Rebecca Maxwell Stuart

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow11 June 2015

Transnational Student Engagement

Content

• Background• Conceptual Framework• Demographics

• Student Engagement• Student Identities

• Students as Partners• Students as Customers

• Apathy Cycle• Conclusions

Background

Conceptual Framework Demographic Data

Conceptual FrameworkClick here to insert text

Transnational Students

• 16(+2) students interviewed• Semi-structured interviews• 30-50 minutes each• 3 different Scottish

institutions– Branch Campus (UAE)– International Centre (UAE &

Singapore)– Twinning Program (India)

• All students were studying business related degrees

• 10 PGT / 8 UG• 10 FT / 8 PT• 10 internationals / 8

nationals• 9 women / 9 men• 7.5 were student reps• Age range: 20 – 42 (avg. 29)

Student Engagement DefinitionHow Transnational Students Define Student Engagement

What is TNE Student Engagement?

Student-led“Student engagement to me means representing the Uni A’s brand and getting to network within Uni A…. I think it is something that is more prominent in Scotland unlike the international centre, because I think it is the culture more, it is set up more in that way in Scotland. However, when it comes to the UAE, people don’t want to do a lot of stuff. So it’s work, university and then I don’t want to do anything else, I don’t want to get engaged.” Student 3

Staff-led“… I would define it as answering and involving the student into something, so that the student is engaging in a process, in a decision, in a strategy… Engagement is just involvement of a student.” Student 9

“…interact with the students is also important in order to interact with the lecturers.” Student 7

Student Identities

Students as PartnersStudents as Customers

Students as PartnersFour Key Characteristics:

Helping each other, ‘hand in hand’;“I feel that I have played both the roles of taking in what the college had to provide me, or the university had to provide me, and in some way giving it back in terms of my roles or my activities, my interactions so yes, it's like

a partner.” Student 12

Being ‘part’ of the institution;“A partner cannot give an objective opinion about his or her university because he is a partner, he is a part of it. But if

you ask from the customer-student he will say every detail objectively.” Student 7

Student voice, opinions matter, recognition;“See you are a partner when your opinions matter and it's a give and take situation.” Student 9

Advocacy. Representatives, ‘face’ of the university.“In a way we are representatives for the university. Because, if someone asks me how is the university, so I represent the university so okay I am the face of Uni B because I have studied through that university. So the way that I behave,

the way I work in the industry, probably in some way I will also represent Uni B.” Student 13

The majority of students did not feel that they were partners, because they felt these four characteristics were not met.

Students as CustomersTwo Key Characteristics:

Education as a product/serviceStudent pays fees and then consume the serviceStudents question the ‘value for money’

“Uni C. is providing me with something, and I am accessing it and using it and consuming it. So it basically makes me a customer. ” Student 10

DisengagementParticularly appropriate for part-time postgraduatesStudents feel alienated from the institutionLow interaction from students, staff and institution

“If I was a full time student I would probably consider myself a partner, but I'm more of a customer than a partner as I am a part time student and not engaged much with the university itself” Student 6

A number of students expressed that they did not like the term “customer” but felt resigned to using this term.

The Apathy Cycle

Apathy Cycle

• TNE Students are invisible to institutions

• Out of sight, out of mind

• Focus is on local students

• External commitments

• No closing the loop

• No representation• Why bother?

• Students do not engage much in class.

• Too many commitments

• Students complain too much and too often

Who has the power to break this cycle?

Conclusions

• Students are committed to their degree, to learning and personal development

• The classroom is where students feel most engaged

• TNE students are alienated from the general university community

• Low partnership, high consumerism• No closing the feedback loop• Apathy Cycle

Thank You For Listening

Any Questions?

If you would like a copy of my thesis please email me!

rmaxst@gmail.com