MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES, HUE UNIVERSITY TRAN THI MY PHUONG EFL STUDENTS’ EXPECTATIONS AND SATISFACTION OF INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP: A STUDY AT UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES, HUE UNIVERSITY MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING CODE: 8140111 SUPERVISOR: BAO KHAM, Ed. HUE, 2020 BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ TRẦN THỊ MỸ PHƯƠNG SỰ KỲ VỌNG VÀ SỰ HÀI LÒNG CỦA SINH VIÊN NGOẠI NGỮ VỀ THỰC TẬP Ở NƯỚC NGOÀI: MỘT NGHIÊN CỨU TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ, ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ LÝ LUẬN VÀ PHƯƠNG PHÁP DẠY HỌC BỘ MÔN TIẾNG ANH MÃ SỐ: 8140111 NGƯỜI HƯỚNG DẪN KHOA HỌC: TS. BẢO KHÂM HUẾ, 2020 STATEMENT OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP This work has not preciously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself.
Date: 05/12/2020 Signature Tran Thi My Phuong i ABSTRACT This research paper examines the EFL students’ expectations and satisfaction of international internship at University of Foreign Languages, Hue University. The study mainly focused on the intern’s expectations of the international internship, then the extent of expectation fulfillment, and the factors that affected the fulfillment of their expectations. The participants were five third- year students at the University of Foreign Languages, Hue University. Interviews were employed as a method for collecting data.
The interns’ expectations of the practicum were determined on the basis of the result of critical incident exploration within the four-component framework of personal, professional, supervising, and contextual elements. Besides, the degrees of their satisfaction with the practicum were decided on the basis of the combined application of different forces. The research findings showed three different patterns: high expectations – high satisfaction, medium expectations – high satisfaction, and medium expectations –medium satisfaction. The findings also showed the influential factors, which were classified into two different groups: primary and secondary on the fulfillment of expectations, in which the confidence factor was the unique factor that decided the fulfillment of expectation.
The discussion concentrated on the three emerging issues: the role of the personal element in the four-element framework, the impact of the supervisor element on the participants’ satisfaction, and the importance of practicum workload. Based on the findings, it is recommended that EFL students should be fully aware of their expectations in an international internship. Teachers should understand interns’ expectations deeply to assist them in their internship. Administrators need to be informed about students’ expectations and satisfaction to organize the course in international internship better.
ii Acknowledgement First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest thanks to my supervisor, Dr. Bao Kham, who has provided me with the great encouragement and given valuable advice during the time I wrote the study. He has spent a great number of his valuable time guiding, correcting, and giving comments to my work. Words are not sufficient to express how grateful I am for his patience, and unconditional support to help me in this thesis.
I could not have imagined having a better supervisor for my study. Secondly, I am truly grateful for Mr. Lai Quoc Loc for providing me with valuable information and materials. Thirdly, I am thankful to MA.
Nguyen Thi Hai Yen for reminding me to complete the thesis, providing me with updated information and giving me the great encouragement. Fourthly, I would like to offer special thanks to the third- year teacher students and students whose major is English from K13 at the University of Foreign Languages, Hue University for being willing to participate and provide me with precious information in the interviews. I appreciate their generosity with their time and effort in cooperating in my interview. Without their enthusiasm, this thesis would not have been completed.
Last but not least, my great thankfulness extended to all my parents ,my husband and my friends who are always by my side, give me their spiritual support, love, encouragement and time help me get over all difficulties in the process of doing this thesis. iii TABLES OF CONTENTS Statement of Originality Authorship. iii Tables of Contents. iv List of Tables.
viii List of Figures. viii List of Abbreviations. viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION. Background of the research.
Structure of the thesis: .3 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW. Definition of international internship. Expectations and Satisfaction. Factors affecting the fulfillment of expectations.
Mentors’ or supervisors’ support. Transcribing and coding. Determining the Force of Expectations and Satisfaction. Validity and reliability.
21 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. Overview of the three different patterns of expectations and satisfaction 22 4. The detailed description of different patterns of expectations and satisfaction. High expectations and high satisfaction.
Medium expectations and medium satisfaction. Medium expectations and high satisfaction. Influential factors on the fulfillment of expectations. Influential Factors in the Pattern of High expectations – High Satisfaction.
Influential Factors in the Pattern of Medium Expectation – High Satisfaction. Influential Factors in the Pattern of Medium Expectation– Medium Satisfaction. 40 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS. Summary of the key findings.
Limitations of the research. Suggestions for future research. 43 REFERENCES APPENDICES v LIST OF TABLES Table 3. Criteria for expectations.
Criteria for satisfaction .19 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2. 11 vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS -EFL : English as a foreign language -F : Factor -IN1 : Interview 1 -IN 2 : Interview 2 viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. Background of the research In the context of globalization, international internship or practicum has emerged as a trend within the international education sector to supply practical skills to ensure suitable jobs. According to Andrew, Naziha , Quek, and Ang (2013), internship provides a chance for interns to obtain a first-hand experience within the real working world.
Furthermore, Calloway & Beckstead (1995, cited in Andrew, Naziha, Quek & Ang, 2013) claimed that internship also helped students practise skills, improve their social relationships, motivate their future learning and enhance their social personality. It can also provide a chance to find their job interests and objectives under an expert mentor (Chen, Hu, Wang & Chen, 2011). According to the official internship guidelines published by Grinnel College (2014), it is confirmed that an internship is a chance not only to use and develop industry-related knowledge and skills, but also to boost a number of the abilities which are transferable to any professional work setting. Therefore, students must select for themselves an acceptable environment for their practicum.
As for teaching practicum, students apply and practice the theories and pedagogies they have learnt in their teacher preparation programs at their university (Barton, Hartwig & Cain, 2015). In most cases, students conduct their practicum in their local schools or agencies that are located mainly in their hometowns. However, some universities are starting to conduct the practicum for their students through meaningful collaborations with educational institutions from other countries with the aim of providing knowledge background and opportunities for their students to experience genuine learning and engaging in teaching in foreign educational settings. In this way, they will improve their knowledge and their skills which help them find teaching jobs easily.
Nelson & Klak, (2012, cited in Laela, 2017) supposed that over the last decade, the growing interest in international exposure has increased beyond the geographical and topical boundaries. Thus, the University of Foreign Languages, Hue University, has been a pioneer in launching international practicum where students are given an opportunity to practice their professional skills abroad. Rationale English, one of all the most popular languages everywhere the planet, and has become the language of science, of aviation, computers, diplomacy, and 1 tourism. Knowing English increases your chances of getting a decent job in a very multinational company within your home country or of finding work abroad.
Muhammad (2017) discovered that many educational institutions are starting to initiate networking agreements and meaningful collaborations with institutions from other countries with the aim of providing a platform and opportunities for their students to experience learning and engaging in teaching in foreign educational settings and schools. English students have various opportunities to practice in tourism placements, like hotels, restaurants, or agencies. In the University of Foreign Languages, Hue University, the third-year students register themselves in their internships in Thailand. The international internship for these students may be a completely new experience, of which different students have different expectations.
According to a survey report released in 2017 by the University department of training, the cohort of interns in the year have achieved different degrees of satisfaction after a one-month practicum program. In spite of this, there are no official studies conducted on their expectations and satisfaction of the program. This is the reason why I select the topic for my research: EFL students’ expectations and satisfaction of international internship: a study at University of Foreign Languages, Hue University. Research aims The aim of this research is to report on the expectations and satisfaction of undergraduate students who participate within the International Internship.
The study also aims at identifying the various factors which will affect the fulfillment of their expectations. Research significance The results of this research will provide teachers, students and administrators with valuable experience and lessons. Teachers as supervisors or mentors will learn how to guide and support interns more efficiently before, during, and even after their practicum. Prospective students as interns or student teachers will learn from their predecessors’ valuable lessons and experience for their more effective international internship, especially in terms of their professional growth and development.
Administrators as organizers or coordinators will be more aware of various critical factors for the successful organization of an internship. Research scope The study focuses on the students’ expectations and satisfaction about the international internship organized by University of Foreign Languages, Hue University. Research questions In order to meet the research aims, this study was conducted to find answers to the subsequent questions: 1. What expectations do students have of their international internship? 2.
To what extents are their expectations fulfilled? 3. What factors can affect the fulfillment of their expectations? 1. Structure of the thesis: This thesis includes five chapters as follows: Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter focuses on an introduction to the briefly main contents of the entire thesis. It consists of the background of the research, reasons for selecting the subject, the aims, the significance, the limitation, research questions and also the structure of the thesis.
Chapter 2: Literature review This chapter presents the definition of the terms utilized in the thesis, provides the theoretical background of the previous research for discussing in the subsequent chapters. Chapter 3: Methodology The chapter concentrates on the explanations for choosing research design and methodology. It also focuses on the description of the research context, participants within the study, and instruments for data collection and data analysis. Chapter 4: Findings and discussion In this chapter, the results which are collected from the interviews are presented, interpreted within the research questions.
The findings are also discussed in terms of critical emergent issues from the data analysis. Chapter 5: Conclusion and Implications Chapter five summarizes the keys findings, proposes important implications for teachers, students and administrators, presents some limitations and suggestions for further study. 3 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter begins with the definition of international internship from the perspectives of different researchers and experts. It is then followed by an exploration of what expectations and satisfaction mean.
The chapter ends with the detailed presentation of various factors that may affect the students’ expectations before the practicum and their satisfaction after the practicum. Definition of international internship There is no absolute agreement on the concept of internship as its definitions vary widely.