , 1987 .

[31]  J. Hoffman,et al.  Predicting College Success with High School Grades and Test Scores: Limitations for Minority Students , 2005 .

[32]  Nira Hativa,et al.  University instructors' ratings profiles: Stability over time, and disciplinary differences , 1996 .

[33]  D. Crystal,et al.  English as a Global Language , 1998 .

[34]  Adrianna Kezar,et al.  The Impact of Institutional Size on Student Engagement , 2006 .

[35]  John C. Hayek,et al.  Institutional Selectivity and Good Practices in Undergraduate Education: How Strong is the Link? , 2006 .

[36]  Neal Schmitt,et al.  The use of background and ability profiles to predict college student outcomes. , 2007, The Journal of applied psychology.

[37]  Linda C. Strauss,et al.  Predictors of Student Commitment at Two-Year and Four-Year Institutions , 2004 .

[38]  D. Boud,et al.  Quantitative studies of student self-assessment in higher education: a critical analysis of findings , 1989 .

[39]  George D. Kuh,et al.  A Typology of Student Engagement for American Colleges and Universities , 2005 .

[40]  E. D. Kadt.  Attitudes towards English in South Africa , 1993 .