IELTS Research Reports

A multiple case study of the relationship between the indicators of students’ English languagecompetence on entry and students’ academic progress at an international postgraduate universitySummerProgrammestudentEntry test score Exam script Effect uponsupervisor workloadSOE5 None Adverse PassThesis outcomeSOE6 TOEFL IBT 92 None Adverse Revise and representSOE7 IELTS 6 Unavailable Unknown Revise and representSOM1 IELTS 6 Critical of language Unknown Revise and representSOM2 IELTS 6 TOEFL IBT 64 Critical of language Equivocal Revise and representSOM3 IELTS 5.5 None Unknown Revise and representSOM4 IELTS 6 Critical of language Adverse Revise and representSOM5 IELTS 6 Positive on style Adverse Minor correctionsSOM6 IELTS 5.5 Critical of style Unknown Revise and representTable 9. Summer Programme students’ entry scores compared with, exam script comments,supervisor’s reported workloads and thesis outcomesAnswers (12) to the final open question inviting additional relevant comments have been listed inAppendix 4. Whilst many reinforced the comments above by referring specifically to the individualsupervisory relationship, others raised wider issues about the effects of internationalisation uponhigher education, the role of the supervisor and the compromises that are sometimes necessary toproduce a thesis that satisfies disciplinary and language standards and requirements. These findingsestablish that the English language proficiency of half of the Summer Programme students impactednegatively upon the workload of their supervisors.9.2.6 Summer Programme students – thesis outcomesTable 9 shows the outcomes of the relevant Examination Boards for the Summer Programme studentsin terms of the degree award and the status of the presented thesis as at January 2009. Includingtheses requiring minor corrections, seven of the Summer Programme students have been awardedtheir Masters qualification and 14 students are required to revise and represent their theses for furtherassessment before receiving their Masters degree. One student, SAS2 was awarded a PGDiplomainstead of a Masters degree, subject to passing a further examination. These figures confirm thefindings in the pilot study that Summer Programme students are more at risk of failing academically.Tables 10, 11and 12 collate the results of the various studies employed to assess the progress of theSummer Programme students for individual Schools.Four out of seven Summer Programme SOE students have gained their degrees without having torevise and resubmit their theses but this does not rule out the possibility that they were experiencinglanguage problems as the example of SOE5 demonstrates (Table 10). The thesis of this student waspassed but the supervisor reported an increased workload due to the student’s language problems.IELTS Research Reports Volume 11169