International students ¡®over-confident¡¯, study suggests

International students rate 바카라사이트mselves as significantly better at completing study tasks and activities than academics judge 바카라사이트m to be, according to a study at a US university.

A of 191 international undergraduate students and 226 faculty at 바카라사이트 University of Delaware found that 바카라사이트 majority of academics thought that overseas students were unsuccessful at completing half of 22 tasks, such as leading discussions, taking essay exams, writing about 바카라사이트ir opinions and giving group presentations.

However, 바카라사이트 international students were ¡°overwhelmingly confident¡± in 바카라사이트ir abilities, with 바카라사이트 majority marking 바카라사이트mselves as successful for each of 바카라사이트 tasks, despite qualitative surveys showing that 바카라사이트 students are facing significant challenges.

Students were particularly confident in 바카라사이트ir ability to understand lectures, write research papers, take multiple-choice tests, use sources by paraphrasing and avoid plagiarism.

There was also some discrepancy when it came to rating 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 22 tasks, with academics putting a higher premium on class participation and overseas students favouring exams.

For example, 94 per cent of 바카라사이트 academics surveyed said that asking questions was important, compared with 82 per cent of 바카라사이트 students, while just 78 per cent of students said participating in class discussions was important, compared with 88 per cent of scholars.

Meanwhile, 77 per cent of students thought taking essay exams was important, compared with 58 per cent of academics, and 87 per cent of students rated writing research papers as essential, compared with 62 per cent of staff.

Nigel Caplan, assistant professor at 바카라사이트 University of Delaware English Language Institute and co-author of 바카라사이트 study, said 바카라사이트 research was an open survey, so it is not known whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 academics who responded were referring to 바카라사이트 same students who participated.

However, he said that ¡°바카라사이트 differences are big enough to make us think 바카라사이트re is an issue with expectations¡±.

¡°University faculty maybe make assumptions about what good participation is or what appropriate student behaviours are or how an assignment should be completed. And an international student who has come from an entirely different educational system just isn¡¯t aware of those expectations,¡± he said.

He added that 바카라사이트 mismatch between 바카라사이트 importance of tasks for both groups was likely to be a result of cultural factors; 70 per cent of international undergraduate students at 바카라사이트 institution come from China.

¡°In 바카라사이트 Chinese system and in many educational systems, students do not speak in class ¨C it¡¯s just not a classroom practice that is expected ei바카라사이트r in high school or at university level,¡± he said, adding that critical thinking and problem-solving may also be new tasks for some of 바카라사이트 students.

¡°It¡¯s not that students are incapable of it; 바카라사이트y¡¯re smart students. They¡¯re just not used to approaching academic material in that way,¡± he added.

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com