一篇教育類的留學生essay寫作-RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

 

This chapter focuses on investigation results and analysis accordingly, studying the problems, difficulties and challenges encountered by ESL students. In order to get fully understanding of the situation of ESL students, this study conducts literature study, questionnaire survey and individual interview; the latter two are the major focuses of this chapter. 

 

1. Findings of questionnaire survey

The contents of this section are the findings of questionnaire survey, as well as analysis of results. The aims of this questionnaire are to figure out opinions of ESL students on their overseas study. The questionnaire survey is distributed and conducted via email. 

 

1.1.1 Questionnaire formation

Based on the literature study, the current research situation, in this study, the questionnaire is designed from the perspective of three dimensions, that is, English proficiency, academic preparation and education adaptation of ESL students. Every dimension is consisted of several questions; therefore it is also necessary to conduct comparative analysis within each dimension. The setting of the three dimensions and their corresponding questions are listed as below. 

 

Table 4- 1 Questions setting of survey on ESL students

Three dimensions 

with respect to ESL students Corresponding questions 

of each dimensions

 

English proficiency English language proficiency is limited or not. 

Whether have problem on expressing in the communication. 

Can fully understand the teaching contents or not. 

Feel free to speak in class. 

Take control of the learning process.

Get involved in the English program to improve the English language level.

 

Academic preparation Be more confident when dealing with the challenges.

Be well-prepared before the departure.

Be hard-working to have a better performance.

Have a clear understanding about the learning tasks.

Have a clear understanding about the academic requirements.

Used to seek help from the department.

Used to seek help from the academic staff.

Used to seek help from acquaintances.

表4 - 1問題的調查對ESL學生設置

三個維度

對于ESL學生通訊問題

每個維度

 

英語水平英語語言能力是有限的或沒有。

是否有表達的通信問題。#p#分頁標題#e#

能夠充分理解教學內容與否。

隨意在課堂上說話。

就拿學習過程的控制。

涉足英語課程，提高英語水平。

 

當與挑戰應對學術準備更有信心。

出發前做好充分準備。

吃苦耐勞有更好的表現。

有關于學習任務清醒的認識。

有關于學歷要求一個明確的認識。

用來尋求部門的幫助。

用于從學術人員尋求幫助。

用來尋求熟人幫忙。

 

Education adaptation Have received sufficient supports from the department.

Have received sufficient supports from the lecturers.

Have received sufficient supports from my supervisor.

There are too many courses. 

It is difficult to engage oneself in critical thinking in the study process.

Can search for resources independently.

Acquire most of knowledge outside classroom rather than in class.

Be familiar with the teaching approach here.

Feel free to participate actively in the classroom interaction.

 

1.1.2 Descriptions of sampling

In this study, 50 questionnaires are distributed and all of them are collected effectively. Based on the data, from four perspectives, the basic information of the sampling could be analyzed and it is helpful for us to further understanding the real situation of ESL students. These four perspectives include age, gender, education background and fixed number of years studying abroad of the ESL students. In the following figures, details are shown as below. 

From the sampling, the age of respondents is from 18 years old to 40 years old and above, the major age scope is from 20 years old to 30 year old, which is about 64% of the total. 

Figure 4- 1 Age of the sampling

                                           Unit: year

 

With respect to the gender of the respondents, female and male respondents occupy 42% and 58%, the proportion of male respondents are a little bit higher than female respondents. 

 

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Figure 4- 2 Gender of the sampling

                                Unit: person

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With respect to the education background of the sampling, postgraduate occupies 35 of the total, no ESL students under investigation are junior high school or below. 12 of them are undergraduate students, and only 3 of them are high school students. The distributions indicate that the major targeted participants of this study are postgraduate students. #p#分頁標題#e#

Figure 4- 3 Education background of the sampling

 

Figure 4- 4 Fixed number of years studying abroad of the sampling

 

According to the studying period of these ESL students, for the 50 sampling ESL students, 17 of them studied in UK about 1 year and below, 22 of them 1 to 3 years, ESL students stayed in UK for 3 to 5 years and more than 5 years occupy 9 and 2 respectively. This kind of distribution makes this study more reliable, because more than 80% ESL students do not live in UK for a very long time, that means these students may still under adjustment, and their education preparation and academic adaptation are the major focus of this study. 

 

1.1.3 Questionnaire results and analyses

In this part, this study conducts statistic method to analyze the answers in accordance with the questionnaire survey on ESL students’ overseas studying. Through the statistic results, we could get general situation of the whole survey, as well as each dimension’s specific situation. Based on Table 4-1 in the previous section, among the three dimensions, English proficiency consists of 5 questions, academic preparation consists of 8 questions, and education adaptation of ESL students consists of 9 questions. 

 

Table 4- 2Descriptive statistics of overall questionnaire

 

N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation

Q1 50 1 4 3.42 .731

Q2 50 1 4 2.88 .773

Q3 50 1 4 2.98 1.000

Q4 50 2 4 3.60 #p#分頁標題#e#.571

Q5 50 2 4 3.40 .571

Q6 50 1 4 3.00 .969

Q7 50 2 4 3.38 .567

Q8 50 1 4 2.94 .998

Q9 50 2 4 3.56 .577

Q10 50 2 4 3.56 .611

Q11 50 1 4 2.90 .995

Q12 50 1 4 3.14 1.030

Q13 50 2 4 3.38 .567

Q1450 1 4 3.20 .857

Q15 50 2 4 3.62 .530

Q16 50 1 4 3.32 .819

Q17 50 1 4 2.96 .781

Q18 50 1 4 2.86 1.030

Q19 50 1 4 3.06 .935

Q20 50 1 4 3.04 .880

Q21 50 1 4 2.64 1.083

Q22 50 1 4 3.08 .966

Valid N (listwise) 50 #p#分頁標題#e#

Table 4-2 above shows the general statistic analyses of the questionnaire, covering Questions 1 to Question 22, based on Table 4-2, in Table 4-3 we could run overall statistical results of the mentioned three dimension, that is, English proficiency, academic preparation and education adaptation. 

Table 4- 3 Descriptive statistics of the three dimensions

 

N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation

English proficiency 5 2.3200 3.4800 3.064000 .4723135

Academic preparation 8 2.2800 3.5000 2.955000 .5415058

Education adaptation 9 2.40 3.56 2.8667 .39535

Valid N (listwise) 5

According to Table 4-3, this study runs statistical analyses of the three dimensions. From the data we got, we could see that the mean value of each dimension is all above 2.80, in the mean time, their standard deviation are not quite high, which are 0.47 for English proficiency, 0.54 for academic preparation, and 0.39 for education adaptation. That means majority respondents in the questionnaire survey on ESL students think they do not did quite bad in the mentioned three dimensions, and they are not quite frustrated for their current situation. 

 

Just as we discussed in methodology, this study generally divides academic achievements into three dimensions: English proficiency, academic preparation and education adaptation. In the statistical results we got from the survey, we not only could get a general picture of the situation of ESL students, we can also know their awareness to each dimension, that makes the whole study more specific and persuasive. 

Table 4- 4 Descriptive statistics of English proficiency#p#分頁標題#e#

 

N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation

Q1 50 1 4 3.30 .863

Q2 50 1 4 2.88 .773

Q3 50 1 4 2.32 1.096

Q4 50 1 4 3.48 .762

Q5 50 1 4 3.34 .658

Valid N (listwise) 50

 

From Table 4-4, we can get the statistical results of dimension English proficiency, the mean value of this dimension (from Q1-Q5) are all above 2.30, it is not quite low, which means that in the respect of English proficiency, students’ awareness of their English level are moderate to some extent. They don’t think they are quite good, and they don’t think they are quite bad either. Among the five questions, the stand deviation of Q1, Q2, Q4, Q5 are below 1.0, that is 0.863, 0.773, 0.762 and 0.658 respectively, that means ESL students’ attitude on the mentioned four questions are consistent to some extent. However, for Q3, namely “can fully understand the teaching content or not”, the mean value is 2.32 the lowest among the five questions, while the standard deviation is 1.096 the highest among the five questions. Which means to understand the teaching content of new teaching system is one of the major challenges for ESL students. #p#分頁標題#e#

Table 4- 5 Descriptive statistics of academic preparation

 

N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation

Q6 50 1 4 2.34 1.081

Q7 50 1 4 3.32 .653

Q8 50 1 4 2.28 1.070

Q9 50 1 4 3.50 .678

Q10 50 1 4 3.50 .707

Q11 50 1 4 2.36 1.064

Q12 50 1 4 3.02 1.097

Q13 50 1 4 3.32 .653

Valid N (listwise) 50

 

From table 4-5, ESL students’ current situation with respect to academic preparation could be figured out. The scores of the all eight questions are not low, the lowest is Q8 “try to be hard-working to have a better performance”, while the highest is Q9 “have a clear understanding about the learning tasks” and Q10 “have a clear understanding about the academic requirement”. In the meantime, for Q9 and Q10 the standard deviation is all below 0, which means ESL students think they prepare well in understanding the learning tasks and academic requirements. Different opinions appear in Q6 ,Q8, Q11 and Q12, although the mean values are not low, however it is obvious a certain number of ESL students hold opposite opinions because these questions’ standard deviations are all more than 1.0; they are “try to be more confident when dealing with the challenges”, “try to be hard-working to have a better performance”, “used to seek help from the department”, “used to seek help from the department”. Through analyses, we could figure out other challenges of ESL students encounter in their overseas study, which are the confidence to deal with problem, the determination to get better performance, the willingness to ask for help from department and teachers. 

Table 4- 6 Descriptive statistics of education adaptation

 

N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation

Q14 50 1 4 3.08 .944

Q15 50 1 4 3.56 .644

Q16 50 1 4 3.20 .926

Q17 50 1 4 2.84 .842

Q18 50 1 4 2.44 1.091

Q19 50 1 4 2.76 1.061

Q20 50 1 4 2.86 .969

Q21 50 1 4 2.40 1.088

Q22 50 1 4 2.54 1.129

Valid N (listwise) 50

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In the dimension of education adaptation, the general understanding of ESL students could be got from the descriptive statistics. (See table 4-6) In this dimension this study set nine questions which have the most questions among the three dimensions. That’s because education adaptation draw more and more attentions in recent years and always the most important focus of ESL students and their parents. Among the nine questions, only 3 of them the sores are higher than 3.0, that means ESL students’ attitude toward these questions are moderate. Considering scores with standard deviations, Q18, Q19, Q21, Q22, the mean values of these questions are not low, however standard deviations are all below 1.0, just as we discussed other dimensions above, it means some ESL students think they did well in these aspects, however a certain number of other ESL students feel frustrated when considering these questions. The four questions are with close relationship with the academic achievements, that is, “It is difficult for me to engage myself in critical thinking in the study process”, “I can search for resources independently”, “I am familiar with the teaching approach here”, “I feel free to participate actively in the classroom interaction”. To sum up our findings in this dimensions, critical thinking method, ability to search for sources, teaching approach and class participation are also major challenges encountered by ESL students in their overseas studying in UK. 

 

2. Findings of individual interviews

2.1 Key points of individual interviews

As we discussed before, in this study, we take research method individual interview as a supplementary to other research methods, which is literature study and questionnaire survey. In order to get fully understanding about the awareness of ESL students, in the process of this study, five ESL students are interviewed, 2 of them are female and 3 of them are male. These ESL students are all Chinese from different departments of the investigated university in UK, and all of them have already stayed in UK for more than 1 year. The outline of the individual interviews is attached as Appendix II. This study does not design mainly complicated questions but focus on the main purpose. 

From the interviews of ESL students, their general ideas about their studying experience could be collected, to sum up, including their understanding of studying abroad, the challenges encountered by them, as well as the influencing factors of their academic achievements. 

Table 4- 7 Individual interviews of ESL students in UK

 

INTERVIEWS

Number 5

Students ESL students in UK 

Keypoints 1. The understanding and awareness of studying abroad

 

2. The challenges encountered by ESL students in UK

 

3. The influencing factors of ESL students’ academic achievements

 

2.2 Findings and analyses

 

2.2.1 The understanding and awareness of studying abroad

In accordance with the interviews, ESL students have different awareness on their studying abroad. It is hard to list all the points mentioned during these interviews. However, there some common understanding which can be explained from two aspects, one is the time and energy they spend on their study, the other is the pressure they feel during their study. 

 

Most of the ESL students are diligent, earnest and have positive attitude toward academic adaptation. As we discussed in the previous chapters, ESL students who are aware of their challenges on education adaptation shall spend more time and energy on their study. All five interviews keep continuing English study after going abroad, take the eagerness of language studying as the example, some ESL students lack of English skills, especially ESL students with education background of engineering, they are much more active to take part in English studying in the host country. This attitude is a positive example to testify ESL students’ attitude towards the process of education adaptation. #p#分頁標題#e#

 

Of course, compared with their foreign classmates, it is necessary for Chinese ESL students to spend much more time and energy to study. Although the education system abroad is different with that of China, to some extent it is easily to be enrolled by universities; however it is difficult to get graduation certificate. During the individual interviews, all interviewees think that their foreign classmates are quite good and hard working students. Because their foreign students study in a familiar environment with their own language, the Chinese ESL students need to spend more efforts, and work much harder to keep up with their pace. As a result, if ESL students spend less time in study, such a situation must arouse great attention. On one hand, there is a situation that some ESL students are too talented and with excellent English skills, they don’t have to spend extra time to get satisfactory scores. On the other hand, according to interviews, some ESL students may spend much time to part time jobs for their tuition fees and living expenses so as to sacrifice studying time to some extent, just as one of the interviewees said, “forced by the pressure of life, he has to spend much time to work hard for the earning, which results in less time on study”. Besides the pressure of tuition fee and living expenses, poor adjustment ability of some ESL students makes them feel frustrated, because they cannot keep up with the learning, they are desperate and addicted to online games and unable to extricate themselves. These negative phenomena in the awareness of studying abroad deserve much more attentions. 

 

2.2.2 The challenges encountered by ESL students in UK

During the interviews, all interviewees indicate all sorts of challenges encountered by them during their overseas studying. Some of them are in common, just as the findings in the questionnaire survey, challenges are included but not limited to their understating of teaching contents of new teaching system, their confidence to deal with problems, their determinations to get better performance, their willingness to ask for help from departments and teachers, the critical thinking method, the ability to search for sources, and teaching approaches and class participations. 

 

Most interviewees’ awareness to themselves in the process of education adaptation tends to be objective and rational. They all indicated that in their whole process of overseas studying, they may face a development process of favorable circumstances and adverse situation, they also face such a change in their education adaptation, and they need to adjust self assessment and awareness constantly in the process of education adaptation. Because most ESL students has already accepted higher education in their home country and accumulated a certain amount of professional knowledge, so one they adapt themselves to classroom learning, they will find their learning advantages soon, generally they may think they perform better than foreign students. But with the overseas studying time passing by, ESL students also realize that their advantages are relative and transient, that is to say, the proportion of ESL students thinks their academic performance is better than foreign students is reducing with the extension of overseas studying .

 

The reasons mainly lie in two aspects. On the one hand, ESL students have a much clearer awareness of their own learning situation. In the individual interview of ESL students, they all indicate that their foreign classmates have a solid foundation in theoretical research. Foreign classmates who can adhere to study in the university are quite excellent. From the realization above, ESL students’ general assessments to their own education adaptation are based on current assessment to the current awareness of themselves and their foreign classmates. In the process of the whole education adaptation process, ESL students constantly adjust self-awareness and self-assessment, and such an awareness and assessment gradually become reasonable and objective. 

 

2.2.3 The influencing factors of ESL students’ academic achievements

With respect to influencing factors, academic preparation and education adaption of ESL students are influenced by a lot of factors. 

 

Sufficient preparations in all aspects before going abroad can make a solid foundation for education adaptation of overseas studying. At first, language preparation lays important foundation for ESL students’ overseas living and studying life. Language ability plays a key role in the process of education adaptation of ESL students. The above analyses has shown that, language ability have influence on the situation of ESL students’ education adaptation. Majority ESL students all take part in language training and examination before going abroad, thus laid a certain foundation in the aspect of language. Secondly, well studying preparation could lay a solid foundation for ESL students successfully completing their overseas studying. ESL students who have already accepted higher education in their home countries have a certain foundation in the structure of professional knowledge, which is helpful for their overseas study, especially in the initial stage of overseas study, the former knowledge can help ESL students to understand the new knowledge better, to improve their confidence in their own learning ability, and to lay a foundation for smoothly transition. 

 

At the same time, financial preparation also has an important influence on education adaption of the whole overseas studying period. For ESL students, before going abroad, the financial preparation is one of the important factors influence whether they could adjust themselves for education adaptation, they should consider what their financial supports of their overseas study are before going abroad, and whether this kind of resources could support themselves for the daily life in the whole studying period. In this study we didn’t design questions with respect to financial support, however, from interviewees, it has been mentioned frequently, and is thought as a major influencing factor of education adaptation and academic achievements. Because if the ESL students spending much more time for the part-time job and cannot get financial support from their family, there is no way for them to get better performance in their studying ,especially the first year of their overseas study.