DOCSLIB.ORG

The Private Tutoring Scenario: Contributions to a Comparative Analysis

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Private Tutoring Scenario: Contributions to a Comparative Analysis The private tutoring scenario: contributions to a comparative analysis Alexandre Ventura António Neto-Mendes Jorge Adelino Costa Sara Azevedo Department of Educational Sciences University of Aveiro Portugal Comunicação na XXII CESE Conference – Changing knowledge and education: communities, information societies and mobilities. The World in Europe – Europe in the World, Granada, 3 a 6 de Julho de 2006, ISBN 84-8491665-0. 1 The private tutoring scenario: contributions to a comparative analysis1 Alexandre Ventura António Neto-Mendes Jorge Adelino Costa Sara Azevedo Department of Educational Sciences University of Aveiro Portugal Abstract – Private tutoring, which we will analyse in this paper, has earned our attention due to several reasons: i) the fact that it is practically a worldwide phenomenon, even though educational systems vary from country to country; ii) the fact that the repercussions of private tutoring on pupils’ results may provoke a reequation of equity and equality of opportunity principles; iii) the belief that the financial costs sustained by the pupils’ families, on one hand, and the rising number of private tutors available (working part-time or full-time), on the other, grant this phenomenon a considerable social and economic importance. This approach privileges a qualitative analysis of the private tutoring scenario, with the aim of getting to know better some of its forms: its exercise as the sole employment of the tutor or as a supplement to the salary earned in another activity; private tutoring as a self-employment or employee activity; private tutoring that takes place in a local tutoring centre; private tutoring that takes place in a tutoring franchise, at a national or multinational level. By conducting a comparative analysis of the phenomenon, we will try to show how private tutoring is increasingly being carried out in organized businesses (tutoring centres), especially in big cities. These tutoring centres are supplementing or competing with schools increasingly using systematization and specialization parameters. Introduction Private tutoring is a widespread and worldwide phenomenon. In fact, we think it is safe to say that the “worldwide expansion of schooling” (subject that has been studied, among others, by John W. Meyer and that has deserved, in Portugal, honours of an anthology organized by Nóvoa & Schriewer, 2000) has as a correlate the worldwide expansion of private tutoring. Even though the history of private tutoring is mostly still unwritten (which is not the case, as we know, with the history of schooling), it seems plausible to admit that the development of modern educational systems and the 1 Research carried out in the Project “Xplika - The private tutoring market, school effectiveness and students' performance”. Research team: Jorge Adelino Costa (coord.), António Neto-Mendes e Alexandre Ventura. Project financed by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Foundation for Science and Technology) and by the Programa Operacional Ciência e Inovação 2010 (Operational Program Science and Innovation 2010). 2 consolidation of the “school grammar” (Tyack & Tobin, 1994; Nóvoa, 1995), particularly the centrality achieved either by collective pedagogy (“teach all the students as they were one”) either by the examination system, created a propitious environment for the development of “alternative” educational responses in the form of private tutoring. Not aiming to be exhaustive, we will now present some arguments that prompted us to make the statement presented above: i) private tutoring permits (although not in every case) individualized teaching, which contrasts with the mass schooling offered by modern educational systems; ii) private tutoring may present itself as the space for homework doing, which shows yet another dimension of its possible functioning as a complement to the regular school system; iii) private tutoring can also have the function (perhaps one of the functions most appreciated by the clients of these services2) of exam preparation, the most important being the university entrance exams; iv) private tutoring can also perform the function (more social than academic, let it be acknowledged) of support to the family, offering services of spare time occupation, vital for a nuclear family, which is becoming smaller as time goes by, and with high rates of employment outside of the domestic sphere. To underline the importance of private tutoring in the educational context of the different societies seems one of those commonplaces that apparently nobody disputes. Nevertheless, that importance has not yet permitted this theme to occupy the space it deserves, be it from an academic, political, social or economical point of view. We have already expressed these concerns in prior studies (Costa, Ventura & Neto-Mendes, 2003; Costa, Neto-Mendes & Ventura, 2006), even if privileging different approaches from the ones that inspire the present article. The expression “shadow activity”, which is frequently associated with private tutoring, seems revealing of what we are stating. We have discussed until now the academic and social importance of the private tutoring phenomenon, but we would not like to forget its socio-economic impact in the Portuguese context. This can be seen in two perspectives: on the one hand, the individual effort demanded of each family and that cannot be neglected, known as it is the low salary level in Portugal in the context of the European Union; and on the other, the impact of private tutoring as an economic activity, involving thousands of tutors, to whom it is a main or part-time activity – although there are no studies about it, it is 2 We do not possess empirical evidence that permits us to support a judgement of this kind in what concerns the Portuguese situation. There are, nevertheless, studies being carried out in the context of this project, which will contribute to a deeper and richer understanding of this topic. 3 commented by many parents that pay for private tutoring that many tutors are reluctant in delivering a receipt for their services, a receipt that can be added to other education expenses to be included in the family’s tax returns (IRS – Tax on Individual Revenues, in Portuguese). These informal economic practices “feed” the so-called “parallel economy”, which according to some studies’ estimates represents between a quarter and a fifth of the Portuguese GDP. From what was said above a main idea stands out, which we would like to emphasize: when we talk about private tutoring we have to move away from the idea that it is a simple topic. We are facing, in fact, a complex phenomenon, represented by a diversified set of practices that we have already tried to illustrate in analysing its penetration in the different continents (Costa, Neto-Mendes & Ventura, 2006). We will try in the following pages to focus our analysis in this diversified set of practices that show us, and probably increasingly, the assertion of a social occupation – that of the tutor – that finds, at least in Portugal, a fertile ground for its expansion in the access blockage to the education system of certified teachers that due to this situation see private tutoring as a form of alternative employment (Neto-Mendes, 2004). Private tutoring and its different forms As we mentioned in the introduction, private tutoring can be provided in several forms. The providers can be teachers or students, working on a self-employed basis or as employees of a commercial structure that pays them a salary (Glasman and Besson, 2004: 53). Private tutoring can be provided on a one-to-one basis, in the home of the tutee or of the tutor, in small groups of five or six students, in a private tutoring centre or in a school classroom after regular school hours (Glasman and Besson, 2004: 53). In some countries private tutoring is provided in large classrooms or even in big conference rooms equipped with television screens (Bray, 1999: 21). The size of the private tutoring business ranges from the small not-declared individual activity to the big company that operates internationally and is quoted on the stock market (Glasman and Besson, 2004: 53). “The curricula used by the tutors may be tightly structured or they may be somewhat ad hoc and dependent on the specific needs of tutees at particular times” (Bray and Kwok, 2003: 612). We are going to explore some of these different forms of private tutoring in the following pages. 4 Private tutoring undertaken as a secondary activity Private tutoring undertaken on an individual basis, in which the tutor provides tutoring to only one student (or a small group of students) is the oldest and most traditional form of private tutoring. For example, Ireson (2004: 110) indicates that in the United Kingdom private tutoring has a history as a respectable employment for university students looking for financial support and for teachers wishing to supplement their salaries. We believe this to be the case in several countries. In this case, private tutoring is undertaken as a supplement to a main activity that the tutors hold, it is provided in their free time, and its revenues are not, in many situations, declared to tax entities. Private tutoring is, in this situation, a “shadow activity” as what is earned by carrying it out is beyond the reach of taxing services (Bray, 1999: 28). As we are told by Hrynevych et al. (2005) this is a very common occurrence when private tutoring is provided on an individual basis. Private tutoring in this form operates, therefore, in an informal way, without contracts or affiliation to any type of organization or professional order. According to the Regional Association for Professionalized Training in the Canary Islands (Asociación Regional Canaria de Formación Profesionalizada - ARCAP) private tutoring that is undertaken as a secondary activity, not subjected to taxes, and not even declared to the Social Security services, is a submerged economical activity and is being dealt with in a permissive way (ElDia.es, 2005).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Japanese Cram Schools and Entrance Exam Washback
    The Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics Vol. 3 No. 1, 2016, pp. 54-67 A A J L Japanese cram schools and entrance exam washback David Allen Foreign Language Education Centre, Ochanomizu University University English entrance exams are commonplace in Japan and competition for entrance to high-ranking institutions is fierce. Given the high-stakes nature of such exams, high school leavers typically attend exam preparation courses at juku cram schools. Juku are part of the shadow education sector, which has a huge presence in the East Asian region but which has escaped the attention of language education researchers. Moreover, while the entrance exams have been summarily criticized, limited empirical research exists into the washback effect upon students’ language learning. The present study constitutes a medium-scale investigation into the learning behaviour, experiences and language proficiency of 133 undergraduate students at a prestigious Japanese university, all of whom had attended juku prior to entering university. Survey and interview data clearly show a focus on reading, grammar, and test-taking techniques, and a complete lack of focus on speaking skills. The focus on receptive abilities is also reflected in language proficiency scores on IELTS Tests taken during the first year at university. Washback from the entrance exams on language learning is discussed within the context of juku cram schools in Japan. Keywords: Washback; Japan; shadow education; cram school; university entrance exam; IELTS Introduction Every year millions of students around the world sit high-stakes examinations that determine university admission. In Asia, the university entrance exam phenomenon occurs on an unprecedented scale.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring the Contemporary Educational Challenges and Impact of Influential Coaching Classes of English Language Learning in Pakistan
    Orient Research Journal of Social Sciences ISSN Print 2616-7085 June 2019, Vol.4, No.1 [31-44] ISSN Online 2616-7093 Exploring the Contemporary Educational Challenges and Impact of Influential Coaching Classes of English Language Learning in Pakistan Hassan Bin Zubair1 Ishtiaq Ahmad2 Dr. Iftikhar Haider Malik3 Abstract This research explores the structure, phenomenon and impact of coaching class on the academic scenario in connection with the shadow education system in Pakistan. It is assumed that coaching centers focus to apply better techniques to teach English as a second language (L2). This research analyzes all the positive and negative aspects of coaching classes on English language learning especially in secondary education. This study is qualitative in its nature and mode of presentation but most of the data has been collected in written and recorded form for more comprehensive results and findings. Data is collected through questionnaires and class observation in Pakistani public sector schools. It is observed that students are satisfied with the coaching centers and the education they are providing in the sense of learning of English as a second language. Findings of this research show that students and teachers pay more attention in coaching classes/centers than to their regular classes at school. The study has some important implications, Pakistan government should introduce the tight check and balance system to reduce the burden on the parents who pay hefty amount of fees to the coaching centers for the prosperous future of their children and the standards of the public sector schools should be raised so that the students will rely more on their regular classes at school.
    [Show full text]
  • Tutoring Center Effectiveness
    Erik Cooper Tutoring Center Effectiveness: The Effect of Drop-In Tutoring While tutoring as a whole has been demonstrated to improve student learning across a variety of subjects and age groups, there is little published evidence for the effectiveness of drop-in tutoring at the undergraduate level. This type of tutoring can be derided as homework help; however, it is clear from this study that students who made use of the Tutoring Center (TC) regularly gained more academically than simply help with an individual class. In fact students who visited the TC more than 10 times per quarter had ap- proximately 10% higher rates of persistence and approximately 0.2 points higher average GPA’s than students who infrequently visited or who do not visit the TC during their first year of college. hen reviewing the literature on academic support styles, thereW is considerable evidence for the effec- tiveness of traditional one-on-one tutoring where a single tutor meets regularly with a single student to improve the learning and understand- ing of the student (Cohen & Kulik, 1981; Hartman, 1990; Topping, 1996). However, many colleges and universities choose not to or cannot afford to make individual tutoring available to their students. Instead, tutoring centers or learning labs at many institutions provide tutoring support to a number of students simultaneously. While it is assumed that students receive the same or similar benefit from tutoring in a center as they would from individual tutoring, “there is a lack of conclusive evidence to provide the rationale for the widespread implementation of effective peer tutoring programs in college settings” (Lildren & Meier, 1991, p.69).
    [Show full text]
  • Lessons from PISA for Japan
    Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education Lessons from PISA for Japan For decades Japan has remained at or near the top of international assessments of student learning; and in the past decade, students in Japan have become more engaged in learning. However, the government Strong Performers and aspires to improve learning outcomes even further. Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education: Lessons from PISA for Japan focuses on how Japan is reforming its education system not only to produce Successful Reformers in Education better learning outcomes, but to equip students with the skills they need to navigate through the unpredictable labour market of the future and to participate in society as active citizens. This is the second in a series of reports examining how education systems are handling the challenge Lessons from PISA for Japan of preparing their students for a world of interconnected populations, rapid technological change, and Japan Strongfor Performers PISA Successfulfrom Lessonsand Education Reformers in instantaneous availability of vast amounts of information. Like the fi rst volume, Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education: Lessons from PISA for the United States, this report presents examples from other countries with consistently high-performing education systems or countries that, by redesigning policies and practices, have been able to improve their education outcomes, as measured by the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the world’s most comprehensive and rigorous survey of students’ skills and attitudes towards learning. Contents Chapter 1. How is Technology Changing Demand for Human Skills? Chapter 2. Viewing Education in Japan through the Prism of PISA Chapter 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Due Distinction: Elite Student Status Hierarchies in China
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations 2017 Due Distinction: Elite Student Status Hierarchies In China Yi-Lin Chiang University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Part of the Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Chiang, Yi-Lin, "Due Distinction: Elite Student Status Hierarchies In China" (2017). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 2806. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2806 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2806 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Due Distinction: Elite Student Status Hierarchies In China Abstract How do students sort each other into different status groups in school? Research primarily conducted in the United States conceptualizes student status hierarchies as multidimensional systems. Scholars portray multidimensional status systems as exclusionary, constructed by and in the best interests of high status students, and disconnected from adult society. However, these theories are less useful for understanding a unidimensional status hierarchy that determines student status based on a single dimension. This study challenges several assumptions based on multidimensional status hierarchies about status hierarchies by providing insights into how unidimensional status hierarchies are constructed, maintained, and justified. Data for this study come from 15 months of ethnography and interviews with 36 socioeconomically elite students, parents, and teachers at six top performing high schools in Beijing. First, I found that Chinese high school students established a unidimensional status hierarchy based solely on test scores, with the students who achieved the highest test scores on daily practice tests having the highest status. Students sorted each other into four status groups: Intellectuals (Xueshen), Studyholics (Xueba), Underachievers (Xuezha), and Losers (Xueruo).
    [Show full text]
  • Open a World of Possible: Real Stories About the Joy and Power of Reading © 2014 Scholastic 5 Foreword
    PEN OA WORLD OF POssIBLE Real Stories About the Joy and Power of Reading Edited by Lois Bridges Foreword by Richard Robinson New York • Toronto • London • Auckland • Sydney Mexico City • New Delhi • Hong Kong • Buenos Aires DEDICATION For all children, and for all who love and inspire them— a world of possible awaits in the pages of a book. And for our beloved friend, Walter Dean Myers (1937–2014), who related reading to life itself: “Once I began to read, I began to exist.” b Credit for Charles M. Blow (p. 40): From The New York Times, January 23 © 2014 The New York Times. All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without written permission is prohibited. Credit for Frank Bruni (p. 218): From The New York Times, May 13 © 2014 The New York Times. All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without written permission is prohibited. Scholastic grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this book for classroom use. No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Cover Designer: Charles Kreloff Editor: Lois Bridges Copy/Production Editor: Danny Miller Interior Designer: Sarah Morrow Compilation © 2014 Scholastic Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • Public Examinations Examined
    Public Examinations Examined Public Examinations igh-stakes public examinations exert a dominant influence in most education systems. They affect both teacher and student behavior, especially at the middle and upper levels Hof secondary education. The content of past examinations tends to dictate what is taught and how it is taught and, more important, what is learned and how it is learned. By changing aspects of these examinations, especially their content and format, education systems can have a strong positive impact on teacher behavior and student learning, help raise student achieve- ment levels, and better prepare students for tertiary-level education and for employment. Ex- amination agencies, many of which have followed the same procedures over decades, can learn from the successes and failures of other systems. This book addresses current issues related to the development, administration, scoring, and usage of these high-stakes public examinations, identifying key issues and problems related to examinations in many emerging market economies as well as in advanced economies. The book’s primary audience consists of public examination officials on national, regional, and state examination boards, but the book should also be of interest to senior education policy makers concerned with certification and learning achievement standards, to academics and researchers interested in educational assessment, to governmental and education agencies responsible for student selection, and to professionals at development organizations. “ This extremely well-written and comprehensive book offers a timely review of the diversity of public examination practices worldwide; of the tensions between examinations and learning; and of the technical expertise involved in the creation of valid, reliable, and fair assessments.
    [Show full text]
  • Etaudar Nitellub G
    Graduate Bulletin 2006-2007 2 The University of Akron 2006-2007 Calendar 2006-2007 For a copy of the Undergraduate Bulletin contact the Office of Admissions, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-2001. 330-972-7100, or toll-free, 1- 800-655-4884. Fall Semester 2006 Day and evening classes begin Mon., Aug. 28 *Labor Day (day and evening) Mon., Sept. 4 Inquiries Spring 2007 advancement to candidacy due Fri., Sept. 15 Address inquiries concerning: Veterans Day (classes held; staff holiday) Fri., Nov. 10 Graduate study to the Graduate School, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-2101. 330-972-7663. **Thanksgiving Break Thu.-Sun., Nov. 23-26 Classes resume Mon., Nov. 27 Financial aid, scholarships, loans, and student employment to the Office of Student Financial Aid, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-6211. 330- Final instructional day Sat., Dec. 9 972-7032. Toll free 1-800-621-3847. Fax 330-972-7139. Final examination period Mon.-Sat., Dec. 11-16 Athletics to the Athletic Director, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325- Commencement Sat., Dec. 16 5201. 330-972-7080. Winter Intersession Sat.-Sat., Dec. 23–Jan. 13 Registration, scheduling, residency requirements, and veteran’s affairs to the Office of the Registrar, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-6208. 330- 972-8300. Spring Semester 2007 Undergraduate admissions information, campus tours, housing, and transfer Spring 2007 graduation applications due Wed., Jan. 3 of credits to the Office of Admissions, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-2001. 330-972-7077 or toll-free inside Ohio, 1-800-655-4884.
    [Show full text]
  • Shadow Education Private Supplementary Tutoring and Its Implications for Policy Makers in Asia
    Education and Development and InternationalComparative CERC Monograph Series in Shadow Education Private Supplementary Tutoring and Its Implications for Policy Makers in Asia Mark Bray and Chad Lykins No. 9 Shadow Education Private Supplementary Tutoring and Its Implications for Policy Makers in Asia Mark Bray and Chad Lykins © 2012 Asian Development Bank All rights reserved. Published 2012. Printed in the Philippines. ISBN 978-92-9092-658-0 (Print), 978-92-9092-659-7 (PDF) Publication Stock No. BKK124580 Cataloging-In-Publication Data Bray, Mark and Chad Lykins. Shadow education: Private supplementary tutoring and its implications for policy makers in Asia. Mandaluyong City, Philippines: Asian Development Bank, 2012. 1. Education. 2. Asia. I. Asian Development Bank. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. ADB encourages printing or copying information exclusively for personal and noncommercial use with proper acknowledgment of ADB. Users are restricted from reselling, redistributing, or creating
    [Show full text]
  • Not All That Glitters Is Gold – Can Education Technology Finally Deliver?
    Can Education Technology Finally Deliver? A JOINT PUBLICATION Not All That Glitters Is Gold Can Education Technology Finally Deliver? Arran Hamilton | John Hattie A JOINT PUBLICATION FOR INFORMATION: Copyright © 2021 by Corwin © 2021 Corwin Press, Inc. Visible Learning® and Visible Learning+™ are registered Corwin trademarks of Corwin Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted by U.S. A SAGE Company copyright law, no part of this work may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by 2455 Teller Road any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without permission in writing Thousand Oaks, California 91320 from an authorized representative of Corwin Press, Inc. (800) 233-9936 When forms and sample documents appearing in this work are intended for www.corwin.com reproduction, they will be marked as such. Reproduction of their use is authorized for educational use by educators, local school sites, and/or noncommercial or nonprofit SAGE Publications Ltd. entities that have purchased the book. 1 Oliver’s Yard All third-party trademarks referenced or depicted herein are included solely for the 55 City Road purpose of illustration and are the property of their respective owners. Reference to London EC1Y 1SP these trademarks in no way indicates any relationship with, or endorsement by, the United Kingdom trademark owner. ISBN 978-1-0718-1999-9 (web PDF) SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd. B 1/I 1 Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area Mathura Road, New Delhi 110 044 India SAGE Publications Asia-Pacific Pte. Ltd. 18 Cross Street #10-10/11/12 China Square Central Singapore 048423 Acquisitions Editor: Ariel Curry Editorial Assistant: Eliza Erickson Production Editor: Laureen Gleason Copy Editor: Sarah J.
    [Show full text]
  • Anticipating and Preparing for Emerging Skills and Jobs Key Issues, Concerns, and Prospects Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects
    Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects 55 Brajesh Panth Rupert Maclean Editors Anticipating and Preparing for Emerging Skills and Jobs Key Issues, Concerns, and Prospects Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects Volume 55 Series Editors Rupert Maclean, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia Lorraine Pe Symaco, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China Editorial Board Bob Adamson, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China Robyn Baker, New Zealand Council for Educational Research, Wellington, New Zealand Michael Crossley, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK Shanti Jagannathan, Asian Development Bank, Manila, Philippines Yuto Kitamura, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan Colin Power, Graduate School of Education, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Konai Helu Thaman, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji Advisory Editors Mark Bray, UNESCO Chair, Comparative Education Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China Yin Cheong Cheng, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China John Fien, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia Pham Lan Huong, International Educational Research Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Chong-Jae Lee, Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI), Seoul, Korea (Republic of) Naing Yee Mar, GIZ, Yangon, Myanmar Geoff Masters, Australian Council for Educational Research, Melbourne, Australia Margarita Pavlova, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China Max Walsh, Secondary Education Project, Manila, Philippines Uchita de Zoysa, Global Sustainability Solutions (GLOSS), Colombo, Sri Lanka The purpose of this Series is to meet the needs of those interested in an in-depth analysis of current developments in education and schooling in the vast and diverse Asia-Pacific Region. The Series will be invaluable for educational researchers, policy makers and practitioners, who want to better understand the major issues, concerns and prospects regarding educational developments in the Asia-Pacific region.
    [Show full text]
  • Improving Retention by Mentoring and Tutoring Freshmen Students
    Proceedings of 2014 Zone 1 Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE Zone 1) Improving Retention by Mentoring and Tutoring Freshmen Students Ashwin Satyanarayana, Hong Li, and Josephine Braneky {asatyanarayana, hli, jbraneky}@citytech.cuny.edu Department of Computer Systems Technology New York City College of Technology, 300 Jay St, N-914, Brooklyn, NY 11201. The issue is twofold: attracting students to colleges, and Abstract—In today’s competitive global economy, six out of retaining them so that they can succeed and graduate. In this every ten jobs require some undergraduate college education and paper we will focus on the latter and present one approach to training. College retention therefore has long been the focus of increase college retention rates. research in education. The relationship between students and institutional characteristics, college graduation and retention rates has been a frequent topic in the academic literature. For a successful retention program in any college, there must be a team of individuals from across the department In order to increase the proportion of college graduates in the (including students, staff and professors) who are committed U.S., we must enable a greater percentage of our college-age to student success and meets regularly to assess progress of population to enroll in bachelors or associates education (i.e. the program. Changes to this program should be based on enrollment) and complete a degree in a timely fashion (i.e feedback from retention data and student satisfaction. This graduation and retention). Although we have made significant program should also be cost-effective and easy to implement advances in our college graduation rates, improvement still is needed in our college retention rates.
    [Show full text]